~JcZw

I can't believe that just a short 3 weeks ago, my record for breaking blades was virtually CLEAN. You guessed right. Its another fencing related post. Well I can't help it! Its so irritating. I've already given accounts of how i broke two epees. Now I shall elaborate on how I broke a second foil, or rather, how someone else broke it. The impt thing is that it broke!

Today, my father was on leave, and my sister back from NUS, and my brother had no AEP. I of course, was at home as per normal. So for the first time, all 4 of us could be around to go fencing together, 3 foilists and a sabreur.

When we got there, Coach Jeff was happy to see my sister after almost a year. But he told my brother that the sabreurs there were all of a higher standard, could he fence foil for the night. Yup, my brother didn't mind. He's considering converting to foil soon anyway... But ask a person who's body is tuned to slashing weapons to use a point weapon... my goodness.

My first bout was with him, wearing a bright blue electric jacket, stark constrast to my grey/silver one. I soon noticed how his eyes followed my blade and proceeded to execute an attack preceeded by flashing the blade from left to right, up and down. With his thus distracted, it was easy enough to win 15-4... but before that, he slashed me numerous times on various parts of my anatomy. Thankfully nothing vital was hit.

My second one was with my left handed father. Won by 15-8. His french grip was more suited to his style, which made him that much deadlier. In the end I wore him down for about 7 min before I pulled open a gap.

Last was with Nico, whom I haven't seen for a month, cos of SPA, camps, match supports etcetc. I lost narrowly 15-13.... Totally forgot how he'd fenced, using a charge down the piste while holding his blade back. I should have sucked him into close quarter, but I only realised that when the gap was already 13-8. I clawed back but missed a potential point while executing a close quarter and so lost the bout.

I was then chatting to him and Brenda, the law student, about training, tactics, school and so on, while half watching my brother duel with my father using my blade. Observing the wildly swinging foil, put through angles and impacts more suited to a sabre, Nico and I said "Sooner or later that thing is gonna break". And then we started relating our various experiences concerning blade snapping. Then my father walked up. "Your blade broke"

I was like !!!!! Nico and Brenda laughed a lot... I don't blame them, talk about "speak of the devil"

Sighz, anyway, getting an epee FIE blade, a foil FIE blade... gonna cos a mint of money... Guess I gotta wash my father's car more...

Yup, back to bio...