I finally got my own fencing mask. If you’re taking fencing lessons, it’s perfectly fine if you use the school equipment, but it’s still recommended to purchase your own mask, for obvious reasons.
Before I got this one (that is, before the last night), I was using the school mask. What a difference!
If this mask looks bulky, it’s because it is — it’s certainly bulkier than the school mask. And heavier, too; SO tells me it’s heavier than a construction site helmet. Yikes! The wire on the mesh is more dense than on the school mask, making it harder to see properly, at least until you get used to it; last night, I was seeing double sometimes. The combination of the dense wire and the smell of the new made me a bit sick, too, which didn’t exactly help me train; I was more clumsy than my normal self, and managed to scare my partner a few times. The teacher tells me it’s all a normal reaction, I’ll just need a bit of time to get used to it. I hope I get used to it soon!
A few other people purchased new masks too, so we were comparing reactions; one girl told me she found it difficult to hear the teacher properly. Not much of a surprise, since the mask covers the ears, too. The teacher knows about it, of course, he’s been doing this for 30 years, so he speaks loudly when instructing us.
All in all, it’s an interesting new experience — a single change, and yet so many reactions coming from it.
A Kitty Dreaming About Wings 