Monash University
Fencing Club
| |
Monash University |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Index |
What's This? |
|
Steve at the Novice Tournament. |
The following are tales from some of our members about their experiences
during their 1st year of fencing. We hope that this will help prospective
members get some idea of what they're in for:-) |
One of the first comps I entered was the 2002 Novice Tournament. I wasn’t sure how well I would do,
I’d only been fencing 6 months or so, and there were some with up to two years experience. But I
decided to enter all three weapons.
I figured it would be good experience. And besides, I was Tournament Officer; how would it look if
I organised it and didn’t compete? In the end, we didn’t do too badly. Our Sabre team finished on
top, and I personally came 3rd in Sabre, and 4th in Foil (it should’ve been 3rd, but I can only blame
myself for that).
I learnt quite a bit, and had improved significantly by the end of it. Since then, I haven’t missed
a comp, and even managed to win B-grade Sabre.
Stephen Smith joined the club Beginner Course in 2002, and was shortly thereafter pursuaded
to become Tournament Officer. His best competition results after the Novice Tournament
included placing 6th in an A-grade Epee, 1st in B-grade Sabre, and 5th in C-grade Foil.
He then got elected club president at the 2002 AGM, which just goes to show how much you can
achieve in your first year with a little enthusiasm.
It was my first year at university, and after settling into things in the
second semester I decided that I should compete in a sport after giving up
netball.
During one of my classes I met Steve (now president), and during
conversation he told me how tired he was after an entire weekend of
fencing. At the time I was a little bit interested both in what he had to
say and of the fact that Monash had its own fencing club. To me, fencing
seemed like a very prestigious sport (like fancy horse riding), I had only
ever had a few glimpses of the bouts when the Olympics were on.
Anyway, Steve invited me to one of the training sessions, which I thought I
would just watch, but of course when I turned up that didn't happen. Tim
(the president back then) was very cheery and immediately got me all geared
up. I had no idea what was going on and within minutes I was joining in
with footwork exercises and even some bouts with some other new members.
It was very intense and after the three hours I had developed blisters
across my fingers and very tired hamstrings.
All in all, my first year of fencing was challenging at times but also very
exciting.
Canji Wu joined the club in the second semester of 2002, and competed in her first C-grade foil competition before the end of the year where she came 8th. She was elected secretary at the 2002 AGM.
I started fencing in 1995, when a mate of mine persuaded me to have a go during O-Week. I
enjoyed the initial adrenaline rush of attacking and parrying, but it wasn’t until a few months
later (when I had the basic skills) that I could begin to understand the strategies involved.
My first intervarsity competition was in Sydney in 1995. I was totally under-prepared and
under-trained, but I had a ball. My fencing was crap, but the thrill of competing at a national
fencing competition (plus the partying) meant that I had a fantastic week, and I was hooked.
The best advice I can give beginners is to train as much as possible (once a week is the bare minimum),
test yourself at competitions (even if you know you’ll get whipped) and to get involved with the
running of the club. Being on the committee is a great way to improve your fencing, as you can
learn heaps from those who have done it before you.
David Gutteridge briefly left the club after graduating and moving out of Melbourne, but has since returned and been a huge help in running the club. He was part of the 1997 Fencing Intervarsity Team that won the overall trophy - something he describes as his best memory from his time as a Monash student, and he won his first VAFA competition in 1998. His current goal is to end up on top of the state rankings one year.
I started my first year of University in 1995. Having shunned both social and sporting activities for
as long as I could remember, I wandered around the O-week stalls with vague thoughts of a balanced
lifestyle and the slogan "healthy mind, healthy body" passing through my mind.
The only sport which had ever seemed tolerable to me was badminton, so I went looking for the
Badminton Club. They were hard to find however, and before I reached them I caught sight of the
Fencing Club table.
I had no real idea what fencing was, but presumably I had read about it somewhere before
and my sub-concious remembered, because my hind-brain seized control long enough to
march me over to the table, hand over the cash and sign up for the Beginners Course.
A little confused, I then continued on my way and located the Badminton Club. I wouldn't
stay with them long though, I found the long wait for games and lack of coaching or
organised competition frustrating.
So, I toddled along to my first lesson with no idea what to expect. The equipment was
all very strange but I dutifully followed instructions and got it mostly sorted out.
They showed us how to move, and I felt faintly ridiculous but stubbornly persisted. We
learnt to use the blade a little, I felt horribly awkward and uncoordinated but at least
this was a familiar feeling and stubborness again was what saw me through.
I wasn't a very promising beginner. Apparently the senior fencers standing on the
sidelines were discussing likely fencers among us and I didn't get a mention, but I
didn't learn that until many years later when I was the only one of my class left in
the club and now fencing in Nationals, by which stage it didn't hurt my feelings. Which
just goes to show that your early talent, or lack thereof, doesn't mean anything at
all in the long term.
The course ran for 10 weeks, and then there was the Beginners Comp. I don't remember
much of it now, except for the general scariness of fencing in a different venue at
Melbourne Uni. I did badly, like I said I wasn't a very promising beginner, and got
eliminated after the first round.
I continued to train with the club twice a week, and was pursuaded to join the IV team
when they pointed out that the club had exactly three women, which was the minimum
number for a team. So I joined them for the drive to Sydney because if I didn't I'd
be letting the team down. I was a little nervous because I knew I wasn't much good, but
mostly just excited to be taking part in something so completely unlike anything I'd
ever done before. IV ran for one week during the mid-year break, keeping busy was
probably the best way for me to handle the stress of waiting for my first exam results.
Intervarsity was great. We were fencing all day every day, and I was introduced (about
half an hour before the events) to epee and sabre. I stank at epee even worse than at
foil, but immediately discovered my niche with the sabre. The club sabreur said he
was very impressed to see me using real sabre parries, and that was enough to ensure
I'd keep fencing it. At night we joined in en mass with the organised social events, and
I exchanged e-mail addresses with a novice from Adelaide who would later become my
long-distance boyfriend, and now my very close-distance de facto partner.
So I returned home with a new enthusiasm for my chosen sport and began learning both
foil and sabre. Later that year I entered my first state competition (a little
unwillingly and with much trepidation) when Monash hosted a C-grade. In those days they
need to roll out the metal strips at the start of the comp, and roll them up again
afterwards so they dragged as many of us as possible along to help with the work. Since
I was there, I might as well fence. I don't remember much now, but it wasn't all that
traumatic in the end except for the new-venue intimidation factor. I've never been
good with new venues.
I kept up my training during exams even though many of the other fencers dissappeared.
I found the physical activity made it easier to concentrate on study, and easier to
sleep the night before an exam. There comes a point at which you've crammed in all the
information you can for a night, and you just have to let it settle.
I got pretty good results so I stand by my study system.
And then I headed back to my home in the country, far from fencing clubs, for the summer.
I missed fencing, and practiced footwork with the dog (who was rather fond of pouncing
on feet, especially if they were moving fast). I don't know that this did my fencing
any good, but it helped fend off the withdrawal symptoms until the start of the next
semester.
Lisa Lagergren has been a constant member of the club since 1995, and since graduating
has managed to hold pretty much every committee position at one time or another. In 1996
she came second in the Intervarsity Novice competition ("a big surprise considering my slow
start") and in 1997 was part of the Women's Intervarsity team that won the Foil and Epee.
She entered her first National competition in 1998, and her best result to date is
3rd place in the AFF Victoria Tournament in 2000, Women's Sabre of course. At present
she divides her time between coaching novice foil and sabre, fencing, competing, and
doing random fencing-related volunteer work - while still holding down a full-time job
and trying to have a life.
Her future plans include moving to the UK for a few years to do more of the same.