Vitti ... Wratislavia ... Its nice to be here!

In the 90's it was "Challenge Vitti", it was qualification for Polish Championships U15.

Big and strong competitions, among those first ones with many international fencers I could fence against. I remember (and I checked) that last time for me was 1996 and I was 10th among 235 fencers. I lose L16 against Marcin Zawada 15:10. Michal Ponaczewny won this competitions in the final aginst Krzysztof Gracki.

I could check it in my "fencing diary"... yes, because I have one, since my very first competitions in 1994 until I start work as a coach 2006, all competitions I was, all places, all matches, always with best top 8 results and my result, if possible with article from newspaper..
who has something like this now??

After Challenge best 30 Polish fencers has qualified directly to Polish Championships, than another 18 fencers gets "ticket" after additional qualifications in regions... and few months later Michal Ponaczewny became Polish Champion, with Krzysztof Gracki in great final, 15:14.. last hit was "squat".. Michal was like 30cm smaller than Krzysztof, so hi just used oportunity.
its history.. I lose L16 again.

Challenge Wartislavia has long history.. 36 years, as a competition for kids, bigger and bigger every year. Since few years ago we have new categories U15, U13 and U11, all six weapons!

I think there is no chance to find any good european fencer who didnt fence there!
Offcourse succes in Challenge will not determinate your fencing future, but its always good memories.

Kids competitions with budget around 80 000 euro.
Kids competitions with all weapons and 3 age categories in each
Kids competitions with over 2000 fencers
Kids competitions with great finals and TV relations

I love come to Challenge Wratislavia.
Meet all people here,
Meet coach Glowacki who seems be always that same, that same since I was 15 years old.. but is already another 15 years later.
My coach Puza, "maestro" Kuzma, ... Im kind of sentimental guy sometimes.
All Coaches who remember me as boy.. boy, girl.. doesnt matter - you are "sword" as Syrio Forell says, Old coahes has always something to say, I like to talk.. and I like to listen about fencing.

I always get news who is coming to Polanica tranings camp during summer.
I hear news which are not always official...
I see many new talents, and what is most fun as a coach I can seee how few of them growing from U11 to U13 and than to U15

Fencing is great, you know, you meet people here who will follow you whole your life..if you just decide to stay with fencing. We were 15 when we compete here, we are 30 and we are still here.
I can imagine that I will meet many of those people even when I will be 50.

So, why I write about it?
Because I think that good competitions should get good "marketing" among fencing people.
And I always try to say between the words, that fencing is the best you can do in your life.

More about competitions here: Challenge Wratislavia

About competitions and hatred

Competitions are very importand for our sport. Its help us to check how we practice.
Its help us to test ourself.
Its help us to improve something, something we want to improve for ourselfs (not to coach or parents I hope). Everyone should try to improve something.

I like competitions, I like this atmosphere, some kind of electricity in the air..
who will be the best today?
who will show something unexpected?
how will fence my fencers?

I like meet my magic people, I like talk with them.. about fencing.
I like watch how others "do their things"..with hope to learn something
I like watch focus on their faces,.. with hope to learn something
I love see emotions
I love this "game" on the piste,

Usually fencers try make their best on competitions, so I wonder why (sometimes) those who arrange competitions are not trying their best?
Why to arrange competitions if you dont want to make best competitions?
Why do not care about small or sometimes big things which interacts on me or other people and help me or other poeple decide to do not come here anymore?

There are many, many competitions I always try to go,
I like those competitions, ... to many competitions actually.
But there are competitions I dont like, I try to avoid,
Doesnt matter with country, or city.. just I dont like some competitions...
There are competitions I were once or two.. and I will never do it again.
Its doenst matter which competitions, but few are very bad...

Why?

- I hate when someone show "time schedulle" and its not working!
what is a meaning to inform everyone and do not follow it, ok shit can hapend, but there should be plan B.. and shit cannot hapend 3 or 4 times during last 3 or 4 times..

- I hate when nothing happend on competitions!
Sometimes we just seating there, 20 pistes, 20 referies.. 20 fencers... and seating.. what a fuck? I came here to see fencing, I came here to work.. not to seat and eat swedish distasteful sausages

- I hate when competitions starts very early! (or they have plan to do it)
Competitions starts att 8:00, ok, you need be there att 7:00.. so?
Doors open att 7:30 :)
Breakfast in hotell since 7:00 :)
Everything is fine, if those competitions with 30-50 fencers will finish att 15:00.. but, no!
"we love fencing" so competitions ends att 18:00 or 19:00 with 3 or 4 moments without fencing like 1 hour and no one knows when it will start again. Love it.
what happend if competitions will start one hour later? we will finish att 1800 or 1900 too.

- I hate bad food or no food on competitions!
Is it so hard to arrange some good food on competitions?
toast, hot-dog (specially swedish) and "warm" coca cola is not good food for any one

- I hate competitions without space!
space to leave fencing bags?
space to seat and watch fencing?
space to make warm up?
space between pistes? (3meters is needed)
space between scoring machines and piste? (should be minimum 1m)

- I hate competitions without speakers or plasma tv
there are two good methods to communicate with people..
talk with them - use speakers! and someone who know how to use microphone!
or show everything on plasma tv in good time, and hold this time.. so whats a problem?
best solution.. both att once!

- I hate competitions without "finals"
its should be lite more "prestige" more spectacular... is it so hard to present quarter or semifinalist and referies?
is it so hard to arrange final pist?
Yes I know usually there is no publicity on competitions.. but how to invite them if there is nothing nice to see?

- I hate competitions without prizes and podium
usually competitions has winners.. so winners should be on podium att the end of competitions, so easy... not bench with sticker 1,2,3... podium!
I always wonder if those who arrange competitions thing sometimes what a shit they give as a price?
It they would like to get it?
if you have no idea for prizes.. please ask fencers in your club...
football socks on fencing competitions are not the most wantet prize..

- I hate when is to many competitions :)
hate it, especially if some "important" national competitions with 30 fencers overlap with good international competitions with 2 poule and DE with repechage and 200 fencers

Is it so hard to look on international calendar first and then make national calendar?

hate it especially when few quite good internationall competitions and nationall competitions are just week after week, who can afford it?

hate it especially when competitions has a stupid date.. just after some holidyas or something

So, its seems that I hate competitions... no I love it, Im just disapointed when is not working!
Unfortunatelly Swedish competitions are quite on top those bad.. BUT there are people in Sweden who "know how".. "they know their things" as Silvo Forrel said (about him little later)
Just so,
I would like to inform:

Its possible to arrange quite big competitions during one day, or make it much more fun during two days
Its possible to arrange final presentations, podium, prizes
Its possible to arrange quite good food during competitions

And yes, its not easy, and usually its not cheap to make it... but If someone travel 500km for national competitions pay for 2 night in hotel, referies, etc.. its no big deal to pay maybe 5-10 euro more for entry fee and require good competition!

One more thing, if someone arrange fencing competition to make money... already lose

Extraordinary

Maybe its hard to believe but Fencing is a fight sport, not same as boxing, judo or MMA, but still fight sport. You are practicing and then you need to compare yourself with someone else.
Yes, YOU NEED TO COMPETE!
Practicing fencing without competition is like be a great painter and never show your painting to anyone.
I will wirte about it much more, soon.

There are many fencing competitions.
Different levels, different age category, different competitions formula, individuall and team.
Some are very good, some are not really good.
Im thinking most about everything around competitions.
Informations, Hotells, Transfers, Time schedulle, Prices, Finals Ceremony.
But I need to say that more and more competitions are better and better.

Since few years ago Cadetts can compete in European Cadett Circuit - really good initiativ.
I havent possibility to fence and collect expierence on those competitions.
I had only Junior World Cups, even when I was a cadett, so it was much harder to qualiffy among those 12 juniors, than like now among even 20 cadetts.

This season I was in Manchester and Halle, I couldnt be in Cabries, but now Im going to Warszawa.

It can be little commercial now, but competitions in Warszawa are really good!
I like those competitions, yeasterday I saw it on Warszawas undergrund:

 

Its means that people who arrange this competitions want this competitions be good, its means that they want to promote it and inform many others "come, and see this, its worth it"

 

Fencing can be very nice sport to watch, not so easy to understand, but I was 3 times on Challenge Insternationall de Paris, and I saw it, I dont know how many, 3000 people, maybe more watched quater, semi and finals.. and they knew when make some noise. Everyone paid 10 euro for it.

I saw in TV finals in Turin, finals in Paris on World Championships... no free place left.

 

So if you are not sure what to do 26 or 27 january 2013... come and see this!

For Fencers is still possible to register your entry!

Witold Woyda's Foil





Prizes are waiting!