https://askfred.net/Results/results.php?tournament_id=31375&highlight_competitor_id=91067&event_id=123610
A small tournament, and no one rated more than C—in theory I could do quite well. I wouldn't mind getting another medal. Gold would be nice. I did well in the pools, winning all four bouts. That got me 2nd seed—Michael Schwartz in the other pool won all his bouts and had a higher indicator. My first DE was with Dan Berke, who had done poorly in the pools. I was ahead all the way to 9-8, then blew the last two points and lost. *facepalm*
POOLS
My notes are brief.
First up I had Jim Henderson. I don't remember the exact details. He came on fast but I got the first point, then we doubled twice, making it 3-2. Then he got a bit more cautious. I tried to wait for opportunities. I got the next point, then we doubled, so I won 5-3. On the last two points I wrote in my notes "my slightly longer reach, whew". I think I was waiting for him to attack, since I was up on points, especially at the end, then counterattacking. Apparently I felt like they were fairly close touches.
Second bout was with Brent Farnsworth. Overall I felt like I was too reckless and got out of balance too much. Things began alright, I got up 3-2. One of my early points was a double beat lunge, but my aim went off and, if I remember right, I hit him in the neck and felt bad about it. At 3-2 I did something that ended up out of balance and he got me, tying it up. I tried to increase my focus and get the lead back. At some point he put his blade out and I gave it one of those hard seconde smacks and scored with a lunge. I tried to get a final single light, but ended up with a double. So I won 5-4. Closer than I was hoping, but hey, I'll take it!
Third bout was with Jeff Lucas. In the last few pool bouts we've had he did better than I expected. So this time I tried to be extra careful, to be patient, and to protect my arm—he's gotten pretty good at hitting my arm with little disengages. I had a good start, getting up 3-1, mostly by waiting or coaxing attacks that fell short. We doubled to make it 4-2. He got the next point with a fleching attack right off the line, surprising me. He did that in the last pool bout we had. I began this bout ready for such a thing, but apparently had let my wariness lapse at this point. I got the final point with that double beat lunge thing, which I had been practicing for a couple weeks or so. It worked well in this case—the first beat got Jeff to try to lift his point up in a counterattack, and the second beat knocked it back out of line just as I came in.
The fourth and final bout was with Carlo Malaguzzi. I've been doing alright against him lately, and felt like I knew what kind of tactics to use. Turned out to be a fairly crazy bout. Two or three times we ended up in semi-ugly overly-big messes, it felt like. Also several plain misses, on both our parts. Early on I got a nice leg hit and got up 2-1. I think he tied it 2-2 with one of his lovely binding fleches. Somehow or other I got up 3-2. At one point we both fleched and both missed, and both went for prime riposte/remises. My light went off and I thought I had hit. Greg was reffing and said I had hit the scoring machine, and annulled the touch. I was skeptical, but not completely sure. Whatever happened, it was rather ugly! In any case, I got the next point, making it 4-2. The final point—Carlo attacked with a big lean. I was able to land my point on his shoulder. I'm not sure if he meant to lean that much, but it felt like it gave me the point, more or less.
DIRECT ELIMINATION
I had won all my pool bouts and was 2nd seed. I thought I might get to fence a few DEs, but also tried not to think about anything beyond the next bout, the next point. Carlo and Dan Berke fenced in the round of 16. I had a bye and fenced the winner, which turned out to be Dan Berke, who beat Carlo 10-7. Dan and I had not fenced for a long time. Neither of us could remember when we had last fenced.
My plan was to use and lot of in and out footwork, as fast as I could without losing control. Being taller, I hoped to draw attacks from out of distance, or from which I could retreat just enough, then use my longer reach to land counterattacks. Also, I planned to throw out a lot of beats and try to disrupt his blade in general, to prevent his setting stuff up and maybe create openings.
Things began quite well and I got a nice lead. I scored a couple times with that double beat thing. And I got a leg touch that felt just right. I think it was 8-6, then he got one, then we doubled, making it 9-8. He needed two singles and I only needed a point. A double would do. So what happened? He got two singles and won, argh! I felt like I had screwed up those last two and scribbled a bunch of notes to that effect. I should have been patient, waiting for him to attack, but instead I attacked, twice. First there was a moment where it seemed like the distance had closed enough for a direct fleche. So I fleched to his shoulder, but he parried and scored with a riposte. I don't remember exactly how he parried, except that it was in a way I didn't expect. I think I expected a sixte type parry and when he got my blade I instinctively tried to turn my hand and shift my point to his hip, but his parry was more quarte and my attempt was thwarted.
So it was 9-9. Again I probably would have been better off waiting longer. I think I got nervous because of the score, and my mind turned to that double beat thing that had served well in the pools and at least twice in this bout. I tried it. But after the first beat he disengaged the second, easily hitting me as I closed distance and beat air. Afterwards, talking about it, he said he had realized that my beats were working in general. So by the time we reached 9-9 he was ready to disengage when I beat. Smart. I felt like I should have realized that a "trick" like that double beat thing should not be relied on more than two or three times in a bout—and certainly not at 9-9! I felt like I had the bout but blew it at the end.
Ah well, it was a small tournament, and fun despite the DE loss. Still, I was hoping to at least bring home a medal...if only because it is fun to show the kids, and to choke that bust of Beethoven a bit more, heh.
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