Fencing in the News

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Fencing coach has a handle on equipment improvement
Spalding Guardian
26 September 2012

www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/lifestyle/lifestyle-and-leisure-news/fencing-coach-has-a-handle-on-equipment-improvement-1-4296104

THE founder of South Holland’s only fencing club is waiting to see whether he has played a part in revolutionising the sport.


The new sword handle, demonstrated by (below) Andie Bayston.

Andie Bayston, head coach at Custodians Fencing Club in Spalding, helped to advise on the development of a new handle that could give fencers an edge in competition.

It allows fencers to use self-setting rubber to make their weapons more comfortable to handle and easier to grip.

Andie sent a photograph of his own customised handle to fencing equipment manufacturers Leon Paul, which it has adapted in developing a new product.

“I used to suffer from tennis elbow until I met former European badminton champion Gillian Gilks who showed me how she had made her own racquet handle thicker by wrapping tape round it,” Andie said.



“When I tried it on my fencing handle, it became more comfortable so I sent a photograph to Leon Paul who liked my idea.”

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On Guard! Hawthorn Middle School North has a New Fencing Club
Students are learning essential fencing moves from Coach Gordon Gandy, who also has a fencing club at the Libertyville Tennis Club.
By Korrina Grom
Patch.com
September 25, 2012

vernonhills.patch.com/articles/on-guard-hawthorn-middle-school-north-has-a-new-fencing-club

Austin Chun and Dylan Boyle stood facing each other, wearing protective fencing gear—and balloons atop their fencing masks.

"On guard!" yelled Coach Gordon Gandy. And the sparring began. Chun and Boyle advanced and retreated several times, each attempting to pop the balloon atop the other's mask with a sabre.

"Oh my gosh! This is scary!" Chun, a seventh-grader at Hawthorn Middle School North, yelled from behind his mask.

When the match was over, neither claimed victory since Gandy ultimately popped the slowly-deflating balloon atop Chun's mask.

"Dylan, you're scary," Chun said to his opponent, also a seventh-grader. "It was very scary, especially against an experienced fencer."

Hawthorn Middle School North is home to a new fencing club that just started a few weeks ago. Coach Gandy has a fencing club at the Libertyville Tennis Club and is also the assistant fencing coach at Stevenson High School.

"We're trying to grow fencing," said Gandy. "In middle school, they're like a sponge—they can just soak it up."

He added that he's trying to establish fencing clubs at Libertyville, Mundelein and Vernon Hills High Schools.

"It's good for the kids. It's fresh," said Robert Collins, principal of Middle School North. "We have a good turnout.

Twenty-two students attended the Monday afternoon Fencing Club at the school. Gandy spent a lot of time teaching the students some basic fencing moves and giving them important tips.

"Your first defense is always your feet," said Gandy. "Keep your knees bent so you can move."

He invited a series of students to practice advancing and retreating against him.

"This is the rhythm of fencing," said Gandy.

He explained that anyone can succeed at fencing, regardless of age or size.

"I'm a big, old man. I'm not fast running long distances," said Gandy. "But I am tremendously fast in short distances."

The important thing, he said, is that "you can't anticipate. You have to react." And you have to watch a person's movement.

"If you're watching my eyes, you'll never see me hit. You'll never see me move," said Gandy.

Gandy also stressed the importance of talking to your opponent while fencing. He invited a student from his club at the Libertyville Tennis Club, Lia Pelech, to comment on her opponent's hair or shoes while they were sparring.

"When I fence, I talk to my opponent," said Gandy. Tapping his hand on a student's head, Gandy added that "this, inside here, is what you've got to beat. If I get somebody mad, I've won already. Fencing is called physical chess."

Cassidy Gillespie and Luis Catalan, both seventh-graders, had a chance to spar against each other.

"It was a lot of fun," said Cassidy. "I really like the lunges."

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Fencing club celebrates birthday
Tom Wright, Reporter
Weston Mercury
September 26, 2012

www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/fencing_club_celebrates_birthday_1_1529583

A POPULAR fencing club has celebrated its 20th anniversary in its current guise this week.

Phoenix Fencing Club has been running on Wednesday evenings at Yatton Village Hall since September 1992.

It used to be held in Churchill’s Memorial Hall but within two years had to move to its current venue because it was too popular for the small site.

The club currently has about 35 members aged from seven to 70 and anyone is welcome to join, regardless of ability or experience.

Bill Parfitt, who has run the club since it moved to Yatton, said this year’s Olympic Games had shown what a great sport fencing can be.

As well as running the club, Bill and trainee coach Chris Ashworth travel to local schools to encourage youngsters to pick up a sabre.

The club had a small party and baked a cake to celebrate the milestone.

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En Garde! – Fencing for Fun
By Doug Cornelius
wired.com
09.30.12

www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/09/fencing-for-fun/

My eight year old son seemed more interested in video games than athletic competition. He had become bored of little league and soccer. (I had too.)

As a GeekDad, I have no issue with a reasonable amount of video game playing. But I still think it’s important for kids to use their bodies and exercise. I also think it’s important to experience mental and physical discipline needed in the competition of physical sports.

I sat down with a list of sports offered in the community, demanding that he pick one. His response as I read the list to him:

“No, No, No, No. What’s fencing?”

“You get a sword and armor. Then you stab the other kids.”

That elicited a grin. I think I had something, although I would bet he was thinking a bit more about the armor and swords we saw at the Higgins Armory. I knew there was a difference, but I knew nothing about fencing except what I told him. There must be much more to the sport than that. Off to do some research.

A local fencing club was having an open house the next week to showcase the sport. Off we went. He sat down next to one of the fencing coaches (who I later found out had competed in the Munich Olympic Games). My son sat still and enthralled as several teenagers competed in the different disciplines of fencing.

Then they let the open house attendees try out the equipment and shared some basics of fencing in small groups. Other kids left quickly, a few hung around for a few minutes. My geeklet stayed for an hour, wearing armor, sword in hand. He was hooked.

The club had a class designed for kids ages 6 to 8 to introduce them to the sport of fencing. He has since progressed to the beginner level and on to the intermediate level. In a few weeks, he will likely move into the competitive level.

Beyond his learning, as a parent I had some responsibility to learn about the sport. Most of us probably know most of the rules to the mainstream kid sports of baseball, soccer, and little league. That means we can offer some basic advice traveling back and forth to practice. But I had no clue how fencing worked.

There are three different disciplines of fencing: epee, saber, and foil. The difference is based on where you hit your opponent and what part of the weapon you can use. With the foil and epee you can only hit with the tip of the weapon. The foil is further limited in hits to the opponent’s torso. With the saber, you can use the tip, flat, and back of the weapon. I have a lot more to learn about the sport.

The biggest question that I get from other parents is whether it is safe. To demonstrate in the Fence for Fun class, the coach lines up the kids with their helmets on. With a running leap he smacks the first kid on the top of the head with the sword. He barely felt the impact. And so on down the line. I think that’s comforting for any kid who has taken an errant throw to the head in little league.

Is my son headed to the glory of college scholarships and the Olympics? Probably not anymore likely than your kid is to make it into MLB or the NBA. The important part is the spirit of athletic competition in a discipline he enjoys. I wonder how I would look in fencing white?

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Using fencing to combat poverty and obesity in Detroit
By Christina Shockley and Emily Fox
Michigan Radio
October 1, 2012

www.michiganradio.org/post/using-fencing-combat-poverty-and-obesity-detroit

As part of Michigan Radio's Seeking Change series, Morning Edition host Christina Shockley talked with the founder of En Garde Detroit. It's a program teaches the sport of fencing to kids ages 8-16.

Listen: www.michiganradio.org/post/using-fencing-combat-poverty-and-obesity-detroit

Founder Bobby Smith said getting kids involved in non-traditional sports can help them break the cycle of poverty and gain access to college.

He said he was able to get out of his low income situation though fencing. When he was young he got a scholarship to work with the Olympic fencing team. At that time he lived in an inner city neighborhood in New Jersey. Bobby said it was that experience that allowed him to get a scholarship to Wayne State University for fencing.

En Garde Detroit focuses on sports and culture. Smith says he uses the non-traditional sport of fencing as a tool to draw students in. He then teaches students about culture and leadership.

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Hispanic Heritage Month: Fencing Coach Brings Sport to the Blind
By Mariana Cristancho-Ahn
Fox News Latino
October 02, 2012

latino.foxnews.com/latino/community/2012/10/02/hispanic-heritage-month-fencing-coach-brings-sport-to-school-blind/#ixzz2Cc28HdPQ

BOSTON – Cesar Morales left Cuba on a handmade wooden boat bound to the United States on the evening of August 31, 1994, carrying nothing but the clothes on his back.

“I came to this country with white shorts, a white T-shirt and pink sneakers,” recalls Morales, who in the rush of leaving Cuba couldn’t get sneakers of his size in a different color.

But beyond what could be seen by the naked eye, inside, Morales carried a love for the sport of fencing and physical education, as a teacher and coach in Cuba.

Morales had graduated in 1991 with a degree in Physical Education from Cuba's Simon Bolivar School for Physical Education Teachers. He had 11 years of training as a fencer, had participated in national competitions, and had been a fencing instructor at an elementary school for two years.

His divorced mother, a brother, some relatives and friends were among the 13 passengers in the fragile wooden boat that the U.S. Coast Guard rescued offshore four days later.

Morales and his family were sent as refugees to the American military base of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for six months and later were transferred to Miami.

Today, Morales, 40, runs the International Fencing Club, a fencing school in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, outside Boston. The school has about 65 students ages six to 66. Some of the students have disabilities or special needs.

In 2010 Morales came up with the idea of what would become the first ever fencing competition among blind contestants in the world.

He had been teaching fencing to blind students at a couple of institutions in Massachusetts since 2006, but he wanted to make the training more competitive.

As he started researching about fencing competitions for the blind, he found out it had never been done.

Morales modified some of the rules of conventional fencing to make them more suitable for blind contestants. For example, instead of having the opponents start away from each other, they start the match making blade contact to get oriented about where the opponent is.

He also modified the target area to reduce chances of player injuries. Only hits above the waist are counted.

Also, since some blind contestants could have some light perception, they all are blindfolded to take away any such advantage.

Although Morales' original goal was to host “a little competition,” the event was so successful that it attracted local and national media attention.

“Now we would love to do an international competition,” says Morales, who is considering raising funds for that purpose. Fencing has helped blind students to improve their balance, orientation and coordination skills.

The idea of fencing matches among blind contestants has been so powerful that other fencing schools inside and outside the U.S. have contacted Morales to replicate the model. Schools in Arkansas and Oklahoma in the U.S., and schools in Uruguay, Italy and Poland now host fencing competitions for the blind. A documentary about blind fencing competitions is in the making.

But Morales’ journey to become a fencing coach in the U.S. wasn’t easy. He didn’t have any relatives or connections when he arrived to the U.S. and he didn’t even speak English.

After obtaining political asylum, Morales and his family were relocated from Miami to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where a Catholic charity helped them to find a place to live.

He started working painting houses and at a McDonalds. After six months he got jobs installing cable connections and repairing utility valves. About a year and half later, an acquaintance gave him the idea to move to Boston, since Morales wanted to improve his English and go back to school.

In Boston Morales started taking English as a second language classes at Northeastern University. He remembers studying during the day and working at night as a dishwasher in a hotel.

When one of his teachers discovered that Morales had been a physical education and fencing instructor in Cuba, he gave him an assignment that changed his life.

Morales had to look for schools and clubs in the area that had fencing programs, find the athletic director or the fencing coach, put together his resume and send it to the schools to inquire about openings. Morales got a couple of part-time jobs at the Boston Fencing Club and Brandeis University.

Since then, he has worked as a fencing instructor. In February 2009 he opened his own fencing academy.

Morales married Silvia, one of his classmates at the English program, in 2000. They have two children, Jessica, 11, and Jonathan, 6. He became an American citizen in 2000.

When Morales’ father passed away in 1997, he couldn’t go back to bury him because of the traveling restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba. Still, he hopes one day he will be able to visit the land of his childhood.

“I would love to go back,” says Morales. “I would love to bring my kids back to Cuba [so] they could see how much opportunity they have in this country.”

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Fencing sweeps Ole Miss
Greg Thomson
The Tulane Hullabaloo
October 5, 2012

www.thehullabaloo.com/sports/article_7ce93a2a-0f0b-11e2-b471-0019bb30f31a.html

Tulane swept Ole Miss at the Ole Miss Fencing Club Tournament Sept. 21-23 in Oxford, Miss.

The Green Wave walked away with three gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals. The sport consists of three events with three different weapons: foil, saber and epee.

Michael Brown won first place in rated foil and first place in epee. Sina Mansouri received first in saber and second place in epee. Jonathan Dendy placed third in epee and Yoni Kaplan third in unrated foil.

Richard Exnicios, who has coached the fencing club since 1989, said the program has strengthened through the years and that he was proud of his team.

“This year, the Fencing Club is doing great,” Exnicios said. “We have been slowly rebuilding since [Hurricane] Katrina, and now we are probably as strong as we’ve been since then. We have a strong group of beginner students, and last year’s beginners have become great. We are very optimistic.”

The team competes in one or two tournaments each month in both the fall and spring semesters. Its next challenge comes Oct. 12 when the club heads to Austin, Texas for the 2012 Longhorn Open.

“Most of the time, we have to travel to our tournaments,” Exnicios said. “We have to drive and stay in cheap hotels. There will be 100 fencers that wake up and [we] drive 10 minutes to compete. Our guys will be more fatigued, and sometimes this puts us at a disadvantage.”

Alana Gibson, the president of Tulane’s fencing club, said the team has high expectations for the rest of the season.

“We just want to keep the medals coming,” Gibson said.

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FORMER OLYMPIAN SUSIE MURPHY: I CAN FINALLY FENCE AGAIN
Interview by Tanith Carey
Express.co.uk
October 23,2012

www.express.co.uk/features/view/353775/Former-Olympian-Susie-Murphy-I-can-finally-fence-again%20?%3E

IT HAD been more than 30 years since Susie Murphy last picked up a foil but Britain’s former top female fencer was determined to help at the 2012 Olympics. A competitor in Mexico City in 1968, Munich in 1972 and the 1976 Montreal Games, Susie hoped to offer her expertise when the event came to London this summer.

However just six weeks before starting as a volunteer in the fencing competition she was told she needed a hip replacement.


Susie after innovative hip surgery put her
back on her feet (PICTURE: CHRIS WINTER)

“I packed away my fencing gear long ago but all that lunging on my right leg came back to haunt me when my hip started seizing up,” says Susie, 62, who started fencing at 14 and retired 12 years later after competing in Montreal.

Walking to her job as a receptionist for a bank Susie’s right leg would often lock and she would become frozen to the spot.

“I could never tell when it was going to strike. After a minute or two of jiggling it about I would manage to click it back and get going again. It was embarrassing and unnerving not knowing when it was going to happen next.”

The mother-of-two from Barnes, south west London, clung to the hope it was a trapped nerve and waited for the problem to resolve itself but her GP immediately diagnosed an arthritic hip joint.

Susie’s fencing career had worn out the cartilage lining on the tip of her right thigh bone.

The news was a shock. “I was stunned because until then I’d associated a hip replacement with older, frailer people,” she says.

“The Olympics were just over a month away. I’d got the job as volunteer two years earlier and had been looking forward to it every day since. Now I had this bad news I’d never dreamt I could get it done in time for the event. I always assumed I’d need three months of recovery afterwards.”

A friend recommended she see orthopaedic surgeon Mr Venu Kavarthapu at London Bridge Hospital, who promised her she would quickly be back on her feet thanks to a range of new techniques that halve recovery time.

In conventional hip surgery surgeons cut a 12-inch incision through the buttock muscle to access the pelvis. They then dislocate the thigh bone, cut off the worn away top and replace it with a prosthetic steel joint fitted with a ceramic head.

The surgeon must create a large incision in the patient’s leg to see in detail what size and shape replacement is needed.

Because it is major surgery patients also need general anaesthetic and strong painkillers afterwards. This leaves them unsteady on their legs and can delay how soon they walk again, which is a crucial factor in the operation’s success.

However Mr Kavarthapu says a whole host of new techniques used together has dramatically speeded up the process. “Thanks to a combination of computer software and special X-rays I can determine the size and shape of the prosthetic I need and exactly where it needs to go before I cut into the patient.

“It means I operate through a much smaller incision in the hip. There’s less tissue damage, less blood loss and less pain afterwards. Painkillers are also given locally to numb the hip areas so patients are less wobbly when they wake up.

“Our physiotherapists then aim to get them moving again between two to four hours after the operation. We achieve that in seven out of 10 cases.”

Susie’s operation lasted 45 minutes, half the standard time.

“I was terrified beforehand but my wound was only about one and a half inches long. I couldn’t believe the consultant managed to fit a new joint through such a small opening.

“Within just a few hours the physiotherapist was at my bedside, helping me to do some gentle exercises, such as moving the leg side-to-side and up and down off the mattress.”

Within three days, instead of the usual seven or eight, Susie was fit enough to climb up and down stairs and was discharged from hospital.


B y the time she returned to see Mr Kavarthapu two weeks later she was walking without crutches.

When the Olympics began Susie, a former Commonwealth champion, relished the chance to be involved in competitions again.

For 10 days she worked as a “piste manager” looking after the platforms where the fencers competed and taking care of the athletes.

“It was wonderfully exciting to be back in the middle of it all,” she says. “No one could have guessed I’d had major surgery. It didn’t stop me doing anything.”

Her new-found mobility means she is now agile enough to dig out her old fencing equipment and she plans to compete in her first veterans’ tournament next month.

While the new techniques have helped Susie stay active they are also good news for the 70,000 people who have hip replacements every year in England alone. Mr Kavarthapu is already using the procedure at his NHS base at King’s College Hospital, London.

He says: “Patients find this rapid rehabilitation surgery much less daunting. They regain their confidence to walk more quickly and they are much happier about having the operation which gives them back their quality of life.”

[LongBlade]

Notre Dame Athletics Officially Dedicates Castellan Family Fencing Center
The new facility was made possible by a gift from Patrick and Concetta Castellan.
Notre Dame Athletics
Oct. 22, 2012

www.und.com/sports/monogramclub/nd-monogramclub-body.html

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - In order to provide a championship-caliber facility that properly befits one of the University's finest athletics programs, the Notre Dame athletics department was pleased to host the official dedication of the Castellan Family Fencing Center Saturday morning in the Joyce Center.

The center is a gift of Patrick and Concetta Castellan; Patrick is a 1968 graduate of Notre Dame, and their sons Matthew and Christopher both fenced during their time at the University. Matthew fenced from 2001-04, and Christopher participated in the program from 2004-05.

Senior deputy athletics director Missy Conboy ('82, basketball) served as emcee for the dedication and welcomed a host of current and former Notre Dame fencing student-athletes, coaches, staff members and supporters to the landmark event for the Fighting Irish program. Among those in attendance were former head coaches Mike DeCicco and Yves Auriol, and former fencing administrator Brian Boulac.

After a blessing by University president Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C ('76, '78), Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick ('76) took to the podium to laud the fencing program for its historic achievements and discuss what the team means in the overall makeup of the athletics department and the University as a whole.

"You have to have a good enough program to make the investment that's reflected here today, and this isn't a good program - this is a spectacular program," Swarbrick said. "It's a proof of concept that you can be great students and great student-athletes at the same time. So it's very much a representative program for this University."

Notre Dame fencing head coach Janusz Bednarski followed Swarbrick and spoke passionately about how the new facility will benefit his program.

"This decision to build a proper environment for our team, our sport, and our fencing program will have a great impact on the life of our student-athletes," Bednarski said. "Other teams will certainly be jealous when they enter this building."

Bednarski has fostered a close bond amongst his student-athletes during his 11 seasons as head coach, and senior sabreist Marta Stepien commented on the program's camaraderie when she approached the podium to represent her teammates.

"Whether you're a fencer, family member, coach or administrator, you are a part of our fencing family," Stepien said. "We know every family needs a place to call home, and we could not be more excited or thankful to call this gym ours."

After Stepien's remarks, Patrick Castellan spoke about some of the logistical issues the fencing teams faced in their former facilities. The fencing strips were not regulation size, which Castellan compared to the Notre Dame basketball team practicing in only a half court with a non-regulation hoop.

Clearly, a change had to be made.

"It was our opinion that the areas provided at that time did not rise to the level the program deserved and needed," Patrick Castellan said. "Today, words cannot describe how delighted we are to be here in this extraordinary facility and that the fencing team now has the home it deserves."

Castellan then helped introduce his son, Matt, who added to Stepien's comments about the tight-knit group that makes up the Notre Dame fencing team.

"We're bound together by a deep, shared love for this institution, this sport and each other," Matt Castellan said. "We're all sons and daughters of Notre Dame, but more specifically, the sons and daughters of Notre Dame fencing. We are family."

Following the formal program of speakers, dedication attendees enjoyed an open house and tours of the new space.

The new facility, which features locker rooms, a team room and conference room, coaches' offices, manager's office and an armory, is located in the north dome of the Joyce Athletic Convocation Center, the former location of the Joyce Center ice arena.

"Having our own space to keep things organized is going to cut down on a lot of issues we've had to deal with in the past," junior sabreist Danielle Guilfoyle said. This space is ours and the regulation fencing strips will make a huge difference in practice."

Throughout the new arena are several displays that honor Notre Dame's instrumental fencers who have helped elevate the program into the nation's most elite. The displays highlight not only the 279 All-Americans (21 of whom were four-time All-Americans), but also the 13 different Olympians (most notably, two-time gold-medalist Mariel Zagunis) and several NCAA Championship fencers and coaches.

Among the displays are two trophy cases that highlight the eight national championships the team has won. Both cases are located directly outside of the main entrance into the Castellan Family Fencing Center.

[LongBlade]

Talladega's first Habitat home owner speaks at conference
by CHRIS NORWOOD
The Daily Home
October 26, 2012

www.dailyhome.com/view/full_story/20616091/article-Talladega-s-first-Habitat-home-owner-speaks-at-conference?instance=home_lead_story

TALLADEGA – For the fifth year in a row, the Habitat for Humanity National Service Leadership Conference took place at Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center, bringing together almost 400 Americorps volunteers working with that organization in 100 communities nationwide. At their closing ceremony Thursday, two very special guest speakers addressed the group.

The first was Shirley Harmon Ward, now the outright owner of the first ever Habitat for Humanity house built in Talladega.

At the time, she said, she was a single parent of three, one in college at Jacksonville State University and the other two in high school. She had approached every real estate company she could find about acquiring a home of her own, but kept meeting with excuses why they could not sell her one, she said.

Eventually, she gave up this approach and decided to apply through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She was turned down there as well.

“I always had faith, but it was wearing a little thin,” she said. “They asked me how much I paid to get my son’s hair cut, and I said ‘nothing, I do it myself.’ They asked me how much I spent on my daughters going to the salon, and I said ‘nothing, I do all my children’s hair.’ They said what if they start nagging you about going to the salon, and I said ‘I’m a grown up and I know how to say no.’

“Then they said what if you got sick, and I said I would go to work sick; I will make my house payment. They still turned me down. I’m a good person, and I try to help others, so I couldn’t figure out what was happening. It’s hard when things go bad even though you’re trying to do good.”

Not long after that, a co-worker mentioned to her that Habitat for Humanity was taking applications, and would be selecting a family to build a home for. She said she had never heard of the organization before that.

“You’re still thinking with your own mind, but you’ve got to remember that God has a ram somewhere in that bush for you,” she said.

She filled out the application and went to drop it off on the last day to apply, only to find the office closed. She tried to slip it under the door, but was unsuccessful.

After dropping off the application the next Monday, she didn’t think about it again until she got the call saying her family was getting a new house.

“I didn’t believe it,” she said. “I told my mother about the call, and she said they had called her to get my work number. Then they called me at home and told me the location. I rode out there and thought that it was nothing but weeds, but before too long, Mr. (Drewl) Yarborough was laying the foundation.”

She watched her new home go up, and had lunch with the volunteers on Saturdays.

“These were not young people like you are,” she said. “They were older people, and I was scared one of them was going to fall. I remember hearing about somebody falling off a roof and breaking both legs and an arm. I just thought, please God, don’t let Paw-Paw fall off the roof.”

In addition to becoming a homeowner, Ward said she was even able to pay the mortgage off early, because “God also sent me my husband, Bishop Elect Charles Ward. And I made a lot of new friends, especially Wendy (Westerhouse). In First Thessalonians 5:18 it says ‘In everything, give thanks.’ And I know that the Lord put me on their minds when they were choosing that first family, and I’m grateful. It’s more than just our house, it’s our home. I always encourage my kids to do their best, work hard and help others. That’s what (Habitat) did for me. When someone asks you to help them or donate to them, run to that person. Hold on; don’t give up. We don’t always see Him, but God carries us.”

The other guest speaker was Tim Morehouse, a member of the only American fencing team ever to win an Olympic medal. They won the silver in Beijing in 2008.

Morehouse is also a veteran of Teach for America, teaching seventh-grade social studies in Washington Heights, N.Y., near where he grew up.

He was born into a pretty rough neighborhood, and started school there, but his family’s fortunes changed and he transferred to a private school when he was 12.

He did not do well at first, being ill-prepared, and had “a really mean PE teacher” to boot. One day, he saw a sign saying “Join the fencing team and get out of gym,” so he signed up without knowing what fencing was.

Being part of the fencing team helped bolster his confidence and improve his academic performance. Even so, he said, his style was somewhat graceless and unorthodox, prompting some to observe that he looked “more like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant than a fencer.”

He continued fencing while attending Brandies University, where he first heard about Teach for America on the radio. When he signed up after graduation, he ended up teaching four blocks away from where he grew up.

In 2000, he decided to try and make the Olympic team. After competing in various tournaments in Europe at his own expense, he was nowhere close to achieving that goal. It was when he learned to embrace his natural, but technically not correct, style that he made the team in time for the 2004 games. They beat Hungary, but lost out to Russia for the bronze.

Most of his strengths are defensive, he said. He was competing for the Fencing World Cup in Algeria and made it to the finals before blowing a 14-12 lead by going on the offensive.

In Beijing, he said, his teammates won a rematch against the Russians, and then it became clear that they would meet their goal of medaling. The teammate who scored the winning points did a somersault after scoring the final point and the rest of the team ran out to hug each other. Although he doesn’t remember it, he said he passed out as he was getting up from the bench, and video shows that when the huddle broke, he collapsed.

At this point, they were competing for the gold against the French team, who had appeared not to be celebrating at all. They lost badly.

“Our goal was to win a medal,” he said. “Their goal was to win the gold.”

The same team competed again in 2012, but failed to bring home a medal this time.

During the past four years, he said, he has been working to promote a “Fencing In the Schools” Program, with a goal of signing up 1 million students nationwide in 10 years. He has also recently published a book.

[LongBlade]

Fencing takes center stage for day
Competitors hope fencing catches on in area.
Written by Nicholas Betancourt
Special to news-press.com
October 27, 2012

www.news-press.com/article/20121028/YOUTHSPORTS/310280040/Fencing-takes-center-stage-day?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Home|s&nclick_check=1


Sarah Buckley, 17, and Jason Moore, 17, practice fencing during Wednesday's class at Southwest Florida Fencing Academy in Fort Myers. The Academy hosted the area's first interschool competition on Saturday. (Photo by Lindsay Terry)


The sharp sound of metal striking metal reverberates throughout the Southwest Florida Fencing Academy, interrupted only by the electronic buzz signaling that a fencer has scored a point.

On Saturday, the academy hosted the first interschool fencing competition held locally. Teams from Crestwell, Classical Christian Academy, Cypress Lake High School, and the Fencing Academy faced off in two divisions. The Youth Division, won by Crestwell, included those not yet in high school, while the Junior Division, won by the Fencing Academy, consisted of high school students.

Fencing is not common in Florida, as most colleges with NCAA fencing teams are north of North Carolina. This hasn’t stopped Floridians from wanting to get involved.

“I had always been interested in sword fighting movies like Star Wars, pirates... so I wanted to try it,” said Mason Kennington, 12, who represented the Fencing Academy in the Youth Division.

Kennington’s favorite part of the sport is the adrenaline rush from fighting. In his opinion, fencing focuses on a different muscle than one might expect.

“It requires a lot more brain strength than other sports,” he said.
Kennington also enjoys out-thinking his opponents during matches. He would like to continue fencing as he gets older, and hopes to eventually earn a college scholarship.

One of the biggest irritations for these young fencers is the lack of coverage the sport receives. Even though Fort Myers hosted the National Fencing Championships in 1993, fencing failed to catch on in the area.

“I think some people are a little confused about what fencing is,” Fencing Academy member Jake Thayer, 12, said. He feels that once people see others fence, they understand how different it is from other sports.

Many fencers at the Academy practice four or five days each week, year-round. Several have participated in club tournaments, such as Susanne Hernandez, 11, of Crestwell.

Hernandez scored the final touch in Saturday’s event to help Crestwell win the Youth Foil Division.

It is a common misconception that fencing is a dangerous sport. In fact, fencers tend to suffer fewer injuries than other athletes.

“It’s a very safe sport if everyone follows the rules,” Fencing Academy coach Charles Johnson said.

“You’re using weapons that have been foiled, and you’re wearing a ton of protection.”

Before each match, fencers must don a double-layered protective jacket, double-layered pants, and a steel mesh mask that is punch-tested for strength before use. The weapons used by fencers are blunt-ended, and sharp edges have been removed.

Johnson, who organized Saturday’s competition, has always been interested in bringing fencing to the area, and hopes to start more teams at local high schools.

I’d like to see more schools and more club teams in our area,” he said.

[LongBlade]

Fencing club makes its mark in GB
By Emily Deem
FOX 11 News
05 Feb 2013

GREEN BAY - Do you want to try something new in the New Year, how about fencing?

FOX 11's Emily Deem spent Tuesday morning with a local fencing club in Green Bay!

The club is known as "Salle Scaramouche" and is one of 15 fencing clubs in Wisconsin.

Members joined Emily on Good Day Wisconsin to show what the sport is all about.

Click on the video: www.fox11online.com/dpp/good_day_wi/fencing-club-makes-its-mark-in-gb

[LongBlade]

The Fencing Coach’s guide to ‘Being a Good Teammate’
The Fencing Coach by Damien Lehfeldt
Washington Times
March 5, 2013

communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/fencing-coach/2013/mar/5/fencing-coachs-guide-being-good-teammate/

As a lover of sports, I have played football, basketball and fútbol. I wrestled, I boxed (my brain works; I can still read and count pretty good), and of course, I still actively fence.

Each sport, though a potpourri of individuals and/or a team has provided me with a unique perspective on the virtues of being a good teammate. Whether it is football’s high intensity “menergy,” basketball and fútbol’s “us first, me second” ideals, wrestling and boxing’s discipline and vigorous practices, or fencing’s inherent camaraderie, each sport has molded my ideas on how to conduct oneself in a team atmosphere.

Today, my ideas for what makes a good fencing teammate, based on the best (and worst) elements of what I’ve seen in my sporting career. I have divided these ideas into “What Makes a Good Teammate During a Tournament,” and “What Makes a Good Teammate During Practice.” I look forward to hearing your ideas and comments in the Comment section below.


1808 German fencing academy

During A Tournament

1. A good teammate will stay from the beginning of the tournament until his/her final teammate is eliminated. S/he will cheer loudly, encouragingly, and supportively even if that teammate has defeated you in a tournament.

2. A good teammate will offer an embrace in addition to a handshake should s/he win or lose. It is the ultimate way of saying “It’s all good, bro.” Win respectfully, lose gracefully, and play fair.

3. A good teammate will never coach against his/her fellow club mate. This applies to coaches within a club as well.

4. A good teammate will strip coach his/her fellow club members against opposing teams if s/he possesses the knowledge to provide exceptional and useful strip coaching.

5. A good teammate will be willing and eager to help fix weapons in the inevitable event one fails.

6. In a team event, a good teammate will be waiting at the end of the strip to provide his/her teammate a high-five in both devastating defeat and overwhelming victory.

During Practice

1. For God’s sake, a good teammate will wash his/her uniform regularly because no one likes an unhygienic stinkball of a club mate.

2. A good teammate will provide constructive feedback during bouting, but only if asked for by the opposing fencer. Trust me when I say fencers hate unsolicited advice.

3. A good teammate will channel his/her inner Ray Lewis to motivate and provide positive encouragement where positive encouragement is seen fit.

4. A good teammate will push his/her fellow teammates to work harder, get an extra bout in, and up the intensity during footwork.

5. A good teammate will boorishly scream at the token teenage couple/s in the club who are more in love with each other than the fencing they’re supposed to show up for.

6. Good teammates will provide their undivided attention and respect to the veteran fencers in the club. They provide decades of sound advice, they love fencing more than anyone, and they’re the best source of mentoring you can find.

7. A good teammate will listen to the coach and put his/her trust in the coach. Because coaches usually have European accents, it means they probably know what they’re talking about.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damien is a competitive fencer and volunteer assistant coach at DC Fencers Club in Silver Spring, Md. Damien was the coach of a London 2012 Olympic Athlete in Modern Pentathlon. He is an A-rated epeeist and was a member of the 2012 North American Cup Gold Medal Men’s Epee Team.

[LongBlade]

Warren grad Hurley wins gold medal in NCAA fencing championships
by David Flores
Kens5.com
March 25, 2013

www.kens5.com/sports/spotlight/Hurley-caps-Notre-Dame-career-with-win-in-NCAA-fencing-championships-199799601.html


Credit: Antonio Morano / NCAA Photos
Notre Dame senior Courtney Hurley, right, scores a touch against Princeton's Susannah Scanlan in the final bout of the epee competition Sunday at the NCAA fencing championships.

About the only regret Notre Dame senior Courtney Hurley had Sunday after winning the epee competition at the NCAA fencing championships was that she couldn't savor the victory long in San Antonio.

A Warren High School graduate, Hurley had to hop a flight early Sunday night to get back to South Bend, Ind.

Hurley beat former Olympic teammate Susannah Scanlan of Princeton 15-6 in the final at Freeman Coliseum to win her second NCAA epee title in three years. She took the gold medal in the event in 2011 before skipping last year's collegiate season to compete in the Summer Olympics.

Princeton won the combined men's and women's team championship, which is determined by round-robin points in the individual bouts.

It was the first fencing national championship for Princeton since 1964, when the Tigers' men won the crown in 1964. Prince finished with 182 points.

Notre Dame was second with 175 points, followed by Penn State (163) and defending champion Ohio State (146).

Hurley said it was heartening to win a gold medal in San Antonio.

"A lot of my good friends are here," she said. "It's the best feeling ever. I wish I was staying tonight. I wish I could celebrate with my friends. It's the first time they've ever seen me win a big tournament."

Hurley and her sister, Kelley, who watched Sunday's action from the stands, were members of the U.S. team that took the bronze medal in London last year. Kelley also fenced for Notre Dame before completing her eligibility, winning the epee national title in 2008.

Courtney had the clinching touch in the bronze-medal match at the 2012 Summer Olympics. The U.S. team included Scanlan.

"I fence against her all the time," Hurley said. "I knew what she was capable of, so I knew what to expect. We've known each other a long time."

Scanlan beat Vivan Kong of Stanford 15-10 to earn a spot in the final.

Hurley never trailed in final bout

Hurley pulled out a hard-fought 15-14 win over Margherita Guzzi Vincenti of Penn State in the semifinal. Down 13-10, Vincenti scored three consecutive touches to tie the bout.

Hurley went up 14-13, but Vincenti tied it up again.

"Obviously, that was the most intense," Hurley said. "I've lost to her in a previous NCAA and I had a lot of trouble with her, so it meant a lot."

The close victory in the semifinal seemed to energize Hurley, who never trailed Scanlan. Buoyed by a crowd that chanted "Let's go, Courtney, let's go," Hurley was dominant from start to finish.

"That works a lot of time," Hurley said. "You get confident."

Hurley said she focused on defense in the semifinal and final bouts.

"They attack a lot, both of them," Hurley said, referring to Vincenti and Scanlan. "I went defense both bouts. It worked out."

The top four finishers in the epee, foil and sabre round-robin competition advanced to the semifinals in the three events.

Hurley went 18-4 in round-robin play.

Hurley has fenced competitively since age 8

Notre Dame teammate Lee Kiefer, a freshman who also competed in the 2012 Olympics, won the gold medal in the women's foil and went 22-1 in the round-robin competition.

Kiefer defeated Jackie Dubrovich of Columbia/Barnard 15-8 in the final.

Eliza Stone of Princeton took the gold in the women's sabre event, beating Anne Limbach of St. John's 15-10. She became only the second Princeton female fencer to win an individual title.

The men's competition was held Friday and Saturday.

Hurley has been fencing competitively since she was 8. She and her sister were introduced to the sport by their father, Robert Hurley, a former pentathlete.

"It's been a long time," Courtney said. "He studied it very intensely over the years, so he knows everything there is to know."

Robert Hurley, a retired physician, had a front-row seat at Sunday's bouts.

"I wasn't like a parent in this situation," Hurley said. "I was more of a coach. That's where my brain was. I'm looking at it as a coach. I've been through a lot of these."

The NCAA fencing championships were co-sponsored by the University of the Incarnate Word and San Antonio Sports.

[LongBlade]

Fencing: Tigers win first combined NCAA championship
By Saahil Madge
The Daily Princetonian
March 24, 2013

www.dailyprincetonian.com/2013/03/24/33100/

With strong showings by the entire team, Princeton separated itself from Notre Dame to win the NCAA Division I Fencing Championships in San Antonio on Sunday.

It was Princeton's first win at the NCAAs since the men's and women's tournaments were combined in 1990 — the men's team won in 1964, and the Tigers came in second behind Ohio State last year. The men came into the tournament ranked third overall, behind Notre Dame and Penn State, and the women were ranked second behind Notre Dame.

The competition is organized so that the men's teams fenced on Thursday and Friday and the women's teams fenced on Saturday and Sunday.

“The NCAA format kind of helps us, plays more to our strengths than the Ivy League [tournament],” said senior epeeist Jonathan Yergler.

The women's team won their fourth consecutive Ivy League title this year, while the men's team placed second in a three-way tie.

At the end of Thursday, Penn State was in the lead ahead of Princeton, and the action on Friday ended the same way. The Nittany Lions’ men's team demonstrated why it was ranked first, but Princeton's young squad surprised the competition with exceptional performances from members of all classes, finishing second overall and putting distance between itself and Notre Dame.

“Being ahead of Notre Dame by six just on the men’s team, we knew we had a real shot to pull this through,” Yergler said. “And that’s when it started to get real exciting.”

In the men's saber, junior Robert Stone finished seventh overall, and fellow junior Phil Dershwitz finished 14th. Michael Mills of Penn, brother of foilist and former Princeton captain Alexander Mills ’12, came first in that weapon, while Penn State had two finishers in the top four.

The men’s foil looked to be one of the Tigers' weaker areas coming into the year because starters Mill and Marcus Howard ’12 had graduated, but freshmen Michael Dudey and Rodney Chen stepped up to the challenge. Dudey won 18 out of 23 bouts in round-robin play to finish fifth, and Chen finished 15th. Their success kept the Tigers near the top of the scoreboard.

As expected, the men’s epee squad posted impressive performances throughout the tournament. Yergler, who won the tournament last year, came second, and classmate Ed Kelley tied for third. Yergler defeated Kelley, his former roommate, in the semifinal round.

“I even told Ed going into this that the only one who could beat him in the whole tournament was me,” Yergler said. “Between me and him, it’s always back and forth, and on any given day either one of us could have won.”

Thanks to Princeton's strength in all three weapons, Princeton had 83 points, just behind Penn State's 94, after the end of the men's competition.

“We put a lot of pressure on the women,” Yergler said.

On the women's side, Princeton performed even better, taking the lead after the first day of competition and keeping it. The Stone sisters — siblings of Robert Stone — dominated the saber, with senior Eliza Stone taking first overall and freshman Gracie Stone tying for third. Eliza Stone placed third last year and second the year before that.

“We’re looking at history in the making, the start of a pretty great dynasty, as it were,” Yergler said of the women’s team.

“It's amazing,” Gracie Stone said. “We could not be happier.”

In the foil, sophomore Ambika Singh finished ninth and junior Eve Levin finished 10th, improving over last year’s finishes of 10th and 12th, respectively.

Levin is also a member of The Daily Princetonian's editorial board.

Junior Susie Scanlan, an Olympian who returned to college competition this season after having taken two years off to fence internationally, was first in the epee after the round-robin competition and came in second overall, while sophomore Katharine Holmes came in fifth. Holmes placed third last year.

Overall, as of press time, Princeton had 25 points from men's saber, 27 from men's foil, 31 from men's epee, 38 from women's saber, 26 from women's foil and 35 from women's epee to give the Tigers 182 points overall, just ahead of Notre Dame's 175. All six Tiger women earned All-American honors.

“I'm so proud to be a part of this team,” Gracie Stone said. “We all worked and trained and helped each other all year ... We're NCAA champions!”