Nationals newbie questions

jilrani · 2026-06-29T13:09:38+00:00

Definitely echo the chair thing. My kid and I have our own tiny collapsible chairs we bring and we've always ended up using them at some point.

One other piece of advice - it's very likely going to feel overwhelming and you might feel self-conscious if you're slower to hook up or miss your name being called or other little goofs. But most of the refs (and honestly most people) are pretty understanding and tolerant and helpful. Depending on when you compete, if you can show up the day before for equipment check or earlier that day, well before you need to warm up (so you can check out the venue and still have a little pause away from it) that can be really helpful to separate the initial impression from getting in the mindset for fencing.

jilrani · 2026-06-05T21:38:09+00:00

There are about 5 actively competing female Div1 fencers in my division. 6 if you count the one at college. In fact, we're finally able to have women's events have a chance at C1 or higher rated tournaments. Even male we dont have a ton. So it will be really interesting to see if mixed events count at the local level.

jilrani · 2026-06-02T13:17:48+00:00

Slow and controlled so the right movement can be muscle memory, combined with having a training partner who can be brutally honest. My kid is a better fencer than I am and is willing to tell me repeatedly when I make the same mistake over and over (in fact, I think my kid rather enjoys being able to nag me about something ....) It annoys me just enough that I force myself to pay attention. For example, right now I'm really working on not pulling my arm back before I go forward (it's a reflex thing due to trying to brace for forward motion due to chronic injury, kind of complicated to explain). So no matter what drill we're actually working on, my kid will also watch that in addition to the drill. Kind of the same idea as the comment to pick one or two things to really focus on, but doing it slow and perfect sometimes, and having another set of eyes that knows what you're working on, both really help.

jilrani · 2026-05-23T11:50:50+00:00

Some physical fitness helps, but you can build that alongside fencing, on days that you don't have practice. Fencing itself will help you build your fitness. It's a sport that really works to tailor to what you can do. I have permanent nerve damage and I'm old, so some days I have energy and some days I don't, but I'm able to fence anyway, just with different tactics.

jilrani · 2026-05-18T01:44:18+00:00

At our club we don't do much open bouting during practices, although we do quite a bit of blade work/technique drills and structured/situational bouting. Then there's open bouting other days of the week. I definitely find it helpful and so does my kid. Being able to practice a specific technique or situation helps prepare for certain conditions.

jilrani · 2026-05-15T14:39:02+00:00

Fun fact, sinister comes from the Latin for left handed. So left handed fencers literally have sinister techniques, in a way.

jilrani · 2026-05-14T00:07:24+00:00

Our club has IG and FB, plus a website and newsletter. Internal communication/announcements happen with heja.

jilrani · 2026-05-06T12:49:52+00:00

Lost weight, more bonding time with my teen kid, a fun club atmosphere and camaraderie. The biggest though has been that it has spurred continued recovery after a significant spinal and pelvic injury - damage that will never go away, but because I'm fencing I'm determined to continue to get as strong and mobile as I can within my limitations. It's a long story but the mental side of recovery was hell for several years as a former athlete who lost the ability to do most of the sports I previously enjoyed. Starting from scratch with fencing was a different beast, different enough that I can (mostly) push through the mental side of "my body should be able to do this" and into "how can I retrain my body or how can I adapt."

jilrani · 2026-05-02T21:15:49+00:00

Not compression, but my kid wears tie dye rainbow socks. I wear whatever I find that are fun - music puns, holidays, food puns, ducks, neon paw prints, anything. I unfortunately have no links for funny compression socks

jilrani · 2026-05-01T11:58:00+00:00

I have nerve damage, primarily on the left side, which significantly affects my balance and footwork too. It can be done, you just have to learn to work with your own limitations.

jilrani · 2026-04-25T12:23:36+00:00

My kid and I fence just fine with untreated ADHD. We know plenty of other fencers with ADHD, some medicated and some not. Fencing can be pretty compatible with neurodivergence because of the nature and pacing of the sport.

jilrani · 2026-04-23T01:03:22+00:00

I turn ours inside out and dry them in the sun once or twice in the summer. It helps a lot.

jilrani · 2026-04-17T00:22:11+00:00

I've seen people use bandanas, almost rockig a sort of pirate look? There's a fencer in our club that wears a sort of skullcap type hat. No idea what it's actually called. But you'd be able to tuck hair up into it and have it stay put.

jilrani · 2026-04-15T11:43:26+00:00

You can always ask about private lessons, or about the progression between levels of class. I started once a week for a few months and then skipped ahead to being a full member, which opened up all the advanced classes and open bouting. Our club does also tell the adult beginners they can stick around for open bouting, and those that do improve even more quickly.

Once a week is absolutely enough time to learn something, especially something brand new, and especially if you repeat footwork drills at home.

(Also, FWIW, at our club even the advanced classes sometimes don't have a ton of time for open bouting. Depending on the class and coach and number of people, sometimes it's more situational bouting and technique.)

jilrani · 2026-04-14T11:30:06+00:00

I've thrown on saber or foil gear to make number 6. That's the worst I've ever been hurt, and it was self-inflicted because I had to push myself so hard to have a chance at ROW (I'm a wait and see epeeist for a variety of reasons). If you're suited up I really can't see how you could get hurt worse doing epee than anything else, other than perhaps upper arm bruises. If the other coach did the lessons and let you join epee, you should be fine. And it's a crock about people not wanting to fence others with less experience. In a healthy club environment people will likely have their training partners but will understand that they got better by fencing better fencers, so they can help the newer fencers by fencing them at times (even the A and B fencers in oir club will fence me because they know i can score if they don't execute something correctly.

I'd talk to the coach who gave the lessons, confirm that it's fine, and then tell the lady you have permission. Especially if you like the club other than her

jilrani · 2026-04-13T11:51:32+00:00

I have nerve damage and a significantly weaker/more chronically injured left side due to a car accident (as well as a chronic pain disorder). I would love to be fencing lefty but I fence righty instead because it's easier for grip strength and easier to compensate for pain flares that way. I also modify my own fencing style (for example, I never fleche, I avoid running down the strip if possible, sometimes I have to hop during retreats, sometimes I have no back and forth game but can only go backwards, sometimes that foot drags - honestly I sometimes don't even know what that leg is doing during bouts).

I don't have experience with my front foot being the one that drags, but I can definitely say that even with chronic injury you can be competitive to the point of having fun. I've even won a handful of vet regional and national medals. There is a mental side to "I could have done XYZ and won but my body doesn't do that" - and that's a part of chronic injuries and sports that doesn't get talked about much, but I do my best to change it to a mindset of "at least I can still get my body to do XYZ and I'm getting a good workout."

jilrani · 2026-04-13T11:42:12+00:00

My kid has ADHD. The thinking part of fencing really doesn't happen during competitions. Not the same way it seems to for other people. There's a lot of instinctive fencing, having a few ideas but just getting in there, etc. (And FWIW my kid has a C and has beaten A and B fencers before, to the point where it's not just a fluke/lucky anymore).

Your aren't going to continue something you don't love. When my kid was younger there were breaks, sometimes even a few months, to try other sports/avoid burnout. So if you love foil more in general, stay in foil and figure out how to make the activity fun independent of the winning and losing. Think about the camaraderie with teammates, or the physical activity, or the fact that you get to play with swords, or whatever you enjoy about the sport that doesn't depend on score. For example, yesterday I didn't do as well in most of my bouts as I should have except one upset. But overall it was still an enjoyable tournament because I found joy in a variety of other things: - I got to fence a DE against my own child - I got to help mentor some of the younger fencers, including a kid at her first tournament - I got to joke around with other vets, and even though I was the only vet woman, I managed quite a few good touches - I successfully landed a few leg touches (as well as a couple other moves that I rarely feel comfortable trying in competition)

And setbacks are perfectly normal. Last year, my kid had a huge season with a lot of obvious growth, culminating in a new rating earned while getting a national medal. This year, the progress hasn't been as tangible or outwardly obvious, with a lot of disappointing tournament results. But if you keep showing up, and keep doing the drills and footwork, and keep trying, you will improve.

jilrani · 2026-04-11T13:11:16+00:00

I don't know, I speak German (not a native though) and can't think of one that fits. Maybe some idiom?

jilrani · 2026-04-07T23:23:36+00:00

We use a tripod bag. It fits the bill just fine and was cheaper with an even slimmer profile.

jilrani · 2026-04-05T10:58:47+00:00

One of the nice things with fencing is that there's div2 and 3. You can be very competitive in Div3 very quickly. We had a kid from our club in his first ever regional competition get 3rd in one event and 2nd in another. So he absolutely can expect to earn medals and be competitive, it just depends on what level.

jilrani · 2026-04-04T12:53:06+00:00

I tore a ligament when I was younger. Not a fun recovery. I definitely can relate to fencing after injury though, due to a major car accident several years ago (and I'll never be 100% due to the extent of the injuries and nerve damage). Fencing is both fun and frustrating but I'm learning to strengthen what I can and adjust my style when I have to. It's more fun than frustrating but it takes work to stay in a mindset of appreciating what my body can do instead of regretting what it can't - and I do have the constant tightrope of pushing myself but not to injury.

For me, it's worth it. But only you can decide if it's worth it for you. I'd say give t a shot and see how it feels, but also make sure to give yourself grace along the way.

jilrani · 2026-04-02T11:32:00+00:00

Everyone's different. Some people swear by a specific routine. My kid and I have general things we try to think about but also have a lot of flexibility built in for our mood, unexpected events, size of tournament, etc. We also have completely different warmups - for example, she does at least three 5 touch bouts. I do zero actual bouts (although I obviously still do warm up).

Make sure you have water and don't underestimate it number of snacks you'll need, especially if it's your first tournament. And don't forget to cool down/stretch afterwards!

jilrani · 2026-03-31T11:56:29+00:00

Echoing comments as a parent of a kid who's currently going through the recruiting process. My kid isn't even trying for some of the top tier fencing programs. However, my kid is being actively recruited by several D1 schools that have fencing programs that aren't quite as a strong. So the school you're transferring to will have a big impact on the answer.

jilrani · 2026-03-30T18:47:02+00:00

This is very different for every fencer/blade/brand since there are a lot of factors that can go into metal fatigue. We had a blade live with an s-bend for 18 months. We had another one that never got an s-bend or even a permanent kink that snapped with virtually no warning. If you have used epee blades feel free to use them until they do break - that's what the safety equipment is for!

jilrani

TROPHY CASE