Fencing in the News

[LongBlade]

Galveston Fencing Club welcomes novices, competitors
The Daily News
July 26, 2013

www.galvestondailynews.com/ad_features/galveston_east/article_42cf85b0-f64b-11e2-835a-001a4bcf6878.html

Founded in 1999 by Kenneth Shelton and the late Richard Daniels, the Galveston Fencing Club exists to introduce the sport of fencing to Galveston. The club provides lessons for beginners and a recreational venue for more practiced fencers looking for exercise and fun by “crossing blades” with each other.

In keeping with its mission, the club offers an inexpensive package of five beginner’s classes for $25 to non-members. The club provides foils, masks, jackets, plastrons and gloves. Students are encouraged to wear T-shirts, some types of sweats or warm-up pants and tennis shoes or other athletic shoes. Shorts, sandals and flip-flops are not permitted for safety reasons. Additionally all students must take out a $5 membership in the United States Fencing Association, the sport’s national governing body, for insurance purposes.

Classes are free to members of the club. Club membership is $30 per fencing year for students and $60 for adults (plus USFA membership). The fencing year ends on July 31.

There are three “weapons” in modern Olympic fencing: foil, epee and sabre. All beginners first learn foil and are required to be well-grounded in its basics before taking up either of the other weapons. In foil fencing, only touches made with the tip count, and only when made on the torso. Arms, legs and mask are considered, off-target. Emphasis is placed on safety, balance, control and precision.

In addition to beginners, the club is open to both recreational and competitive fencers. The Galveston Fencing Club meets on Monday and Wednesday evenings in the gym at the O’Connell School and all O’Connell and Holy Family School students are welcome to take classes at no charge. The class for elementary age students is held from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. The teen and adult classes follow, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

[LongBlade]

TAAF Summer Games continue this weekend in Corpus Christi
By: Christina Monford
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
July 25, 2013

entertainment.caller.com/?p=13279

For mother and daughter fencing champions Grace Buchanan and Megan Haberzettle, the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation Games of Texas are more than just a time to play and have fun, they are a chance to settle a score.

In last year’s games Buchanan knocked her daughter out of the fencing competition just before the final round. The two had only competed directly against each other once before and in that match Haberzettle had come out as victor. This year’s games started Thursday and continue Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

This year Buchanan is looking to break their one to one tie.

“If she competes this year, I’ll whip her butt again,” Buchanan said.

Haberzettle, 22, has a different opinion on the subject.

“Not a chance,” Haberzettle said. “I’ve been working out this time.”

Haberzettle and Buchanan are just two of the athletes competing this year who have something to prove.

Andre Trevino, 7, has been practicing four days a week for three hours a day to protect the Judo gold medal that he won at last year’s summer games.

More than 8,000 athletes are expected to compete in the 2013 Summer Games of Texas. This is the last year that the games will be in Corpus Christi for the foreseeable future, so if you missed out on last year’s games, you definitely wont want to miss it this year.

“It was overwhelming the number of people who came out to the event,” said Stacie Talbert, assistant director of the Corpus Christi Parks & Recreation Department. “The sheer number of participants, it was amazing to see that many athletes in town.”

A wide range of sports will be showcased at the games. You can watch anything from Judo to skateboarding and tennis.

“You have the traditional sports that most people have been exposed to but then you have got events like table tennis,” Talbert said. “It’s a really good spectrum of sports activities that require different kinds of abilities.”

Tickets to watch the games vary by event. An all access pass can be purchased for $35. All gates accept cash only.

“It’s amazing that we have this sort of talent in our backyard,” Talbert said. “But it really is just a once in a blue moon thing that we have this many people in town for one event.”

IF YOU GO

What: Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF) Summer Games

When: Events continue Friday-Sunday

Where: Various locations (See schedule)

Cost: Admission to events vary. All access passes are $35.

Information: taaf.com

*To volunteer visit the website or call Neomi Ramirez at 826-4260.

——————————————————————————-

SCHEDULE

Baseball: 9 a.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. Sunday at Oso Pony Fields.

Boxing: 6 p.m. July 25 and 26; 10 a.m. Saturday; TBA Sunday at Ben Garza Gym.

Fencing: 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Grant Middle School.

Golf: 8 a.m. Friday at Oso Beach golf course.

Judo: 9 a.m. Saturday at Kaffie Middle School.

Skateboard: 2 p.m. Saturday at Corpus Christi Skatepark, Cole Park.

Softball: 2 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday at Greenwood Softball Complex & Sparkling City Girls Fastpitch.

Swimming: 9 a.m. Friday-Sunday at Corpus Christi Natatorium.

Table Tennis: 9 a.m. Saturday at First Methodist Church.

Tennis: 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at H-E-B Tennis Center.

Track and Field: 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. Sunday at Cabaniss Multi-Purpose Complex.

Youth Triathlon: 7 a.m. Saturday at West Guth Park.

[LongBlade]

Fencing club making comeback with new course
by Valerie Huerta
Hilltop Views
St. Edwards University
September 25, 2013

www.hilltopviewsonline.com/sports/article_d93b3f72-24a8-11e3-a9e2-001a4bcf6878.html

Two years ago, Andy Hirschfeld, junior, started a fencing club at St. Edward's University. He intended for the club to eventually become a team. In those two years, the club met consistently, but members were not able to make every meeting. With a dwindling attendance, the club never got to the ranks of a full-fledged team.

Unlike Texas State University, whose Fencing Club is the oldest active sports club at TSU, St. Edward’s, does not have a fencing club this year. Fortunately, it does have the potential.

Shuffling, lunging, and clipping to complete an electric circuit with the tips of their swords, fencers display an elegant and strategic fight. There are three styles of fencing: foil, sabre and épée. Gary van der Wege teaches a fencing class at St. Edward's that focuses on the foil style. Foil is the traditional entrance category that beginner fencers learn. van der Wege’s students carry thin, lightweight swords with red spring tips for this style.

Although it is an early morning class, the students are always are full of smiles. For them, the class provides a fun morning of learning and play and stands out against the rest of their schedule.

van der Wege has competed in both Athens and London as a member of the U.S. Paralympic team. He is passionate about the sport and teaching it to others

“Teaching fencing is really just sharing something I love,” van der Wege said. “I have been fortunate to receive a lot of coaching training from a variety of sources, including coaches from around the world. Over the years I have tried to blend all of that information with my own teaching style. It has to be fun for the fencer to want to do more.”

Dr. Drew Loewe, assistant professor of English Writing & Rhetoric, is also an avid fencer. The walls of his office hold numerous fencing posters, including one outlining the épée style in which Loewe has competed.

Of the three fencing styles, épée is the only one that allows players to score simultaneously. In épée, the entire body is a target. Unlike the foil sword, the épée sword is sturdier and longer.

For a short time, Loewe was the advisor of the fencing team. Like Hirschfeld, he loved the sport, had competed in matches and wanted to establish a St. Edward’s fencing team. His equipment, despite being a bit aged, remains on campus and passes code for competition.

This comment on the equipment's durability is encouraging to potential St. Edward’s fencers, since the sport typically requires a hefty investment to begin. But the cost levels out over time and, for those who really love fencing, the investment certainly reaps rewards.

[LongBlade]

En garde: fencing is coming
Desiree Nelson, Sports Editor
Camp Lejeune Globe
February 27, 2014

www.camplejeuneglobe.com/sports/article_808d9da6-9fb0-11e3-bcb2-001a4bcf887a.html

Fencing has long been viewed as a sport of the elite, but with influences like Robin Hood, Luke Skywalker and Zorro, it’s no wonder youths and adults of all ages are taking an interest. The unique uniforms and equipment are enough to draw the attention of even the most apathetic of people.

Beginning March 7, Cape Fear Fencing Association will host eight-session fencing classes at the Wallace Creek Fitness Center, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. The class will be lead by internationally accredited head coach at CFFA, Gregory Spahr.

According to Nichole Melewiski, fencing participant, the class is not only challenging, but fun.

“I started because of my sister, who does fencing also. The class is fun, and it’s a good way to make friends,” said Melewiski.

Besides being fun, fencing offers many benefits to its practitioners. Fencers learn good sportsmanship, self-discipline and how to compete independently, according to Columbia University. They also acquire a sense of accomplishment when winning and learn to profit from their defeats. They learn to make complex decisions, analyze problems and think fast on their feet.

The sport encourages physical fitness, as a great deal of physical exertion is necessary to perform the lunges and footwork that play such a vital role in the sport. It has also been shown to increase flexibility, coordination, agility, balance, strength, cardiovascular endurance and heighten reflexes.

“It used to be called physical chess, but for this generation, I tell them it is a real time video game with physical consequences,” said Spahr. “Fencers learn how to evaluate situations and make split second decisions.”

In addition, fencing has been shown to increase focus in children and adults, especially those suffering from ADD and ADHD, according to the Standford University.

As of recently, educators have even begun to see a correlation between the sport and increased mathematical skills. According to the Safety and Technology Committee for the U.S. Fencing Association, dueling with any one of the three types of fencing swords, whether the lightweight foil, the epee or the thrashing saber, can actually improve math skills, because fencing improves a perception of geometric shapes, as one literally “draws” in the air with the sword encouraging a type of “if/then” logic.

The class is separated into beginner and intermediate, with additional time allowed for open fencing.

“Participants in the class can expect to learn the history of the sport, basic footwork, how to attack and defend, the rules for the sport, how to judge and referee,” said Spahr. “The class will end with a tournament played on electrical equipment.”

Electrical weapons are used in almost all competitions today. The fencer is hooked into a scoring machine which will light up when the fencer hits the desired target with their sword. In foil and epee you must hit with the point as to push the button at the tip of the sword.

Charting its origins to 18th-century France, competitive fencing offered participants a chance to duel it out without actually killing one another. The sport was synonymous with European aristocracy. Most matches were refereed in French and in the United States it was predominantly taught in elite schools, until recently.

“Fencing is on an upswing in this country,” said Gregory Spahr. “Fencing memberships in the U.S. jumped by 60 percent last season. Most of the fencers in the US are now under the age of 16 and the U.S. is moving up as far as being a fencing power.”

In the 2008 Olympics, the U.S. took the most fencing medals behind Italy. In the fall of 2013, Miles Chalmley-Watson became the first American man to win the World Fencing Championship and just this year the Atlantic Coast Conference reinstituted their fencing championship.

Despite many misconceptions, fencing is not a dangerous sport. In fact, according to a 2004 study performed by the National Cellegiate Association, the closest sport to fencing, in terms of injuries, is golf.
According to Spahr, fencing is appropriate for kids as young as 7 and adults of all ages. There have even been students in their mid-nineties, notes Sphar.

“Fencing has a rich tradition and a history of sportsmanship,” said Spahr. “It’s a sport in which you can participate your entire life. And, it’s fun.”

The cost of the class is $40 per individual for each eight-session class. A USA Fencing membership is also required, costing $5 per person. Equipment is provided. For more information or to register, visit www.capefearfencing.com or call 799-8642.

[LongBlade]

Watch the Division I National Championship Finals Live at USFencing.org

(Minneapolis, Minn.) - Fencing fans will be able to watch their favorite athletes in action this weekend when the final rounds of the USA Fencing Division I National Championships are streamed live from Minneapolis, Minn.

Division I individual semi and final bouts will be streamed daily at www.usfencing.org.

The streaming schedule for the weekend is as follows (All times Central):

Friday, April 11
5:30 p.m.
Division I Men's Foil

Saturday, April 12
4:45 p.m.
Division I Women's Saber
Division I Men's Epee

Sunday, April 13
5:30 p.m.
Division I Women's Epee

Monday, April 14
1 p.m.
Division I Women's Foil
Division I Men's Saber

Athletes contending for spots in the finals include:
• Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas / Epee), two-time Olympian and 2012 Olympic team bronze medalist
• Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas / Epee), 2012 Olympic team bronze medalist
• Race Imboden (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Foil), 2012 Olympian and 2013 Senior World medalist
• Nzingha Prescod (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Foil), 2012 Olympian and 2013 Marseille Grand Prix Champion
• Nicole Ross (New York City, N.Y. / Foil), 2012 Olympian and five-time Pan American team Champion
• Jeff Spear (Wynantskill, N.Y. / Saber), 2012 Olympian and 2014 Madrid World Cup medalist
• Ben Bratton (New York City, N.Y. / Epee), 2012 Senior World Team Champion
• Ibtihaj Muhammad (Maplewood, N.J. / Saber), three-time Senior World team medalist
• Daria Schneider (New York City, N.Y. / Foil), two-time Senior World team medalist
• Eliza Stone (Chicago, Ill. / Saber), 2013 Senior World team medalist
• David Willette (San Francisco, Calif. / Foil), two-time Junior World Team Champion
• Eli Dershwitz (Sherborn, Mass. / Saber), three-time Junior World medalist
• Andrew Mackiewicz (Westwood, Mass. / Saber), 2014 Junior World team bronze medalist
Each Division I individual event will serve as a key qualifying tournament for the 2014 Senior World Championships, but no team is more wide open than the men's epee field in which there are more than a dozen athletes with legitimate chances at qualifying to represent Team USA in Kazan, Russia.

Top-ranked Andras Horanyi (Colorado Springs, Colo.) earned a career-best epee result with a top-16 finish on the World Cup circuit and is seeking to qualify for his first Senior World Team as an epee fencer after three appearances at the Senior Worlds as a foil fencer. Among his challengers are his teammates at the U.S. Olympic Training Center - Jason Pryor (Colorado Springs, Colo.), a 2013 Senior World Team member, and Jimmy Moody (Colorado Springs, Colo.) who won the December North American Cup and placed third in November. Other top contenders include 2012 World Team Champion Ben Bratton (New York City, N.Y.) who is competing at his first Division I Nationals in three years and Alexander Tsinis (Little Neck, N.Y.) who is aiming for a third straight National Championship title.

In addition to live streaming, be sure to visit www.usfencing.org for live results, photos and more throughout the tournament.

[LongBlade]

Fencing: Courtney Hurley Becomes First U.S. Women's Epee Fencer to Medal at a Grand Prix
Around the Rings
05/27/14

www.aroundtherings.com/site/A__47157/Title__Fencing-Courtney-Hurley-Becomes-First-U.S.-Women%27s-Epee-Fencer-to-Medal-at-a-Grand-Prix/292/Articles

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – London Olympic team medalist Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) made history on Friday when she became the first U.S. woman ever to medal at a Grand Prix in epee.

Hurley, who had previously placed in the top eight four times on the World Cup circuit, upset two Olympic medalists en route to claiming the silver at the Havana Epee Grand Prix in Cuba.

Seeded 12th in the tournament, Hurley was the only American to be exempt from the pools and preliminary rounds.

After a 15-7 win against Corinna Lawrence (GBR) in the table of 64, Hurley won her next bout against Bianca Del Carretto (ITA), 15-13.

In the table of 16, Hurley fenced 2012 Olympic silver medalist Britta Heidemann (GER) for the first time in an individual event since 2010. Although Heidemann led the bout, 10-5, Hurley fought back to take the victory, 15-13, and advance to the quarter-finals for the first time this season.

Hurley earned her first career victory over 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Yujie Sun (CHN), 15-10, in the quarter-finals.

With a medal secured, Hurley fenced three-time Senior World medalist Emese Szasz (HUN) in the semifinals. Hurley defeated the No. 2-ranked fencer in the world, 15-10, to fence for a chance at gold.

In the finals, Hurley trailed Jialu Hao (CHN), 14-12, but scored two singles to tie the bout. During the final exchange, Hao caught Hurley on the heel of her back leg to take the final touch and win the bout, 15-14.

On Monday, Hurley is expected to move into a top-eight world ranking for the first time in her senior career.

Five of Hurley’s teammates advanced to the table of 64 in a race to finalize the roster of four athletes who will compete at the Senior World Championships in Kazan in July.

Hurley’s older sister and London teammate, Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas), climbed to No. 1 in the U.S. rankings earlier this season after taking two North American Cup golds and a bronze at the St. Maur World Cup. Although Hurley dropped to No. 2 behind her sister in the domestic point standings after a 15-11 loss to Mingfang Yin (CHN), she qualified for her 10th straight Senior World Team.

Two-time Junior World medalist Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C.) lost her bout against Simona Pop (ROU), 13-12, in overtime, but retained her position as No. 3 in the rankings to qualify for her second Senior World Team.

Anna Van Brummen (Houston, Texas), a two-time Junior World medalist, made her debut on the senior circuit this season and earned two top-32 finishes in her first three events to shoot up to No. 4 in the U.S. rankings. Van Brummen lost to Imke Duplitzer (GER), 15-13, in the table of 64.

Van Brummen’s 2014 Junior World teammate, Amanda Sirico (Bowie, Md.), came into the second day of competition as the 64th seed and drew 2008 Olympic silver medalist Ana Maria Branza (ROU) in the opening round.

Although Sirico was in contention for a position on the Senior World Team at the start of the tournament, a 15-4 loss to Branza meant Sirico remained in fifth behind Van Brummen.

Francesca Bassa (Houston, Texas) advanced to the table of 64 for the second time this season, but lost by a touch to 2010 Junior World medalist Lauren Rembi (FRA), 15-14.

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

Havana Epee Grand Prix
1. Jialu Hao (CHN)
2. Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
3. Simona Ghermann (ROU)
3. Emese Szasz (HUN)
5. Yujie Sun (CHN)
6. Mara Navarria (ITA)
7. Tatiana Gudkova (RUS)
8. Pauline Brunner (SUI)

36. Anna Van Brummen (Houston, Texas)
38. Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
42. Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C.)
56. Francesca Bassa (Houston, Texas)
64. Amanda Sirico (Bowie, Md.)
71. Natalie Vie (Phoenix, Ariz.)
110. Courtney Dumas (Shaker Heights, Ohio)

For more information, contact Nicole Jomantas, USA Fencing Communications Manager, at 719.761.7909 or [e-mail].

[LongBlade]

Ex-Penn State fencing coach plans federal lawsuit against university
BY MATT CARROLL
Centre Daily Times
June 4, 2014

www.centredaily.com/2014/06/04/4209223/ex-penn-state-fencing-coach-plans.html?sp=/99/264/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

The longtime Penn State fencing coach who was fired over an alleged violation of a university retaliation policy, and who has fought unsuccessfully for his job back, will file a federal lawsuit Thursday in Philadelphia, his attorney said.

Emmanuil Kaidanov intends to file the lawsuit against Penn State, athletics director Dave Joyner and athletics integrity officer Julie Del Giorno, said lawyer Alvin de Levie, who is representing the former coach.

The suit seeks to have Kaidanov reinstated as head coach and for him to receive punitive and compensatory damages, including back pay, de Levie said.

A Penn State human resources officer in October, weighing a grievance Kaidanov had filed, upheld the university’s decision to terminate the coach.

Kaidanov continues to dispute his firing, which came after he confronted a secretary who made a report to a Penn State hotline that she thought she saw a fencer with a marijuana cigarette.

The policy Penn State cited in taking action pertains to retaliating against a whistle-blower.

The coach approached the secretary and asked why she didn’t come to him, but Kaidanov did not know the report was made anonymously.

The fencer who was the subject of the report voluntarily took a drug test and passed it.

Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said Tuesday that the university had not been made aware of the potential lawsuit.

The university has declined to comment on the Kaidanov situation because it is a confidential personnel matter.

Kaidanov was set to enter his 32nd season at Penn State before he was fired.

At a news conference after her coach’s firing, a women’s fencing team member came forward to say she was the one who had been reported by the secretary.

Kane Gladnick said Kaidanov was standing up for her, and that his dismissal has upset her.

“I love Penn State, and I love going to school here, but reckless accusations of a university employee not only could have affected my future forever but also led to the firing of a great coach,” she said, according to one report.

Kaidanov’s Penn State teams compiled a 795-77 record during his tenure, winning 12 NCAA titles and finishing second nine times.

His last team national championship came in 2010. The Nittany Lions finished third last season with eight individuals earning All-American honors.

[LongBlade]

Union G.S. Troop 40024 holds Father's Day fencing program
NJ.con
June 16, 2014

www.nj.com/suburbannews/index.ssf/2014/06/union_gs_troop_40024_holds_fat.html




Junior Girl Scout Troop 40024 of Union wrapped up the end of the year of Junior Girl Scouts by having a Father's Day fencing program. The facility is located in Springfield and gave instructions as well as hands on. The girls have made a Father's Day event a yearly thing. The girls deserve to have a fun event after a full year of volunteering and staying on point with earning their badges. Pictured (from left) Danielle, Alexa, Isabelli, Emily, Karla, Lia, Alex, Daveigh and Samantha. For information of fencing: visit fencingsportcenter.com/.

[LongBlade]

Issac Bailey blog: Dispatches from Harvard: The joy of the ‘don’t tell mom’ moments
By Issac Bailey
myrtlebeachonline.com
June 16, 2014

www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2014/06/16/4294696/issac-bailey-blog-dispatches-from.html?sp=/99/158/



My kids and I – Kyle, 12, Lyric, soon-to-be 10 – have had many adventuresome ‘don’t tell mom’ moments over the years, most of which will be kept in our vault of father-child secrets. But there is one fairly tame one we are willing to share:

We recently went exploring through one of the oldest athletic facilities at Harvard and happened into a room where the university has been doing fencing for at least a decade. The kids found a couple of old, rusty fencing rods and, well, being the great responsible father that I am, I let them play with them. In my defense, I did tell them to aim low, fight under the lights so they could see better – and I definitely told them NOT to put each other’s eyes out. I can happily report, with 100 percent of precincts in, that we walked into the room with three sets of healthy eyes, and walked out with them.



Do you have any ‘don’t tell mom’ moments you’d like to share?

(No kids were harmed in the making of this dispatch.)

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Elite Jersey City fencer preparing for national tournament
By Max Tyler
The Jersey Journal
June 18, 2014 

www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2014/06/elite_jersey_city_fencer_is_pr.html

Jersey City resident Jessie Laffey was 10 years old when she began her fencing career. Though she started much later than most elites, from the start her coach believed that she could develop into something special.

"She had good posture and she had very good balance, she was a good athlete," Demetrios Valsamis said, who has coached Laffey for nine years.

But it wasn't just the raw talent, there was something else that caught Valsamis' attention.


Jessie Laffey takes to the strip with head foil coach, Demetrious Valsamis. Early in the training, they

practice the false attack and redouble, Tuesday, June 17, 2014. Chase Gaewski/The Jersey Journal

"She had a presence," he said. "Some people have that presence, a special way about them. I told her mom that she had a chance to be a champion very early if she wanted to be."

And now, Laffey, 18, who's ranked No. 9 nationally in the U.S. women's Under 20 Junior Foil division, is preparing to compete in the USA Fencing National Championships in Columbus, Ohio next week. She'll then travel to South Korea to compete in the Korea-USA Elite Fencing Invitational beginning July 6.

"I'm really excited," Laffey said. "These tournaments are different because they're not during school so I don't have to bring any work with me."

Laffey attended St. Dominic Academy as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Glen Ridge to finish out her high school career. The turning point in her career came in a breakthrough performance six years ago when she finished third at the Y-14 North American Cup. Prior to that tournament, she had never finished in the top 16.

From there, Laffey's fencing career took off.

By her junior year she was ranked No. 4 and No. 11 nationally among women cadets and juniors, respectively. She earned back-to-back bronze medals in Junior Women's Foil at the Junior Olympics in 2012 and 2013. Laffey finished fifth at the Cadet World Cup in 2012.

Fencing has taken her to various countries around the world including Italy, France, Germany, Budapest and Russia.

Following her high school career, Laffey chose Barnard College, but she fences as part of Columbia's fencing team. During her freshman season, she finished eighth in the North American Cup. She also traveled to Germany and Italy as a member of the senior world team for the fencing world cup in April.

For Laffey, fencing is as much physical as it is mental.

"Unlike a lot of sports, it's really mentally stimulating because you have to think about everything that you do," Laffey said.

"It's great because more than any other sport it combines the athletic side and the mental side," Valsamis said. "If you're a super athlete but you're not tricky and smart, you're not going to be successful. If you're tricky and smart but you're not able to keep up athletically you're not going to be successful either. You have to have both."

Laffey trains two and a half hours every day at the Cobra Club in Jersey City. Her workouts consist of occasional bouts with other fencers, running to improve conditioning, plyometrics and footwork exercises.

Laffey has demonstrated focus athletically as well as in the classroom as a neuroscience major. This summer she's taking part in an internship at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan where she is conducting a stereology project involving children with autism. Laffey hopes to one day settle into a career in sports medicine.

She does hope, however, that career begins only after she reaches her ultimate goal of making the 2016 Summer Olympics.

"She's climbed the ladder," Valsamis said. "It's been a very steady climb. And now, the issue for her is to finish the climb."

[LongBlade]

Olympic fencer Rebecca Ward will be inducted into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame
By Ken Goe
The Oregonian
June 19, 2014

www.oregonlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/06/olympic_fencer_rebecca_ward_wi.html


Rebecca Ward in 2008, when she was one of the world's best saber fencers. (Bruce Ely/The Oregonian)

Rebecca Ward, who as a Beaverton teenager won Olympic bronze medals in women's saber in both the individual and team competitions, has been named to the 2015 induction class for the USA Fencing Hall of Fame.

Ward trained with the Oregon Fencing Alliance. She made history in 2006 as the first fencer to hold Senior, Junior and Cadet World titles in the same year.

In 2008, she became the youngest fencer ever to represent the U.S. in the Olympics.

She retired from the world circuit following the 2008 Olympics, but subsequently won three NCAA women's saber titles for Duke.

Ward lives in Washington D.C., and is an aide to Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.

[LongBlade]

USA Fencing announces 2015 Hall of Fame Induction Class
Boxscore
June 20, 2014

boxscorenews.com/usa-fencing-announces-hall-of-fame-induction-class-p92402-68.htm

Colorado Springs, Colo.- June 19, 2014 – Two of USA Fencing’s most decorated athletes and three coaches will be inducted into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame in 2015.

The five inductees were selected via an online vote that closed on Sunday and was open to all individuals ages 18 and older who held current USA Fencing memberships of supporting level or higher on Feb. 1, 2014.

Six years after retiring from international competition, two-time Olympic medalist Becca Ward (Washington, D.C.) will enter the Hall of Fame as one of the most decorated saber fencers in USA Fencing history. Ward made history as the first fencer ever to hold Senior, Junior and Cadet World titles all in the same year as a 16-year-old in 2006. Ward became the youngest fencer ever to represent the United States at the Olympic Games in 2008 and won bronze in both the individual and team events in Beijing. After the 2008 Games, Ward began fencing for Duke University and became the first women's saber fencer ever to win three NCAA titles.

Robert Cottingham (Orange, N.J.) won six U.S. National Championship titles in saber between 1986 and 1992. A silver medalist in the team event at the 1987 Pan American Games, Cottingham also had an outstanding collegiate career where his record was 108-11 while fencing for Columbia and won both individual and team NCAA titles in 1988.

Three coaches also will be inducted into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame.

A 1960 Olympian for France, Michel Sebastiani (Princeton, N.J.) came to the United States in 1963 as an assistant coach for Cornell University. After stints at Brooklyn College and Rice University, Sebastiani was named head fencing coach at Princeton. During his tenure, Sebastiani led Princeton to six IFA National Championships and nine Ivy League Championships. Sebastiani, who coached the U.S. team at the 1984 Olympic Games, worked with many top fencers at Princeton, including 2012 Olympic team bronze medalist Maya Lawrence (Teaneck, N.J.) and two-time Olympian Soren Thompson (New York City, N.Y.)

Formerly a coach of both the Ukrainian men’s and women’s foil squads and the Soviet Union Women’s Foil Team who won gold at the 1986 Senior Worlds, Simon Gershon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) came to the United in 1993 and was the head coach of the U.S. Men’s Foil Team from 1996-2009. Gershon has coached athletes to berths on six U.S. Olympic Teams, including 2012 Olympian Miles Chamley-Watson (New York City, N.Y.) who became the first U.S. man ever to win an individual title at the Senior Worlds in 2013. Gershon’s other top students have included 2012 Olympian Nicole Ross (New York City, N.Y.); 2004 Olympians Dan Kellner (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Jed Dupree (New York City, N.Y.) and Jonathan Tiomkin (Merrick, N.Y.); and 1996 Olympian Peter Divine (New York City, N.Y.)

Marty Schneider (Ossining, N.Y.) has coached at the Riverdale Country School in the Bronx for nearly 60 years. Schneider’s students have gone on to win NCAA titles, compete on Olympic and World Championship Teams and be named to All-Ivy and All-American Teams. Among his most successful students are 2008 Olympic silver medalist Tim Morehouse (New York City, N.Y.) and Tim Hagamen (New York City, N.Y.) who won medals at both the Junior and Cadet World Championships.

The complete election results are as follows:

Athlete Hall of Fame Nominees
Becca Ward (612)
Robert Cottingham (403)
Seth Kelsey (390)
Emily Cross (327)

Coach Hall of Fame Nominees
Michel Sebastiani (501)
Simon Gershon (426)
Marty Schneider (293)
Jeff Wolfe (252)
Elliot Lilien (209)


For more information, contact Nicole Jomantas, USA Fencing Communications Manager, at 719.761.7909 or [e-mail].

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Fencing: Diverse age, skill groups compete at nationals
By Josh North
The Columbus Dispatch
June 21, 2014

www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2014/06/21/diverse-age-skill-groups-compete-at-nationals.html

Fencers go through a unique and taxing routine in a match. A series of short leaps, lunges, thrusts and asymmetrical leg movements can cause a number of stresses on the competitor. And that’s not even including the thought put into each bout.

“It can wear you out,” fencer Jason Pryor said. “Everything we do is unnatural.”

The unnatural movements and stress on the mind and body don’t deter people of all ages and skill levels from participating in the combat sport.

Pryor is just one of a record-setting number of athletes competing in the USA Fencing national championships, which start today at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The event continues through July 3, and upward of 4,300 athletes — 1,500 more than last year — and more than 300 teams are expected.

Along with the sheer numbers, the event is diverse in age and nationality. People from 36 countries will compete, and athletes range from ages 8 to 85. The large number of competitors at the tournament, which will bring Columbus an estimated $5 million-plus in visitor spending, show the growth of the sport, USA Fencing president Don Anthony said.

“It’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the country,” he said.

There are 198 Ohioans competing in various events, and several current and former fencers from Ohio State — including Pryor — competing.

Celina Merza, 21, of OSU is one of the promising young fencers competing. A silver medalist at the first Youth Olympic Games in 2010, Merza was introduced to the sport by her father and found a passion for it almost immediately.

“Fencing is a very tough sport because it’s challenging both mentally and physically, and I enjoyed the challenge when I was introduced to it,” Merza said. “I’m motivated to come in and win gold at this tournament.”

Contestants include eight members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, and Pryor is looking to use this tournament to prepare for the Olympic trials.

He is not surprised by the young age of many contestants because he started at 11, and sees the one-on-one sport as a growing opportunity for young athletes.

“I never really like team sports because you have to rely on others to win, but this sport puts it all on you,” said Pryor, who graduated from Ohio State in 2009. “You have to be able to think fast and move fast to win, and the self-reliance builds character.”

Andras Horanyi, a former teammate of Pryor’s, was named Ohio State athlete of the year in 2009, the same year of James Laurinaitis’ senior football season. Horanyi is ranked as the No. 1 fencer in the U.S., and Pryor is No. 3. Both will approach this tournament with a similar mindset, given that the tournament does not affect their U.S. or world rankings.

“This week is mostly going to be for practice,” Pryor said. Horanyi also looks to use the event to help prepare for future competitions — including the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he said his goal is to medal.

“The most important part of this tournament will be to take away useful information that can be used at worlds,” Horanyi said. “However, this is a competition, and like all competitions, I am going in with the mindset of trying to win.”

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Ex-Bernards fencing coach blames parents for his termination
By Walter O'Brien
NJ.com
June 26, 2014

http://www.nj.com/somerset/index.ssf/2014/06/former_bernards_fencing_coach_sues_varsity_team_members_parents_for_libel.html


Coach Vincent Paragano and the Bernards High School fencing team celebrate at the NJSIAA State Championship Fencing meet in Rockaway in a February 2014 photograph. (Alex Remnick/Star-Ledger)

BERNARDSVILLE — A former high school fencing coach whose job was not renewed by the school district has filed a libel lawsuit against the parents he claims led a fight against him.

Former fencing coach Vincent Paragano filed a lawsuit on June 5 in state Superior Court against Douglas and Monica Hahn alleging they began a campaign against him after their 16-year-old daughter, a member of the varsity fencing team, was disqualified from fencing for the team in a championship competition.

The Somerset Hills school district was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

Paragano, a professional fencing coach, was a part-time contract coach and employee of the Somerset Hills Board of Education, serving as head fencing coach for Bernards High School during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years, the complaint said.

The Hahns are also the owners of fencing-related businesses named "Fence-o-Graphy" and "Fencing Armor," which both feature their daughter's image in advertising and promotional materials, the complaint said.

Monica Hahn said Wednesday that she had yet to be served with the lawsuit and didn't know anything about it, so she would have no comment at the time.

Paragano alleges that the Hahns' daughter "displayed a tantrum" during a competition that resulted in her receiving a "black card," which disqualified her from competing in championship final team events.

He alleges in the complaint that the Hahns started a campaign to blame him for their daughter's behavior, including trying to intimidate him with a false "harassment-intimidation-bullying" complaint, demanding that the school district terminate or not renew his coaching contact, and engaging in an email campaign to parents and fencers on the team as well as members of the school board, defaming Paragano.

He also claims that the Hahns' conduct was motivated to benefit their fencing-related businesses, and to deflect blame from their daughter onto him to aid her efforts to secure college athletic scholarship.

Paragano, who had been named "Coach of the Year" by the N.J. Interscholastic Fencing Coaches Association three times and once as "Coach of the Year" by the Star-Ledger, said that the Star-Ledger did not name him that title for 2014 due to the Hahns' bullying complaint. NJ.com is owned by the same parent company as the Star-Ledger.

His girls' foil squad won the State Squad Championship, their first, and his overall girls' team won the State Team Championship Finals that year, the complaint said.

But Bernards lost to Columbia in the 2014 NJSIAA State Championship , and Bernards finished No. 2 in the Star-Ledger final Top 10 .

Paragano was named girl's fencing Coach of the Year in 2009, the Star-Ledger reported, when Paragano was still coaching for Gov. Livingston's team.

Paragano is demanding a jury trial and judgement against the Hahns for compensatory, punitive and exemplary damages, as well as court costs, attorney fees, and other relief.

"It is sad that the Hahn family would rather attack an excellent coach then discipline their child for inappropriate behavior," Paragano's attorney, Francine A. Gargano, said. "I also wonder why the did not attack the official who gave their daughter the black card if they believed her behavior to be appropriate."

Some Bernards High School parents petitioned the school district to save Paragano's job when the Board of Education considered terminating his contract. Parents said they were worried legal and ethical complaints that cost Paragano his attorney's license in April of 2013 would also cost him his district position.

Paragano was disbarred as an attorney in March 2013 for lying and double-dealing his former partners out of a real estate investment in 2002.

He had also been suspended for six months in 1999 for falsifying records at his law firm and using $16,426 for his own person use. And in 1989, he was reprimanded for improperly executing a supposedly sworn affidavit.

[LongBlade]

'Something a little fiendish'
Stage combat workshop this week brings instructors from across country to WIU
By Nick Draper
The McDonough County Voice - Macomb, IL
June 27, 2014

www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/20140627/NEWS/140629423/-1/sports/?Start=1

MACOMB —
In Simpkins Hall at Western Illinois University this week, students armed themselves with swords and locked blades, moving quickly to parry and disarm their opponents.


Nick Draper/The Voice
Dueling Arts International master teacher Gregory Hoffman (left) squares off against student
Bob Chanda during a disarmament exercise at the Stage Combat Workshop on Thursday.

They’ve worked with weapons for years and now they have come from around the country to converge on WIU for one reason: To learn to teach. Associate Professor D.C. Wright and Dueling Arts International master teacher Gregory Hoffman of Los Angeles, Calif., gathered the students in a circle.
“So now it’s time for something a little fiendish,” Wright said with a sly smile. “You have to do an eight-step sequence, four of which will be disarms.”
The class groaned a little before letting out a laugh and pairing off to practice the exercise. Each student has worked with Wright before in their respective workshops, but now they are ready to take the next step to learn to teach the art of stage combat.
That’s why the class isn’t listed openly, Wright said, as the class is brought together for the students who have worked for years learning the craft. This class marks the second time the workshop has come to WIU — the last time it happened was in 2008.
Students in this class have come from Texas, California, Minnesota, and other states to gain the knowledge of how to properly teach a stage combat class, which Wright said requires patience, skill and observational skills.
“Most of them come from an acting or theater background,” Wright said. “All of them are from different backgrounds.”
Wright has been working with stage weapons for 20 years and Hoffman for 22. The duo have collaborated to make a theatrical sword fighting training video entitled, “And They Fight.”
Hoffman is the founder of Dueling Arts International, LLC, as well as a founding member of the Nordic Stage Fight Society. Wright, also a fight director and stunt man, has taught classes across the country where he finds the students that have worked years to attend a class such as the Stage Combat Workshop.
In classes, they direct the students through each movement, showing several flashy ways of removing a sword from an opponents hands. Each step is vocalized, explaining the technique necessary to perform the seemingly authentic combat maneuvers.
“A lot of it is not real,” Wright said with a laugh. “In real life, they were working hard to kill people. In here, we’re working very hard to make that not happen. We try to give it the look of that to give it some authenticity. But when confronting the dilemmas with what they really did and what we need to do, we need to do it eight times a week for a month at a time.”
Students create a syllabus and curriculum as though they would be teaching a class, Wright said. Wright and Hoffman work to make the students fluent in teaching six different disciplines: Unarmed, broadsword, quarter-staff, rapier and dagger, single rapier and small sword.
Each discipline has its own particular quirks which can make it difficult, with each presenting a different method of teaching.
“We’re going over stuff respective of how can you convey this knowledge most efficiently and effectively,” Hoffman explained. “They have to have awareness of people’s physical skills to help them coach their physical dilemmas, be it memory or foot work.”
As the class began to break for lunch, they formed in a circle, rapiers pointed toward the ground, and gave a bow to one another. When the class concludes today, they will go their separate ways, but will each continue to teach the art they themselves love to learn.
More information about Wright and Hoffman can be found at wiu.edu.