Coloured Fencing Clothes

As a designer, I love colour. As a fencer — not so much.

When a fencer wears coloured socks on the piste, two thoughts come to mind. Either he is a challenging opponent and knows it, or he is a nub and doesn't know it. One way or the other, colour is making it's way into fencing.

Allstar FIE 1600N Coloured mask - allstarfencing.us

In the past few years, fencing traditions have been swallowed up by the commercial need to engage more participants and spectators. In this regard, pistes have been illuminated with coloured lights, masks have been painted with crazy patterns and there have been multitudes of rainbow coloured fencing clothing.

The slide away from white fencing uniforms began with little splotches of colour on the non-sword arm, club logos and flags. Then colour slid down the leg and adorned the nickers. Any day now I expect to see Coke and Mountain Dew advertisements splayed across back pockets.

Do we need coloured fencing clothes? Isn't fencing exciting enough on its own?

I don't mind fun socks once in a while, but I fear the recent addition of seven coloured socks from Leon Paul. These are entertaining for college and university clubs who want to show their team spirt, and not lose each other in a crowd, but what happens when the socks go mainstream?

Coloured Advance Fencing Socks - leonpaul.com

In the hands of the average fencer, or in this case, on the feet of the average fencer, coloured socks could morph into tartan and paisley!

Allstar Women's Foil lame - allstarfencing.us

It's not only socks and masks; there are coloured lames, sword handles and blades. Where will it end?

Can we agree to leave colour out of tournaments? I'll accept  coloured gear for the club and JFF tournaments, but please, keep it white for serious competitions. The last thing I want to hear on the piste is the announcer commenting on my opponents fashion sense.

A white fencing jacket gives a nod to fencing history and it  equalizes people on the piste. They begin a bout on equal terms, not prejudged by what they are wearing. Tennis, went down the same road that fencing is headed down — relaxing uniform rules. You don't have to look very far to see where that went - Venus William's 2010 lingerie tennis dress...

Fencing uniforms are made for protection. There are no points for costume design in fencing. Some fencers claim the addition of coloured clothing is progress and individualism. Maybe so, but I swear I'll give up fencing if they add sequins and theme music.

I am, therefore I fence

KK

New LEGO Fencer

New LEGO Fencer 

I've stepped on more LEGO in my day than I've been hit with a fencing sword, and yet, I find this new LEGO Fencer very appealing—despite the photo stylist's lack of fencing knowledge — sword in left hand while wearing a right hand jacket and glove. 

I would toss out Harry Potter for him. Okay, I'd toss out Voldemort. I lost his wand long ago anyway. 

I can forgive the LEGO faux pas, on the grounds that the new release of a mini fencing figure breaks up an otherwise bleak month. After New Year's Eve, there's little to celebrate in January. For the rest of the month, I pretend that it's fun to be outside wearing three layers of clothing. 

Having a little yellow-smiley-faced LEGO man to pursue in January, besides sounding a little pathetic, is just fun.

All things considered the LEGO fencer looks pretty
good, a far cry from the Playmobil's astronaut fencer. I do like Playmobil's feet, but then it wouldn't be LEGO and he wouldn't be able to play with the other pieces. 

Playmobil Fencer

The new little LEGO mensch has already shown up on eBay. It sells for $3.99 per package in stores. eBay listings start at $5.50. Which in the long run, even with the auction, could be cheaper than buying random packages until you find a fencer. 

The marketing scheme plays to our ego. You think you will be the lucky one that finds a fencer. When you don't find it, your ego is offended, it's like a newbie catching you off guard and landing a bruising hit. You have to retaliate and strike back. You buy another package, but it doesn't stop there. You buy another one, and another one. You put off buying a new sword to buy one more mystery LEGO bag, in the hope of finding the elusive figure.

You know the fencer will be as plentiful as Tickle Me Elmo, a year after it was released, if you can you wait that long.

I wonder if there is a back pocket in his nickers to hold the new Pebble tester? I still don't have one of those either.

Hopefully, they will bring out a foil and a sabre version. Am I asking for too much? What about a referee and a piste, interchangeable vests that you can write names on, a fencing master's jacket, a score box that lights up...hmmm...maybe I should be working for LEGO!

Happy hunting.

I am, therefore I fence.

KK

A Fencer's New Year's Resolution

New Year's 2015:

• I will add one more fencing practice each week.

• I will allow one newbie to beat me on purpose.

• I will trounce every n00b that challenges me on the piste.

• I will not wear coloured socks while fencing.

• I will not laugh at old fencers who take themselves too seriously.

• I will make sure my sword has a rubber tip on it.

• I will stop using pirate voices to answer the coach.

• I will not fence only to win, but to enjoy the sport.

• I will compete only when I want to.

• I will not grunt when I lunge.

• I will remember that the reason I fence is because I suck at team sports.

Happy Holidays

How Fencers wrap gifts

There are as many approaches to gift wrapping as there are approaches to fencing lessons. The combinations are limitless. In the end, we settle on what we are comfortable with and what suits our abilities, much like the 
way, I suspect, we choose our fencing weapons.

Having a background in sociology, I am fascinated by the idea that our personality and not our physicality determines our choice of fencing weapon. Our inherent personality traits define which sword we are more comfortable wielding, or which sword becomes our main weapon.  

If this is true, there would be distinct differences between fencers, hallmarks that define a foilist, epeeist or saberist.  

To explore the idea, that personality traits determine weapon choice, I asked a foilist, an epeeist and a saberist to wrap a foil for Christmas. Here are the results: 

Epeeist                                                                                             The epeeist wrapped the gift with a notable urgency as if wanting to get it over with. Their choice of wrapping was a sparkly burlap  fabric that didn't require taping or ribbon to hold it in place. This eliminated the need for any precise folding around the bell and grip. The epeeist simply wrapped the fabric around the sword to divert the fact that it was a sword. The epeeist attempted to deceive the recipient into thinking they had spent a long time wrapping the present, when in fact they were done in seconds.  
       

Foilist 



The foilist considered the recipient of the gift and how they might expect the present to be wrapped. The foilist then choose wrapping paper and a
coordinating
ribbon. The ribbon was
meticulously tied into a bow with the ends cut into sharp points. When the present was wrapped to the foilist's satisfaction, she chose a greeting card with a sentimental verse inside, tied the card to the gift and hand delivered it.

Saberist


The saberist tried out the foil for a week before "wrapping"  it. He didn't apologize for using the sword. The saberist used it, because he could and no one told him he couldn't. And since it was now considered a used sword, he saw no sense in wrapping it. "What the hell, who wraps a sword anyway!" The saberist stuck a pre-made bow on the foil and went looking for eggnog.

Clearly, there are personality traits that define who gravitates to which weapon and as demonstrated, these differences spill into their gift wrapping techniques. 

Happy Hollidays

from our piste to yours!

I fence, therefore I am

KK

Why do I want the Pebble Test Box?

It's on my list.

my number 2 text box

 Leon Paul Pebble Test Box

I have two test boxes. The first clunker was delivered DOA, and like a few other online purchases of fencing gear, it was not worth the expense to ship it back. It sits on a shelf as testament to today's workmanship and our throw-away society. I'm hoping I can attribute some Zen meaning to it.

The second tester I purchased has been with me for years. It's a standard piece of equipment in my gear bag at every tournament. The design is functional — portable, indestructible and reliable.

I was perfectly happy with my number 2 test box, until Leon Paul sent me an email announcing the new Pebble Test Box, for epee and foil. Immediately, I wanted to chuck out my old metal box and buy this new polycarbonate gizmo. — Why?





Overlooking the really cool video and the slim futuristic design, the Pebble does the same job as any other test box, with the exception of fitting into the back pocket of your nickers, something I'd never do anyway.

The description says, "...a super simple weapon tester, green for good, red or orange for bad...".

I like this feature; simplicity is always good. The Pebble tester eliminates having combinations of lights. The combination lights aren't rocket science, but it is annoying. 

The description also says the lights are accompanied by a buzzer sound. The buzzer, I could do without - not a fan of things that buzz at me.

All these features taken into consideration, does the Pebble warrant spending $37.00 American plus tax? Shipping at Leon Paul is free but there is alway the possibility of duty fees. 

It's like so many things in life, new, and modern always seems to be better. Having the latest gadget somehow gives us a perceived advantage over those with last year's model. 

Will it make me a better fencer? I wish. In reality - maybe.

When you own the latest equipment your ego is given a boost. It's as if you have told yourself that you are worth it, you deserve the best and therefore think of yourself as a better fencer. If you have the newest painted mask, you feel like an olympian. 

This works the opposite for those without the latest equipment. When you see another fencer decked out in the newest and best, it's human nature to think that that fencer is somehow better than you. They were able to attain something you weren't and that makes you think less of yourself.

At last year's CanAm Cup, the American foil fencers showed up with gear all labeled with splashy logos. When they donned their masks with American flags painted on the mesh, I felt slightly underdressed, like I'd shown up to a black tie event in fuzzy slippers. I had the sense that they had to be good because someone invested a lot of money in them and expected results on the piste. 

Intimidation by equipment! Insidious!

In a sport where psychology plays a major roll, having the psychological edge over your opponent, even if it is as superficial as a flag on a mask, or a sleek new Pebble tester in you back pocket, the price might be worth it. If it brings you confidence - go for it - whatever it takes to perform your best on the piste.

If new equipment boosts confidence, it would take more more than a new box tester to up my game. I still have a retro-fit lame glued on my mask and that should be my priority. 

Do I still want the Pebble test box? – Oh yeah! It's still on my list.

I am, therefore I fence

KK

More about this blog:

source: KK

Foiling Around with Swords takes a light-hearted look at fencing and all things fencing related, including life lessons learned from the tip of a sword. If you are going to live the life of a fencer, you have to have a sense of humour. No one, outside of fencing, is going to believe that you had fun getting up early on a Sunday morning, to be bruised.


Foiling Around with Swords goes to those places most fencers avoid, like how many swords can you own before you’re labeled a hoarder and can you fence with ADHD? Posts will also be about new products and gear, plus the current attempts to spice up fencing for television audiences. Seriously? Flashing helmets?

There may not be any humour on the piste, but off the piste, fencers are funny people. We have to be. Take a look at our sport. It's comprised of two people trying to hit each other with swords, using modified killing techniques from centuries ago, while wearing white nickers. If that’s not funny, I don’t know what is.

source: KK

I often talk about Leon Paul, the well known British manufacturer of fencing equipment. To be clear, I have no affiliation with them other than being a customer. I just like their gear and they have great customer service. I've shopped at many online fencing stores and brick and mortar shops in the U.S. Shop where you want, and don't be afraid to search around, find what works for you.

Some of the first posts:
The new Leon Paul pebble box tester – Why do I want it?
How fencers wrap Christmas gifts
The ever-elusive LEGO fencer
Is fencing becoming too commercial?
Seriously? Flashing helmets?

Future posts:
My cartoons and animation
Questions for followers
Beginner tips for new adult fencers
Women and girls in fencing
Know when you are a hoarder
How to tell if you are annoying on the piste

I’m a foil fencer:
I’ve had lessons in sabre and epee to see what they are
about and would like to take more
I’ve won metals; the majority are a sparkly yellow colour
Usually, I fence three times a week
I have designs for new products, which I hope to develop
I'm a published writer
I write young adult fiction and adult short stories
In a past life I was a designer

I am, therefore I fence

KK