Prove me wrong: Fencing is a stupid sport

[tridim]

I'm watching it right now on CNBC. On every point each competitor thinks he won and does a fist pump in the judges direction to influence the ruling. Isn't the point of fencing to defend yourself with the sword? Each point lasts about 2 freaking seconds. Maybe I'm missing something, but this sport seems really pointless.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Most ranchers.....

would disagree. :)

[tridim]

2. Yea, but the cows agree..

[HawkerHurricane]

3. Hey, I took fencing!

And I can defend myself is someone attacks me with a sword.

Fencing is to swordmanship what boxing is to unarmed combat... all show and style and no actual chance of dying. It's as realistic as any other 'sport' based on real combat but made bloodless.

[AngryAmish]

17. Tell that to Duk Koo Kim

or Gerald McClellan

[Bonhomme Richard]

4. Wrong!

I did a lot of fencing in college (hah! Big Errol Flynn fan) and I still have equipment and practice every so often.
Actually there is a lot of finesse in the sport most of which the novice spectator can't perceive. It also requires good lungs and stamina. You would be shocked at how rapidly you tire.
The sport also has a tremendous history.
I wish they showed more of it.

[tridim]

5. I fully admit I'm a novice spectator

I assume that matches at non-Olympic levels are a bit more defensive with longer points? I'm sure it's exciting as hell to participate in, but watching it was a bit disappointing. It certainly does have a history and I'm not arguing that it should be an Olympic sport.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

7. I wish they showed more of it.

There is a movie.... I believe Julia Roberts brother starred in it... there was alot of fencing in it.... (no bull).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101524/



Plot Summary: A mysterious man, Suba, gets himself a job at a fencing academy, and as he learns the way of the students...

[webjamn]

6. It's better than ...

synchronized swimming, which is not a sport but an exhibition.

[democracyindanger]

8. It is pointless

because they put rubber tips over them.

Ba-DUM!

[NV Whino]

9. I agree with Oz.

I used to fence in college and was never in better physical condition. Very demanding sport. Think of it as action oriented chess. To be a good fencer you must plan several moves ahead, which, I have to say wasn't my strongest point. I did, however move and react very fast and consiquently won most of my matches.

[htuttle]

10. I did a few years of fencing in college

I used all three weapons, but always preferred the foil.

I came to think of fencing more like chess with a sword. It really is all about psyching out your opponent to leave himself/herself open so you can score. Of course, the fun part is that your opponent might be psyching YOU out in the process, and the opening turns out to be a feint.

One nice thing about the sport is that women and men can compete on an equal footing quite easily. I got my ASS kicked more than once by a woman in fencing class.

The sport is also kind of an equalizer among different sizes and strengths of fencers. Even a small fencer can beat a big one if they learn how to exploit their advantages. That's why fencing doesn't compete in weight classes like boxing, wrestling, etc...

For example, I remember there was this one huge ROTC guy in one of my fencing classes who was really aggressive with a saber. Held it like a baseball bat and just tried to break through your parries. Turns out, a reverse ballestra then a lunge (jumping backwards then lunging forward) scored on him every time.

He really hated that. :evilgrin:

[midnight armadillo]

11. Better than table frickin' tennis

C'mon, ping pong and badminton?!? :wtf:

[Downtown Hound]

12. Hey, leave Forrest Gump alone!

That man is a national treasure!

[Speck Tater]

13. I was on the fencing team in college and

the first thing we learned is that fencing in not a spectator sport, except for other fencers. The good moves are subtle and to the untrained eye don't look like much at all. Unless you're really into it as a participant, watching fencing ranks right up there with watching paint dry and watching grass grow.

[EstimatedProphet]

14. The defending yourself with the sword part

comes in when you make a hit. It's coming out as both of them look like they made the hit because at the Olympic level, they are so fast. Also, there is a right of way built into foil fencing which is based exactly on defending yourself with a sword, so that certain events must take place for the point to count. For example, if someone starts an attack, the opponent must block it before initiating a counterattack, otherwise the counterattack doesn't count.

[Deja Q]

15. I took fencing, man!

Very energetic sport.

Did rather well too.

It didn't get me any chicks or guys, but it was fun.

The instructor was a hottie too. :9

Fencing is a mix of defense and offense, as with any sport.

It's kinda like marriage too. :D

[devilgrrl]

16. I think they should have to fight to the death! Last one standing wins!

I'm so just kidding. :silly: