Fencing in the News

[LongBlade]

YouthVille Detroit to Open
First of its Kind Youth Development Center in Midwest
PRNewswire
Detroit, 9/27/05

www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-27-2005/0004133205&EDATE=

YouthVille Detroit, the largest, comprehensive youth development center in the Midwest, will open its doors to serve the young people of Detroit and southeast Michigan.

YouthVille Detroit, a program of the Detroit Youth Foundation (DYF), is located at 7375 Woodward in the New Center area. The $15.8 million facility will combine youth and family services, mentoring, leadership development, health care, arts and crafts, fitness programs including sports, dance and exercise, music and drama, technology and a cyber cafe all under one roof in an impressive, completely renovated 75,000-square-foot leadership development facility.

To mark the Grand Opening of YouthVille Detroit, DYF will host two events. A ceremonial grand opening is scheduled for Thursday, October 6 at 11 a.m. with key community leaders. This event will include DYF officials, tenant and program partners, funders, elected officials, students and parents.

YouthVille Detroit then opens to the public with a community open house Saturday, October 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at which for the first time parents will be able to register their child to become a YouthVille Detroit member. All young people ages 11-19 will be welcome.

"The concept for YouthVille Detroit begins with a vision to create a world-model community of healthy neighborhoods where citizens can nurture Detroit youth -- beginning with a facility for and about youth," said Dr. Gerald K. Smith, President and CEO of Detroit Youth Foundation. "By providing support and opportunities for young people, YouthVille Detroit offers youth a way to avoid delinquent behavior and develop leadership skills for life. Thus, the facility will provide an atmosphere of support and circumvent risky behavior by focusing on youth assets and their environment; promoting alternative activities; addressing the needs in children's lives; and building social competencies.

"This is truly a collaborative effort and we are thrilled to offer this magnificent gift to the youth of Detroit and surrounding areas."

Smith said to our knowledge there is no facility like YouthVille Detroit in Michigan or in the Midwest with its youth-focused programming that has been developed with the active involvement of young people who will be served by the facility. A Youth Steering Committee, a group of exceptional young adults, was involved every step of the way in planning and building the facility right down to such details as deciding on the carpet, furniture and paint color of the facility.

"I really enjoyed picking out the furniture," said Ahmed Heath, a junior at Martin Luther King Jr. High School and steering committee member. "YouthVille Detroit is really a youth center built by youth."

YouthVille Detroit is equipped and staffed to offer a variety of activities including:

* Technology including computer labs and training for academics and leisure from basic skills to digital photo and movies
* Recording studio and Web-based radio
* Musical training including choral, string instruments, rap & hip hop, classical, jazz improvisation and rhythm & blues
* Studio and instructional classes in ceramics, art, drawing and painting
* Dance studio and classes for modern jazz, ballet, ballroom and hustle
* Performance space for dance, choirs, bands and theatre
* Henry Ford Health Clinic for students and their families
* Fitness facilities and instructional classes for aerobic & exercise, body building, etiquette, basketball, volleyball, fencing, archery, tennis, track and golf
* Academic support including homework help and SAT and ACT preparation

"YouthVille Detroit has the capacity to service 250 to 300 young people a day," said Lynn Burdell-Williams, Director of Programs of YouthVille Detroit.
"There is something for every young person from fencing, to art, to music, to
fitness and learning."

YouthVille Detroit will be home to DYF and collaborative tenant partners in addition to more than a dozen community and program partners.

[LongBlade]

Cuban Athletes at World Fencing Championship
National News Agency CUBA (AIN)
Havana, Cuba
Oct 4, 2005

www.ain.cubaweb.cu/idioma/ingles/2005/oct4atletas-cuba.htm

The Cuban fencing team headed by Camilo Boris will participate at the World Fencing Championship slated to take place October 7-15 in Germany.

Camilo Boris, who won the 2003 Pan-American Games fencing title will be joined by Andres Carrillo, silver medallist at the 2003 Havana World Cup; and Guillermo Madrigal.

The three fencers will take part in the individual and collective categories under the supervision of Coach Jorge Valdes.

The women's team is coached by Pedro Enrique Gomez and made up by Zuleidys Ortiz, silver medallist at the Guatemalan Central American Championship and bronze medallist at Havana´s 2005 Grand Prix; and Miraida García, world champ at the 1997 Cape Town Championship.

Barbara Fernandez, the national commissioner, will be heading the delegation.

She told AIN that this World Championships will serve as a good opportunity for the Cubans to measure their abilities in front of some of the world's best fencer. She added that in team competitions,

Cuba expects to place among the top eight Fernandez said that the meet will also serve as training for the upcoming 20th Central American and Caribbean Games to be held July 15-30 in Colombia.

She added that the coaching team and athletes hope to come away with a useful strategy to prepare for the first Olympic qualifying round for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

[LongBlade]

Waynesburg woman finds niche in world of fencing
Observer-Reporter
Washington, PA
10/4/05

www.observer-reporter.com/287096424559340.bsp

OAK FOREST – Nadine Obermiller wields a mean fencing blade, but she only realized her talent for this unique sport in recent years.

When the Oak Forest woman retired seven years ago as a teacher at Trinity High School in Washington County, she began looking for something with which to occupy her time. Back trouble eliminated golfing, and the wish to avoid tennis elbow counted out tennis.

Her first choice was flamenco dancing. When dance classes were not readily available, Obermiller turned to what would turn out to be quite a passion: fencing.

Obermiller began her fencing career seven years ago by taking 15-minute classes at West Virginia University in Morgantown. Her involvement in competitions has accelerated her passion and technique for this competitive sport. Now, she said, she takes most of her classes in Pittsburgh, but she still manages to get back to WVU once in a while.

"I enjoy it," said Obermiller. "It's stimulating, it's exhilarating. You have to concentrate so much that you don't think of anything else while you're doing it."

Obermiller has overcome several challenges in her fencing career to get where she is today.

The most notable challenge is overcoming the stigma placed on her age group.

"I'm 71 years old," Obermiller said. "It was hard at first because I was fencing all these younger people and getting beaten. They're fast, and speed has a lot to do with it. But I kept going and when I began to beat the younger kids, I knew I was improving."

Obermiller is no stranger to improvement.

In 2002, at the United States Fencing Association's Summer Nationals, she won a gold medal, but the next year she slipped, and took home the bronze.

Last year, on account of injuries affecting her performance, she took home the silver medal, but his year in Sacramento, Calif., she repeated her 2002 performance and won her second gold medal.

The recent Summer Nationals were in July, and the winners of that competition were selected to compete in the Veteran World Championship in Tampa, Fla., during Labor Day weekend. Last year, they were in Austria.

Obermiller placed in the top 10 in Tampa, finishing in sixth place. She added with a chuckle that she is happy doing what she is doing right now and does not have any future plans to compete in the Olympics.

"We're all pretty much the same age in our competitions with the USFA," she said. "That makes it really special."

According to Obermiller, the Summer Nationals separates its competitors by age. Obermiller was part of the 60 and older women's epee.

Participants in each particular age group fenced each other to determine who would be fencing whom in the direct elimination portion of the competition.

This year in the preliminaries at the Summer Nationals, she placed fifth out of eight, but perservered and came back to win the gold.

"You know what you did wrong, though, and you figure you came all this way to Sacramento, so just finish it, fifth or not. I was proud of myself that I could talk to myself and keep myself going."

Obermiller is a mother of four, with six grandchildren who live all over the country, the eldest of whom is in college and the youngest is 3 years old.

Her husband, Edward, is a research chemist.

Obermiller says because she only has fencing class one day a week, he helps her practice her moves and techniques outside the classroom.

Originally from Chicago, they moved to Pennsylvania in 1964 and to Waynesburg in 1973, where they have been living ever since.

"I love fencing," Obermiller said. "It's a confrontational sport, more so than tennis or anything else, but it's really stimulating and I just love doing it."

[LongBlade]

It pays to stay sharp in fencing class
BY LARRY JOHNSTON
FLORIDA TODAY
Melbourne, FL, USA
October 5, 2005

www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051005/LIFE/510050337/1005

Many of us learn about sword fighting from Zorro movies.

If you would like to know more about the sport before your next sword fight, the Indian Harbour Beach Recreation Center is here to help. It offers classes for children and adults on the fine art of fencing.

The word fencing comes from the same concept as the wooden thing around your house. Thus, the purpose of fencing is to guard and to keep away.

That is as far as the similarity goes. In other words, you need not bring a post-hole digger to your first lesson.

I recently attended a beginner class. The students paired off and pursued each other using the proper fencing stance for attacks and retreats. The stance is a bit awkward at first. Both knees are bent significantly. Your right foot points your line of travel, as does the right shoulder. The left foot is back and 90 degrees to the right foot. When moving, the feet shuffle.

We received our rubber-tipped steel sword and protective gear. I resisted the temptation to wound a few of the stronger opponents with my sword before they could get dressed.

Fencing gear is a strange combination of items. We received one large white glove and white knickers made of a coarse material. We received a coat with a mysterious life vest-type strap to go between our legs. The coat had an armored wraparound collar. We also received a screen helmet comparable to something a beekeeper might wear.

I could hardly wait to plant a well-aimed thrust on someone's chest.

I looked around for a partner. A 5-year-old about 21/2 feet tall walked by dressed out with sword in hand. He has probably been fencing since the crib and would probably clean my clock. I tried again.

There was only an instructor left. I had been there an hour learning and watching. How difficult could this sport be? I challenged the instructor. I slid on my mask and found myself in near darkness. The mask significantly reduced my visual acuity. It took a few minutes to even find my opponent.

En garde. Zap.

I tagged the instructor and smiled. (Advice to reader: Never antagonize someone with sword.)

Zing, zing, zing.

I had about 30 welts on my chest before I could wipe the smile off my face.

I then began to parry and slap away my opponent's sword before the score became 31 to 1. We alternatively lunged and retreated and I was exhausted -- and thrilled. This was quite possibly the most intensely focused I have been without having a car crash. It is a great sport. I cannot wait to return as a real student.

So, if you see someone walking down the street with a black mask and sword, it is not Antonio Banderas. It is just me on the way to practice. No autographs, please.

For more information on the fencing class, call 773-0552.

(Johnston is a retired juvenile court judge.)

[LongBlade]

Bethesda Community Fencing club to offer classes
Business Gazette
Gaithersburg, MD, USA
Oct. 5, 2005

www.gazette.net/stories/100505/bethsch190325_31894.shtml

The Bethesda Community Fencing Club will offer the chance for high school students, and those soon entering high school, to learn the art of fencing from world-class instructor Vitali Pokalenko.

Students will meet weekly on Monday evenings over the course of consecutive, six-week sessions from Oct. 10 through March 13.

Students will acquire basic foil skills and gain an understanding of martial arts strategy. Classes will be held in the NIH Clinical building in Building 10 on the first floor near the lobby’s concession stand.

Contact Karen Dubin at 301-493-6617 on weekends and evenings after 7 p.m., or at 202-482-3786 during weekdays for more information about times, equipment, and registration.

[LongBlade]

Colombia to compete in fencing world cup
People's Daily Online
Beijing,China
10/6/05

english.people.com.cn/200510/06/eng20051006_212786.html

Natalia Lozano, Adriana Pinto and Angela Espinosa will represent Colombia at the fencing world cup in Leipzig, Germany, which starts on Friday in Bogota.

Pan-American champion Natalia Lozano is the only fencer training in Colombia and will fly Wednesday to Germany, where she will meet the other members of the team, who train in Europe.

In the last Pan-American Games in Santo Domingo, Colombian fencers finished fifth in the team competition.

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DDC inaugurates fencing event at Kathua
Jammu and Kashmir Newsline
India
October 07, 2005

webjk.nic.in/newsline/news_item.asp?NewsID=11561

KATHUA, OCTOBER 07 (INF)- A two-day 5th Jammu and Kashmir open Fencing championship commenced at Government Degree College Kathua here today.

District Development Commissioner Kathua Mr Pradeep Gupta was the chief guest while Principal Government Degree College Kathua was the guest of honour.

The fencing is traditional sports wedded to our centuries old rich cultural heritage. It is really fighting sport showing skills and stamina, which infuses strength and mental alertness among the players. The J&K Fencing that started in 1992 has covered many strides by bagging awards at national and state level.

In the competition, 120 students both boys and girls drawn from Doda, Udhampur, Srinagar and Kathua distsrict participated.

The DDC while speaking on the occasion threw light on the championship and said that this game develops team spirit, confidence, punctuality and discipline among the players and requires a lot of skills and presence of mind. Mr Gupta also lauded the efforts of President Mr. M. J. Sharma and General Secretary Mr. Vijay Sharma of the J&K Amateur Fencing Association for organizing such a thrilling championship at Kathua.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. M. J. Sharma, President J&K Amateur Fencing Association said that the association has performed in the national games by winning national silver and bronze medal and overall trophy of school games held at Manipur, Hyderabad, Annandpur Sahib and Nasik. It is for the second time fencing championship is being organized at Kathua.

Among others, General Secretary, Amateur Association Mr. D. K. Sharma, staff of the Degree College Kathua, other sports lovers and large number of students were present on the occasion.

[LongBlade]

Actor-athlete Gomez candidate to carry RP flag
Sun-Star Publishing
Manilla, Philippines
October 8, 2005

www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2005/10/08/sports/actor.athlete.gomez.candidate.to.carry.rp.flag.html

MANILA – Philippine Fencing Federation president Celso Dayrit yesterday said he will recommend fencer Richard Gomez as the country’s flag bearer in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games (Seag) on Nov. 27 to Dec. 5.

Dayrit, a former Philippine Olympic Committee president, said Gomez, who will see action in both the fencing’s Men’s team epee event and shooting’s shot gun category in the SEAG, is qualified for the job since he won a gold in the 2003 Vietnam SEA Games and has participated in the last five biennial meets except in Brunei in 1999.

“I know that a flag bearer requires some achievements and Mr. Gomez is highly qualified,” said Dayrit at the Sports Communicators Organization of the Philippines forum at the Kamayan on Padre Faura, Malate.

Gomez, who is also a movie actor, will also be the first Filipino athlete to compete in two different disciplines in 11-nation SEAG.

“The decision will now depend on the RP delegation’s chief de mission, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. But I think Goma is capable and I think he could give some pride for the Team Philippines,” said Dayrit.

Gomez, father of four-year-old Juliana and husband of movie actress Lucy, said that it would be a big honor as an athlete to lead the 877-strong RP contingent in the opening ceremonies’ parade on Nov. 27 at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta.

“I was never given a chance before. But I guess every athlete will accept that (opportunity). It’s a great honor,” said Gomez at the same forum.

Gomez won a fencing bronze when he first joined the RP team in 1995 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and brought home two silvers in Indonesia in 1997 and another silver in Malaysia in 2001.

He also had a stint in the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, but his foil team failed to reach the quarterfinal round.

Earlier, SEA Games Task Force chairman Harry Angping said they are recommending bowler CJ Suarez, trackster Marestella Torres, boxers Violito Payla and Harry Tañamor and Michelle Martinez; Arvin Ting and Rene Catalan of wushu, and Mark Rey Ramirez of softball as candidates to carry the RP flag.

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Fencing finds diverse audience in Triad
By Tarah Holland, Staff Writer
Greensboro News Record
Greensboro, NC, USA
10/9/05

www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051009/NEWSREC0101/51009002

GREENSBORO - With the final round approaching, Regina Epps knew she would have to fight hard to keep her lead.

Staring intently at her opponent, once again she walked toward her mark.

“Ready,” called the referee as Epps slid on her mask and grasped her weapon. Then, a few deep breaths.

It’s not every day that Epps gets to rush her daughter Remy with a sword more than 30 inches long, but on Saturday the two battled each other at the first annual Titanic Open fencing tournament at UNCG hosted by the Downtown Fencing Club.

After three close rounds, it was a quick jab to the chest that earned Regina Epps the victory.

“I try to forget that I’m her mother,” said Regina Epps, 42, who has been fencing for nearly six months. “In between bouts I always wonder if I hit her too hard.”

Epps and about 70 other competitors from across the state participated in the tournament, which is open to youth and women and continues today in the Coleman Research Gym in the Health and Human Performance building at UNCG.

Fencing is a sport of sparring with swords in which competitors earn points by striking their opponents.

“It’s chess at 100 miles per hour,” said Woody Cavenaugh, a member of the Downtown Fencing Club, who helped to organize the event.

Most fencing organizations hold tournaments for men ages 18 to 39, Cavenaugh said. The Downtown Fencing Club took a different approach.

“We wanted to host an event that no one else would touch,” he said.

By midday Saturday, the turnout had been successful, according to Sally Robinson, founder and head coach of the Downtown Fencing Club.

While an instructor at UNCG, Robinson helped revive the fencing program there. After retiring, she taught fencing classes at the Greensboro YWCA . Later, the classes spurred the development of the Downtown Fencing Club in Greensboro in 1999. The club has about 50 members — male and female — of all ages from across the Triad.

At the Titanic Open, children as young as eight and adults up to 60 from across the state are competing, said club member Cameron Paschall.

Fencing gave Epps an opportunity to compete against women her age, she said.

“Like in chess, you watch your opponent move, while trying to counter it,” Epps said. “It’s a mind game as well as physical.”

Members of the Charlotte-based Knights of Siena fencing team are competing in the tournament, often against each other.

“It’s fun to compete with your friends because they can help you,” said 14-year-old Hunter Yeaton, of Charlotte.

And fencing is a good stress-reliever for Jasmine Lingle, 12, of Charlotte.

“I want to scream sometimes, but I can’t let it out,” she said.

For 12-year-old John O’Regan of Chapel Hill, it’s an adrenaline rush.

“I enjoy the tension that builds up when you go to fence,” he said. “I don’t care where I am as long as I get to fence.”

[LongBlade]

Your Game notes: Local fencing club fares well at Open
Staff Reports
News & Record
Greensboro, NC, USA
October 11, 2005

www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051011/NEWSREC0105/510110304/1021/NEWSREC0205

Ten fencers from the Downtown Fencing Club in Greensboro placed in the top three at the inaugural Titanic Open at UNCG this weekend.

Nicole Agresto won the 14-and-under mixed epee and was second in the women's epee.

Noah Poulos won the 10-and-under epee and was second in the 12-and-under epee. And Cameron Paschall was third in both women's epee and women's sabre.

Remy Epps placed second in the 12-and-under foil, and Sean Wiedbusch was second in the 14-and-under epee event.

Third-place finishers from the local fencing club were Regina Epps (women's foil), Eli Poulos (14-and-under epee), Kyle Jones (12-and-under sabre) and Nathaniel Parks and Kirsten Wiedbusch (both were third in 10-and-under mixed epee).

Saturday's winners:

Women's Epee: Brenda Neece, Duke-Unaffiliated. Women's Titanic Foil: Hannah Thurman, Raleigh Fencers Club. Women's Saber: MaryAnne Gobble, Raleigh Fencers Club.

Y10 Mixed Epee: Noah Poulos, Downtown Fencing Club.

Y12 Mixed Epee: David Hoyle, Raleigh Fencers Club. Y12 Mixed Foil: David Hoyle, Raleigh Fencers Club. Y12 Mixed Saber: Ryder Darwin, Mid South Fencing Club.

Y14 Mixed Epee: Nicole Agresto, Downtown Fencing Club. Y14 Mixed Foil: Chris Morhard, Touche Fencing Club. Y14 Boys Mixed Saber: Benjamin Durham, Charlotte Fencing Center.

TENNIS PRO: Gibsonville's Jeff Hawes recently earned the Master Professional rank within the U.S. Professional Tennis Association. That's the highest rating within the tennis profession, something only 1 percent of USPTA's 13,000 worldwide members ever get.

Hawes is tennis director at the Alamance Country Club in Burlington. He also owns and operates the club's tennis pro shop.

SET, SPIKE: The Greensboro Sportsplex has a lot of volleyball events coming up this month and next.

For novices, there are adult team socials from 2-6 p.m. this Sunday, Oct. 23 and Oct. 30 You're invited to play volleyball for free and meet teams looking for players.

Piedmont National Team tryouts are 1-5 p.m. Nov. 6 and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 12. And PVC regional tryouts start Nov. 8. Rec league tournaments start Sunday.

More details: Colleen Smith, 373-3279 or [e-mail], or go online to www.greensborosportsplex.com.

GATERS TRYOUTS: The N.C. Gaters, the largest AAU basketball program in the state, will have tryouts next month.

Tryouts for the 8U, 9U and 10U teams are Nov. 5-6 and Nov. 9. For 11U and 12U players, the dates are Nov. 5-6 and 10. Tryouts for 13U and 14 teams will be in February.

Tryouts will be at the Gaters' practice facility behind the Spears Family YMCA in Greensboro. Players must bring $5 and a copy of their birth certificate. For times and more info, call 856-0004 or e-mail [e-mail].

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MacKay wins fencing medal
SLAM! Sports
Ontario, Canada
10/11/05

slam.canoe.ca/Slam/OtherSports/2005/10/10/1256453-cp.html

LEIPZIG, Germany (CP) - A few days ago Sherraine MacKay was struck by a sense that she would win a gold medal at the fencing world championships.

Turns out her premonition was right about the medal, wrong about the colour.

The native of Brooks, Alta., made some history Monday, taking the bronze in the women's epee for Canada's first ever medal at fencing world championships.

"I thought, 'You know, this just might be the year I win the world championship,"' MacKay said in an interview. "It didn't end up exactly the way I planned."

Canadians had never finished higher than sixth at the worlds, something accomplished five times in a variety of classes, including twice by MacKay in the epee.

"It's quite substantial," she said of her achievement. "It's just that it could have been more and I'm surprised that Canada hasn't had a medal before this because there's a lot of great talent there."

MacKay won her first four matches of the day, advancing to the semifinals with a 15-12 win over Sonja Tol of the Netherlands.

There she dropped a 15-9 decision to Danuta Dmowska of Poland, ending MacKay's hopes for gold and leaving her to share bronze with Laura Flessel-Colovic of France, who lost in the other semifinal.

Dmowska beat Maarika Vosu of Estonia 12-11 in the final.

"(The bronze) is a huge boost for Canadian fencing," said Danek Nowosielski, the high performance director for Canadian Fencing Federation. "This is a culmination of four years of work for the program."

The bronze shouldn't have been overly surprising for MacKay, who has ended up fifth in her last three World Cup events.

"My coach's nickname for me is quasi-champion," she said laughing. "So I thought, 'I refuse to have another bronze medal.' Unfortunately that's what I was stuck with today."

MacKay finished 18th in the singles epee and fourth in the women's team epee at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

She'll lead the Canadian team into Friday's team epee event at the worlds and has hopes for another medal.

"We stand a very good chance," she said. "We're ranked fourth and the teams we're matched up against, they seem to be a very reasonable draw for us." MacKay will return to Canada after the world championships to promote here book Running With Swords across the country.

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PHOTO: Sherraine MacKay wins bronze at the fencing world championships[/color]

Sorry, I can't import it... but you can cut and paste!
slam.canoe.ca/Slam/OtherSports/2005/10/10/s101014A.jpg

Sherraine Mackay from Canada, during the winners ceremony of the women's epee 2005 Fencing World Championships at the Leipzig Arena, eastern Germany, Monday. (Photo: AP/Eckehard Schulz)

[LongBlade]

Peachtree Ridge fencing team gets the gold at tourney
Gwinnett Daily Post
Gwinnett County, Georgia, USA
10/09/2005

www.gwinnettdailypost.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=32&url_article_id=7275&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2

The Peachtree Ridge High School fencing team has been parrying and riposting its way to the top.
The team captured first and third place at the Blades of Steel tournament last week in Rome. Team captain John Choi won the gold medal, while teammate Brenda Lee took home the bronze. Russell Kiel took third place in another event.
The Lions competed against three college fencing teams in the tournament. They also defeated Georgia State University’s fencing team last week, winning 11 of the 15 bouts against the GSU Panthers.
The high school has had a fencing team for two years.

[LongBlade]

Longtime fencer enjoys teaching sport
By JODIE WAGNER
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Palm Beach, Fl, USA
Wednesday, October 12, 2005

www.palmbeachpost.com/jupiter/content/neighborhood/jupiter/epaper/2005/10/12/npj33_sptforness_1012.html


Francis Forness (left) gives pointers to student Aimee Waters of Jupiter during an adult fencing class at Jupiter Community Center. Forness is a former college fencer who teaches fencing classes to children and adults throughout the county. Cydney Scott/The Post

Francis Forness didn't have a fencing weapon when he and a friend began parrying more than a half-century ago.

But an improvised foil fashioned out of an old fishing reel proved to be an adequate substitute.

"A foil is a flexible weapon, but a fishing reel is a real flexible weapon," Forness, then a St. Louis high school student, said of the makeshift foil. "We fooled around with things like that."

Later, the two began taking fencing classes at the local YMCA, where they were introduced to the fundamentals of a sport that requires as much strategy and concentration as it does agility, quickness and endurance.

"Fencing is a very mental activity," said Forness, 78, a retired engineer who moved to Palm Beach Gardens in 1970. "Once you learn to do the things, they're kind of automatic. Most of your time is spent figuring out the other guy."

In college, Forness was quite successful at that.

An engineering major at Vanderbilt University in the early 1940s, Forness joined the school's varsity fencing team as a freshman and began competing in tournaments throughout the country.

"It (fencing) really got serious when I had coaches in college," he said.

After graduation, however, he pursued a full-time career in engineering, fencing only when he had the time and opportunity.

"In engineering, you move around a lot," he said. "... I would fence or I would teach when the opportunity presented itself. I fenced in Connecticut — in Vernon — for awhile."

He also fenced in New York and New Jersey and eventually in Florida, where he moved with his family.

Today, 14 years after retiring, he devotes much of his time to fencing instruction.

Forness, who once trained with former U.S. Olympic fencing coach Giorgio Santelli, teaches six fencing classes a week throughout Palm Beach County.

He runs a recreational program for youth and adult fencers at the Jupiter Community Center and also teaches the sport to middle school students in after-care programs throughout Jupiter, West Palm Beach and Wellington.

"I enjoy teaching kids," Forness said. "Actually, for a person my age, it's very interesting, because I teach young children that are like 6 to 9, and then I teach 10 to 14. These middle school (kids) are 12 to 14, and then I teach 15 and above.

He also enjoys a little parrying every now and then, though health problems have forced him to cut back.

"I've slowed down," he said. "I had some heart problems, and against a tough opponent, I don't want to go all out."

There are no limits, however, with his students.

Forness, who plans to continue teaching for as long as he physically can, enjoys watching youngsters catch on to the sport.

"It's a very intense kind of thing," he said of fencing. "I talk about it as being chess against the clock. In chess, you work against the timer in certain types of meets, and you only have that interval to check all the possible moves and decide what you're going to do and do it.

"It's somewhat the same way (in fencing). You're flipping through all these possibilities all the time."

[LongBlade]

Nothing final yet on RP flag bearer
By Marianne L. Saberon
The Sun-Star
Philippines
10/13/05

www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2005/10/13/sports/nothing.final.yet.on.rp.flag.bearer.html

BUSAN Asian Games silver medalist Harry Tañamor of Cagayan de Oro City may yet carry the Philippine flag during the opening rites of the 2005 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chair William "Butch" Ramirez said Tañamor is strong bet to carry the flag because of his recent records in international meets.

The PSC chief, in an interview with Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) members Monday night, said the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Philsoc), where he is the second in command, has the authority to make recommendations.

But chief de mission First Gentleman Mike Arroyo would still have the final say.

"I cannot comment on fencer-shooter Richard Gomez' carrying the flag though," Ramirez said.

Light-flyweight Tañamor's gold medal victory in the Vietnam SEA Games adds color to his record, making him the most qualified athlete to carry the RP banner.

Gomez, who was recommended by Philippine Fencing Federation president Celso Dayrit, also won a gold in Vietnam but he failed salvage any medal in Busan.

Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski would have been a sure winner having won golds in the Busan Asian Games, World Jumping Challenge and Vietnam SEA Games.

But Ramirez said Jaworski is no longer competing in the coming biennial meet.