I am Seiji Katayama, fencer

I started fencing when I was five years old. I am currently ranked second in the Under-16 Division, and 23rd in the Seniors Division. I expect to make the Olympics for Paris in 2024. Ask me anything.

EDIT: Ask me anything RELATED TO FENCING. I cannot believe this needed to be specified.

21 comments Share Save Hide Report 73% Upvoted

What are your thoughts? Log in or Sign up log in sign up

Sort by relevance

reddit user icon purple

alpaca220121 points · 7 hours ago

I’m just getting into fencing. How did you decide to go with epee? What is the best weapon to choose?

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

KingsRowBoysSchool12 points · 6 hours ago

Epee is the best weapon. I chose to go with epee because it is the best weapon.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

foils4thewin13 points · 5 hours ago

I beg to differ! Foil is the best weapon. It requires the most technique and the most strategy. There’s a reason why all fencers start on foil!

Epeeists are just too stupid to understand right of way, and their point control sucks so they need the whole body as a target!

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

KingsRowBoysSchool18 points · 5 hours ago

Foil is for beginners, and right of way is a ridiculous concept. You were not hit because you didn’t have an amorphous, imaginary “right of way”? That makes no sense.

Epee is most like an actual duel. As for my point control, have the courage to face me on the piste.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

foils4thewin18 points · 3 hours ago

Pick up a foil, and I’ll take up that challenge.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

CoachSabrecatW7 points · 6 hours ago

Sabre is the best weapon! Just like an actual sword, you can slash with it. The play moves way faster than in foil or epee, making it the most exciting. Also, it delivers the hardest blows, so sabreurs are tanks.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

KingsRowBoysSchool18 points · 5 hours ago

Sabre is not the best weapon. I truly do not know how you found yourself as the coach of an epee team.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

CoachSabrecatW9 points · 5 hours ago

200 suicides, Katayama, for insulting the holy sabre.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

JCfencing3 points · 11 hours ago

Why are you at King’s Row? It’s a third-rate fencing school and hasn’t been to State Championships in twenty years. Your teammates are awful, and you can’t improve with teammates who can barely tell which end of the epee to hold. You should be at Exton, with a team that can really take you places.

It’s not too late, you can still withdraw and come join me!

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

FencingGod9915 points · 11 hours ago

King’s Row is the BEST SCHOOL, and we have a great team this year! Our Captain is the BEST, and everyone is AWESOME.

We’ll see you at the State Championships, Exton, and YOU’LL SEE!

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

Pr0t31n2 points · 10 hours ago

WHAT HE SAID!

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

JCfencing5 points · 9 hours ago

And who are you?

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

AK47Stud19 points · 10 hours ago

I know perfectly well which end of the epee to hold. The question is: do you? ;)

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

KingsRowBoysSchool12 points · 6 hours ago

I am coming to learn that there are valuable skills outside of fencing technique that I can only learn at Kings Row, such as teamwork. While Kings Row was not what I had expected, I am satisfied with my experience here and will not be transferring to Exton.

As FencingGod99 says, we will see you at the State Championships.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

lemondewdrops013 points · 4 hours ago

As an accomplished fencer, what exercises would you recommend for someone to improve their fencing? What skills should fencers be focusing on?

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

KingsRowBoysSchool21 points · 4 hours ago

As a fencer, mobility is the most important. As such, every practice should begin with a minimum of an hour of footwork, forwards and backwards. You should also integrate tempo changes, both fast and slow, and lunges.

Explosiveness is also very important. To work on explosiveness, leg strength is key, and some part of your training should include strength training.

In terms of purely fencing skills, point control is very important. A simple exercise is to make a mark on a chair and to practice hitting it.

Of course, general fitness is a prerequisite, and so running for stamina and endurance, or any other exercise will also be beneficial.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

Pr0t31n2 points · 4 hours ago

WEIGHTLIFTING IS GREAT FOR CROSS-TRAINING!

And for nutrition, PROTEIN SHAKES!

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

KingsRowBoysSchool6 points · 3 hours ago

While weightlifting is indeed a good cross-training exercise, good sports nutrition includes considerably more than protein shakes.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

charmander21420 points · 7 hours ago

Wow, this is so cool! Who is your role model in fencing?

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

KingsRowBoysSchool16 points · 7 hours ago

I have many role models in fencing, but I would say my personal role model right now is Ibtihaj Muhammad, who won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She is also the first Muslim-American woman to compete for the United States and win a medal while wearing a hijab. I deeply admire her ability to overcome adversity, and her bravery for speaking out on behalf of Muslim Americans.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

CoachSabrecat 5 points · 6 hours ago

Also, a sabreur. Clearly the best of all weapons.

QED.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

seijistan115 points · 8 hours ago

Hi Seiji, I’m a huuuge fan of yours! I’ve watched all your matches I could find on YouTube at least eighteen times each. The way you do that fleche is just… soooooo perfect.

I wanted to ask you: are you seeing anyone?

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

KingsRowBoysSchool8 points · 7 hours ago

Thank you for the compliments.

My vision is perfectly fine, so I see many people.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

HarvardNotTheSchool16 points · 7 hours ago

Not an answer, Seiji. They mean to ask: are you dating anyone?

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

AK47Stud14 points · 7 hours ago

Why did you correct him?! It was funnier leaving it as it was!

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

KingsRowBoysSchool17 points · 6 hours ago

Oh. Well, I fail to understand why this was not asked more directly, but no. I am thoroughly dedicated to fencing, and I have no time to be wasting on dates.

I am satisfied with the friendships I have formed among my classmates and my teammates.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

AK47Stud8 points · 6 hours ago

Do you have friends?

And dates are hardly a waste of time. You’re just very dull.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

FencingGod9911 points · 5 hours ago

Hey! Seiji isn’t dull! Seiji is AWESOME. And he has tons of friends! I don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t be friends with Seiji! Have you seen him on the piste?!

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

Pr0t31n9 points · 5 hours ago

But what about your roommate? You two are hardly ever seen apart from each other, and there was that THING with the jewellery store last term. You don’t do THAT for just a friend, do you?

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

AK47Stud21 points · 5 hours ago

Wait, what THING?!

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

CoachSabrecatW3 points · 5 hours ago

I don’t want to know. Don’t tell me anything, I don’t want to know.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

reddit user icon purple

KingsRowBoysSchool17 points · 6 hours ago

My roommate is my closest friend. What happened with the jewellery store would have happened for any friend.

I fail to understand what you are trying to say and will not be responding to this ludicrous line of questioning any further.

Vote Reply Share Report Save

Notes:

I hope you enjoyed! Most of the actual fencing questions and answers are fairly accurate--while I use a foil (boo hiss epee), the "which weapon" plays on some stereotypes for each weapon (foils are for beginners but is also the most technical, epee is for tall people and idiots who can't understand right of way, sabre is for tanks), the main exercises for fencers to work on is real, as is the commentary on Ibtihaj Muhummad (also a bit of a personal role model--she once said that fencing was the ideal sport for Muslim women because no one expected them to show skin!). And of course I couldn't help but have Seiji's AMA be taken over by his friends!

Works inspired by this one:

Actions

Kudos

MoonlightFlora, eggsanjacon, ramlamb, wilfriede0815, cosmicology, J0305, myenduringheart, chaotic_carrotcake, linaccurate, zebru, ThePandaFangirl, Torinado8, brb_counting_stars, TheKamikazePigeon, Xx_Knife_xX, thatminyardgirl, AvaDay, isabelsu, PilarofWack, TheFlamingoNextDoor, SteelSabi, ArthurDent, ranpoandpoe, ADHD_BISEXUAL_NONBEANY, bookish0528, regret674203849375847427364984, minirovks, bun_bun07, bankan, Ink_stained_quills, AylinHerrera, Idjit112, enchantedsleeper, timeisanillusion, 331L, paynesgrey, LugianBeforeSwine, Hopeless00, lourdesgv, theninthmember, TheRealFailWhale, opposite_of_amnesia, psocoptera, Azzylovesfanfic, problems396, isla_kady_blackwood, soyboystan, fire_hazard101, DoreyG, mixtapestar, and 1 more user as well as 31 guests left kudos on this work!

Comments

Sorry, this work doesn't allow non-Archive users to comment. You can however still leave Kudos!

Archive of Our Own^beta

Actions

Work Header