Salle Green LLC

Congratulations to the DFB:

2011-12-16T06:41:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the Deutscher Fechter Bund (DFB - German Fencing Federation) on the 100th anniversary of its founding. The DFB will hold a celebration in Frankfurt am Main this Saturday with a wide variety of dignitaries from both the German government and the fencing world in attendance (more information at http://www.eurofencing.info/news/100-years-german-fencing-federation).

The Deutscher Fechter Bund is one of the 7 original members of the Federation International d'Escrime, the international governing body of our sport. The FIE itself will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013. In a sport where tradition is important these are important milestones. The founders of fencing as competitive prize fighting in the 1500s and 1600s and the pioneers of modern fencing in the Victorian sports revival of the late 1800s would be proud.

The Cue:

2011-12-15T04:28:00.000-08:00

Last night I was taking a lesson from a fellow professional on the beat - I beat, his blade moved widely to the inside and down. And it confused me. His cue was for me to execute a straight thrust. But it was large enough and obvious enough that I could not figure it out - a beat opens the way, but not for very long, nor for very much against a strong opponent. Presented with a large obvious opening my brain simply said "what is he doing," and I responded incorrectly to the cue. So how big should a cue be?

This is not an easy question to answer, because there are at least three answers:

(1) for a beginner or intermediate learning the technique, the cue needs to be large enough and slow enough for the student to see the obvious and make the correct choice.

(2) for the candidate in a professional coaching examination, the cue needs to be large enough for the examining panel to see the candidate offer the cue to the student.

(3) for the advanced fencer, the cue in training lessons must model what he or she will see on the piste fencing against an equal or stronger opponent. That includes the size of the blade movement, the speed of movement, and the duration of the cue.

So it seems that like so many other things in fencing, there is no one, always correct answer - as a teacher or trainer our cues have to be tailored to the needs and abilities of the student.

Day Two at the NAC:

2011-10-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

Some added observations:

I have seen a number of fencers (one if foil, two in sabre, one in epee) lose touches simply by going off the rear end of the piste. In two cases the fencer who went off eventually won the bout. In one case the fencer later reached at least the round of four. Many electric pistes go from silver to a very light gold in the warning area that is not immediately obvious unless you are looking for it. This is a bad way to be hit because you lack even the chance that your action will be interpreted as having the right of way or of being in time. Be aware and use your peripheral vision to keep track of where you are.

Start moving early in sabre, keeping moving forward, accelerate and do everything while you are moving, and your odds of hitting increasing. If there are two lights the fencer who is moving has a big advantage.

Convention center concessions are not noted for their healthy options - grease, fat, and protein are staples in a number of different culinary forms. A lot of competitors rely on the concessions for their energy sources. Fencers and fencing coaches need to pay attention to nutrition and hydration if they are to maximize performance. And concession food is not the answer.

Vendors are a great source of information. Each is obviously trying to sell their products, but if you spend the time to talk with them, you will get a lot of data on weapon and equipment performance, data that does not show up anywhere else. You may have to filter it, and compare what one vendor says with another's claims, but a conversation when they are not mobbed is worth it.

Things from the Richmond NAC:

2011-10-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

The North American Cup circuit Division II, Division III, and Cadet NAC is in Richmond this weekend. Some observations from Day One:

Old people are few and far between. Old, 20 years old or older, has been replaced by a majority of teenagers. Never has it been so apparent that fencing is going the way of a number of other Olympic sports.

Footwork is everything. Although footwork differs by weapon, there is no question that you must have fast, fluid, and explosive footwork if you are to win.

Timing is really important. I saw numerous hits delivered in all three weapons that took advantage of very short lapses by opponents. To exploit timing you must be in the moment. To not get hit while you are standing stock still, you must be in the moment too.

I have long said that you have 8 to 15 seconds between the commands to halt and fence in which to analyze what has happened and figure out what you will do next. That data, based on analysis of world championships video footage in the 2004-2007 time periods is no longer accurate. You have 5 to 6 seconds.

... except when there is instant replay. Now the period expands to the point where you can easily lose focus, with as many as 110 seconds of delay observed.

The big disappointment is that Leon Paul's booth did not have any of the SR-71 epee blades ...

The next two items are based on conversations with fellow coaches whose word I trust.

Some people do not get it, whatever it you want to it to be. Mask cords are a simple item. So why were PBT mask cords failing one armorer's inspection? After all PBT is a very reputable Hungarian manufacturer whose equipment is widely used in World Championships, the Olympics, etc. What the homologation standards, a separate and somewhat obscure FIE publication, says is that:

"The maximum length of this wire is 40 cm to 45 cm. In the case of a coiled cable, the maximum length is 25 cm, when the cable is at rest."

Our intrepid armorer was failing the cords because they were less than 25cm in length. Notice I said "less than 25 centimeters" when the FIE standard says clearly that the maximum length is 25 centimeters when at rest. Nowhere is 25cm specified as a minimum length. When challenged the armorer said words to the effect of "well I interpret the standard as meaning that the minimum length has to be greater than 25 centimeters." In other words, he was using his authority to interpret the actual rule as having the exact opposite from its actual meaning.

Some people do not get it, whatever it you want to it to be, part the second. I was in Virginia Beach at the NAC in 2010 when the rules of fencing changed on a Saturday at 3:30 pm. At a meeting of referees and coaches called by the US national sabre coach and several of our international referees, the interpretation of when an attack ends changed. Although the rules say that the attack ends when the front foot lands, the way the rule is being applied at the international level is that if the defender is still reacting to the attacker's action, the original attacker retains the right of way. The actual discussion of why this should be so requires a complex understanding of right of way, but it makes perfect sense. So why were most referees applying the attack continues interpretation, and one wasn't? When faced with a referee who does not get it, remember to fence the referee, not to do what is right. Right only counts if you win.

Thoughts on the World Championships:

2011-10-16T16:16:00.001-07:00

The US team's performance at this year's World Championships deserves study for the lessons it may offer for the London Olympics next year. Although, on the face of it, the results were disappointing, especially considering the miraculous promise of the medal outcomes of 2008, this is not the whole story. When we consider the quadrennium as a training cycle, US athletes are close enough to be within reach of a successful peak for 2012. There is work to be done, but we are not out of reach.

However, several things are happening that should give rise to concern. One hundred years ago fencing was a predominantly European sport - for years the European Championships was the World Championships. That is no longer the case. Countries that even 30 years ago had no presence in the fencing world are now regular contenders for positions in the individual rounds above 64, and the team rounds above 16. Fencing is a global sport, and the sheer numbers of fencing countries mean that any world level competition will be a more difficult slog to get to the rounds of 8 and semi-finals.

With this comes the reality of numbers. This is just a matter of population statistics. Individual coaches cannot produce World Championship and Olympic level fencers if the right talent does not walk through the door. It takes an amazing mix of the right genetics, intellgience, psychological strength, burning desire to do what it takes to be really good, and available money and time and family support to create an athlete at that level. With 20-30,000 competitive fencers in the United States we have a small pool to draw from. Measure that against the total number of fencers in the world, and it becomes obvious that the way to achieve results includes publicity and advocacy for our sport at every level.

If the US team and its individual fencers do not achieve the results we hope for, to some degree it is because we as fencers have done a poor job of selling our sport as a challenging, demanding way to athletic success. If they do achieve, it may well be in spite of how poorly American fencers have sold our sport.

Updates To Ladders:

2011-10-13T06:47:00.001-07:00

We have made several changes in the settings of our online ladders on Free Online League. The objective is to introduce more movement into the individual ladders so that they are more competitive, and so that you have to stay engaged to maintain your position.

(1) You can now challenge anyone above you. Although the system does display a challenge button for fencers below you, in actuality it will not allow these challenges - so challenge up, and dare down.

(2) A victory means you take your opponent's position, and he or she swaps to take your old position.

Remember that Maitre Green's goal is 150 ladder bouts this fencing year. Anyone who fences half his actual total by the end of the year will receive a special award for their support to developing fencing excellence in the Salle.

Ladder Log Available:

2011-10-11T05:29:00.000-07:00

If you fence in several of the Salle's ladders at Free Online League it is easy to forget challenges. And it can be a chore to add up how many bouts you have fenced between the ladders if you are planning to meet the "half of 150 challenge." So we have made a simple - we now have a simple Ladder Log that you can use to track your challenges and when they have to be fenced by.

The other good thing about the Ladder Log is that it includes information on how to use the ladder to improve your fencing. The ladders are a good source of information on how you are progressing, so it makes sense to understand what the data means.

Ask for a Ladder Log the next time you are in the Salle.

Why Chanbara In A Fencing School?

2011-10-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

Chanbara is a soft sword sport which originated in Japan over 40 years ago as a way to increase interest in Kendo. Today, it is a competitive sport in its own right, with an annual world championships, national teams, and programs in 45 countries.

Chanbara offers an excellent path to the study of Japanese sword and hafted weapons - the discipline, timing, and accuracy demanded mirror that of kenjutsu, and the movement patterns we teach are those of traditional Japanese technique. The choken models the long sword, the kodachi the short sword, the yari and naginata the spear and halberd respectively. And because the weapons are foam padded with a graphite core, minimal protective equipment is required, keeping safety high and cost low.

For a modern competitive fencer, chanbara works opponent assessment, timing, reaction speed, and distance. The format is different, but the core skills are the same. Try chanbara - you will enjoy the fast full contact, and it will help your fencing.

The Belgian Longsword Rules - and Tactics:

2011-10-01T18:40:00.000-07:00

Although we are still evolving as longsword tacticians in the context of our bouting rules, a tactical truth seems to be emerging:

1. As Champion, cuts to the arm and wrist (English rakes) offer the best chance of hitting and being able to avoid the King's immediate afterstroke.

2. As King, you want to cut from inner zu fechten (hand, arm, and leg distance) or outer krieg (arm and hand distance) so that you have maximum assurance that you will at least end in the afterstroke.

The interesting tactical issue for longsword fighters in the German tradition - is the King's afterstroke in indes or nach?

Maitre d'Armes Arnold Mercado:

2011-09-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

We are sad to announce the death of Maitre d'Armes Arnold Mercado, a past president of the United States Fencing Coaches Association, a master of masters, a strong and active advocate of the professional coach, and a friend. He will be missed for his dedication, knowledge, adherence to high standards, and encouragement of new coaches. The sport has lost a gentleman and a sportsman of the old school.

I have been fortunate to have had four presidents of professional organizations of fencing masters sit on my examination panels for Moniteur, Prevot, and Maitre d'Armes. Arnold was on my Prevot panel, and he was as tough an evaluator as I ever faced. More importantly, he gave me valuable feedback to improve my performance, suggested additional opportunities for training, and actively supported me in deciding to attend the Academie d'Armes Internationale's Masters course at Bad Kharlshafen. I am a better coach today because of his encouragement.

A fencer's salute old friend ...

The Belgian Longsword Rules - Part II:

2011-09-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

At the end of last night's longsword class, and after watching the use of the modified Belgian rules for several months, I came to the conclusion that these rules solve three issues that have long been issues in fencing competition:

First - Does the best fencer emerge as the winner? The format of King and Champion gives great advantages to the King. To beat the King you have to demonstrate conclusively that you can attack and not be hit. The fencer who emerges as King after several rotations through the field of participants is the strongest on the day. A much simpler version of pools and direct elimination ...

Second - What do we do with simultaneous attacks? The King's ability to make an afterstroke eliminates the attractiveness of simultaneous actions. Right of way belongs to the fencer who starts with the advantage of being the strongest, the King.

Third - Are attacks on vital areas more valuable than those on the periphery? Over the years there have been a number of attempts to identify and reward attacks to vital areas. Lancet epee, for example, has such a system. The Belgian rules codify this by awarding the higher hit priority. Although this later leads to the higher arm having the honor and thus the right of way extravagances of the 1800s, in reality it addresses the relative lethality of target areas recognized in the modern martial arts - head and neck hits are potentially fatal, torso less so, and extremities of even less danger.

Not a bad outcome from a very early set of fencing rules ...

The Belgian Longsword Rules - Part I:

2011-09-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

For our longsword program we are bouting using a modified version of rules reportedly originally used in the Belgian fencing guilds as early as the 1500s. The main difference is in allowing strikes to the arm and hands, provided that they arrive cleanly without interference from the blade or cross guard. This allows use of the wide variety of English and German hand and lower arm attacks. Our rules:

1. One fencer is designated as the KING and one as the CHAMPION.

2. Each bout consists of fencing until one hit is scored.

3. Both cut with either edge and thrust with the point are allowed.

4. The target is restricted to above the points of the hips and above the elbows. Strikes to the hands and forearms must land clearly without contact with the blade to be allowed.

5. No corps-a-corps, grappling, or pommel strikes are allowed.

6. The sword must be held continuously with both hands.

7. Loss of the weapon results in the loss of the bout. If a fencer loses his balance and falls, the bout is played over.

8. If the KING hits the CHAMPION with a clean stroke or thrust, he wins the bout and remains KING. The next fencer steps up to become CHAMPION and fight the KING.

9. If the CHAMPION hits the KING with a clean stroke or thrust, the KING is allowed an immediate after-stroke which can be delivered without delay with one step. If the KING scores a hit on the after-stroke, he wins the bout. If the CHAMPION parries or evades the KING’s blow, the CHAMPION wins the bout and becomes KING.

10. In the case of a double hit the highest hit on the body wins. If the KING has the highest hit, he wins. If the CHAMPION has the highest hit, the KING is permitted the after-stroke.

11. The fencer who wins the bout remains in the field of play to fence the next opponent.

We started using a variant of the modern five hit bout, but that led to play where fencers were happy to engage in relatively uncontrolled bashing. Our experience has been that the above rules have largely eliminated poorly conceived attacks that rush in without thought of consequences. There has also been an increased use of distance and of actions commenced at the edge of hand-arm-body distance, and an increased emphasis on the initiative.

Dry Lancet Epee A Success:

2011-04-15T05:08:00.000-07:00

The first Lancet Epee tournament at Salle Green provided a useful test of the Lancet Epee rules. There were some interesting challenges - how do you call a hit in the back hand when the opponent is trying to grab the weapon? The answer was non-priority hit and learn not to grab the tip...

Because of the mobility of the fencers, judges ended up watching both fencers, or one or the other, depending on angles. We need to codify how voting works under these conditions. But, in general, judging worked well, with judges able to make consistent choices as to which contacts were hits in the sense of penetration and which were too light.

For the directors, there was a tendency to try to describe actions in right of way terms, just to have a way to capture the timing. We need to develop a clear way to describe the hit sequence - "left hit right then right hit left within one tempo" does not work because the fencers may be perpindicular to the director's line of sight, and, with fencers moving around each other, the traditional left is on the refree's left side just confuses people when left is on the right side.

Calling based on tempo is difficult, especially when calling hits into compound actions. Tempo tended to be defined as much by body movement as by the parts of the blade action, and this worked to everyone's satisfaction.

We were challenged by the number of participants - 11 fencers in a pool unique. This was made more difficult by the failure of half the participants to listen to class announcements, read the newsletter, and follow the instructions to register on FRED. As a result, we were unable to complete the pool in the scheduled time (which was based on the FRED registration). However, using the block system that Fence Dry! uses for the bout order, we were able to halt at the end of the fifth block, a point where each fencer had equivalent opportunities to fence a reasonable number of bouts.

All in all a success - with the participants wanting more. For some of our fencers this was their first actual competition, and they enjoyed it. It will be intersting to see how the May 1 Touch Epee Tournament fits in the Thursday Night Fight format.

Thursday Night Fights:

2011-04-08T05:05:00.000-07:00

One of the challenges we face with tournaments is that there are too many of them. The heavy weekend schedule means that a fencer in our club who is willing to drive 3 or 4 hours can fence in a challenging event every weekend throughout the fencing season. On one level this is good, especially for the clubs that fund their operations by tournament revenue (although the plethora of events means that individual events tend to be smaller revenue producers). But the difficulty for us is that it is hard to schedule intramural tournaments - events which are very important to training fencers to fence in competition and to sharing the knowledge of the competitors with the intermediates and beginners. Competition does not exist in a vacuum; it is part of a continuum of development. That means that competitions need to be fenced in a continuum from beginner class events through club intramurals to Division events to the NACs and Summer Nationals.

In the past the Salle has done a weapons squad tournament in each weapon as part of the regular training program. To borrow a line from Chef Emeril Legassi we are going to kick this up a notch, starting this coming week in our Intermediate Epee class. The concept is that we will run a more formal intramural tournament every 6 to 8 weeks in the class session, using a variety of formats. For Epee this is a Lancet Epee event in April and a One Touch event in June, fenced according to Fence Dry! rules. The Fence Dry! approach allows every member, regardless of whether or not electrically equipped, to fence, and provides a variety of innovative formats that keep the competition interesting.

If this works well, we will expand it to all weapons. The big advantage from a training standpoint is that the more formal competition increases the training value. Our fencers get to practice directing and judging and running tournaments. And there is a heightened sense of the event counting for something as, instead of just bragging rights and a score sheet posted onthe wall, we will be offering Salle ribbons and events count to Fence Dry! rankings.

We do have members who do not come to week night classes. We will be doing weekend competitions on the same 6 week or so rotation, based on the availability of open weekends on the USA Fencing schedule, although this probably will not start until summer.

Our First Lancet Competition:

2011-04-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

Our first Lancet Epee compettion is scheduled for 19 April at 7:30 pm. Preregistration is required, and can be completed on FRED at http://askfred.net/Events/Prereg/prereg.php?tournament_id=14791. We will be using the preliminary Fence Dry! rules, available at http://fencedry.org/rulesLancet.html.

This is a completely new effort for the Salle, and has generated a lot of enthusiasm among our members - it is different, with the challenges of figuring out a new way to fence. Now the piste will become a more interesting part of the tactical problem, as fencers can move in any direction they choose. And it is going to be interesting to see how fencers can exploit the priority and stopping targets. So, come fence or come to judge, or just to watch.

Lancet Fencing:

2011-01-30T16:41:00.000-08:00

We are investigating Lancet Fencing - an experimental form of fencing intended to roughly (and is only very roughly) approximate modern rapier fencing. The scoring system is somewhat complicated, but it is an interesting attempt to account for differences in target values and to allow for persistance in attacking even in the face of counteraction. The field of play is not the traditional piste, but rather 8 meters wide by 14 meters long. All in all it apears interesting, and you may find us testing it. Although the rules do not address team play, this seems ideally suited for multiples of fencers, the old dueling scenario of the principals and the seconds all fighting at the same time.

A New Scoring Machine:

2011-01-28T08:14:00.000-08:00

The salle just purchased an Amico R-014 NANO Scoring Machine from Blade. The price is right ($150), the size and weight is tiny, and the lights are definitely bright and the buzzer appropriately annoying. The difference from the old bug-eye Leon Paul machines that I started my fencing career with is amazing. This machine combined with V Reels (from the Virtual Scoring Machine System folks) puts electric fencing within the price range of even small clubs.

There are some negatives. The R-014 comes with a power supply that is equipped with round, European style prongs for the connection to mains power. The simplest answer is to go to Radio Shack (not an endorsement, it was just on the way from home to Salle) and purchase a 12 Volt DC, 500 milliAmp AC to DC power adaptor for around $22.00. The power adaptor does not come with a plug, but the plug is included in the cost. You need a Plug M with a 5.5mm outer and 2.1mm inner diameter. Look carefully at the polarity diagram (it has a circle with a minus and a line surrounding a dot with a line to a circle with a plus), and make sure you match the plug to the correct polarity. The directions are much simpler than the FIE rulebook, so you should have no trouble.

The other problem is that the plugs for the power supply and the ground gables to the reels are located on the back of the machine. This prevents mounting with velcro to the wall or a trolley, something we did with both our Syon and Eigertek machines. No bracket is supplied, so you will have to figure out a mounting system.

This is not a high end scoring machine that keeps score or runs the time clock or ... However, it works and does the minimum job of reporting touches for all three weapons, and does so inexpensively.

Rules Changes 3:

2011-01-24T10:56:00.001-08:00

The third major change in the FIE rules involves the operation of competitions, specifically rule o.32.2. Previously competitions ranked all fencers based on the results of the pools, with the direct elimination granting byes as necessary in the first round, but with the general principle that number 1 fences number 64, number 2 fencers number 63, etc. The change to the rules exempts the first 16 seeds from the preliminary direct elimination table. If there is a tie for the 16th place, a 5 touch barrage is used to determine who gets the 16th seed.

How does this play out in terms of the bout committee's job in casting the rounds of 128, 64, and 32? I think it complicates it and makes it more difficult to understand. Determining the number of byes to get to a round of the power of 2 was simple enough to get one's head around without the need of a computer. A fencer used to the system could easily see if there was something wrong with the outcome. Now everything would seem to be based on a minimum of a round of 32 or greater with the direct elimination being designed to produce at least 16 fencers to enter that round to fence the 16 exempt fencers. If there are less than 32 fencers, what does the preliminary round reduce the field to, given that the next multiple of 2 is already filled? It will be interesting to see how, or if, this is applied at smaller, dividion sized events.

Rules Changes 2

2011-01-22T04:22:00.000-08:00

If you are a sabre fencer you have been dealing with a mask cord as a standard part of your equipment for many years. Increasingly foil fencers in the United States are having to acquire the new mask with the new electric bib section, and, yes, a mask cord - now just for international events, but eventually for everywhere. As a result we have red mask cords and black mask cords and clear mask cords and possibly other colors in our bags.

The most recent FIE rules changes include a mask cord change. Now, the mask cord must be either white or clear, regardless of the color scheme of your lame, mask, or jacket. So, sabre fencers start thinking about cleaning out your bags to avoid a yellow card, and foilists, don't take any colored hand-me-downs. Given the capricious interpretations of the rules on material by both armorers and referees that you sometimes find at competitions, I would suggest that you only use white mask cords to avoid arguments about whether your clear cord has a tint to it.

Rules Changes 1

2011-01-12T04:11:00.001-08:00

The Federation Internationale d'Escrime, the international governing body for the sport, made a number of rules changes at the December 2010 Congress. These changes are implimented as of 1 January for International events, but I have not seen an announcement of when USA Fencing will start using them. The complete text is available on British Fencing's Website. Although the list of changes is extensive, there are three that will directly influence most fencers.

First, paragraphs t.87.4-6, the Non-Combativity rule (formerly called passivity). The change is major, and eliminates the card penalties. Non-combativity is determied by either (1) time - approximately 1 minute of fencing with no hit or (2) absence of blade contact or distance greater than advance lunge for at least 15 seconds. The term "hit" in the historical context of the rules suggests a valid hit, not necessarily a material one, so it may be interpreted as on target or both off and on target in foil.

In individual events in the first two 3 minute direct elimination periods, the referee will immediately move the clock to the next period, without the 1 minute break. During the third period, the referee moves the clock to the last minute of fencing, and draws lots to determine the winner if the score is tied at the end of 1 minute.

In team events non-combativity moves the match immediately to the next bout. If it occurs during the last bout, the clock moves to 1 minute, with the same provision of drawing lots to determine the winner if scores are tied.

Salle Anniversary Tournament

2011-01-05T03:50:00.000-08:00

The Salle's Anniversary Tournament is an annual event, celebrating our opening in a permanent home in December 2004. It starts in December, and ends in January, with fencers in a pool unique fencing bouts against all other fencers in their weapon. Bouts can be fenced at Open Fencing or in class sessions. Weapons fenced are: Classical Foil, Foil, Sabre, One Touch Epee, and Epee.

Members are reminded of the rule determining placing. Place is determined first by the number of victories, second by the total number of bouts fenced, and third by indicators. Medals are awarded for the first three places with ribbons for places 4th through 10th.

George Kolombatovich's New Years Message

2011-01-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

Maitre George Kolombatovich is the fencing coach at Columbia University, and a nationally prominent referee. His 2011 message is an interesting one:

"My best wishes for 2011!

May all referees be assigned because they are honest, and then because they are able to properly analyze the actions."

Good referees make good fencing - bad referees create an environment in which good fencing is irrelevent, penalizing the better trained athlete and retarding the development of those who are trying to learn our sport. And dishonest referees cheat everyone, regardless of the outcome of the bout.

I was a referee (then a Director, and I have been around long enough to remember the term President of the Jury) when the Fencing Officials Commission was first established as a force for the improvement of officiating in our sport under the leaedership of Chaba Pallaghy. I would have hoped that in the intervening 40 years the situation would have progressed to the point that Maitre Kolombatovich's wish would simply be the minimum accepted baseline.

Annual Fence Until You Drop

2011-01-01T14:14:00.001-08:00

Every year Salle Green hosts a New Year's day competition, Fence Until You Drop. It is our way of starting the New Year properly with fencing, lots of fencing. The rules are simple: (1) anyone can fence anyone in any weapon, dry, (2) everyone is encouraged to fence everyone else regardless of age, gender, etc., (3) all bouts must be 5 touch, (4) the time period is 2 hours, (5) the fencer who fences the most bouts, won or lost, wins, and (6) if there is a tie, the winner is decided by either concession or by coin flip. The result is a tremendous amount of energy on the fencing floor, very friendly but robust competition, fun, and universal respect for the winner's ironperson credentials.

Notable records from past competitions are: 2009 Joseph Iaquinto with 26 bouts and 2010 with Kevin Pratt with 46 bouts.

This year new records: with 11 fencers and 4 strips we fenced 154 bouts, with a tie between David Molands and Tom Epperson at 55 bouts fenced each in two hours. It was a great performance.

USFCA Conference - Maitre Les Stawicki on Wheelchair Fencing

2010-08-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

Master Stawicki's presentation focused on the characteristics of wheelchair fencing, the rules, the physical classification of fencers, and the equipment. I am continually impressed with the level of athleticism and the dedication of wheelchair fencers. Wheelchair fencing is not a sport for the disabled, it is a sport for fencers. There were two really useful insights applicable to fencing in general:

... in modern fencing footwork is 80% of the game, bladework only 20% (in wheelchair it is almost 100%).

... he teaches three options in epee:

(1) if attacked, extend into the attack with opposition.
(2) if the opponent beats, stop hit.
(3) if the opponent tries to take the blade, disengage.

USFCA Conference - Dr James White on Training

2010-08-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

Dr. James White reported in detail on research into fencing training. While this was a presentation that would appeal to someone with an exercise science knowledge base (and I enjoyed it from that aspect), it had profound implications for fencing training. Some key points that I took away to influence our training included:

... power is the relationship between strength and speed. If we increase speed we dramatically increase power.

... slow movement uses slow twitch fibres; fast movement uses fast twitch fibers. There is some abilkity to increase the percentage of fast twitch fibres up to age 25 through anaerobic exercise, plyometrics, and weight training. After age 25 we cannot increase the percentage of fast twitch, but we can improve the efficiency of those we have through maximal or near maximal anaerobic exercise.

... it should not be a surprise that fencing is an anaerobic exercise.

... a fast movement is anaerobic and works fast twotch fibres; if we do the same movement slowly it is aerobic and works slow twitchg fibres.

... training at submaximal speeds we build accuracy but not speed; repeated maximal speed exercise to a scientifically designed program builds speed.

... sequencing of movement is critical because the brain selects large muscle activity over small muscle activity.

... muscle mass declines when we train less than 3 times a week - and the regular training keeps the hormone levels needed for growth and repair at a higher level.

... short periods of maximal activity train for speed and power and should be done within the specific period of energy system activation for anaerobic exercise.

... training should focus on short, exact fencing movements. Short sprints for training the fleche are acceptable. Other running actually slows reaction time and speed of movement and decreases the time to onset of fatigue and pain.

... static stretching shows almost no improvement in performance, and cross training minimal improvement, when compared to fencing specific exercises.

USFCA Conference - David Littell on Movement

2010-08-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

David Littell presented an excellent workshop on the importance of good spinal alignment and the relaxation of the hips to fencing movement. We often talk to students about the importance of relaxing the shoulders, but Littell's major point was that the body is an integrated system. As a result poor spinal alignment, locked hips, and tensed shoulders are all interacing problems. Key points that I took away from the presentation included:

... in the on guard position the hips should sit at about a 45 degree angle across the 90 degree angle established by the feet.

... we experience our arms through tension - freedomn of movement actually comes when we are relaxed and lose the tension. ALthough actions now seem slow they are actually much faster.

... the entire body should be engaged in the lunge.

... there are three basic step types: marching, accelerating, and quick. The marching step has a 1-2 tempo to it, with one foot fully weighted before you move the other. This can be done as a very fast step to push the opponent and control distance. The acclerating step starts slow with the front foot and then finishes fast as both feet land together.

... in the retreat don't bring your weight back too fast onto the rear foot. This will allow a lunge into the opponent's advance.

... in executing the extension don't force up the elbow - extend the arm and build pressure behind the point to ensure a good hit.

... if trhe lunge is correctly executed, by the time the front foot comes down the fencer is ready to parry.

... in retreating don't move the body backwards before the back foot.

... movement should be soft - it is less threatening and therfore less likely to provoke a reaction.

... the quality of the step is critical to seeing and reacting to distance changes and counterattacks.

Lessons From A Prevot Examination

2010-07-31T04:42:00.000-07:00

I sat as a head examiner for a Prevot examination in foil on Friday evening. Some of the lessons I took away from that examination are applicable to anyone poreparing for a coaching exam:

... really know the examination format - the student was familiar with it, but not to the degree that he could recall all of the parts in the pressure of the test.

... cues need to be consistent and unambiguous and realistic - movement into the cues should be natural and smooth.

... good control of distance is critical, as is understanding whether a technique can be executed in the distance you set for the student - some techniques can only be successful at one distance.

... the coach must be able to vary speed and tempo in the lesson. In the training lesson especially it is important to be able to bring the student to fighting speed.

... blade presentation height should be realistic for someone on guard or attacking, and not for the relatively upright position of the coach.

... at the prevot level it is important to be able to teach complex actions, including making every part of the action work.

... demonstration is a critical skill - be able to use the fast-slow-fast format.

... practice, practice, practice.

Examiner Workshop at the USFCA Conference

2010-07-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

On Thursday evening I attended a workshop for examiners at the United States Fencing Coaches Association Conference. Because the Certification and Accreditation Board has instituted a number of important changes, this was very important for our members who are working on coaching certifications. Some of the changes:

... there is a new, well structured process with clear criteria for individuals who wish to qualify as examiners, and a clear progression that requires Head Examiners to apprentice before serving in the role. The result will be examinations that are standardized across the country, and a more reliable process for the required paperwork.

... criteria for examination scoring have been clarified - this makes it clear what the numerical values mean.

... examinations are now single weapon. This ensures that candidates show a full range of teaching abilities in each weapon. In general prevot and maitre examinations will start with the training lesson, as this is the most difficult lesson type.

... lesson lengths should fall in the following ranges: training 20-25 minutes, teaching 15 minute, warmup 10 minutes.

... the candidate should explain to the board the steps that he or she is taking in the examination.

Specific comments on how to deliver the lesson included:

... the first step in the individual lesson is finding the student's distance.

... the warmup in the group lesson should be functional - if the candidate starts with static stretching, they fail. No one should be doing static stretching as a warmup.

... cues have to be given with tight, realistic motions.

... corrections should be made while continuing to work, not by interrupting the lesson for a prolonged period.

... the warmup lesson should emphasize the fencer's stroing actions and include tactical warmup with the tactical wheel.

Salle 3 Weapon Team Championships

2010-07-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

Team Black (reorganized with Brandon Hiner fencing foil, Walter Green epee, and Jordyn Wade sabre) defeated Team Gold (Nathaniel Williams foil, David Molands Epee, and Joe Letteri Sabre) 15-13 in the Three Weapon Team Championships. The match was hard fought, and having a fencer proving the training value by saying afterwards "now I understand what relay is about" was priceless.

Agecroft Hall Page Up

2010-07-05T06:12:00.001-07:00

I have finally finished working through the mass of excellent photographs taken by Jonathan Iaquinto at our Agecroft Hall demonstration of the evolution of sword play in May, and the page with photographs and the text of the presentation is up on our website at http://www.sallegreen.com/Agecroft2010.htm.

Team Championship Started

2010-07-05T06:06:00.001-07:00

The Salle's Team Championship has restarted after a lapse of 3 years. In the first match Team Green (Micah Taylor, Lucienne Cassinera-White, and Mark Logan) on 4 July defeated Team Silver (John Shields, James McMath, and Erika Kadas) 15 to 9. Team Black (Tom Epperson, Joseph Letteri, and Danielle Honings) is ready for next week, and we can still form Team Gold if others wish to compete.

Salle Championships Complete - Prepare for August Chase!

2010-06-29T11:54:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to the winners of the 2010 Salle Championships: Len Blasiol in Foil, Joseph Letteri in Sabre, David Molands in Epee, and John Shields in Classical Foil.

Starting on 1 August we start our annual August Chase, running from 1 to 31 August. The winner is the fencer who fences and records the most bouts in any weapon during the Chase. The goal is simple - get as many bouts fenced as possible in preparation for the start of the new fencing season.

New Article On The Tactical Wheel

2010-02-09T03:12:00.000-08:00

We have started publishing short articles on fencing topics online at Ezine Articles, an online site for articles on a wide variety of subjects. The first article "Fencing’s Tactical Wheel: Is A New Approach Needed?" identifies some of the issues associated with the use of the Tactical Wheel. Look for this article at http://EzineArticles.com/?id=3708890.

Super Youth Circuit Results

2010-01-31T18:26:00.000-08:00

We had hoped to have two fencers in the Capital Clash Super Youth Circuit event today, but the weather did not cooperate, with 10 plus inches of snow blanketing the Richmond metro area. Brandon Hiner was able to get out and make the trip, and we are proud that in his second electric tournament he made the round of 64 in a Youth 12 Men's Foil competition that included fencers from California to New Jersey. Brandon joins David Dimmett and Connor Speidell (both Youth 10 Epee) as having qualified to fence in this year's Summer Nationals in Atlanta.

New Years Fence Til You Drop

2010-01-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

Every year Salle Green hosts Fence Til You Drop on New Year's Day. The rules are simple - fence as many bouts as you can, win or lose, in the two hour time period of the competition. The fencer with the most bouts wins. Our objectives are simple: (1) honor our sport by starting the New Year with fencing and (2) do some serious endurance work with maximum bouts in minimum time. This year 11 fencers fenced 188 bouts in 2 hours - the winner fenced 44 bouts, setting a new Salle record (the old record was 28, set last year).

Bayonet Fencing at Salle Green

2009-12-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

We will start bayonet training on Wednesday, 23 December, with a short session from 6:00 - 6:30 pm. The bayonet (on the rifle) is fenced in both Asian martial arts and European classical fencing.

2012 Olympic Fencing Events

2009-12-15T04:19:00.000-08:00

It is official – the 10 events for fencing at the 2012 London Olympics include: men and women’s foil, men and women’s sabre, men and women’s epee, men and women’s team foil, men’s team sabre, and women’s team epee. Not on the program are men’s team epee and women’s team sabre. And yes, of the 6 medals the United States team won in Beijing, one silver was in men’s team epee, and one bronze was in women’s team sabre. For those not familiar with the Olympic program, the International Olympic Committee limits a number of sports to less than the full range of events normally competed - among those that get less than the full program is one of the sports that has been with the Olympics since the first Olympiad of the Modern Era ... fencing.

A New Weapon ...

2009-12-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

We have started work on adding the Bayonet to our martial arts weapons and classical fencing programs through an organization known as American Jukenjutsu - The Bayonet Society. Bayonet was taught by classical fencing masters, and one of the amateur fencers most responsible for the revival of fencing as a sport, Captain Alfred Hutton, was the author of a number of bayonet texts. Bayonet survives as a sport weapon in Jukendo (the way of the baynot), practiced almost exclusively in Japan. The intent of our program will be to teach the bayonet as a combat weapon using one of several bayonet systems.

New Format For 1 Touch Epee

2009-11-18T06:26:00.000-08:00

We are going to try a new format for a dry 1 Touch Epee meet on November 29th – single elimination. Seeding will be done using Fence Dry! epee rankings. The intent is to capture the finality of the epee as used in its original form, the dueling sword. In the format of the duel of honor in the late 1800s-early 1900s the question was settled by a single bout fenced until first blood was drawn. By using single elimination we create that environment - one hit and you stay in, once hit and you are out. The training benefit is training in tactical choices under conditions of high accountability for those choices. The meet will start following Open Fencing, promptly at 1 pm.

A Change In The Sabre Rules ...

2009-10-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

... and a long overdue one is in the making. British Fencing, the amateur fencing governing organization in England, has proposed that the wording in the rules which requires that a point thrust land with the point and not simply brush the lame be eliminated. This rule, which made perfect sense when sabre was fenced dry, was almost impossible for a single referee to apply evenly and fairly in electric sabre, as well as being almost impossible to see in practice. The reality is that any blade action which caused the lights to light resulted in a touch award, regardless of whether the point arrested. The proposal has been through the appropriate Federation Internationale d'Escrime committees, and is waiting for final approval.

Week 10 Individual Training

2009-10-23T08:13:00.001-07:00

Objective: Fencer will be able to vary speed of movement.

(1) 20 repetitions twice a day

• Fast advance
• Slow advance
• Pause
• Lunge

(2) 30 repetitions once a day (3 sets of 10 each)

• Slow extension
• Mid speed extension
• Slow extension

Weight Training Week 10

2009-10-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

This week's exercise is the crunch:

... Lie on floor (firm surface) with knees bent.

... Stretch out to get back as flat as possible.

... Hands can go behind head, crossed over chest, or cupped around ears.

... Keep a tennis ball sized space between your chin & chest. Don't use your head to pull your body forward.

... Keep abs tight - when activation can no longer be held, it's time to quit.

... Only lift shoulders off the floor.

... Exhale through the mouth on the way up and inhale through the nose on the way down. This is the opposite of weight-bearing exercises. The breathing is crucial for proper form.

... When working obliques, lead with the shoulder and not the elbow.

... You can add weight when you can do at least 100 with a 30 second rest between every 25.

Week 9 Individual Training

2009-10-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

Objective: Fencer will be able to vary speed of movement.

(1) 20 repetitions twice a day

• Slow advance
• Fast advance
• Pause
• Slow advance

(2) 30 repetitions once a day (3 sets of 10 each)

• Slow extension
• Mid speed extension

Week 8 Individual Training

2009-10-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Objective: Fencer will be able to vary speed of movement.

(1) 20 repetitions twice a day

• Fast advance
• Slow advance

(2) 30 repetitions once a day (3 sets of 10 each)

• Slow extension

Week 7 Individual Training

2009-10-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Objective: Fencer will be able to vary speed of movement.

(1) 20 repetitions twice a day

• Slow advance
• Fast advance
• Slow advance

(2) 30 repetitions once a day (3 sets of 10 each)

• Slow lunge
• Fast lunge

Week 6 Individual Training

2009-10-23T07:59:00.001-07:00

Objective: Fencer will be able to vary speed of movement.

(1) 20 repetitions twice a day

• Slow advance
• Fast advance

(2) 30 repetitions once a day (3 sets of 10 each)

• Slow lunge

Week 5 Individual Training

2009-10-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

Objective: Fencer will be able to execute an advance-lunge with forward recovery.

(1) 20 repetitions twice a day

• Half step forward
• Half step backward

(2) 20 repetitions twice a day

• Start extension
• Advance-lunge
• Forward recovery

Week 4 Individual Training

2009-10-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

Objective: Fencer will be able to execute an advance-lunge.

(1) 10 repetitions twice a day

• Advance
• Advance
• Retreat
• Straight thrust and lunge

(2) 20 repetitions twice a day

• Start extension
• Advance-lunge
• Backward recovery

Week 3 Individual Training

2009-10-23T07:52:00.001-07:00

I am catching up posting the foot and hand work assignments that we have been passing out in class. This completes the transition to these being available only online.

Objective: Fencer will be able to execute a forward reprise.

(1) 10 repetitions twice a day

• Advance
• Advance
• Retreat
• Advance

(2) 20 repetitions twice a day

• Extend straight thrust
• Lunge
• Forward recovery with partial withdrawal of arm
• Extend
• Lunge
• Backward recovery

Weight Training Week 9

2009-10-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

The season week 9 weight training routine repeats the Week 8 assignment:

one set of 12 bicep curls with twist
one set of 12 shoulder rotations - done one arm at a time for each arm
one set of 12 flies
one set of 12 tricep extensions - done bending over at waist with the back as straight as possible
overhead stretch
behind the back stretch
tricep stretch

Reminders:

(1) Form is vital because even minor changes in how the exercise is performed will change the training result.

(2) Remember to control weight movement at all times. We are working with light weights, but even light weights at the end of a swinging arm generate enough force to cause significant injury to muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The only movement you should do with dumbells is pick them up, do the exercise, and put them down.

(3) Whenever possible fencers should do single or alternating arm exercise versus working both arms at the same time.

Weight Training Week 8

2009-10-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

The season week 8 weight training routine is:

one set of 12 bicep curls with twist
one set of 12 shoulder rotations - done one arm at a time for each arm
one set of 12 flies
one set of 12 tricep extensions - done bending over at waist with the back as straight as possible
overhead stretch
behind the back stretch
tricep stretch

Reminders:

(1) Form is vital because even minor changes in how the exercise is performed will change the training result.

(2) Remember to control weight movement at all times. We are working with light weights, but even light weights at the end of a swinging arm generate enough force to cause significant injury to muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The only movement you should do with dumbells is pick them up, do the exercise, and put them down.

(3) Whenever possible fencers should do single or alternating arm exercise versus working both arms at the same time.

The Assault Continues ...

2009-10-04T05:19:00.000-07:00

Brazil won the hosting rights for the 2016 Olympics for Rio de Janeiro. This is the first time the Olympics will have been hosted by any South American nation in the history of the games. Rio is to be congratulated for their success, and the International Olympic Committee deserves approbation for the choice.

However, in the United States, this outcome was trumpted enthusiastically by right wing conservative commentators and politicians as a grand defeat for the current administration. Excuse me? The United States loses the bid to bring the world to the US in a very positive way, the opportunity to inspire young athletes, and the economic activity that the Games represent ... and you cheer about it? And you call yourselves Patriots. I think not - you are individually and collectively no account enemies of the people and the country.

More importantly for the fencing community, you have revealed yourselves as enemies of sport. Every individual who stands on the field of play of his or her sport knows now that you care not about what sport brings to each of us. You hate that we have the courage to face the challenge of competing against others or against ourselves. You despise our willingness to work long and hard to shape our bodies and our minds for success. You cannot stand that we do succeed and that we hope one day to represent our country on the fields or courts or pistes of competition. You are the enemies of what we do, and we now know the level of your pettiness.

Why The Olympics Matters

2009-10-02T05:24:00.000-07:00

We have been treated to the spectacle of the President of the United States being criticized for travelling to Copenhagen to support the bid of Chicago as the site of the 2016 Olympics at the meeting of the International Olympic Committee. What abysmal ignorance on the part of the nattering nabobs of negativity.

We will leave out of the discussion the reality that the President of the United States is never out of touch or that the communications systems of Air Force 1 are equal to those of the White House. We can ignore the fact that the President travels with a full support staff and has an office aboard Air Force 1 that is as well equipped as the Oval Office in the White House. To say that the President is ignoring the people's business when travelling is like saying that he is ignoring the people's business when in a meeting in the White House - it is a reflection of ignorance, and a lack of understanding of the instant nature of modern communications connectivity.

The real issue is the assault on the Olympics that this criticism reflects. Why do the Olympics matter? Let me count the ways:

(1) the International Olympic Committee, and with it the Olympic movement in each nation, is one of the few international governing organizations that is recognized and participated in by virtually every nation on the globe. Although it focuses only on one aspect of world culture, sport, the Olympic movement in its own way is as influential as any international body. The International Olympic Committee is an international diplomatic forum as important as any other.

(2) host nations receive free world-wide positive publicity for the period of the runup to the games and the games themselves. The example of the Beijing games is a clear example - we were treated to a picture of a modern, efficient, and architecturally forward thinking China. How can publicity like this be anything but a good thing for the United States?

(3) the Olympics were conceived as a way to promote World peace and friendly relationships between nations and peoples. The games still remain one of the few times when people from all over the World meet on a level playing field and build friendship and understanding. Even if their nations are not friends, individual athletes connect as people. And for a few days the world is inspired by the performance of its athletic elite.

(4) the Olympic games represent a huge economic engine. Make money or lose money, money flows through the economy and with it jobs and work. Tourism explodes for the period of the games. Construction explodes before the games. Getting the games is a billion plus dollar enterprise for the host.

(5) the Olympics represent the showcase of what fitness means. In a world where fitness in general is declining and obseity is growing, the Olympics are a positive message about the importance of sport to living a full and active life. Although youth dominates many sports, there are success stories for the middle aged that prove we can achieve more with our bodies than we think. This is important to our future as a species in a world where physical work is becoming less important.

(6) and for us as fencers, the Olympics are a showcase for our sport. We may not get the air time that we want, and the incredible accomplishment of our athletes in Beijing may not have gotten the attention it deserved (the renaissance of American fencing is 2008 against unbelivable odds is a story far more compelling than one swimmer winning multiple golds). But people saw fencing. And that helps. The same is true of many other smaller sports that offer opportunities for people to participate, compete, and excel.

Other nations understand these realities. England sent their Prime Minister to the meeting at which the site of the 2012 games was decided, and Tony Blair brought home the games to London. This year every other nation sent their chief executive to the October meeting to present the case for their bid to host. It is worth asking why those criticizing the President want the United States not to win the Games. There is no good answer to that question.

Monthly Pool Training

2009-09-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

Every 4 to 6 weeks the Salle conducts a competition in its Intermediate classes. This week we are running this pool competition in our Intermediate Foil, Sabre, and Epee classes. Running two strips simultaneously we were able to complete a 7 fencer pool in foil, and two thirds of an 8 fencer pool in sabre, both in the standard one hour block with our normal strength training included. Bouts are fenced for 3 minutes total time, allowing us to keep both strips running on a cloackwork schedule. This provides good practice for our fencers in the flow of pools in competition, gives them a bit of added pressure from the constant fencing, and gives them a more competitive environment. Because the fencers referee the bouts, it increases their understanding of officiating and helps develop their ability to identify what is happening on the strip. It also provides the coaching staff an opportunity to watch the fencers under near competitive conditions and a somewhat objective assessment of relative rankings of performance.

Moniteur Development Clinic

2009-09-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

We will be hosting a two session Moniteur Development Clinic at Salle Green on 10 October and 5 December in conjunction with the Pan American Fencing Academy. Moniteur is the first fully professional level of fencing coach certified by the United States Fencing Coaches Association. The first session focuses on skill performance, lesson introduction, and drill construction. The second session focuses on the main body of the group lesson.

This is part of our ongoing commitment to develop new fencing coaches. The sport cannot grow without coaches who have the training necessary to teach good technique, develop solid tactical approaches to the sport, and train athletes using modern approaches to coaching.

Registration is available on FRED or by e-mail to the salle.

Why We Do Continuing Education

2009-09-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

Last fencing year Salle Green’s coaches completed 102 hours of Continuing Education in current fencing techniques and tactics and in how to coach them. In addition, they took courses in fundamentals of youth coaching, sports first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Why?

The simple answer is because we are required to. The Salle’s status as a Guild Academy of the United States Fencing Coaches Association requires that we complete at least 4 hours of continuing education for each coach, in our case a minimum of 20 hours. We did a lot more than that minimum.

The real answer is that we cannot be effective as coaches if we do not know what is happening in our sport and in coaching in general. Being a good coach means that you understand how fencing is evolving and how our lexicon of technique is currently being employed at the highest levels of international competition. Being a good coach means that you know the latest developments in how to teach our sport. Being a good coach means that you are up to date in general coaching and in how to protect your athletes from injury. Being a good coach means that you take continuing education seriously.

And that is why we will do more than the minimum of continuing education again this fencing year – so we can better serve our athletes.

Fencing 2012

2009-08-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

The International Olympic Committee has rejected a request by the Federation Internationale d'Escrime to up the number of medal events at the London Olympics in 2012 to 12 from 10. The proposal would have allowed competition in all three weapons, for both men and women, and for teams and individuals. As it stands the FIE will have to choose 10 events - as was the case in 2004 and 2008.

Modern Pentathlon Changes

2009-08-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

Fencing is not the only Olympic sword sport - yes, there is Modern Pentathlon. The Modern Pentathlon has traditionally been a five component sport: running, shooting, riding, swimming, and fencing. Over the years the rules have changed, but the essential character of modern pentathlon competition has remained as five distinct events within the competition. This year the Modern Pentathlon changes - running and shooting have been combined to create an event that will resemble the winter biathlon with shooting interspersed with running. And these rules changes have been accepted by the International Olympic Committee for the 2012 games. Pentathlon fencing remains as one touch epee fenced as a pool unique (every competitor fences every other competitor). So welcome to Modern Quadra/Pentathlon ...

What It Takes To Get To Carneige Hall

2009-08-17T05:57:00.000-07:00

There is an old joke: a man jumps in a taxicab in New York City and asks the cabbie "how do I get to Carneige Hall?" The cabbie answers "practice, practice, practice."

There is truth in this, and I saw the truth on Sunday. Heather is back from her internship in Toronto, and her footwork is much improved. I asked her why. The answer - she fenced four days a week and took two lessons a week.

How much practice does it take? Well, here are some random thoughts.

... the German team in the heydey of the Tauberbischofheim center under Emil Beck was fencing 200 practice bouts a week.

... we have always had a target of 200 practice bouts a month in the prime season. That goal was confirmed in my mind by discussions at this year's fencing coaches conference as being a good standard for elite fencers.

... multiple sources confirm that it takes 10 years and 10,000 hours of practice to be an Olympian in any sport.

So what does your level of activity add up to? Well, on average:

... one group a lesson a week - 50 hours a year and 100 bouts a year.

... one group lesson plus open fencing a week - 150 hours a year and 350 bouts a year.

These are reasonable standards if you fence for exercise and recreation, a perfectly reasonable way to fence. If you want more, you have to do more ...

Changes in Olympic Sports for 2016:

2009-08-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

A committee of the International Olympic Committee this week recommended the addition of golf and rugby to the program for the 2016 Olympics, with a decision on the final sports lineup to be made in this coming October. Adding a sport to the program has traditionally meant that an existing Olympic sport loses its place on the list, simply driven by the realities of conducting a huge sporting event. So two new sports mean two old sports will probably be dropped. It will be interesting to see which ones – both sword sports, Modern Pentathlon and Fencing, have been named as candidates in the past.

Week 2 Individual Training

2009-08-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

Objective: Fencer will be able to execute attack after an advance.

(first) 10 repetitions twice a day:

Retreat
Advance
Advance
Retreat

(second) 20 repetitions twice a day:

Advance
Extend straight thrust
Lunge
Backward recovery

Note that this is not an advance-lunge, but rather an advance with the lunge delivered as a reaction to an opponent's action (or unexpected lack thereof).

Week 1 Individual Training

2009-08-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

As we start the new fencing season, we will be assigning practice routines for you to do at home. These will help build muscle memory and automate your responses. Each week we will have a different sequence. So for the first week of August:

Objective: Fencer will be able to execute basic mobility skills.

(First) 20 repetitions twice a day:

Advance
Retreat
Retreat
Advance

(Second) 10 repetitions twice a day:

Extend
Lunge
Backward recovery

Misha Itkin and Alex Press on Foil

2009-07-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Misha Itkin was the US National Junior Foil Team Coach, the 2008 Junior World Champions. Alex Press needs no introduction, but if you do not know the name, he is the Russian National Foil Coach. Their combined presentations highlighted the following:

... foil has changed significantly over the last 4-5 years. Fencers are now choosing to fence from defense with the role of destroying what the opponent creates. As a result foil bouts are no longer fast, usually taking the full 9 minutes, and team bouts rarely run to a full 45 hits.

... the Russians approach fencing on two levels, the gymnastic (the physical techniques) and the tactical/strategic. In this model a disengage and lunge is not an attack, it is a technical action. It only has importance as an attack when it is launched under conditions that finish with the hit.

... strip coaching must be very precise and to the point if you know what the fencer needs to do, you must never focus on what not to do, and if you do not have a solution you must be encouraging.

... there are two types of coaches, those who must guide the fencer on the strip through every action and those that teach the fencer what to do before the competition. In their view coaches should teach the student to make the right decisions on their own.

... fencing feeling is distance, timing, and tactical insight. The soul of the bout is to score and not be scored upon. In this fencing becomes the process of delivering the blade to the target.

... the target is three dimensional. In sabre an error in distance can still result in a hit, but in foil even a small error results in a miss.

... each action is prepared by the previous action.

... if you are going to score with a counterattack into a simple attack you have to be Golubitsky (a very successful fencer with amazing physical capabilities).

Common Themes

2009-07-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

A number of common themes emerged from presentations at the Coaches conference:

(1) the distance has collapsed - and actions are increasingly explosive.

(2) there is an emphasis in the point weapons on controlling the opponent's blade.

(3) a relatively high blade position is now accepted because it gives better mechanical advantage in defense as well as allowing increasing acceleration as the blade drops.

(4) defense is active - it must search for and find the opponent's attack, not wait for it to arrive.

(5) the arm is held close to the torso when not in defense to reduce the expsoure to the opponent's action and to allow distance for acceleration of the extension.

(6) the simple straight thrust requires a lot of attention to develop speed, accuracy, and mechanical perfection.

(7) the half step and half lunge are common footwork elements to push or pull the opponent.

(8) the attack once launched must close and finish.

(9) each of the coaches emphasized that there approaches were only one of a number of possible approaches - this is what works for their students now.

(10) the Federation Internationale d'Escrime is considering a number of significant rule changes to make foil more interesting - what those changes will be is unknown, but the last major change revolutionized the game in sabre and changed foil significantly. The next changes will probably significantly change foil as we know it today.

Les Stawicki on Sabre

2009-07-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Les Stawicki's students earned medals at the Moscow and Melbourne Olympics, and he currently serves as the US paralympic coach. His perspectives include:

... sabre is not a game of feints or second intention - it is simply steps and then an explosion.

... the attack should be made when the opponent is not ready - if the opponent retreats the fencer must close and finish the action.

... the riposte is always a cut to the head - if the opponent changes, the fencer must change with them.

... cuts must be delivered not to the open line but to the line that is opening exploiting the inertia of the opponent's movement.

... compound actions require time to work.

Prevot Examination

2009-07-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

I sat on the examination panel for a Prevot examination with Jerry Benson, Coach at Redlands Fencing, a former Chairman of the US Fencing Coaches Association Certification and Accreditation Board and a Vice President of the US Fencing Association. The candidate clearly could teach at the level expected of a Prevot - good blade presentation, smooth body movement, and clear command of the material. However, we saw a common problem, a lack of mastery of the actual standard lesson formats of teaching, training, and warmup. In some cases the candidate's ability allows them to pass, but not understanding the format and purpose makes it much more difficult. So, if you are interested in moving up in coaching certification, make a point of learning the lesson types and formats.

The reassuring part of this is that Jerry and my scoring of the examination was within 2 points in every part of the examination, and our average was the same. Jerry has done dozens of Master and Prevot examinations and helped to develop the current system. It was good to know that my scores calibrate with his.

Mike Pederson on Foil

2009-07-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

As the former coach of the US Women's Foil Team that won the Silver in Beijing, Mike Pederson's comment that to achieve the Olympics one has to be willing to commit 10 years and 10,000 hours of training has great credibility. He made a number of key points:

... active defense is critical in all weapons - if all you do is retreat you will be hit - actively search for the opponent's weapon far out.

... the proper extension is critically important to making the hit.

... he teaches a hand up position for the non-weapon arm. This balances the front arm, keeps the left shoulder out of the way, opens up the chest and shoulder girdle and increases air flow.

... if I start the action you have an obligation to stop me. He teaches bent arm attacks designed to control the opponent's blade. He noted that referees at the national and international level are tightening up on this, and that there is an increasing tendency to apply the sabre rule that the attack stops when the front foot lands.

... there is a lot of use of the lunge ending with an extreme forward lean to reduce the available target area. Doing this you must keep the head up to avoid a call for covering target.

... the elite women's foil game is focused 70% of the time on the area between the on-guard lines - the elite men's game is back and forth on the entire strip.

... half steps are widely used, both forward and retreating - the half step works by creating the illusion of movement to collapse the distance or adjust the timing.

... it takes three people to award a warning - the fencer who commits the infraction, the opponent who notices it and calls it to the attention of the referee, and the referee.

... in addition to profiling opponents (individual and team) it is critical to keep written notes on referees.

... plan to do two parries against an attack combined with your footwork - one an active parry far out and one closer.

Notes from Nat Goodhartz

2009-07-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

Nat Goodhartz has been coach of several national foil teams. In her presentation she emphasized several key points:

... actions should be short and direct and mechnically efficient for speed.

... engagement is back, but it is executed from the wrist with the opponent's blade carried off line.

... start an action by controlling the opponent's blade by engagement.

... the flick is back, but it requires adequate wrist strength to get the point in perpindicular to the target.

Excellent Epee Presentation by Paul Soter

2009-07-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Paul Soter, previously a US National Coach delivered a very good session on Friday morning on epee training, covering from the planning of instruction from the multi-year campaign to the individual lesson. A key point was to identify what you are coaching as a unit, the individual, the group (such as a weapons squad), or multiple groups (a complete team). He discussed the differences in training for the long term versus the fast track, with an emphasis on the issues associated with teaching fast track fencers new techniques. Some important themes addressed included:

... the double hit becomes a test of wills to determine who will figuratively flinch first.

... energy demands have clearly separated between the three weapons - endurance for the epee fencer is important.

... our target in the season of 200 practice bouts per month is an average for elite fencers.

... in foil and sabre the differentiation between fencers in a high level competition is great - number 32 has little chance of beating number 1 - but in epee number 32 has a good chance of beating number 1, forcing great concentration in every bout.

... there are three ways to score a touch - tip, strip, and clock - use all three.

... in epee there are 3 major aspects: (1) distance, distance, distance, (2) precision of movement, (3) the opponent's philosophy of how to use the blade.

... the game and tactics have become much more simplified, footwork is mondirectional, distance has collapsed, and the remise is paramount.

... the guard position demonstrated was parallel to the strip with the blade raised to approximately 30-45 degrees - this is the strongest parry position and allows a rapidly accelerating combination of lowering and extension in the riposte.

... the advance, lunge (as opposed to the advance-lunge) is very important when taking the blade.

USFCA Conference - Examiners

2009-07-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

Thursday evening I attended the Examiner training session conducted by the Certification and Accreditation Board for individuals who serve as Head Examiners. This is the third year I have attended one of these sessions (last year in Lambertsville and the previous year in Oklahoma City), and I am impressed by the steady progress in making the examinations a true test of teaching ability and a fair and open process. Although the details are fascinating reading only for those of us who regularly serve on testing boards, there are some developments that have an impact on any candidate.

... the forms have been revised to do two good things. First there is a clear delineation of Advanced, Proficient, Needs Improvement, and Unsatisfactory. The old forms used wording that did not provide as clear categories and that was subject to a lot of interpretation. With this the grading scale has gone to a very simple add up the numbers approach - no need to keep the candidate waiting while you complete fractions to multiple decimal places.

... the bouting lesson as one of the assigned lessons will remain an option, but the primary expectation is that the third lesson will be a warm-up lesson. If a candidate wants to do a bouting lesson it can still be done, but the Board was concerned about the difficulty of doing this for both candidate and student following the other lessons for the examination.

... the training lesson has become the primary lesson for candidates for two and three weapons as prevot and maitre d'armes. The teaching lesson still plays a role, but the Board felt that a candidate who can give a good training lesson probably has the skills to do a teaching lesson in a weapon.

... the old standard that if you failed one part of a two or three weapon examination, you failed the examination is gone. Now a candidate can fail one weapon and still pass the other.

Coaches Conference and Scottsdale

2009-07-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

This week I will be blogging from the United States Fencing Coaches Annual Coaches Conference, and from my training session with Shihan Dana Abbott to qualify as a Chanbara instructor. The USFCA conference will be interesting because of the presentations and because I have three proposals to be considered by the USFCA's Executive Committee:

... a proposal from the Club Committee to create a national skills development program, similar to the skills program the Salle runs. This would provide fencers and coaches a roadmap for technical and tactical development.

... a proposal developed for the Certification and Accreditation Board based on a suggestion made by Paul Sise (a former officer of the USFCA) that the Board develop an endorsement program for coaches who teach classical and historical fencing.

... a proposal developed in response to a tasking from Jerry Benson, a former Certification Board chair and a Vice President of the United States Fencing Association, to develop a national training program for professional coaches.

It will be interesting to see which, if any, of these are adopted.