anotheranon | the best yet

Saturday 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.