#FENCING

[floral-alchemist]

In fencing there is a biological binary* that gives one group an inherent advantage over the other. At high levels the advantaged group has been shown to perform five times better compared to the disadvantaged group, as s direct result of their biology.

Specifically, left-handed fencers perform better on average than their right-handed counterparts.

This is because righties rarely have to fence lefties, while lefties are constantly fencing righties. There's a clear discrepancy of experience. And if a lefty fences a lefty, they'll both feel that they're up against an inverted opponent, so the disadvantage cancels out.

Left-handed people make up about ten percent of the population. Left-handed fencers make up about half of all high level competitors. The inequality is clear as day.

So, should fencing tournaments be divided by dominant hand? As a right-handed fencer, I say no. Sure, it bugs me that I rarely win against a left-handed opponent, but that's just how it goes. Any reasonable person does not begin an endeavor if they can't accept each outcome. And frankly, any outcome in sports should ideally be just doing your best and having fun.

Should fencing be divided by other physical and neurological traits? There are certainly others that make a difference. I've won matches thanks solely due to my height. I've lost plenty of matches due to my slow reflexes. I've lost a handful of matches due to not being very strong.

Some of the traits relevant to fencing have more of an impact than others. Some are correlated with different aspects of biological sex, though there isn't a strict causal relationship. Ultimately no physical trait is as relevant to the outcome of a match as hand dominance is, and while we can have our own opinions on the fairness of a cross-dominant matchup, the fact of the matter is it would be ridiculous to recategorize fencing by any of these traits--including sex--without first taking into consideration the discrepancy between right- and left-handed fencers.

*I call hand dominance a binary, but this is false. Just as sex and gender cannot be conceptualized realistically in binary terms, we should acknowledge that some people are ambidextrous or do not have exactly one right and one left hand.

[cardiffart]

A zillion hours of hammering, skiving, dyeing, and Angelus paint later, finally finished my rapier hanger.

[kernelpanic-404]

Have to make lesson plans for the fencing summer camps im teaching

Even though i have been working with teaching fencing for like 3 years now, all of a sudden i have forgotten every single activity i've ever done with a group

[leavemeslowly]

The reaction of Polish fencer after winning the first Olympic medal in the history of Polish female fencing (epee), pure emotion:

[we-are-knight]

I teach honourable fencing and chivalrous combat.

Yet somehow, I raised a dagger fighting rogue, that can beat swordsmen with her dagger.

[fcbswiatek]

THEY DID IT. FIRST EVER OLYMPIC MEDAL FOR WOMEN IN ÉPÉE IN POLISH HISTORY

[avercado5]

I’m still on a post-Summer Nationals high, so I channeled it into some fencing art! I really had fun including lots of little technical details here.

[agnesdelmotte]

[mactiir]

in HEMA (aka historical european fencing), much of the sport is done with fencing masks on, so identifying your clubmates during sparring or tourneys is just based on gear. you know, what color their jacket and pants are, what patches they have on it, how is their mask painted. If someone borrows someone else's jacket it's legitimately jarring, like having someone with an entirely different body type and way of moving stealing your friend's face.

Once i read about historical fishermen in the north sea and how they each had a specific hat pattern that their buddies would use to identity them while they were bundled up. It was so much part of their identity that they were often buried wearing those hats. The gear is like your name, a visual identifier of YOU when you do not have a face.

anyway, back when I was buying gear i got my pants in ELECTRIC blue. I figured i was gonna get a black or grey jacket. but HEMA gear is kind of expensive because it's all custom- or handmade, so instead of spending $400 on a new jacket I picked up one secondhand for like 20. Except the only jacket that fit me was bright, SCARLET red. And I already had my expensive, new, custom, BLUE pants. I look like a damn rocket pop or like, a mixed Icee. I was like, shit! I should switch my jacket before i become the rocket pop guy!!!

Long story short, not only am I now the rocket pop guy, the color scheme has bled into my entire wardrobe. Every-fucking-thing I own is red and blue. I look like a french revolutionary. I look like a founding father in a school play. I have become a northern fisherman in my stripey hat. Now, even if I DO get a new jacket, I feel like I GOTTA buy it in red, yk? Otherwise they won't recognize me. Maybe I won't recognize me. I'm the rocket pop guy!!!

[applesandbannas747]

I'm moving on to the next step with the fencing pronoun pins! But first, I need some input to gauge numbers. If you are serious about wanting to buy any of the pins pictured below, please take this survey! It's not a pre-order and doesn't require any commitment beyond a metaphorical pinkie promise. Thank you for your interest!

[rgujuri]

[arashikohedervary]

Learning medieval fencing really spoiled me about safety concerns.

Like, going and coming from training and events when I had a giant two-handed sword on my back, made me relaxed.

"Of course🥺 I can put in both earphones in my ears on the busy city streets😇🤗, what people are gonna do🧐? Rob me💅? I'll pierce them trough with my sword🗡 like the little olive🫒✨️ on top of the sandwich🥪 that they are, silly😊🥰!"

(Btw I live in Hungary, so guns are a little less likely to be just laying around in everyone's pockets.)

But then I have these very same thoughts without my sword. And I'm kinda getting concerned for myself.

[alnair-jpg]

Next up for Olympics AU: the indomitable Annabeth Chase

[dogesterone]

Historical fencing treatise diagrams that look like they're from some kind of wizard manual out of context

The Flower of Battle, Fiore dei Liberi

Trattato di Scientia d'Arme, con vn Dialogo di Filosofia, Camillo Agrippa

Academie de l'Espée, Gérard Thibault d'Anvers

Academie de l'Espée, Gérard Thibault d'Anvers

[marshmallow--boy]

People who say it’s unrealistic for heroes to unmask for the emotional finale of a movie have clearly never seen fencers rip off their masks in devastation every time they lose a point