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Blog Guy, I recall you’ve been a professional fencing coach?
I don’t like to boast, but I do know quite a bit about those long pointy things.
Well so, what’s the most important thing to understand about fencing?
Timing.
Timing? You mean when to parry, when to thrust?
No, I mean the right time to jubilantly throw your arms up in victory celebration.
For instance, as these photos from the World Fencing Championships seem to show, the wrong time is when your opponent is three feet away from you and pissed-off and still has his long pointy thing.
Note: No fencers were harmed in making this blog post
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Above: Italy’s Andrea Baldini (L) celebrates after defeating Italy’s Andrea Cassara in the men’s individual foil quarter-final fencing event at the World Fencing Championship in Antalya, southern Turkey October 3, 2009.
Below: Poland’s Radoslaw Glonek lies on the ground after he was defeated by Germany’s Peter Joppich.
REUTERS photos by Murad Sezer
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So this is what fencing is all about? I thought that bull-fighting was very violent and bloody, hence entertaining, but I think this fencing thing adds a completely new dimension of possibilities. When are the next world championships? Has there even been such a thing a re-match in this sport?
Is a rimatch similar to a riposte? Or is a more complex variety?
If you could let me know, I’d really appreciate it. I went down to the local DIY store, but they just laughed at me when I asked them about fencing.