9th July 2005. My birthday wish for my blog is not to use it for whining, complaining, irritating, or scolding. We'll see how well I keep that. I think not too well. Oh well.]

I spent my birthday at Clementi Sports Hall at the National Under 17 Fencing Competition (Epee Individual). Quite an eventful day... left me very hyper... heh...

Maurice, Liang Sheng and I arrived early, warmed-up, checked equipment, and collared by the Fencing Singapore official who got us to help set up the pistes. No joke, each segment has to be carried out, laid out in the correct order etcetc. After that, we registered n everything then the comp started proper. PE shirt, plastron and jacket... so hot man! Nort funny!

Fencing competition, unlike other sports, has its preliminary round as well as its elimination rounds in one day. Thus, we were divided into 6 pools of around 7 to 8 fencers each. Then everyone bouts against everyone, and the person who scored the most points minus the points scored against him is the top seed. I was in a pool with Gabriel from CJC, so at least we could talk to each other. My father came and took some pictures... I think I managed to capture a lot of the action by replaying it frame by frame and taking stills... haha...

Don't ask which one is me. Clue: I'm right-handed. This is the hall during the comp.



Before the bout starts, the judge tests your blade by placing a weight on it. The spring in the point should be able to push the weight off it.



The fencers then salute the judges before the bout begins proper. Hold the blade pointing to the judge, bring it to your nose then sweep it away.



My first point. The flying fleche. I can't believe Wei Lun thought I was the shorter one... as a matter of fact, I was shorter, just that he was crouching down... heh. This is the very moment my blade hit his thigh.



The lunge, the standard attack. In this case, I was half-lunging, not extending my back leg, so that I could recover faster.



The best hit in the tournament for me. Nailed him under his wrist.



Hong Mun, my ex-captain, who was also acting as a coach for us that day. I'm trying to undo the scoring wire from my jacket.



Against Gabriel. My stop hit. I'm the futher one away



In the name of sportsmanship. He's the only opponent I gave a pat on the back to. Throughout the tournament CJC and VJC cheered for each other. =) Below are some of the CJ girls that were there cheering for him





However whats not shown is that later on I met Zi Xian, the ITE fencer in the second elimination round. He shook my hand and said "may the best man win". It was no contest. Before 7 minutes were up he registered 15 hits to my 3. Darn pathetic score... sighz... Oh well...

And the best part of the evening!! DANIEL WON A BRONZE MEDAL! The only JC fencer in the Top 4!!! What does VJ say to that then? The final was between Tanglin and Pasir Ris Cres... oh well, thats what we expected.... Oh man! We were so happy for him, coming from 4 points down to take the lead and then the victory! Later on, he and Zi Xian became the two bronze medallists... ahaha! VJ's first win! May it be the first of many.

Cos we're satisfied for now, but come the novices, we'll be aiming higher!
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Sunday was foil. A few more pics.

On guard position in foil. I'm the nearer one.



Here's me n my opponent (Some SJI chap) testing our wires by touching each other's electric jackets. Running around in 4 layers on a hot sunday afternoon is no joke... I sweated so much my hands became wrinkled from bring perpetually wet!



The move that is unique to me in the VJ club (cos i'm short enough to do it relatively easily), looping the blade up for close quarters. For the record, I missed though... note the absence of lights on the scoring box.



This was the best point of sunday. With the score tied 4-4 I did a disengage and hit him just on the edge of his jacket to get the point.



Later on, fencing with an RJ chap, he tried to fleche me (look above to see whats a fleche), so i ducked to stop hit. Instead he ran into me and kicked me in the head. I nearly ate my specs, but he apologized anyway.



I avenged myself with another lunge. Note the light on the left is an "on-target" light while the one on the right is the white "off-target" light. Since I was the attacker, I got the point =)



This is a bout i died in, against a leftie from Tanglin. Left-handers are not easy... sighz.... I lost 5-1...





Oh yes. I was seeded 16th and was taken out by left-handed Wei Yang, formerly of SJI, now in RJ, of 5 years fencing experience. That was fast...

But after the whole thing was over we had prize presentation... haha.... maurice and I cheered for daniel louder than the rest of the audience put together... Go VJ go VJ go!
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So, great work by the VJ team, especially also to our seniors who came down to watch us fence and give us tips, as well as our other members. Victoria and Charlene came to support us during the round robin, while the rest sent us nice messages, as well as lent us blades...

Also, thanks everyone for the birthday wishes, and I'm really sorry to those people whom I didn't reply to... it was a bit hard cos we were constantly being called to go to -what-and-what- piste....

Yup!

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