Dont forget about tactic you fool

I had been in Warszawa this weekend.
ECC competition "Woyda's Foil" is nice competitions, I watched many fights, many fencers, and I realize that many, to many fencers just forget about basic tactics during matches.
I know that Cadett fencing is quite often more instinctive than planned. But I thing that arount 30% of all hitts are just because of opponents "unforced errors" . So if opponent will eliminate those errors match should be much harder. So what than?
So here we are, very basic tactics tips for fencers:

# Always believe in your opponents real possibilities. You can lose just because you don't believe in yourself, or you think that your opponent is better that hi is. (remember that "names" on jacket don't fence, ranking don't fence either)

# Use a time of your opponents fight to observe and analyze him. By this way you can save a time in your fight with him, time you need to recognize him. This way can help you also avoide simple mistkes on the begining of fight with him.

# When you are trying to rcognize your opponents remember to keep correct distance. To short distance give him always possibility to surprise you.

# You shouldn't fight schematic all time. Try always hide your real intentions and show him many marks to find the best moment to use your real plan. More marks are more reason to think.

# Your all moves should be dangerouse for your opponent, give him many reason to be nervous and not sure what you want to do, this is the easiest way to destroy his plans.

# Dont let him just take over initiative in fight

# Usually the best way to surprise your opponent is the simplest action! (with good preparation!)

# Don't give your blade to your opponent to easy (use low or high position of blade, change it!)

# If you fight against fencer who like attack be focus and try disturb him on every step back, or just go to attack by yourself

# You should be always active! remebmer that piste is 14m long, use your legs!

# Dont forget about "second intention" actions

# Dont hurry up to finish fight, even if you lead stay focus and fence active

# Always focus on "just one more hit".. and than another

# Continue fencing until referee say "halt"

# If your opponent is leading, don't try get back point as fast is possible, prepare every action. Yes, I know sometimes you need just 1 sec to prepare, sometimes is enough.

# Stay focus after fight, try to remember all mistakes and do not make it happen again

Im quite sure that hose few tips can help you all, just try to remember it, and follow it under single matches and competitions.

Water dance

I want to be dancing master, and I want to teach my fencers water dance.
Maybe is quite naive, but I belive that investment in technique is the best investment we can do in fencing, since first practice we should focus on it.. technique, technique.. rytm, flow, tempo.

Off course you cannot forget speed, strenght and coordination but this all are "just" motoric skills and it takes shorter time to train it, much shorter time than get good technigue.

Many can think that is very funny, but I love Syrio Forrel, from Game of Thrones
I think that this framgent is one of the best "fencing" fragments in tv.

 

 

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

Magic people... Fencing people!

Everyone has friends, (I hope!)... I can be quite boring, but I have only "fencing friends".
Yes I have friends from elementary school, childhood, high school or university..but there are friends.. and "friends".

For me its f...g big difference when you know people.. and when you can call them friends.
I know thousand of people, but I havent to many friends..
Maybe it depends of my character, maybe its not so easy to be friend with me.
Maybe I dont want to have many friends..

There are few people I would like to present.
People who here in far, far away Sweden do some fencing.. not always like me, but beauty of fencing is that enyone can do fencing on his own way, and it can work pretty well.

I love fencing, and I have great respect to people who work with fencing, almost all of them.
So, please meet "my" Magic people,  "my" Fencing people.. here in Sweden.. my pack!

I need to start with Pawel Mancewicz, because its actually his fault that Im here (long story!)

 

Pawel "Mancek" is coming from Poland, from same city as me, from same club as me (Budowlani Torun), Hi was already national team epee fencer when I tried to be good in foil. Not as regular epee fencer, Pawel is also dangerous in foil! Hi is also FIE referee.. in foil.

Hi is a "Mrs Fencing" on Gotland island. Working as a coach and PE teacher.

Master degree in PE and fencing coach from AWF Katowice - "produced" by famous prof. Czajkowski.

His wife is an angel, if Pawel is "quite" impulsive, Ewa is totally opposite to him.

His two soons, Bartek and Mikolaj already fence, with quite good results. It can be quite loud about Bartek, Mikolaj can be another Zlatan too.

The best with Pawel is that we can call to each other and tell everything with many "kurwa" between.

 

 

Orvar "Maestro" Jönsson. The Old Fox, actually in my opinion the last one of those "classical fencing masters", the last one in Sweden, the last Swedish who got my great respect. Great Experience. Great passion.. to golf and his dog. Live in Malmö and working there, also as a PE teacher in High School. Orvar is Swedish Fencing Federations board member. I love old stories, and Orvar knows "few".

 

 

Pierre Thulberg, champion of diplomacy. Actually hi is a general secretary in Swedish Fencing Federation now, and I have great expectations to him on this position. Pierre know fencing well as a DT on biggest competitions include Olympic Games. Many people know him, and hi knows many people. I like Pierre for many things, one of those most important is that hi understand that, we, here in Sweden, need to change a lot of things to be better. I just hope that Pierre will make it happen.

 Ivan Makkai. Most famous Swedish among Hungarians, and almost most famous Hungarian among Swedish (I think Bella Rerisch is still more famous hungarian). Epee coach from Stockholm, Djugården, educated in Budapest.

There is some kind balance in the world. Jang and Jing, if there is one impulsive coach like Pawel or me (but in this compare Im calm), there need to be another very calm. Ivan is calm. Hi likes fencing and do his jobb, quite good distans between life and work. Hi always find a time to go fishing. Hi can be world champion in fishing on fly among fencers. I heard that Ivan likes slavisk music and "burnt wine". All nice girls should notice that Ivan is still single.

 

Martin "Rektor" Roth Kronwall, the guy who beat Salvatore Sanzo when they were juniors. Working in Gothenburg with Henrik (about him later). Hi is like sport menager and help coach in club. Hi was a principal in High School, but love to fencing (and to us) was stronger than good sallary. So hi is teaching som wired subject like culture history in part time and rest of his time spend on fencing gym. Hi can be record holder if you count all nights hi slept in fencing club. Martin is also autor of book about "cold swimming houses in Sweden"... I have this book, even with autograph, but Im not ready yet to start reading it. I will tell you about it when it will be done.

 

 Henrik Lundegard is this guy you se always with Martin, and believe they are not togehter!. Henrik became a coach few years ago, try learn everything from everyone by himself and create his own fencing phylosophy. Great motivation and very good results so far. Hi is a head coach working with foil in Gothenburg. Actually Gothenburg is a only one fencing club in sweden with 3 coaches! Yes, I know its quite funny, but this is how it is in Sweden.. in my situation 100 kids.. 1 coach - part time paid, and its not a club foult, this is "swedish model" its quite interesting so I will write about it some day.

Henrik is a "made in sweden" product. Involved to his jobb, with own instinkt and not always good teoretical base. Unfortunatelly Sweden hasnt any national education for fencing coaches, there are just very simple instructor courses, so Henriks "by himself" way is correct. Who told us that coach need to have a master degree in sport since? Yes, I know all coaches from post comunistics countries have it. But Henrik is from Sweden. On other side Henrik is try to beat Pawel on "go carts" as I remember, so long without results.

 













Mariusz Zimmerman is another Coach coming from Poland and working here, in far, far away Sweden. We are almost like mafia here :)  Hi is the "silent" one. Hi never gets yellow or black cards, not like Pawel or me. Representing Muszkieter Gliwice and educate as Pawel on AWF Katowice produced by famous professor Czajkowski. Mariusz like Ivan has a great distans between work and life. I dont have, fencing - my work, my passion.. is my life. Its make me dangerous.

Mariusz is like catalyst you can talk with him like with Pawel, but without so many "kurwa, ja pierdole" I have a feeling that Mariusz can produce great fencers, questions is only if there are any candidates out there.. in Örebro?

 

Alexandr Siniak, the newest one in the pack. Hi came to Sweden two years ago from Minsk, and hi replaced me in Ängby Fencing Club. Because of my moving with quite big group of fencers and starting En Garde Fencing Club, hi started almost from begining in Ängby and his small ninjas are already on top in youngest category. I can speak polish with Pawel and Mariusz, and with Sasha I can still practice my russian, which is great, unfortunatelly Sasha want to practice swedish more often.

Sasha like go carts to!  We like to talk about fencing, similar ideas, similar fascination. All nice girls should note that as I know Alexandr is already taken, but you can always try.

 

I think that Im quite magic too.

 

 
As you can read in my profile, coming from Poland, Torun, educated on AWF Warszawa. Walking always his own ways. Always something to say, and say always what hi thinks. Quite active in Students Union during studies, if I cannot succe in fencing, I will be a politican, the orthodox one.

Black and white.. there is no grey.

Maybe black sheep, but I dont care. No others hobby than fencing, have no time. Actuall focused on En Garde Fencing Club - the dream which comes true. But there are few dreams more to come true.

 

 

So here we are. No girls this time.. because fencing is a sport for real man!

There are few more in Sweden working with fencing, but not so many, unfortunatelly. Hope it will change some day.

I need to apologize all my friends in other countries! You are great too, but I will write about you all next time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!