Distracted by Air » fencing

always remember to wear your plastron.

Jamie — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 00:14:25 +0000

wearing this—

can prevent this—

Remember, kids, when you fence with your non-dominant arm, you have to switch your plastron over to the other arm, too.

This has been a public service announcement.

sport desperation

Jamie — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 16:14:01 +0000

There are times in your life when you come to realizations.

You ask yourself, “Self, how much do you miss fencing?”

“Why,” says Self, “I am going batshit crazy, that’s how much I miss it.”

“And Self, how hooked on fencing are you? How far are you willing to go so that you can fence right now?”

“There’s only one thing that can allow me to fence,” replies Self. “And you already know what that is.”

“Insurance won’t pay for shoulder replacement, we’re too young. Besides, that would still take months on months to heal, this current problem shouldn’t take that long.”

“Are you deliberately being dense?” asks Self.

I study my feet intensely and mutter, “No.”

“Allow me to jog your memory. You, of course, know of The Princess Bride..”

I look at Self like she’s got three heads. “Everyone does. Especially every fencer.”

“Ah,” says Self, “then you will understand. You see, I am not left handed.”

“Of course we’re not. We’re right handed. We’ve never ev—oh. Oh.”

“You understand now?”

“I understand, Self.”

“Good. Now please, for the love of the puppies and kittens, make the withdrawal twitching stop.”

The left-handed grips arrived via UPS today.

overheard at fencing II

Jamie — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 16:06:41 +0000

“Well, I just finished measuring mine.”

“Then let’s go.”

—Ethan and Bugsy

oh, and the worst ‘your mama’ joke ever:

Nathan. “Anything with a dollar menu is automatically a fast-food restaurant.”

Ethan. “So nathan, does that make your mom a fast-food restaurant?”

Everyone else: *blink*

Ethan. “Okay, I’m sorry. That was really bad.”

fencing and life philosophies

Jamie — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 00:17:42 +0000

overheard at fencing:

“Bacon and chocolate are how I know God loves us.”

“I’ve got a three foot long needle.”

“Do you need some nuts?”
“No, I’ve got a bag of nuts.”

And a caption for this photo that cannot be posted at the club’s caption this contest:

“I didn’t know you were Jewish!”

Ethan earns his E…in foil.

Jamie — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 04:34:08 +0000

Bwhahahaha! In foil.

He’s so happy, he wants to give everyone a hug! (He’s the fencer on the left)

Anyway, I actually was able to hang around and feel well enough long enough to get some photos at the last tournament. Turned out to be a pretty good set, too. How about that? Here’s the entire set and some highlights of my own:

Check out the S-curve on this blade. Freakin’ sweet.

This shouldn’t even be possible—

You can only fly for so long—

I wonder if this hurt…

We also get flying lessons after intermediate courses.

It’s not football. Really.

I know how he got this touch. Magic.

Junior Olympics 2006

Jamie — Sun, 12 Mar 2006 04:01:10 +0000

Finally, here’s some highlights from the 2006 JO’s: (just click the thumbnail and the full image will pop up)
[photopress:jo2006hlts001.jpg,thumb,alignleft][photopress:jo2006hlts002.jpg,thumb,centered][photopress:jo2006hlts003.jpg,thumb,alignright]
[photopress:jo2006hlts004.jpg,thumb,alignleft][photopress:jo2006hlts005.jpg,thumb,centered][photopress:jo2006hlts006.jpg,thumb,alignright]
[photopress:jo2006hlts007.jpg,thumb,alignleft][photopress:jo2006hlts008.jpg,thumb,centered][photopress:jo2006hlts009.jpg,thumb,alignright]
[photopress:jo2006hlts010.jpg,thumb,alignleft][photopress:jo2006hlts011.jpg,thumb,centered][photopress:jo2006hlts012.jpg,thumb,alignright]
[photopress:jo2006hlts013.jpg,thumb,alignleft][photopress:jo2006hlts014.jpg,thumb,centered][photopress:jo2006hlts015.jpg,thumb,alignright]
[photopress:jo2006hlts016.jpg,thumb,alignleft][photopress:jo2006hlts017.jpg,thumb,centered][photopress:jo2006hlts018.jpg,thumb,alignright]
[photopress:jo2006hlts019.jpg,thumb,alignleft][photopress:jo2006hlts020.jpg,thumb,centered][photopress:jo2006hlts021.jpg,thumb,alignright]
[photopress:jo2006hlts022.jpg,thumb,alignleft][photopress:jo2006hlts023.jpg,thumb,centered][photopress:jo2006hlts024.jpg,thumb,alignright]

If you want to check out all the photos, go to my Madowl Gallery.

Nor’easter Open

Jamie — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 15:51:35 +0000

I think I shot some of my best fencing images ever at this tourney. Check these out, complete with commentary (click the images to see a bigger version):

Some Images of Victory

I believe the fencer on the right may have gotten the touch.

I know that the fencer pumping his fist got the touch. I think.

How about some Nifty Blade Captures?

I still want to know how the hell Hogan did that.

Looks like the dubbing of a curvy knighthood.

Seems that a parry came a bit too late. But that’s okay. Courser got her C the other weekend in Portland, which is teh awesome.

Okay, maybe Flying Is Your Thing

‘Scuse me.

Oh no, excuse me.

What? I have to land before I can look at the box?

This is how sabeurs do it:

Or perhaps you prefer More Artistic Photographs?

The director leans back and it seems all the other spectators do too.

And how’s that for a weird perspective shot?

So, yeah. I’m fairly pleased. *cough*understatement*cough*

That was the bronchitis, I swear.

Best. Bruise. Ever.

Jamie — Sun, 09 Oct 2005 17:58:55 +0000

I’ve been fencing epee for two weeks now (I’ve fenced foil for over a year and a half) and on Thursday I bouted a couple people. Near the end of my first bout my oppenent misjudges his distance and counterattacks into my attack, and his tip nails my upper bicep hard. One hell of a hit. (It was a double touch, in case you were wondering). Normally, you don’t even feel the bruise until you find it later. Sometimes you feel it, but for just a few seconds. When I know pain is coming, I’m a bit weenie (I could never get a tattoo), but when it occurs in the context of sport (I don’t know it’s coming till it’s happened), I’m usually fairly tough and am unphased. This hit made me swear fairly vehemently and I had to stop for a bit and shake my arm out.

I continued fencing and forgot about it. I got home and it looked like this:

Not awful. It was swollen and warm in the middle. I woke up the next morning to this:

Today is day four and it currently looks like this:

More Fencing Pics

Jamie — Mon, 16 May 2005 17:09:50 +0000

Okay, this weekend I shot the Northeast Division’s national qualifiers on Saturday (I missed Sunday’s division I qualifier). Used the 50mm f 1.8 prime lens. Here’s some of my favorites:

Two very curved blades
Jumping
Split
Weapon Drop
This looks like a dance.
Head to Head
Both blades up
Ow.
Mid Lunge
Spin
How?
Matching Curves
Depth of Field
Trained to look at the scoring box. A fencer’s bad habit.
Fleche
Are you lookin’ at me?
That could hurt.
Something about the depth of field on this one appeals to me.
Flick to the back
Off the strip
Infighting
The Vonnie Fleche.
Looks like he’s thinking “Please don’t hurt me.”
Head to head again.
You can see the effort through the mask.
A foil bent around another to score the touch.
Fencer on the left looks like she has wings
Epee bellguard
Another epee bellguard
Charge

Fencing Shots from Saturday

Jamie — Mon, 09 May 2005 22:38:34 +0000

I need some faster glass. Basically, my aperture isn’t wide enough for the high shutter speed you need to capture fencing without blur. I had to compensate with ISO 800 and that gives me some nice grainy photos–but without blur. When I get my hands on some faster glass (this means a lens with a bigger aperture, at least f 2.8) the action will be frozen but it’ll be nice and grain-free.

Here’s some cool shots:

Nice curve on that foil
Double touch in foil
A foil curved the wrong way on a touch
Another wrong way curve
Even better
I wonder if this hurt
Hitting with the wrong part of the foil
Simultaneous Attacks
Check out THIS s-curve
Right in the neck
This will hurt in the morning
Leaping attack