![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Apr. 27th, 2008
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
the best yet
Apr. 27th, 2008 09:19 pmSaturday A. and I went out to a club the Next Town Over for their mixed unclassified foil competition. This is the same club that hosted the my first competition last summer. Oh, what a difference (almost) a year makes...
I learned two things:
1) just because someone's not rated doesn't mean they're not ferocious on the strip. Some are only new to competition, others used to fence and are re-entering after an absence, some have fenced another weapon for years and are only new to foil. Others just kick that much ass. I got a bit overconfident going in and it was to my detriment.
2) just 'cos they do some stuff well doesn't mean that they mix it up much - I fenced a lot of people who kept doing the same thing over and over. Sometimes I could do something about it, sometimes not. So far, variety within a bout is the biggest difference I've experienced between the Big Scary Rated Fencers(TM) and the unrated (relative) newbies (I say that as a newbie myself).
We both did pretty well, A. better than I (see: fencing for years but new to competing). I won my first DE and lost the 2nd, A. and I both losing in DEs to the same person. We were amused to notice that we would have ended up fencing each other had we not been eliminated. I've fenced A. a lot and know what he does, but he is also with a new coach and club and has some new tricks up his sleeve.
I was able to surprise at least one of my opponents, and that made me happy :) Also everyone was friendly and there wasn't any "win or die" attitude, or at least none that I saw.
I am not likely to compete in May (calendar is filled right up) but I suppose that is good because it would otherwise be tempting to go from one competitive adrenalin rush to another :P Nah, I'll spend May practicing and taking some more lessons and then see what's on in June.
I learned two things:
1) just because someone's not rated doesn't mean they're not ferocious on the strip. Some are only new to competition, others used to fence and are re-entering after an absence, some have fenced another weapon for years and are only new to foil. Others just kick that much ass. I got a bit overconfident going in and it was to my detriment.
2) just 'cos they do some stuff well doesn't mean that they mix it up much - I fenced a lot of people who kept doing the same thing over and over. Sometimes I could do something about it, sometimes not. So far, variety within a bout is the biggest difference I've experienced between the Big Scary Rated Fencers(TM) and the unrated (relative) newbies (I say that as a newbie myself).
We both did pretty well, A. better than I (see: fencing for years but new to competing). I won my first DE and lost the 2nd, A. and I both losing in DEs to the same person. We were amused to notice that we would have ended up fencing each other had we not been eliminated. I've fenced A. a lot and know what he does, but he is also with a new coach and club and has some new tricks up his sleeve.
I was able to surprise at least one of my opponents, and that made me happy :) Also everyone was friendly and there wasn't any "win or die" attitude, or at least none that I saw.
I am not likely to compete in May (calendar is filled right up) but I suppose that is good because it would otherwise be tempting to go from one competitive adrenalin rush to another :P Nah, I'll spend May practicing and taking some more lessons and then see what's on in June.
willpower and patience
Apr. 27th, 2008 10:03 pmIn other weekend activities:
I spent most of today AWAY from the computer and doing some pattern drafting on the English fitted gown.
I'm trying to take the lessons in patience I'm learning from fencing and applying it elsewhere, and this is no exception. I need to reconcile myself to the fact that the first draft will almost never be right and that I'm going to need to use a lot of paper and muslin to get it right.
Part of the impatience is my eagerness to get to the pretty fabric and the rest is twitching at what I wrongly see as "waste" of paper/fabric in creating repeated drafts. I need to just get over it and realize that I'm learning something, and that if I just take the time to do it right it's going to be easier the next time, and the time after that.
Also, the finished garment will be something I'll actually wear instead of just being pretty fabric on a hanger :P
I spent most of today AWAY from the computer and doing some pattern drafting on the English fitted gown.
I'm trying to take the lessons in patience I'm learning from fencing and applying it elsewhere, and this is no exception. I need to reconcile myself to the fact that the first draft will almost never be right and that I'm going to need to use a lot of paper and muslin to get it right.
Part of the impatience is my eagerness to get to the pretty fabric and the rest is twitching at what I wrongly see as "waste" of paper/fabric in creating repeated drafts. I need to just get over it and realize that I'm learning something, and that if I just take the time to do it right it's going to be easier the next time, and the time after that.
Also, the finished garment will be something I'll actually wear instead of just being pretty fabric on a hanger :P