Fencing in the News

[LongBlade]

Running for Ireland... and swimming, show-jumping, shooting and fencing
By Ian O'Riordan
The Irish Times
July 9, 2011

www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2011/0709/1224300127680.html

PENTATHLON: It’s tough enough becoming an Olympic-level athlete in, say, fencing. But to compete in running, swimming, horse-riding and shooting as well, and on the same day, takes huge levels of ambition and perseverance. Fortunately, Ireland’s modern pentathlon hopeful Natalya Coyle has both, discovers Ian O'Riordan.


Ready, Aim, Fire! - Natalya Coyle
Photo by Dara Mac Donaill

DO YOU WANT me to get my gun?”

Not the most auspicious start to an interview, you’d think, although it could have been worse: Natalya Coyle could also have threatened her sword.

“You should try getting through airport security,” she tells me later, all her weapons now packed into a long, black sports bag. “I was nearly arrested in China last month, and had to call my dad, frantically. I suppose when you’ve got a sword and mask and a gun in your bag, people get suspicious. The secret is to arrive for the flight very, very early.”

It’s important to explain here that Coyle is not a character from Mission: Impossible, but rather a rising star in the modern pentathlon – one of the original, and purposely designed, Olympic events. It’s arguably the toughest too, given it’s actually a combination of five events – fencing, swimming, horse riding, running and shooting – all completed in one day, and intended to simulate the demands of a 19th-century cavalry soldier behind enemy lines (without the killing part).

“So where’s your horse?” I ask, half-jokingly. We’re at Santry Stadium, where Coyle has just finished an hour-long session of running and shooting, with two hours of fencing to follow. “Sure maybe you could run up to Ballymun and jump on one of the strays?” Actually, that’s not as silly as it sounds: the modern pentathlon has some strange rules, one of which is that all competitors must draw a horse randomly out of a hat. They then get just 20 minutes to practise on it before off they go, over 15 jumps.

“Oh yes, sometimes it can get a little hairy,” says Coyle. “At a competition in Poland a few weeks ago, I drew a horse that had just arrived from Warsaw, having travelled all night. She was crazy. Luckily I can ride quite well, although I still had a lot of trouble controlling it. The girl who rode the horse after me got on to the thing and was thrown right off. So there’s a lot of luck in what horse you draw, although it helps a lot if you’re a strong rider.”

Indeed, that’s where it all began. Growing up in Tara, Co Meath, Coyle joined a pony club, purely as a hobby. At age 15 she tried her first tetrathlon, which is a combination of riding, running, swimming and shooting. “And I was really bad,” she says. “But I’m just very competitive by nature, just wanted to get better. Then I made a junior international team, and I really caught the competitive bug. I wanted to see what else was out there, how good I could be.

“My friend Eanna Bailey told me about the modern pentathlon, and it seemed like an obvious progression. I was in fourth year in school when I did my first competition, in Millfield in England, and that showed me this is not an event you can mess around with. After that I started to train seriously.”

In her first year of major competition, in 2010, she progressed beyond all expectations to become the first Irish representative in modern pentathlon’s World Cup final. It’s an exclusive event, where only the top 36 in the world are invited. Only 20 years old, Coyle has repeated that feat this year, and is in London this weekend for the 2011 World Cup final, which effectively acts as a dress rehearsal for the London Olympics, just over a year away. There are no guarantees in what is a highly competitive and unpredictable sport, but if Coyle simply maintains this form over the next 12 months, then Olympic qualification is the reward in wait.

“Which is just as well,” she says, “because I applied for tickets anyway, in the lottery, just to see what I’d get. And I got nothing. Although all the family got tickets. Maybe that’s a sign of something. But I can’t get carried away either. There’s a long way to go.”

All this has been achieved against the backdrop of her university commitments, and in a country where modern pentathlon is still something of a novelty. It’s not like she’s come from a great sporting background either: her father Ray “apparently” once ran marathons, but is better known in the crisp business, as the head of Largo Foods.

Coyle has just finished her second year of a business-economics degree at Trinity (“just passed my exams”), and admits this hasn’t been all smooth sailing. In fact, Trinity made the unprecedented decision of allowing her to break up her course modules, effectively splitting the term, and also deferred certain exams to allow her to compete abroad in key events, especially with the London Olympics in mind.

“College has been very supportive, and so has the Irish Institute of Sport, which worked with Trinity to make this happen. It just wasn’t possible to combine all the training with all the lectures. I’m also very lucky to have got a scholarship through the Olympic Council of Ireland, and this year got a Sports Council grant as well [of €12,000]. But there are so many overheads to compete at the highest level, mainly the travel. For years my parents had to foot the bill. But I could always use a sponsor.”

Training for five events also requires an extensive backroom team, and Coyle works with five individual event coaches, all overseen by Lindsey Weedon, the elite manager of the Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland. She’s also benefited from some sports psychology from Liam Moggan, particularly in coping with the need to maintain consistency over the five events.

“The competition day is incredibly demanding. You could start at seven in the morning, and go until six that evening. Halfway through you’re wondering how you’ll finish. Much of it is about ensuring proper nutrition, and learning to sleep sitting up. The fencing is first up, and all 36 competitors have to fence each other. That does take a while, and if you start losing one or two bouts you can very quickly fall into a hole. That’s where the psychology kicks in. The swim is 200m, and purely time based, and then comes the riding. It’s important to start refuelling at this stage because you need to maintain your energy for the shooting and the running.”

This makes for an exciting climax to the modern pentathlon, and since the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the shooting and running have been combined to make that even more decisive: competitors must now race the three-kilometre cross-country course, while stopping intermittently to shoot at the fixed target, 10m away. Imagine running up the stairs and then trying to thread a needle: “The secret is to hold your breath as you fire.”

So that’s the how, but what about the why? Some people might say there are more important things to be doing in college than studying and training the whole time – but for Coyle the parties can wait, at least until after the London Olympics.

“All my friends are involved in sport, so I don’t feel I’m missing out on anything. I don’t even see any sacrifice. Some people view the modern pentathlon as an elitist sport, but you meet people from all backgrounds. You don’t even need to own a horse. You never get bored with the training either. I don’t think I could just run, or swim or ride every day.

“And the reward really is the satisfaction of competing well. I love when all the training pays off. Some of the events have decent prize money, but I’m not at that stage yet. But it’s not golf. You don’t get into modern pentathlon for the money. Actually, if Rory McIlroy wants to send some of his winnings my way, I’d be very grateful.”

[LongBlade]

World-champion fencer named Healthy Hero
By Keith Loria, Correspondent
Penfield Post (Rochester, NY)
Posted July 14, 2011

www.penfieldpost.com/yourlife/x1850043951/World-champion-fencer-named-Healthy-Hero

Rochester — World-champion fencer Iris Zimmermann-Nowak earned the Healthy Hero Award from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation for introducing fencing to a large and diverse population in the greater-Rochester area.



"I am so fortunate to have had, through fencing, so many opportunities of a lifetime. I want to give back to the community that gave so much to me," Zimmermann-Nowak said. "Each child that comes through the program doesn't have to be an Olympian, but if they try their best, they become champions in their own right."

Zimmermann-Nowak has fostered awareness and provided instruction to hundreds of children including urban, low-income youth at the Boys & Girls Club, the Freedom School and children with special needs.

"Fencing is a sport unknown to many people which requires physical exertion, emotional, physical and intellectual discipline," said John Urban, CEO of GRHF. "For kids who prefer to be physically active outside of large team sports, but enjoy competition, fencing is a great fit."

GRHF recognizes people who help kids ages 2-10 in Monroe County stay healthy through improved nutrition and increased physical activity.

Those interested in nominating Healthy Heroes may visit www.BeAHealthyHero.org.

Healthy Heroes are awarded $250 to be donated to the not-for-profit organization of their choice.

[LongBlade]

Fencing officially added to Show-Me State Games lineup
BY Megan May
Columbia Missourian
July 14, 2011

www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/07/14/fencing-added-show-me-state-games-lineup/

COLUMBIA — The 2011 Show-Me State Games officially added sport fencing to this year’s lineup, continuing the tradition of adding an event every year.

Emily Lorenz, a representative for the Show-Me State Games, said this year it's really a case of bringing back a sport.

“We used to have it a number of years ago," Lorenz said, "but it went away for a while because we did not have a commissioner to run the event.”

Sport fencing was an unofficial part of the games in the spring of 2010. The MU Fencing Club had asked for sport fencing to be added, but the venues for competitions fill up quickly, and fencing had to be fit in at the last minute. The only available place for the tournament was the hallways of Hearnes Center.


MU Fencing Club members Rebecca Johnson, left, and Matt Willis, right, face off at a team practice. The group recently returned from the Fencing National Championships in Nevada.

Former MU Fencing Club president Matt Willis laughed and said, “Yeah, it was interesting, but this year we’ll have a better setup.”

This year, the fencing tournament is set to be held July 30 and 31 at the Southern Boone Elementary School, in Ashland.

Although the event was added late last year and wasn’t in the Show-Me State Games entry book, there was a good turnout. Lorenz said there were about 35 entries, so they decided to officially add the sport this year.

The MU Fencing Club recently returned from the Fencing National Championships in Nevada, and immediately began practicing for the Show-Me State Games. Club president Raquel Schilf said she is confident in her teammates.

“I think we’ll do well," Schilf said. "Not to be cocky, but normally one or two of us are in the top three.”

[LongBlade]

World of fencing loses a legend in Peabody's Pechinsky
By Jean DePlacido
The Salem News
Salem, MA
September 28, 2011

www.salemnews.com/sports/x446638012/World-of-fencing-loses-a-legend-in-Peabodys-Pechinsky

The fencing world lost a guru when Joe Pechinsky passed away last week at the age of 92.

The lifelong Peabody resident put the city on the fencing map when he opened the Tanner City Fencing Club back in the early 1960s.

"He came to my old office to ask me if I could help find a place for his fencing program because there was no longer room for it at the Salem YMCA," said Peabody Parks and Recreation Director Dick Walker. "I had heard about him as a firefighter and painter, and when I told him he could use the Center School gym he acted like I was doing him a huge favor. In reality, he was doing the community a favor in allowing us to help with his great program."

That was the start of the Tanner City Fencing Club, which would eventually move to the Higgins Middle School. Pechinsky taught and worked with a multitude of young fencers there, several of whom went on to compete in the Olympics.

"He was a very quiet, gentle, humble man," said Walker. "Joe was an irresistible person, and the number of families he impacted is countless. He was able to get so many kids into top colleges, and it's such an honor to have a community the size of Peabody on the international fencing map.

"When you talk about coaching trees, Joe has them all over the country."

The club produced countless local, national and international champions as well as five Olympians. Scott Bozek, Molly Sullivan, M.J. O'Neil, Sally Pechinsky (Joe's niece) and Jana Angelakis were all Tanner City Fencing School stars who represented the United States in the Olympic Games.

"Everybody knows about the five Olympians, but he really coached six," said Jack Mullarkey, who now owns the 3MB Fencing Club at the Waring School in Beverly. "Joe worked with a fencer from New York (Jed Dupree) who also went to the Olympics.

"I was with Joe for 48 years, first as my coach and later helping him coach at Tanner City. He offered fencing to thousands of students — and he never charged a cent. We lost one of the best people ever in this sport. He gave his time and knowledge, but more than that he offered his friendship."

Pechinsky is in the U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame and had been named national coach for the U.S. fencing team. He also coached at the Pan-Am Games.

"If I knew The Pope, I'd call him up and tell him there was a new patron saint up in heaven," Mullarkey added. "Joe was an incredible man and accomplished so much in his life."

Changing lives for the better
Jane Hall Carter gave the eulogy at Pechinsky's funeral. She and her husband Jim, the highly successful fencing coach at St. John's Prep, make the trip from their home in Bedford to coach at Tanner City Fencing Club twice a week. They are carrying on in Pechinsky's spirit by volunteering their time to move people forward.

Pechinsky didn't treat beginners to his sport any differently than Olympians. He was there for them all.

"In the eulogy I mentioned his qualities as a coach, teacher, master, life changer and friend," said Hall Carter. "He changed my life and so many others by his ability to get us noticed by colleges, and lots of people got scholarships. I got into an Ivy League school (University of Pennsylvania) that I probably never would have even applied to if not for him.

"He changed the lives of my family because when I was 11 my oldest brother died, and for two years my family was in mourning. Then we met Joe, and all of a sudden life had meaning. My parents loved going to the fencing tournaments.

"I started going to Tanner City with my friend Janice Hynes, and soon he told us we needed more lessons. He had us come to the fire station, Union Hall in Peabody Square, or to his house to fence in his back yard. At first my mother would tell me I didn't need another lesson because I'd just had one and the family had plans. But one day Joe told her his wasn't going to spend more time working with me if I wasn't taking it seriously. She told him I wanted more lessons, and pretty soon it was six days a week for two hours a day — all free."

Pechinsky even gave both Hall and Hynes their first set of fencing equipment, which in the 1980s cost around $300 each.

"In today's economy it would have been a $1,000 worth, and I've heard stories that he did this for others, too. He realized we weren't affluent, and that would help move us forward.

"I've known Joe for 31 years, and I have never heard anyone say a bad word about him. When we were in big competitions he flew to see us — and those were trips he had to pay for himself. When I was in the Junior Worlds in Germany he came and filmed the event. He hadn't coached Dupree since he was around nine, but in 2004 he flew to Athens to watch him compete in the Olympics. Once you were Joe's kid, you were always Joe's kid."

'Nothing he couldn't do'
Walker recalls making Pechinsky a part-time employee of the City of Peabody for liability purposes, and playing him $6 an hour. "The checks that he did cash, he turned around and bought more equipment with the money," said Walker.

"Tanner City fencers earned the reputation for being gracious whether they won or lost. That was a reflection of the temperament of their coach."

Pechinsky was a Renaissance man who worked in the leather industry before joining the Army. He was a survivor of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, and after serving his country for five years he returned home to join the Peabody Fire Department, where he worked for over 30 years.

"He didn't talk about the (Pearl Harbor) attack much, but he did say he only survived because he went to church. It was a Sunday morning and Joe was a very religious man. They didn't bomb the church, but by the time he got back to his ship it had been bombed. Going ashore that morning probably saved his life."

But there was much more to the man than just fencing. He was an accomplished painter whose favorite subject was the tanneries in Peabody. Many of those works are in the Essex Museum or at the Peabody Historical Society. He was also an avid mountain climber who conquered both the Swiss Alps and Matterhorn, to name a few.

Whatever Pechinsky attempted, he did with great passion and intensity.

"He did hundreds of paintings," said Mullarkey. "They're just incredible works of art. I don't know anything the man could not do."

Jim Carter began going to the Tanner City club when he was dating Jane. He recalled Pechinsky trying to teach him something that he couldn't do because he had hurt his thumb and it just wouldn't move in that direction.

"When I told him I couldn't do what he wanted me to, he wasn't buying it," said Carter. "I showed him my busted-up thumb, and he figured out a way around it so I could do what he wanted. Whatever limitation you had, he'd figure it out.

"Joe was more than the sum of his parts, and he was able to instill so many things in people because of the uniqueness of his life. If you look at him, he's like a perfect storm that you will never get again."

Hall Carter remembers the Tanner City blue T-shirt with the words 'Salle d'Armes' ('Fencing Room') on the back that students were given along with the patch when they had met Pechinsky's standards.

"I'm not quite sure what the criteria was, but you were very proud to earn them," said Hall Carter. "Even when I had to wear a USA patch I put it on an elastic arm band, but my Tanner City patch was sewn on my uniform.

"Joe stepped down from coaching about five years ago, but after that we would bring him to the club and he was always there to give guidance and be the moral force we needed. It won't be the same without him."

[LongBlade]

Fencing club all about the duel

Original article in The Galveston County Daily News

By Bronwyn Turner

Correspondent
Published December 28, 2011


CAPTION: Mia Adolphs, 8, left, practices assaulting with Zach McGee during the Galveston Fencing Club practice at O’Connell High School gym. The club meets Mondays and Wednesdays at O’Connell and Tuesdays and Thursdays at Holy Family Catholic School.


GALVESTON — Several times a week the Galveston Fencing Club gathers for ancient combat with a high-tech edge.

The club, formed in 1999, offers beginner lessons for a sport once depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics.

More experienced fencers also participate, crossing swords cabled into an electronic score box and wearing jackets covered with a layer of electrically conductive material to register on-target hits.

Electronics aside, a demanding duel still is the focus.

“Fencing is very physical, but it’s also very mental,” said John Trojanowski, of Dickinson, one of two regular instructors. “Basically you are trying to reach out and literally touch someone and they’re trying to do their best to keep you from doing it, and touch you.

“The range of options you can take, the range of ploys you can try on your opponent is almost limitless. It very much engages the mind and certainly engages the body.”

Trojanowski started fencing in 1995 with the Clear Lake Fencing Club, following up on a longtime interest in the sport. He met his wife, Nicole, there.

They both have day jobs — he works at Vic’s Estate and Fine Jewelry in Galveston and she is a silversmith and jeweler working for a Houston company. But when the workday is over, both are drawn to the challenges and rewards of fencing.

“There are not that many things in life that have the history, the romance the mythology that fencing has,” Trojanowski said.

Members in the Galveston club include Realtors, businessmen, retirees and high school and college students. Geddy Hamblen, a Texas A&M student, is among the instructors.

Kathy Machol is a substitute instructor. She was drawn into fencing when her daughter took up the sport in college.

“Fencing appeals to a lot of people because if I win, the victory is mine; my defeat is mine,” Trojanowski said. “I can’t blame the team and I don’t share glory with the team. There’s a lot of ownership in fencing. Everything you get, you earn.”

The sport is also easy to take on the road. Everything the fencer needs can be carried in a bag easily stored on a car seat for travel to weekly tournaments set up across the state.

The Galveston Fencing Club offers classes and dueling opportunities every Monday and Wednesday night at O’Connell College Preparatory School for high school age and older. For younger fencers, sessions are offered every Tuesday and Thursday at Holy Family Catholic School.

Local tournaments include the Naomia Abbott Memorial Women’s Tournament, set for April 7, the Jean Lafitte Classic Competition for new or recreational fencers set for June 2 and the Buccaneer Open, a new tournament for fencers of all skill levels, set for May 12. The Galveston Fencing Club will also host a qualifying competition April 21 and 22 for local fencers who want to participate in the national championships.

Future plans for the club may include wheelchair fencing, a Paralympic sport.

The club also hopes to encourage more families to participate.

“It’s one way to end sibling rivalry, I’ll tell you that,” Trojanowski said.

+++

At A Glance

WHAT: Galveston Fencing Club, a member club of the United States Fencing Association, offering beginner lessons in foil, epee and saber, as well as dueling sessions for more experienced fencers.

WHEN and WHERE: Meetings are Mondays and Wednesdays in the gym at the O’Connell College Preparatory School, 1320 Tremont St., in Galveston, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for high school and adult fencers. Tuesdays and Thursdays, the club meets in the gym at Holy Family Catholic School, 2601 Ursuline Ave. in Galveston, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for younger fencers.

CONTACT: [e-mail]

[LongBlade]

Sportsman Adrian Derbyshire chosen to carry Olympic flame
This Is Cheshire (UK)
29th December, 2011

www.thisischeshire.co.uk/news/9437508.Sportsman_training_for_Paralympics_chosen_to_carry_Olympic_flame/

SECOND only to competing for your country in a home Olympic Games is the honour of carrying the Olympic Torch through your home town.

And the prospect of doing both is summed up in two words for Adrian Derbyshire – ‘awesome crazy’.


Adrian Derbyshire, left, who will carry the Olympic torch

The 37-year-old, from Great Sankey, is in training in a bid to compete in the wheelchair fencing event at the 2012 London Paralympics.

Earlier this month he discovered he had been selected to be one of the torch bearers as the flame makes its journey across the country next May.

He said: “It was a bit of a surprise. I think a couple of people nominated me but it came down to one of my good friends Gareth Brown, he has been with me all the way through to winning two gold medals and three silver medals for Great Britain for wheelchair fencing.

“He’s the one who drives me 60 miles a week for training.

“I’m in training to hopefully be selected to be in the Olympics anyway and it was a fantastic phone call to receive.

“It’s going to be absolutely crazy but what an awesome crazy.”

The selection follows former personal trainer Adrian’s determination to become a champion wheelchair fencer after he underwent a lifesaving operation in 2008 following a brain haemorrhage.

He said: “It puts a spring in your step and it’s an amazing thing to be bestowed on you.”

Although he does not find out if he is selected until March next year, the torch relay news caps a difficult year for Adrian.

He added: “I have been injured after competing in Spain and have had to have four operations.

“I have had eight months out. It has brought a silver lining to what has been a pretty tough year.”

But despite the nation’s attention being firmly fixed on the capital come September, Adrian’s thoughts are already way beyond then.

“Even if you are selected for the 2012 event you still have 15 international competitions as well as the Paralympics,” he said.

[LongBlade]

Student Interest in Sport of Fencing Results in New High School Program
by Ellen Gilbert
Town Topics
Princeton's Weekly Newspaper
December 14, 2011

www.towntopics.com/dec1411/other3.php

They may be too young to remember swashbuckling movie heroes like Errol Flynn, but Princeton High School (PHS) students will be welcoming a new fencing program to the school’s roster of sports in the near future.

“We’re very excited,” said Princeton Regional Schools (PRS) Athletic Director John Miranda in a recent interview.

Once a fencing coach is hired and equipment purchased, PHS student fencers will have regular practices and participate in area-wide competitions.

Mr. Miranda noted that because of recent cuts in school budgets, the parents and students who are interested in fencing have agreed to purchase the épées and other necessary equipment, and to pay the coach’s salary for the first two years of the program.

“It’s a trial run,” observed Mr. Miranda, who reported that interest in fencing had been running strong for at least a year. “It really began with the students,” who got the process rolling with the preparation of a proposal for adding fencing as a sport. A “long series” of after-school planning sessions followed, and the program received final approval at last month’s Board of Education meeting.

“This is a beautiful example of the Princeton Regional Board (PRS) partnering with parents to establish great opportunities for our students,” said Superintendent Judy Wilson. “I am thrilled to see the fencers get the support they deserve in order to compete statewide and wish them the very best.”

A number of students already have the required protective equipment for fencing, and have promised to share it with others. Fencing practice will take place in PHS’s all-purpose room, which Mr. Miranda described as “blocked off” and therefore safe.

The creation of the fencing program supports PRS’s philosophy on physical education. “Participation in interscholastic athletics and related co-curricular programs contributes to the health, physical skills, instructional maturity, social competencies, and moral values of our students,” states the website for PRS sports. “Athletics extend the educational experience while developing responsibility and cooperation. Consequently, we encourage students to participate during three seasons of a wide variety of individual and team sports.”

[LongBlade]

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's fencing league helps students sharpen skills
By Ellen Braunstein
Corpus Christi Caller Times
December 4, 2011

www.caller.com/news/2011/dec/04/texas-am-university-corpus-christis-fencing/

CORPUS CHRISTI — When you think of fencing in South Texas, barbed wire may be the first thing that comes to mind. Not so at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where students get the opportunity to learn, practice and compete in the unfamiliar and somewhat esoteric sport of fencing.

Enthusiasm, skill and confidence is making a serious contender of the intramural fencing club, said Grace Buchanan, one of the volunteer coaches.

"Team members are winning many bouts and making a lot of new friends," said Buchanan, a 30-year veteran of the sport.

Genesis Rodriguez, the fencing club's vice president, had her bladed weapon for a recent competition.

"I'm kind of nervous, but I'm prepared," said Rodriguez, a political science major.

Rodriguez's petite frame bounces with agility in her head-to-toe, protective uniform.

"A lot of people see me as very tiny and say, 'Uh, is that a good sport for you?' But this sport gives you a lot of balance. It's a good workout, mentally and physically," she said.

Buchanan helped Megan Haberzettle and J.J. Mendez start the fencing league at the local university about 18 months ago with equipment donated by the Coastal Bend Fencing Society. Others such as University of Texas Fencing Club alumni Chris Erickson, Zach McGee and Jay Young, also offered their volunteer services as coaches.

The club has since grown to about 23 members who duel on weekends on campus.

Members had their first taste of competition and victory in October when they competed against several other Texas university clubs at San Marcos Baptist University. The local group placed fourth in saber, 11th in épée and fourteenth in foil.

"It's high energy and a lot of fun," said Cristian Romo, a computer science major, who has practiced the powerful and quick thrusts of saber fencing since high school in Jourdanton.

"There are a lot of calculations to see how you can get your opponent to mess up. It's like a chess game. You have to make split decisions and hope you get it right," he said.

Marine biology major Katrina Smith, captain of the épée team, began fencing at age 13 after coveting a sword she saw at a local flea market in Plano. Her mother let her purchase the weapon under the condition that she learn fencing. She has since competed nationally and at the Junior Olympics.

"I like fencing because it's very sportsmanlike. Everyone is willing to help. You meet people from all different backgrounds. It's very cultured," she said.

Rodriguez agreed.

"People think it's a tough sport that involves hitting each other. It's fun and builds character. It's not scary at all," Rodriguez said.

[LongBlade]

Wallace and Hart To Square Off in Meeting of Epee Champions
By Erik Daur
The Star-Ledger
NJ.com
January 01, 2012

www.nj.com/hssports/blog/girlsfencing/index.ssf/2012/01/wallace_and_hart_to_square_off_in_meeting_of_epee_champions.html

While Tuesdays meet between Mendham and Columbia at the New Jersey Fencing Alliance is most anticipated as a showdown between the two programs undefeated boys teams, the girls matchup will hold an interesting pairing between two rival epee fencers--Mendham's former state epee champion Kaitlyn Wallace and the fencer that took her title, Columbia's Haley Hart.

Wallace, who fenced much of last season with an injury, is off to a dominant start, compiling a 20-1 record to start the season. Hart, the defending state epee champion, has gotten off to a strong start as well helping lead Columbia girls to a perfect 5-0 start.


Kaitlyn Wallace won the State Epee title as a sophomore in 2010 to highlight what has been an outstanding career at Mendham.

The two senior fencers have faced each other several times over their careers, including a crucial bout at the Santelli in their sophomore year where Wallace defeated Hart to deny help deny Columbia's bid at a yet another Santelli title (Montgomery eventually claimed the title that year).

Wallace got the upper hand again last season, as she helped knock Columbia out of the playoff's when she defeated Hart in a tense 5-4 clinching bout in the semifinals of the state championship. However, at the end of the year it was Hart who denied Wallace her bid to become the state's first two-time female epee champion by claiming the state title for herself. Both fencers have accounts to balance with each other on the strip.


Haley Hart captured the state epee crown in 2011 and has been the anchor of Columbia's epee line for most of her career.

To add to the intrigue of the matchup, the two rival fencers could find themselves wearing the same colors next season. Both Hart and Wallace have been accepted early decision at Northwestern University and would be expected to bolster the schools strong fencing program. But that will be after the matter of that historical second state title--and Tuesday's matchup--has been settled.

Both Mendham boys and girls squads will face Columbia at the NJFA at 4:30 PM on Tuesday. The NJFA is located in at 50-59 Burnett Avenue, in Maplewood.

[LongBlade]

Desert Fencing Academy Moves To Larger Space[/size]
Several students have gone on from the program to get collegiate scholarships.
By Jessica E. Davis
PalmDesertPatch.com (CA)
January 2, 2012[/b]

palmdesert.patch.com/articles/desert-fencing-academy-moves-to-larger-space

Following a successful move to a larger location, the Desert Fencing Academy will resume classes today in Palm Desert.

The academy was opened in 2003 by Leslie Taft, the fencing coach at College of the Desert for young people who did not have access to the COD program, according to Taft.

The DFA moved from the My Gym Children's Fitness Center in Palm Desert to 73760 Dinah Shore Drive, Suite D, east of Monterey Avenue, in Palm Desert.

Classes begin at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 2, she said, adding that the academy currently teaches 50 fencers ranging in age from 8 to 78, including some Junior Olympians and National champions.

Several students have gone on from the program to get collegiate scholarships, Taft said.

Anyone interested in trying out the sport of fencing is invited to come to the club, Taft said, adding that introductory lessons are 30 minutes and free of charge and all gear is provided.

Lesson packages are available and all lessons are one-on-one with the coach.

For more information on Desert Fencing Academy and its fencing program, visit www.desertfencingacademy.com, or call coach Leslie Taft at 760-218-1343.

[LongBlade]

Olympic fencer who played Darth Vader dies at 89
Courtesy of Leon Hill
USA TODAY
January 2, 2012

www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/story/2012-01-02/fencer-who-fought-as-darth-vader-dies/52339732/1

LONDON (AP) – Olympic fencer and movie sword master Bob Anderson appeared in some of film's most famous dueling scenes — though few viewers knew it.

Anderson, who worked with actors from Errol Flynn to Antonio Banderas during five decades as a sword master, fight director and stunt performer, died early New Year's Day at an English hospital, the British Academy of Fencing said Monday.

Vader, "Star Wars'" intergalactic arch-villain, was voiced by James Earl Jones and played by six foot six (1.98 meter) former weightlifter David Prowse, but Anderson stepped in during the key fight scenes.

"David Prowse wasn't very good with a sword and Bob couldn't get him to do the moves," said Anderson's former assistant, Leon Hill. "Fortunately Bob could just don the costume and do it himself."

The scenes worked beautifully, although Anderson, then nearing 60, was several inches shorter than Prowse.

Few knew of Anderson's role until Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, said in a 1983 interview that "Bob Anderson was the man who actually did Vader's fighting."

"It was always supposed to be a secret, but I finally told (director) George (Lucas) I didn't think it was fair any more," Hamill told Starlog magazine. "Bob worked so bloody hard that he deserves some recognition. It's ridiculous to preserve the myth that it's all done by one man."

Robert James Gilbert Anderson was born in Hampshire, southern England, in 1922, and was drawn to fencing from an early age.

"I never took up the sword," he said in an interview for the 2009 documentary "Reclaiming the Blade." "I think the sword took me up."

Anderson joined the Royal Marines before World War II, teaching fencing aboard warships and winning several combined services titles in the sport.

He served in the Mediterranean during the war, later trained as a fencing coach and represented Britain at the 1952 Olympics and the 1950 and 1953 world championships.

In the 1950s, Anderson became coach of Britain's national fencing team, a post he held until the late 1970s. He later served as technical director of the Canadian Fencing Association.

His first film work was staging fights and coaching Flynn on swashbuckler "The Master of Ballantrae" in 1952.

He went on to become one of the industry's most sought after stunt performers, fight choreographers and sword masters, working on movies including the James Bond adventures "From Russia With Love" and "Die Another Day"; fantasy "The Princess Bride"; Banderas action romps "The Mask of Zorro" and "The Legend of Zorro"; and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Fencing academy president Philip Bruce said Anderson was "truly one of our greatest fencing masters and a world-class film fight director and choreographer."

Hill remembered him as "a splendid man, a great man who gave so much to fencing that can never be repaid."

Anderson is survived by his wife Pearl and three children. Funeral details were not immediately available.

[LongBlade]

Carmel Valley native wants to regain that Olympic ‘touch’ in London
By Kathy Day
Carmel Valley News/Del Mar Times
January 2, 2012

www.delmartimes.net/2012/01/02/carmel-valley-native-wants-to-regain-that-olympic-%E2%80%98touch%E2%80%99-in-london/

Coming home to Carmel Valley for the holidays marked the beginning of Soren Thompson’s travels for the winter.

The Torrey Pines High graduate — who was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Fencing Team in individual men’s epee — is working on a comeback. The road will take him to Portland for the North America Cup Jan. 13-16, and then to an international invitational in Italy. After that, it’s training with the Italian national team near Naples and the first of four Olympic qualifying events in Milan.

“I’m very excited to be in the middle of this journey,” he said in a recent interview from New York where he now lives and trains.


Soren Thompson goes in for a score against a Hungarian opponent.

Thompson stopped competing after failing to qualify for the 2008 Olympic team, which he concedes was probably due to his injury – a complete avulsion of his hamstring, meaning the tendons are no longer attached to the bone. Before he got hurt, he was No. 2 ranked in the U.S. and No. 8 in the world.

Both the fencer and Sebastian Dos Santos, the U.S. men’s epee coach, acknowledge the challenge is different because of the injury. Surgery wasn’t an option and he still has a big lump in the middle of his leg that hurts him to walk when it flares up.

“I’ve been dealing with the injury and living with it,” Thompson said. “It’s made me mentally tougher.”

After dropping out of competition, he shifted his focus to international business, working for Hycrete, a construction and green technology company. But the urge to get back into his sport grew as the London Olympics drew closer.

At 30, he’s “a touch on the old side,” he said, adding, “I’m glad I trusted myself and took this leap. Hopefully it will get me to London.”

Dos Santos said he believes Thompson “is almost guaranteed to qualify for the Olympics,” although there are a few steps he still has to take along the way.

One of those will be finding the drive that many younger competitors have.

“You have to be hungry to be the best and sometimes with maturity that dissipates,” the coach said in a phone interview in late December.

Thompson has been taking his training in stages. At first, he trained before and after work, upping the schedule after he started to see results. Then he worked out an arrangement to shift from employee to consultant so he could hone his skills.

Within a couple of months of full-time training, he was back in international competition and finished as the top American at one event.

“I went from 300th (ranking) to the top 20 to the top 10,” he said. “The season is going well.”

The son of Greg and Sheila Thompson, he said his fencing career started “as a little bit of an accident. My mother knew someone who was friends with the fencing coach at UCSD.”

That was when he was 7. From there it was on to higher levels of competition, including being on the Princeton University fencing squad where he won the NCAA title. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, he finished 7th.

Now back on the world stage, he trains himself, building on the knowledge he has gained from many coaches along the way, he said.

“I’m really coming back in a different way. The situation is controlled by me,” he added.

The U.S. coach, Dos Santos, said “being his own coach enables him to take the best from all. He’s had a lot of success this season.”

Fencing, he said, is a “very unique combat sport (that is all about) timing and distance, one person against another. … Each person is a new problem to solve.”

A lot of the same life skills apply to his work, he added, but for now he’s focusing on who his competitors are and what skills they have and applying his own abilities.
“It all hangs on that moment … there’s a ton of pressure.”

[LongBlade]

Cetrulo Review: Ramapo Reclaims Sabre Crown
By Erik Daur
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
January 10, 2012

www.nj.com/hssports/blog/boysfencing/index.ssf/2012/01/cetrulo_review_ramapo_reclaims_sabre_crown.html

It took a while, including a brief delay to start the second round of fencing, but Ramapo retook the sabre crown that they had last captured in 2009, when they defeated the field in convincing fashion notching 19 wins.

When you speak about Ramapo fencing, you speak about sabre, and the win was an emotional and well-deserved one for a the squad of senior Charles Copti, Josh Change, Adam Carcionne and Alex Gorloff. Carcionne and Copti each stormed through the final pool a perfect 7-0, while Chang "only" finished 5-2 (if you can ever say only in connection with five victories in seven tries...). Gorloff added stepped in for Carcionne in the first pool and didn't miss a beat picking up two victories in two bouts.

The competition was probably the most competitive in terms of the field and onlookers got to see some outstanding bouts. The bout between Copti and Livingston's outstanding sabre fencer Eddie Chin typified the intensity of the fencing in the final round's "A" pool.

Copti and Chin, who both train together, found themselves locked in an intense 5-4 duel. The charismatic and talented Chin, who is known as something of a showman for his dramatic flourishes and athleticism, was all business against Copti. Chin displayed none of the usual--and admittedly often highly entertaining--extra flair. I guess when your facing the defending state sabre champion you tend to lean towards an economy of movement!

The delay in the competition caused some interesting scenarios when it was restarted. For example Columbia had won its first two bouts against Gov. Livingston when the fencing was called to a halt. When fencing resumed, the bouts had to be fenced again because of reseeding. Guess who won those two bouts? Not Columbia. Luckily the swing wound up having no effect on the final standings as Columbia wound up edging West Windsor South for second place on indicators.

Delay aside, Mendham's new head coach Tom Outwin (himself a sabre fencer) was impressed by the quality of the fencing.

"These fencers are impressive," said Outwin. "Their sense of distance and the grace of movement that they fence with is truly something to watch."

Sabre Tournament MVP: Adam Carcione of Ramapo. Carcione didn't lose on Saturday, going a perfect 14-0 for the day on the "C" strip. Line mates Copti and Chang could not have done it without him. Impressive stuff.

Surprise of the Sabre Tournament: Northern Highlands taking eighth. Ok this was bound to happen eventually. Their is just too much high-level sabre instruction in the vicinity of the Allendale school for it not to. But they finished 45th in the weapon in 2011, and this year made it into the final rounds "A" pool!

[LongBlade]

First Dagger Fencing Competition in the World Scheduled for January 14, 2012
Jacksonville Fencing Club to Host Competition
PR Newswire
Jan. 9, 2012

www.marketwatch.com/story/first-dagger-fencing-competition-in-the-world-scheduled-for-january-14-2012-2012-01-09

TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The (DFA) Dagger Fencing Association ( www.daggerfencing.com ) announced today the first officially sanctioned Dagger Fencing competition in the world will be hosted by the Jacksonville Fencing Club (JFC) on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 2 pm ET at the Jacksonville, Florida Fairgrounds. Dagger Fencing will be a featured part of the annual "River City Duel 'Til You Drop" day-long event which includes D-rated-and-under foil fencing, youth mixed foil, women's foil, open epee and open foil fencing, starting at 8:30 am ET. More than 200 attendees are expected.

Unlike the traditional sport of Olympic-style fencing with one weapon, Dagger Fencing is a new two-weapon sport utilizing a traditional epee in tandem with the new Dagger weapon that eliminates tethered scoring equipment to allow unlimited footwork in a round or square piste.

"This new and exciting sport is ideal for experienced fencers who seek the intensity and thrill of actual two-weapon sword combat," says David Falcon, chairman and founder of the Dagger Fencing Association. "We are honored to be invited by the JFC to participate in their premiere event."

The revolutionary new sport of Dagger Fencing is made possible by the new Dagger weapon and Y-style body cord, developed by Inveton, LLC, a product development company in Tampa, FL. "We felt two weapons and unrestricted movement would step up our cardiovascular workout, enhance our balance and coordination and leverage our ambidexterity," said Falcon. The Official DFA Dagger Fencing weapon and body cord set can be purchased online at www.physicalchess.com .

Pre-registration is due by January 13, 2012 by using the Fencing Results and Events Database (FRED), a self-service for fencing tournament organizers at www.askfred.net . For questions related to the event, contact Michelle Crosby at 386.684.6707 or Raul Tor at 904.579.6858.

The basic membership to the DFA is free. For more information visit www.daggerfencing.com .

Dagger Fencing Facts:

According to USA Fencing, the tip of the fencing weapon is the second fastest moving object in sport; the first is the marksmen's bullet.

Dagger Fencing is one of the oldest sports on record.

Some famous fencers include actors Grace Kelly and Robert Redford, entertainers Madonna and Bruce Dickerson (Iron Maiden), political leaders Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder.

[LongBlade]

Fencer Tim Morehouse focused on Olympic qualifying
by Roxanna Scott
USA TODAY
Jan. 9, 2012

www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/story/2012-01-09/tim-morehouse-olympic-fencing/52471614/1

Olympic fencer Tim Morehouse and cyclist Justin Widhalm got a jump on the 200-day countdown by participating in an Olympic kickoff event at the British Embassy last week.

Monday marked 200 days remaining until the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in London. Last Friday, Morehouse and Widhalm, an Army veteran who is hoping to qualify for the Paralympics, led demonstrations in their sports for a group of schoolchildren at the embassy.

Morehouse, who won an Olympic silver medal in team saber in 2008, says the qualification period for the London Olympics is 60% complete. He's in strong position to make the London team as the top-ranked fencer in the U.S. point standings for men's saber.

During the next few months, Morehouse will be mostly on the road competing in Olympic qualifying events such as World Cups. His next stop is Portland, Ore., for the North American Cup beginning Friday.

U.S. fencers made history in Beijing — winning six medals, including a sweep in the women's saber individual event. Italy, a traditional power in the sport, went away with only one more medal than the U.S.

"No one really saw that coming to the extent of winning six medals," Morehouse says of 2008. "Now we know what is possible. … Knowing what's possible is very powerful."

Two of his U.S. teammates from the Beijing Olympics have retired. James Williams returns and is competing for a team spot. Daryl Homer, Ben Igoe and Jeff Spear are also in the mix for the Olympic team of three fencers. A fourth fencer may be named as a replacement who will travel to London and train with the team.

Morehouse, 33, says the biggest difference between his preparation for this year's Olympics and four years ago is his outside work. During the run-up to Beijing, he taught seventh grade full time at a school in New York.

This time around his work is geared toward being "an entreprenuer for the sport," he says. He spends much of his time speaking to groups to promote his sport. In 2010, he hosted a fencing tournament in New York.

He sees that U.S. fencing has come a long way since he was an alternate on the 2004 Olympic team.

"We're at the point where we can win medals," Morehouse says, "but we're not at the point where we're ranked in every event."