Snipers, Time-warps and Mastery of Counter-attacks

This, the third post of the evening, relates to Monday, when the most experienced fencer at Nottingham Uni Club yelled to me across the room before puttin his mask on: "If you can score ten points against me, I'll buy you a pint."

Whether this was great self-confidence on his part, or underestimation of me, I accepted the challenge. And so we began (an epee match, I should mention), and I let the match drift to 10-5. I was meeting him, for the most part, on a speed level, and he was bloody fast. I was feeling a little suave just at being able to match him blow for blow, even if the point ratio was skewed a little.

So we entered the final five points of the match. It went as follows...

Double... I picked him off as he had just passed my defensive wall

Double... I attacked and got picked off

Double... The point is less relevant because he made a remark about losing £2.30 (the price of a pint of my beloved Guinness in the student bar) and I smiled knowing that I was two doubles away from a free drink

I then went one point down- he came at me like a blur and I panicked, overwhelmed by the speed, and forgot to stick out my arm

Finally, I gained another double. 15-9. One green flash of light away from free booze... I made a remark about how close I had come, and he praised my speed (athough the nine points were the praise I was after).

Snipers are in the title, because the correct timing is vital to my style of epee- I snipe at the person's arm when they come forwards but can easily switch to head or, much less frequently, knee if neccessary. I am not ashamed to say that my priorities are askew when I fence. I put much more emphasis on waiting and responding to a scenario than making one- beaing someone at a game they created is much more satisfying, and you don't tire yourself out chasing them down the piste because they have come to you, gifting opportunities!

Time-warp (not the dance, for the love of all things not the dance) is in the title because it reeally felt like I was bending time to my own ends in that match, keeping up with an incredibly fast fencer as they sped like forked lighting towards me. Matching them move for move was a blissful feeling, that much is true.

Mastery of the Counter-attack is what I would preach to an apprentice- there must be a counter-attacker in every scenario, and it is not always a disadvantage to be the one who does not make the first moves. Far from it, the counter-attacker has the position of choosing whether the attacker succeeds or fails. Once you have lunged, you are in a vulnerable position. Straight arms are an easy target too, and as such it pays to only move when the attacker has over-reached. Keep good distance and you may never need attack again.

Obi Wan's question about fools can be answered thus- the fool that follows can react to the fool, and counter his actions with better ones.