[gurgeh]

"Much greater"? I don't know about that. Keep your guard out and your weapon hand will be safe. If I had to guess which weapon had the most injuries, it would be epee. I wasn't kidding when I mentioned jamming a long, heavy piece of metal into your opponent, and infighting can get really crazy this way. Most injuries occurring on my team at Boston University were due to a) not keeping the guard in the correct position and getting hit in the hand, b) not wearing a cup, c) people acting stupid and hitting harder than they knew they should. I don't know what injuries he's referring to, but if you approach this with some good sense, listen to your coach, and maintain your stretching exercises, you can probably avoid anything serious.

As for weapon type, which we keep coming back to, I say you should stick with my least favorite weapon, the foil. I say this because a) you seem to like it, and b) it is BY FAR a better jumping off point than either of the other weapons. It will force you to learn the greatest blade control, while teaching you how to take advantage of right of way.

It was mentioned that sabre fencers are lunatics (we are) and right of way is silly (it is). If you become a lunatic or decide you hate right of way, you will have put yourself in the best position to make that change. But keep on keepin' on, and I bet your coach will actively guide you in this endeavor.