Exchanging blows with colleagues

2012-05-11 08:00:00

Misleading title FTW. /o/ For once I'm not writing about another colleague I pissed off :p

Yesterday was the annual field trip of my department at $CLIENT. After a last-minute change of plans due to the weather we all gathered at a far-away gymnasium to partake in an introductory class in fencing. Sabre fencing to be specific.

I enjoyed it, fencing's cool! :) If I weren't into kendo already, I would've probably picked up fencing especially because Almere has a rather large club. Reminds me of another company outing, which led to me trying a new sport.

Here's some observations based on my kendo experience:

• Aside from the fact that the back leg is at an angle, the footwork is actually comparable, it's just like okuri ashi: never cross-step, always start with the foot of the direction you're going and quickly pull in the other leg.
• Unlike rapier and floret fencing, sabre fencing uses cutting and slashing movements. The targets, with sabre fencing, are all above the waist, just like in kendo.
• The en guarde position is comparable to basic kamae: hold the center, blocking access to most targets. Oddly, the tip of the sabre is at the top of your opponent's head, not at their throat.
• Like in kendo, big movements will be punished. Keep your strikes small and your blocks even smaller. Else you will leave yourself wide open.
• Holding the sword is the absolute inverse of kendo: with your thumb and index finger, where in kendo we use the other two/three fingers. In both, the full grasp is only used to "snap" the sword when making a strike. 
• When it comes to stance, fencing is killer on my neck. The muscles in my neck have always been a problem, but constantly looking hard-right was messing me up!

kilala.nl tags: sports, work,

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