Newsgroups: rec.sport.fencing
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 22:57:05 -0500 
From: Jamshid Mahdavi <jm3q+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: fencing injuries


Sarah made some good points in her note about fencing injuries; I'd like
to second many of them.  I have been fencing for 10 years, and have always
felt that fencing was a very safe sport.  However, this summer I was in 
an accident almost identical to the one that Sarah described.  In my case,
however, the broken sabre went through my sabre lame (ouch, my wallet!)
jacket and plastron.  Most of the grubby details are similar; after it 
was over with I heard some amusing stories about the police wanting to 
confiscate the sabre as "evidence" and wanting to know if there was foul
play involved!  (I should mention that this competition was held in a 
mall in Pittsburgh).

I know of one other similar accident which has happened in the last year,
making a total of three known to me.  I have started to wonder a lot about
what we can do to keep these types of accidents from happening; I have
some ideas of my own, and would be happy to hear more from others out in 
net-land.

1)  Wear proper protection.  This is more than just having the right 
equipment (although not too many competitions go by when I don't have to 
make someone get a plastron), but keeping it in good condition, and 
retiring it when it gets too old to be adequate protection.  (I was 
guilty of a fairly old jacket and plastron in my case).  I don't know
what the decrease in protection of fencing gear is, but I would imagine
that a plastron older than two years (maybe even one) has lost a significant
portion of its protective qualities.  Masks are another place where people
use equipment well past its lifetime.  If you haven't had your mask punch
tested in a while, I would strongly recommend getting it done.  If there
isn't anyone in your area who has a tester and knows how to properly 
test a mask, an active club or the division should probably make the
investment; it is money well spent.

2)  It seems to me that a lot of progress could be made by trying to
bring back the "light touch" training we get when we first start fencing.
The laws of physics say that a blade can't penetrate anything if it isn't
pushed by something (namely, your arm).  A gently reminder of this now and 
then might be good for people.

3)  I believe that all three of the serious accidents I have heard about 
last season involved simultaneous attacks.  Obviously, this is the time
when there is the most force and momentum in the actions, and hence the 
most likely time for an accident to occur.  I don't know about Sarah's 
story, but the other two that I know of were both sabre matches, where 
simultaneous attacks are common.  (In my case, I was told later on that
it was "a classic case of impaling yourself on the point").  I have
heard some suggestions floating around to make simultaneous attacks 
less favorable in sabre by eliminating priority.  (Actually, the
reason others are talking about eliminating priority are spectator 
related, but this is my soapbox now...)  I think this would be a big
win, and hope it happens sometime in the next year.

Well, enough soap for now.  I really would like to hear other people's 
thoughts on this subject, since it is one that is near and dear to my
heart (quite literally!).

--Jamshid

Newsgroups: rec.sport.fencing