Post by Flamberge on Sept 5, 2005 13:25:38 GMT -6
On Fencing.net there is an interesting article on "New Foil Rules and their Impact" by Maestro Bernacchi.
www.fencing101.com/content/view/430/35/
Craig of Fencing.net started a thread in the forum which has comments by many members.
www.fencing.net/forums/fencing-discussion/t19207.html
Here are the closing remarks by the maestro which may interest some visitors of this forum.
Closing comment by the maestro
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Here are the closing remarks by the maestro about the various postings and comments in this thread to his article.
The difficulty to execute the flicks because of the new (longer) impact times, and the new (shorter) blocking times make both "parry-ripostes" and "attacks" more risky because they open up the possibility of counterattacks. The two changes in the timings are complementary aspects of the same problem. In some cases, if one cannot reach the target with a flick, he has to reach it with a slower touch which often falls beyond the 300 ms.
The connection between the change in the impact time and the change in the blocking time is particularly evident when both fencers are close to each other, "stretta misura," and must find the sufficient space to execute the touch. Obviously, this can be seen much better with fencers of high technical caliber who have a much greater speed of execution and determination when launching counterattacks.
Conversely, the resulting increase in "pumping" hits is a problem which affects in particular the young and inexperienced fencers. They become tempted to impart more force to the touch in order to trigger the scoring light, and this leads them to charge with the arm pulled backwards trying to increase the impact of the foil tip on the target. This pumping action with the arm pulled back "dirties" the technical execution of the hit and represents a very serious problem. Paradoxically, this is in sharp contrast with the return to a "pure" foil fencing according to the tradition, which the new rules were supposed to promote.
Thank you for all your comments.
Maestro Alberto Bernacchi
Note: Stay tuned for the next article about the different terminologies in the Italian and French, i.e., rest of the world, schools of fencing.
www.fencing101.com/content/view/430/35/
Craig of Fencing.net started a thread in the forum which has comments by many members.
www.fencing.net/forums/fencing-discussion/t19207.html
Here are the closing remarks by the maestro which may interest some visitors of this forum.
Closing comment by the maestro
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the closing remarks by the maestro about the various postings and comments in this thread to his article.
The difficulty to execute the flicks because of the new (longer) impact times, and the new (shorter) blocking times make both "parry-ripostes" and "attacks" more risky because they open up the possibility of counterattacks. The two changes in the timings are complementary aspects of the same problem. In some cases, if one cannot reach the target with a flick, he has to reach it with a slower touch which often falls beyond the 300 ms.
The connection between the change in the impact time and the change in the blocking time is particularly evident when both fencers are close to each other, "stretta misura," and must find the sufficient space to execute the touch. Obviously, this can be seen much better with fencers of high technical caliber who have a much greater speed of execution and determination when launching counterattacks.
Conversely, the resulting increase in "pumping" hits is a problem which affects in particular the young and inexperienced fencers. They become tempted to impart more force to the touch in order to trigger the scoring light, and this leads them to charge with the arm pulled backwards trying to increase the impact of the foil tip on the target. This pumping action with the arm pulled back "dirties" the technical execution of the hit and represents a very serious problem. Paradoxically, this is in sharp contrast with the return to a "pure" foil fencing according to the tradition, which the new rules were supposed to promote.
Thank you for all your comments.
Maestro Alberto Bernacchi
Note: Stay tuned for the next article about the different terminologies in the Italian and French, i.e., rest of the world, schools of fencing.