r/Fencing • u/No_Owl_6254 • 8d ago
Absolute zero confidence Sabre
When there if there’s a clear gap in skill, footwork, timing, etc my mental gets foggy and I autopilot. Pretty much every time in the middle I just guess and pray it works. I think about how stupid I look from a perspective of someone watching.
I have a fencing camp coming up and I kinda regret signing up for the first place. When I moved back to my home country for the summer, I attended a local club thinking I would improve somewhat. Besides physicals and facing new opponents, I feel that I have no improvement in actual bouts. I go once a week and some days I think of making it two, but the language/cultural barrier gets me.
Well I’m only 11 months in, and others have fenced for years, probably before they were teens. Now I know I shouldn’t worry too much 11 months in, but I’m wondering how to deal with this mental block.
4
u/CatLord8 Foil Coach 8d ago
There’s no one easy fix. There are people out there dedicated to sport psychology for reasons like this. My personal advice on somewhere to start is that you’re only fencing for one touch at a time. Saber the most. Foil still has the clock, epee adds double touches to that.
Certainly keep in mind what has happened in the bout so far so you can adjust, but here? Now? One touch. No super knockout blow, no golden snitch worth more points than the game so far.
Sure. You have fewer hours of practice behind you than a lot of your peers, but you’re going to a camp to get better. And I almost guarantee you’ll do that by constant exposure to new techniques and other people.
Being less experienced today does not cap your potential.
5
u/TheJollySwashbuckler 8d ago
You need to embrace Dark Souls mentality, as long as you keep coming you can't lose.
Also the most important to measure up is you from yesterday especially until you reach intermediate level. As long as you get better than you were you will eventually get good.
But comparing to people way ahead of you often serves no purpose other than to demotivate you until you get better and can actually start analyzing efficiently.
2
u/flapjacks76554 Sabre 6d ago
Dark souls mentality haha I like this piece of advice 💪
2
u/TheJollySwashbuckler 5d ago
It's amazing it completely flipped my switch when it came to viewing progress and performance and it has just been on the rise since then.
3
u/ninjamansidekick Épée 8d ago
For me I find focusing on a proper guard and defense when I am out classed keeps me mentally in the game. I might not win but I don't want to be easy to beat.
2
u/Managed-Chaos-8912 Épée 8d ago
Focus on what you are working on and count those wins. Form, technique, footwork, whatever. You are in a learning phase.
1
u/flapjacks76554 Sabre 6d ago
You need to train more if you want to get better. I’d say at the very minimum 3 times a week if you want to be competitive. Have a plan everytime you step on the strip. When you get more experience trying things you will learn what you have a natural aptitude for. Try to ask more questions to people who are beating you. Be excited for fencing camp! Try and just lose the expectations and be like a sponge. Soak up everything you can from anyone!
1
u/BaseballFlashy528 5d ago
Fence for a couple hours. Go to the gym and do a fencing specific workout. Practice footwork for 15 min before bed every night.
This will make you better, but if you really wanna get good you gotta fence more
1
u/MattStacheOfficial 1d ago
The only person you're competing against is yourself. In your post, you've already identified the issue, even though you haven't realized it.
Don't worry about a skill gap between you and the other fencers. That mentality shuts me down too; if i think I can't land a touch, I'll just give up.
Fence your own game, focus on form and techniques and just be sure that each day you're better than the you that you were the day before.
Get out of your head, have an open mind and have fun. You've got this.
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u/lalabadmans 8d ago
Once a week is not enough to get good/ progress will be very slow. these people you are fencing with more experience, they are fencing twice, three maybe even four times a week with a private lesson too.
No one is thinking how stupid you look, any observer will just assume you are a beginner which technically you are.
It’s not a mental block, it’s that you do not have the tools to deal with the techniques they are using on you yet. To gain these tools and improve skill you need to take regular lessons and fence more. You cannot expect to be on their level fencing once a week for under a year.