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by Brian Zulkoskey

Part 1:

There are many resources available to SFA members wishing to improve their performance, not only in fencing, but also in general life skills.  These resources include:  our Fencing Master, Maître Claude Séguin; our part-time coaches; our high performance athletes; psychology clinics (such as the one organized by Claude at the Summer Camp; NCCP coaching clinics; SFA Coaching Skill Development clinics; and literature on fencing, nutrition, sport psychology, and general conditioning available at bookstores and city and university libraries.

My intention in this column is NOT to imply that I have all (or even most) of the answers to questions about fencing (I don't!), but rather to provide the opportunity for others to benefit from:  the training I have received, and continue to receive, from Claude; the experiences collected during ten years of National-level competition; the knowledge gained in working through the NCCP Coaching Theory courses to Level III.

The significance of my choice of title for this column is that athletes are always looking for 'an edge' - that 'something extra' that will make them winners.  (Unfortunately, many athletes overlook the fact that a base level of skill and of hard work and commitment are necessary before having an 'edge' will make any difference.  However, that is a whole other topic of discussion!)  Following the suggestions in this and future columns may make the difference in bouts between fencers of otherwise equal skill.  In other words, these suggestions are designed to give you 'an edge' over your opponents.  Future columns will deal with various aspects of nutrition, psychological preparation, and physical preparation.

Pre-competition Preparation

People do not plan to fail ... they fail to plan

Are you personally familiar with either of the following scenarios?

Scenario 1.  It's the first bout of the first round and your opponent is someone who is fairly evenly matched to you skill-wise.  As you connect to the reel you have a feeling of nervous anticipation, but also of quiet confidence.  You know that your equipment is in good working order and you have just completed a 10-minute warm-up with a teammate.  You are warm and sweating from the warm-up, but feel loose and energized rather than tired.  You win the bout 5-2, noticing that your opponent seems stiff and unprepared, and you wonder why you were concerned about this bout.  Your confidence is boosted further, and you look forward to an enjoyable day of competition.

Scenario 2.  It's the first bout of the first round and your opponent is someone who is fairly evenly matched to you skill-wise.  As you connect to the reel you have a feeling of tightness and fear.  You didn't have a chance to warm-up, as you discovered that your weapon wasn't working when you got to the gym, and you've spent all your time 'til now fixing it.  (You re-wired your second weapon last night and don't want to risk using it because you know that the glue is not yet dry.)  As you approach the president to have your weapon checked you feel a cold nervous sweat trickle down your sides.  You are so pre-occupied with worry about your equipment that you fence the bout in a daze, hardly moving as your opponent thrashes you 0-5.  You leave the piste de-moralized, trying to 'put yourself back together' for the next bout.

Chances are good that if you have fenced for more than one season you have experienced variations on both of these scenarios.  Hopefully scenario 1 has occurred for you more often than scenario 2.  If not, you may benefit from the suggestions in this column.

Future columns will deal with competition preparation starting from the day before you leave on a fencing trip, through the travel day, the day before your event, and the competition day.  This column will deal strictly with what to do between the time you arrive at the gym and the start of your event.

  • Plan to arrive at the venue at least half an hour before the close of registration for your event.  This will give you at least one hour to prepare.
     

  • Check-in as soon as you arrive, in case there is any problem with your registration.  If there is a problem, try to sort it out quickly.  If this doesn’t work find someone (manager, coach, teammate who is not competing) who can deal with it while you prepare for your event.
     

  • As soon as you have found a place for your fencing bag, test your weapons.  If necessary make any minor repairs or adjustments to ensure that you have at least two that work.
     

  • Change into your fencing whites (breeches, socks, T-shirt) and shoes.
     

  • The first part of your warm-up should consist of a light jog.  This can be done around the gym.  This has the advantage of giving you a chance to ‘scout’ the opposition.  Also, it is intimidating to the other fencers to see you preparing, and entering ‘their space’ every time you jog past.  Finally, this also gives you the chance to greet fencing friends while still preparing for the day ahead.  Remember to look out for reel wires, extension cords, and other fencers’ equipment (it’s not too cool to trip, or step on someone else’s weapons or mask).
     

  • Once you feel loose and warm, stop jogging and spend five minutes or so stretching.  Next, pick up a weapon and do five minutes or so of footwork.
     

  • When there is about half an hour until your event is scheduled to begin, put on your plastron, body cord, and fencing jacket, and find a teammate and an empty piste or section of floor.
     

  • By now it is probably twenty minutes to the scheduled start time.  Warm-up with your teammate by fencing.  Don’t worry about how many hits you score, instead be sure to move a lot and try a wide variety of actions.  If possible fence with a number of teammates rather than just one person.  It is important that you fence hard and work up a good sweat.  You want to feel as though you have fenced 3 or 4 hard bouts before the competition actually begins.  This will ensure that your muscles are warm and stretched, and will help to reduce your nervousness.
     

  • Just before the pools are called do a final quick check to ensure your weapons are functioning properly.
     

  • Before going to your piste, fill up your water bottle, and take an Allen key, towel, and track jacket with you.

While following these suggestions cannot guarantee success, you will be much more likely to have a successful competition if you follow a precompetition strategy similar to the one suggested.

One final note:  I cannot stress enough the importance of having a good first round.  You MUST be prepared to fight hard in ALL of your pool bouts, including the first one.  This means being properly prepared.