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Salle Green a modern and classical fencing school
2006 Thrust And Cut |
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-18
29 December 2006
1. CONGRATULATIONS TO COLBERT AND ARCHER: Brett Colbert (epee) and Sam Archer (sabre) entered their first electric competition on 4 March, the United States Fencing Association’s Virginia Division Youth Qualifiers for the Summer Nationals. This was a tough competition with a number of fencers holding Cs, Ds, and Es in both weapons entered. Both Brett and Sam scored touches, and each won one bout in their pools – Brett won his first direct elimination bout in Youth 14 Epee, finishing 8th in a field of 12. Very well done for the first time out for both.
2. CONGRATULATIONS TO COURTNEY PROTHERO: Courtney is now fencing in Charlotte, North Carolina. In her first epee tournament in the North Carolina Division she earned her E and placed highest of the women entered.
3. AMERICAN FENCING LEAGUE SABRE MEET: The Central Virginia Division of the American Fencing League will host an open dry sabre meet at Salle Green on Sunday, 18 March, starting at 10:00 am. Entry fee is $2.00. American Fencing League membership is required – ask for an application form in the Salle. Preregistration using FRED is required (no preregistration means no fencing). Even if you are not a sabre fencer we will need judges, scorekeeper, and timekeeper, so do not hesitate to come and help. The Salle will be open for normal open fencing following the conclusion of the meet, and we expect no disruption to our 1:00 sword and buckler class. To preregister go to: http://askfred.net/Events/Prereg/prereg.php?tournament_id=3550
4. ARE YOU USING YOUR E-FACTOR? Each month we post a list of how many bouts you have fenced in practice in the Salle, the number won, and touches scored and received. These are used to compute an E-Factor, a measure of how efficient you are in winning practice bouts. The more bouts you fence and win the higher the score, and the better your ratio of scored to received the higher the score. At this point in the season scores for competitive fencers should be in the 100 range each month – for recreational fencers any number is acceptable, but the higher the more dangerous you are to your opponents. By watching your numbers each month, you have a good idea of how you are progressing.
5. SALLE THREE WEAPON POINT CHAMPIONSHIPS: We also post regularly the current point totals for our Salle Annual Three Weapon Championships. You earn 1 point for last place in any competition (Salle, including the ladder, American Fencing League, or United States Fencing Association), and 1 more point for each place above last. The fencer with the most points on 1 August wins the Three Weapon Point Championships.
6. THE ONE THOUSANDTH LESSON: Not actually lesson number 1000, but lesson 1000 since we have been using our current tracking system, was taught in Classical Foil on 3 January to Linda Barrett.
7. YES, PENNIES COUNT: In the long term planning for the new Salle we have identified a wide range of things that we will need to complete the building and its outfitting. For example, a scoring machine (and we will need at least 4 more) is approximately $400, an overhead reel system approximately $250, a rack for weight sets costs … We have a box on the counter for pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, dollar pieces, etc., and a number of members have been dropping in bits of spare change. Every penny literally makes a difference in helping to furnish your new fencing home – and every penny is appreciated.
8. LADDER RESULTS: The November-January Ladder was not as hotly contested as some previous ladder tournaments, with the exception of the Classical Foilists who fought a full series of bouts, with the lead changing several times. Final results were:
CLASSICAL FOIL: 1st John Shields, 2nd Brian Ainley, 3rd Linda Barrett
SABRE: 1st Austin Ivey, 2nd Sam Archer, 3rd Ryan Pellegrino
EPEE: 1st Joseph Iaquinto, 2nd Pat Norman, 3rd James McMath
1 TOUCH EPEE: 1st Pat Norman. 2nd Brett Colbert, 3rd Minta Smith
9. NEW CLASSICAL RANKS: Congratulations to Linda Barrett for being the first Salle member to earn Classical Foil Rank 4, and to Kathleen McKenna for earning Rank 3. Brian Ainley and Jarrett Revels earned Rank 1 in Classical Foil.
10. JANUARY BEGINNERS CLASS: Conor Ginnell, Tiffany Mondilo, and Gabe Rush successfully completed the January Beginners Class at the end of February. Welcome to the world of fencing!
11. SURVEY: In your mail box at the Salle is a general survey – we would greatly appreciate your completing and returning it. Your input is very important to us, and to making sure that the Salle continues to develop its programs to meet your fencing needs.
12. INTERESTED IN THE AFL CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS YEAR? We have a couple of fencers who have expressed an interest in competing in the American Fencing Leagues dry championships. It means a trip across country and additional training, but if you are interested let Maitre Green know.
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-18
29 December 2006
1. WATCH FOOTBALL OR FENCE ON NEW YEARS DAY? Feeling sluggish from too much to eat and too little activity over the Holiday Season? Want to do something other than be a spectator for someone else's sport? Need to get back to fencing after too long off? Now you have the chance - come and fence. We will not be running our normal class schedule on New Years Day, but the Salle will offer a new competition, our first Welcome The New Year Meet. The rules are simple - show up at 2:00 pm ready to fence. We will fence until 3:15 pm. The fencer who fights the most 5 touch bouts by 3:15 pm is the winner. If there is a tie in number of bouts fenced, placing will be by number of bouts won, then by touches received, and finally by touches scored. You may fight bouts in foil, sabre, or epee, or any two, or all three.
2. OUTSTANDING RANKS AND LEVELS: If you have taken the practical for either a Modern Level or Classical or Historical Rank, it is time to take the written. The following fencers have practicals complete - for Epee Level 1, Brett Colbert and Eleanor Muse - for Classical Rank 1, Jarret Revels, Brian Ainley, and John Shields - for Classical Rank 3, Kathy McKenna - for Historical Scholar, Joseph Iaquinto, John Fauntleroy, Raymond Watson, and Terri Noll. And Linda Barrett is close to the practical for Classical Rank 4. Lets rise to the challenge and get these completed in January.
3. SALLE GREEN IS A BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU MEMBER: The Salle has been accepted for membership in the Better Business Bureau's Online Reliability Program. You can view our report by clicking on the BBB Online icon on the Salle website's front page. Although the Richmond BBB has not updated our report, the national listing shows that we were accepted as a Better Business Bureau member on 14 November 2006.
4. NAC C: For the first time ever the Salle was represented in a North American Cup circuit event at the Richmond NAC C. Jim McMath fenced in the very tough Veterans 60+ Men's Epee on 10 December - of 29 entries in the A2 classified event, a stunning 22 were classified C, B, or A. Jim placed 27th, fencing well against the elite of the nation's senior fencers.
5. UNITED STATES FENCING ASSOCIATION VIRGINIA MEET SCHEDULE FOR SPRING 2007: The following meets have been announced by the Virginia Division of the USFA:
6-7 January - Hangover Open in Richmond
20 January - Foil Referee Workshop and Open in Richmond
27-28 January - Ratings Rally location to be determined
10-11 February - Open location to be determined
24-25 February - Team Championships
3-4 March - Division II/III Championships
24-25 March - William and Mary Open in Williamsburg
6. MAITRE GREEN IS NEW USFCA TREASURER: Maitre Green has been elected by the Executive Committee of the United States Fencing Coaches Association to serve as the organization's treasurer for 2006-2008. As such he joins the leadership team of the national professional organization for fencing coaches, recognized as the United State's academy of arms by the Academie d'Armes Internationale and as the governing body for collegiate fencing coaches by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Maitre Green previously served as a member of the USFCA's Club Committee and was the author of the new entry level training program for coaches, the Assistant Moniteur program.
7. AND THE WATER KEPT RISING: As many of you know, we had a flood in December due to a plumbing problem in the building - many thanks to Brian Ainley for detecting the rising water and for helping in our flood fight actions (no, we did not build sandbag levees, but it was a near run thing with much of the armory underwater). Our landlord did a professional job of drying the carpet, and we have treated the carpet twice with an anti-bacterial agent to prevent any possibility of infection.
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-17
30 October 2006
1. HOW DO I GET TO BE A BETTER FENCER: That question is one any coach hears frequently. The answer is actually pretty simple, and it has six parts:
First - take lessons. Group lessons are important for all fencers, and should be taken on a regular basis. Group lessons offer a training dynamic that you do not get in individual lessons. And Individual lessons are critical for fencers who plan to develop their performance to a high level, because they allow detailed focus on a fencer's individual needs. Every fencer should take group lessons, and competitive fencers should take a mix of group and individual lessons.
Second - work to progress in the skills development programs we offer in the Salle. The process of testing gives you a look at the quality of your technique. And the knowledge test material helps you to know more about your sport.
Third - fence. You cannot get to be a better fencer if you do not fence. You should fence bouts at every possible occasion. Use the opportunity to fence that Saturday and Sunday open fencing provides. Never free fence. Never fence just to warm up. Always fight for 1 touch (classical and AFL epee), 5 touches (for everyone), or 15 touches (modern competitive fencers). Free fencing, warmup fencing, or just for fun fencing gives you no incentive to fight to your potential. Bouts for a score do. Make sure you record your bout results on our bout report form, so that you can track your progress.
Fourth - compete. You cannot get to be a better fencer if you do not test your ability against a variety of other fencers in competition. We offer competition in the Salle - our quarterly ladder tournaments, the Salle anniversary tournament, the Salle Championships. Everyone can fence in these. The next step up are American Fencing League meets - we host the meets for the Central Virginia Division, and they are fenced dry so you do not need electric equipment.
Fifth - practice at home. Doing advance, advance-lunge, retreat, retreat-lunge 20 times in the morning and 20 times at night at home will help your footwork. There are a wide variety of simple fencing exercises you can do that will help build your ability to move faster and more fluidly.
Sixth - build your general fitness. Every athlete needs strength, endurance, and flexibility training. Talk to Mtre. Green about how to do this - he can help you design a fitness program that will make a difference.
2. MOVEMENT PRACTICE: Is your footwork unsteady? Is your balance a bit off? Do your attacks miss more frequently than you would like? If so, come to our MOVEMENT PRACTICE next Saturday at 11:00 am. This session works at your own pace - so come with problems you need to correct, and get individual attention and instruction with frequent checks on your progress. Some of the objectives of this practice time include:
... practice basic movements under the supervision of an instructor who will help you correct flaws
... learn and use solo and partnered drills for basic movement, balance, and flow
... improve accuracy of your attacks with practice against moving opponents and static targets
... learn how to properly use our various targets
Cost is $1.00 (our standard lesson fee for Saturday or Sunday open fencing 5 minute lessons). The sessions are open to fencers at any stage of their development from Beginners Class members on up.
3. WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY GO? We charge for lessons, so what is all that money being used for? Well, our accounting software says that the breakout is as follows:
... 39.5% for RENT - just for an empty space for you to fence in and to run the lights on
... 35.2% for EQUIPMENT - for our beginners classes, weapons for competition fencers, weapons for historical classes
... 8% for ADVERTISING - to get more fencers in the door
... 6.5% for ADMINISTRATION - software to track your progress, print lesson plans, and run competitions; folders for your training records; etc.
... 5% for PROFESSIONAL - costs for the instructors to go to training to increase their skills
... the remaining approximately 6% pays for toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, paint, insurance, salle memberships in the US Fencing Association and American Fencing League, etc.
In short, roughly 81cents of every dollar you pay goes to keep the door open and provide equipment for you to fence, approximately 11 cents goes to increase the quality of your training, and 8 cents goes to promote fencing.
4. USING THE STATISTICS: Every two weeks we post three sets of data on the walls of the fencing floor to help you track your progress. What do these tell you:
... one set of pages is your record of practice bouts. Every bout you fence in practice should be logged on our daily bout report. The result is a report that tells you how many bouts you are fencing each month, how many you are winning and how many you lost, and what your touches scored are versus your touches received.
First - each month during a season you should fight more bouts - in the summer and first month 50 a month for competitive fencers, in September to December increasing to 100, and in January to March increasing to 200 if you are a serious competitive fencer. If you are primarily fencing in the Salle you should see increases, but the total does not need to be so high.
Second - one of the first indicators of developing proficiency you should see associated with the rise in numbers of bouts is an improvement in the difference between touches scored and those received. If scored is going up you should soon start winning more bouts. If received is going down you should be winning more bouts.
Third - then look at won versus lost. Ideally, you want to see more bouts fenced, with a higher percentage of won, an increasing number of hits scored, and a steady decline in hits received.
5. WHERE TO GO FROM HERE: A reminder:
... competitive fencers - the competition team practices at 8:00 pm on Tuesdays
... classical fencers - Mondays at 6:00 pm
... intermediate sabre - Wednesdays at 6:30 pm
... intermediate foil - Wednesdays at 7:30 pm
... intermediate epee - Thursdays at 7:00 pm
... historical swordspersons - Sunday at 1:00 pm
... for everyone - open fencing on Saturday 12:00 and Sunday 11:00. Our 5 minute concentrated lesson is still available for $1.00 during open fencing.
6. WELL DONE: Michael Workman fenced representing Salle Green at the Virginia Tech Open. In his first electric meet he placed 26th of 30 in a tough foil field. And on 22 October in the US Fencing Association Novice Meet (fencers with less than a year of competition), Robb White placed 10th and Michael Workman 11th in a field of 25.
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-16
5 October 2006
1. AFL MEETS THIS WEEKEND: The Central Virginia Division of the American Fencing League will host two events this weekend in the salle - AFL tournaments are an excellent way to start your competitive career in the formal environment of a fencing meet. Put all the training to use, and come fight.
PREP FOIL - SATURDAY at 1:00 PM - open to fencers who have not earned a Novice classification in foil or a Junior or higher classification in any weapon. To preregister go to FRED at http://askfred.net/Events/Prereg/prereg.php?tournament_id=2721.
OPEN ONE TOUCH EPEE - SUNDAY at 10:00 AM - open to all fencers. The highest classification awarded will be a Junior classification. To preregister go to FRED at http://askfred.net/Events/Prereg/prereg.php?tournament_id=2722.
AFL membership is required and costs $25.00 for the fencing year. Entry fee for each meet is $2.00. Fencers are reminded that long pants are required and plastrons (underarm protectors) are required (and the Salle has a loan supply). And preregistration is required - preregistration allows us to print the score sheets and be ready to start on time - so please go to FRED, follow the directions, and preregister - no preregistration, no fencing.
If you are not fencing in either event, we would certainly appreciate help in score keeping and judging.
If you have never used FRED (a tournament management system) before, here are the steps:
(1) when you go to the link for the tournament, click on the check mark icon to preregister
(2) enter your last name in the box that appears
(3) it will come back with a list of people, none of whom should be you - but check anyway
(4) click on the New Fencer Record hyperlink
(5) fill in the preregistration form:
........ under club, use the pull down to search for Salle Green
........ leave the USFA classifications as U
........ use the pull down to select Virginia as Division
........ go ahead and create a FRED account with a user name and password
........ do not check bout committee
(6) click the preregister button, and you should be in the system and registered for the event
2. KICKOFF RESULTS: Two fencers represented us at the US Fencing Association's Virginia Division Kickoff Open. Courtney Prothero placed 9th in a field of 17 in Women's Epee and had an excellent pool round, and Robb White placed 79th of 118 in the Mixed Foil, a very respectable performance in his 5th meet.
3. THE FIRST GERMAN INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN STAGE FENCING: Four of our fencers competed in Berlin on 15-17 September in the major international stage fencing competition of the year - 15 teams entered representing 7 countries. Joseph Iaquinto, Terri Noll, John Fauntleroy, and Ray Watson presented in both Ancient and Medieval (a routine of German longsword and sword and buckler) placing tied at 11th, and in Grand Siecle (portraying the Grand Salute as a background vignette) placing 10th. This was the Salle's first ever international team competition, the first international experience for our fencers, and our first look at how escrime artistique is played in the international arena. Our historical competition team, the Noble Company of the Sword, carried themselves well, worked hard, and represented all of you in a way we can all be proud of - well done!
4. SCHEDULE POSTED FOR HISTORICAL SWORDSMANSHIP CLASSES: We now have up on the website a schedule for historical classes for this year - Poleaxe starts in November. These are 8 week classes intended to provide basic familiarity with the weapon - additional training is available, either as individual or group lessons, for those with serious interest in any weapon on the list. To see what is coming, go to http://www.sallegreen.com/escrime.html.
5. CLASSICAL EPEE AND SABRE: Two of our fencers have started working in classical epee (Linda Barrett) and classical sabre (Ray Watson) - this will help develop lesson plans and teaching approaches for future classes in these two weapons.
6. FAREWELL AND BEST WISHES: Three of our dedicated fencers are departing and will be sorely missed. Emily Bryner - epee team and Noble Company of the Sword - has moved to Atlanta to go back to school. Not only was she part of our first ever Nationals Women's Epee Team, but she also served as music master for Team Berlin, producing an authentic medieval score for the fight scene. Courtney Prothero - Nationals Women's Epee Team - and Troy Prothero - classical foil - are completing a move to Salisbury, North Carolina, this week as a result of a significant job promotion for Troy to his corporate headquarters. We wish you all success in your new directions, hope you keep fencing, and count on you coming to visit the next time you come through Richmond.
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-15
1 September 2006
IF YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR LABOR DAY TO GET BACK TO FENCING - ITS TIME
1. NEW BEGINNER'S COURSES: This coming week we start two new Beginner's Courses and a new 8 week introductory course in historical fencing. Dates and times are as follows:
Tuesday evening 5 September - Beginner's Course - 8 sessions - starting at 7:00 pm.
Saturday morning 9 September - Beginner's Course - 8 sessions - starting at 10:00 am.
Sunday afternoon 10 September - Medieval Longsword - 8 sessions - starting at 1:30 pm.
Come dressed in comfortable athletic clothing with athletic shoes.
2. THIS WEEKEND: We are operating a normal schedule in the Salle:
Saturday - open fencing - 12:00 noon to approximately 1:00 pm.
Sunday - Escrime Artistique Team Berlin practice - 10:00 am followed by cookout at Terri Noll's house and additional work.
Sunday - open fencing - 11:00 to approximately 12:30 pm.
Saturday and Sunday - lesson time available by appointment.
Monday - lessons as scheduled
Monday - Classical Foil Class - 6:00 pm
Monday - Beginner's Course - 7:00 pm
Monday - Team Berlin Practice - 8:00 pm
3. LADDER TOURNAMENT: The August-October ladder is running. The new Classical Foil ladder is getting the heaviest work, with 5 of 6 participants having fenced bouts. If you are not on a ladder, consider signing up - there is still time. Bouts can be fenced at any time, and the ladder gives you a reason to fence with all the members of the Salle.
4. COMPETITION RESULTS: At the US Fencing Associations first meet of the season in Charlottesville Charles Wendt placed 21st of 29 in the Unrated Foil competition and Courtney Prothero placed 36th of 40 in the D and Under Epee. At the American Fencing League's August Sabre Meet, Raymond Watson placed 1st and earned a Junior rating, Joseph Iaquinto placed 2nd, and Robb White placed 3rd and earned a Novice rating, out of 10 fencers.
5. TRAINING SOFTWARE: In a long process of seeking an ideal solution to maintaining training records for our fencers, the transition from handwritten paper records to a database system is complete. The initial Access version tracks all lessons taught, specific conditioning activities, and bouts fenced for each fencer - more features, including goal tracking and training program design are in work. The net result is better access to data for both the coaching staff and individual fencers.
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-14
16 August 2006
1. EPEE MINI-CAMP: If you are an epee fencer, or want to become one, we will be running a mini-camp on Saturday, 19 August, from 9:00 am to about 4:30 pm to work specifically on epee. The intent is to take fencers through our Level 1 and Level 2 knowledge and skill requirements, with an emphasis on integrating skills into tactics. Cost is $20.00 not including lunch.
2. CONGRATULATIONS TO JOSEPH IAQUINTO: He is the first individual certified by the United States Fencing Coaches Association in its new Assistant Fencing Instructor training program. The program was designed by Maitres d'Armes Vinnie Bradford (of San Antonio, Texas) and Walter Green (of Salle Green) and approved by the USFCA's Certification and Accreditation Board as a first step in developing professional coaches. Joseph has already started work on certification requirements for Moniteur.
3. SALLE GREEN RECOGNIZED AS GUILD ACADEMY: Salle Green has been recognized by the United States Fencing Coaches Association as a Guild Academy, and we now proudly include the Guild Academy logo on our web page. The Guild Academy program recognizes fencing clubs that meet the gold standards of having a professional coach at the Prevost or Maitre level, all coaches as members of the USFCA, all coaches subscribing to the United States Olympic Committee's standards of ethical conduct for coaches, and coaches participating in regular continuing education.
4. BERLIN TEAM PRACTICE ON FRIDAY: We will be open for a Berlin Team practice on Friday at 5:30.
5. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FENCING: This weekend and through the rest of the month we will be operating on normal weekend hours (12:00 noon on Saturday and 11:00 am on Sunday).
6. LADDER TOURNAMENT: All fencers are reminded that the August-October ladder tournament is now underway. You can fence ladder bouts in conjunction with regular class sessions or during weekend fencing. If you have not signed up for one of the ladders (Foil, Classical Foil, Sabre, Epee, 1 Touch Epee), do so, fence, and enjoy the friendly, but intense, competition.
7. USFA MEMBERSHIPS: We have application forms for membership for 2006-2007 in the United States Fencing Association. We recommend USFA membership to all our members for four reasons: (1) if you want to fence in amateur electric state level competition you have to be a member, (2) the American Fencing magazine provides a window on the world of our sport with a variety of interesting and useful information, (3) the accident insurance policy covers you when fencing or en route to or from fencing (admittedly with a $500 deductible), and (4) membership supports the sport - very important to such things as our continued participation in the Olympics and television coverage of our athletes. When you get your membership card, make certain to bring it in so that we can make a copy for your file.
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-13
6 August 2006
1. AUGUST CLOSING: The Salle will be closed on 11-13th. Maitre Green is attending the United States Fencing Coaches Association annual conference in Evanston, Illinois.
2. AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER BEGINNERS CLASSES: Upcoming Beginner's Classes are scheduled to start as follows for August and September at our facility at 11058 Washington Highway:
7 August (Monday) at 7:00 pm
5 September (Tuesday) at 7:00 pm
10 September (Saturday) at 10:00 am
3. SALLE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Salle 2005-2006 Championships ended on 31 July, with the following results:
Salle Three Weapons Champion - Joseph Iaquinto (determined based on points earned in all competitions during the year.
Salle Team Champions - Silver Team (Courtney Prothero, Raymond Watson, Michael Workman)
Salle Classical Foil Championships - The Masters of Defence Challenge:
1st - John Shields
2nd - Robb White
3rd - Michael Workman
4th - Courtney Prothero
Foil Championships:
1st - Joseph Iaquinto
2nd - James McMath
3rd - Michael Workman
4th - Courtney Prothero
Sabre Championships:
1st - Raymond Watson
2nd - Joseph Iaquinto
Epee Championships:
1st - Courtney Prothero
1st - James McMath
2nd - Raymond Watson
3rd - Joseph Iaquinto
One Touch Epee Championships:
1st - Courtney Prothero
2nd - Emily Bryner
3rd - Raymond Watson
4. WEAPONS FOR BERLIN: The remaining steel weapons for the Escrime Artistique team headed to Berlin are due in on this Monday. We have three different patterns - those who pay the final payment for the weapons get choice in the order of payment.
5. AUGUST-OCTOBER LADDER: Registration for participation in the August-October Ladder is open in Foil, Classical Foil, Epee, 1 Touch Epee, and Sabre. Classical Foil is a new addition this quarter. Seeding on the ladder for the first round of the 2006-2007 season will be by random draw. You may fence one or two fencers above you on the resulting list at any time - in class bouting or by appointment or on weekend open fencing. If you win you take their place. At the end of the three month period, the order of the ladder will determine the order of finish.
6. MAY-JULY LADDER RESULTS: The final placings in the May-July 2006 Ladder were as follows:
Foil:
1st - Emily Bryner
2nd - Joseph Iaquinto
Sabre:
1st - Raymond Watson
2nd - Courtney Prothero
3rd - Joseph Iaquinto
Epee:
1st - James McMath
2nd - Emily Bryner
3rd - John Fauntleroy
One Touch Epee:
1st - Joseph Iaquinto
2nd - Emily Bryner
3rd - Courtney Prothero
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-12
28 July 2006
1. SALLE CHAMPIONSHIPS WRAP UP: If you have entered the Salle Championships and have not fought all your bouts, this Sunday is the last chance. In addition, members of Gold, Silver, and Black teams have team matches to fight. At the end of Sunday's open fencing we will award the Championships for 2006.
2. SALLE SCHEDULE THIS WEEKEND: The Salle will not open for Open Fencing on Saturday due to a conflicting commitment. On Sunday, Team Berlin will meet at 10:00, followed by open fencing at 11:00.
3. ONE DOLLAR LESSON WEEKEND SPECIAL: Do you have a problem with your technique? Need some focused attention to one particular flaw or opportunity? Or just want to be worked fast and hard for 5 minutes? Short, intense 5 minute lessons with a focus on one specific technique will be available to Salle members for $1.00 at open fencing. The price is right, you will work hard, and you get undivided attention on how to make one thing work better for you. Come either with a specific problem in mind, or take the standard lesson of the day.
4. AUGUST CLOSING: The Salle will be closed on 11-13th. Maitre Green is attending the United States Fencing Coaches Association annual conference in Evanston, Illinois.
5. DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO LEARN HOW TO FENCE? Our August Beginner's Class starts on 7 August at 7:00 pm and runs for 8 consecutive Monday nights. In September we will run both a Tuesday night class and a Saturday morning class (at 10:00 am).
6. MINI-CLINICS: Do you want to spend a Saturday in August working on technique in your weapon to take you to the next level in our Salle Skill Level program? We have both time and space to run at least two and possibly three 8 hour mini-clinics in August - with a solid day devoted to skill development and the knowledge required at each level. If you are interested, please immediately contact Maitre Green at wgreen@sallegreen.com.
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-11
22 July 2006
1. SALLE SCHEDULE THIS WEEKEND: Saturday schedule will be open fencing at 12:00 noon. On Sunday the Salle will be in use for the American Fencing League meet at 10:00 am. This is a double elimination meet and should not run past noon, so regular open fencing will be at noon, followed by Escrime Artistique at 1:30 pm.
2. NATIONALS: We are very proud of our fencers who made the trip to Atlanta for the Summer Nationals. In Division III Men's Foil, Joseph Iaquinto placed 188th of 211, a respectable first time showing, especially considering that he was fencing injured. Our Senior Men's Epee Team (Joseph Iaquinto, John Fauntleroy, and Raymond Watson) won their first match, lost their second against the number 1 seeded team, and placed 32 of 33. The Senior Women's Epee Team (Terri Noll, Courtney Prothero, and Emily Bryner) lost their direct elimination match 44-41, placing 18th of 19. The first time at the Nationals is a real experience, and your Salle mates did a great job of representing you, especially considering that all were in their first year of competitive fencing.
3. TEAM BERLIN: The Escrime Artistique team is working very hard to prepare for the First International German Championship in Stage Fencing in Berlin in September. The Grand Siecle performance (based on the Grand Salute circa 1900) is in shape, and the major elements of the Medieval Longsword and Sword and Buckler performance are almost all defined. In August we will be doing demonstrations for the rest of the Salle to get the team used to working in front of an audience - dates and times to be announced, so please come.
4. AFL DIVISION CHARTERED: The Central Virginia Division has been chartered by the American Fencing League. All Salle members who are AFL members will be receiving further information on next steps.
5. AFL THREE WEAPON MEET: On Sunday, 23 July, at 10:00 the Salle will host an AFL 3 Weapon Meet, fenced by double elimination. If you plan to compete and have not signed up, please do so now on FRED: http://askfred.net/Events/Prereg/prereg.php?tournament_id=2151. Entry fee is $2.00. No preregistration = no fencing.
6. SALLE STORE: If you are looking for Salle T-Shirts, we have a limited supply of medium and small T-Shirts available for $16.00 in the Salle. However, a full range of T-Shirts for each of the weapons is available at our Cafe Press storefront at http://www.cafepress.com/sallegreen.
7. CHECK YOUR MAILBOX: Please check your mail boxes at the Salle. There is an important letter about payment policies that makes some changes as to how we will operate as a business. Also in your box this week will be an up to date review of your account. Please review that account statement, and call any errors to Maitre Green's attention. Because we are currently carrying an extensive number of unpaid invoices, effective 1 August those who have unpaid invoices over 30 days old will be asked to refrain from fencing until the invoice is paid. If you have circumstances that limit your ability to pay, please contact Maitre Green to see how we can come to a resolution that meets your circumstances and allows the Salle to continue forward - our goal is to have people who love the sport fencing, and to have a Salle that can afford to offer the best possible facilities for learning and fighting.
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-10
16 June 2006
1. SALLE SCHEDULE THIS WEEKEND: Saturday schedule will be Escrime Artistique at 11:00 am, followed by open fencing at 12:00 noon. Sunday the Salle will be in use for the American Fencing League meet.
2. PREREGISTER FOR AFL: If you have not registered already, use the FRED link and preregister today for the Novice Foil and Novice Epee events this weekend. No entries will be accepted that have not preregistered. If you do not plan to fence, but are available on Sunday, we will definitely need judges and scorekeepers. Go to http://askfred.net/Events/Prereg/prereg.php?tournament_id=2141 to preregister.
3. ESCRIME ARTISTIQUE WEAPONS: As mentioned to most of the members on Team Berlin, our expected source for steel weapons for the trip informed us that they will be unable to fill the order. Our alternate source assures us that they can and suggested the following two weapons as possibilities:
Stock number #209 Fechtbuch Sword—Training Grade, viewable at http://www.armor.com/train209.html
Stock number #204 Fechterspiel Sword—Training Grade, at http://www.armor.com/train204.html.
Arms and Armor assure us of a six week delivery schedule, which should put the weapons in hand at the end of July. They recommend the Fechterspiel weapon as it is a little lighter than the Fechtbuch model. These weapons have a completely blunt bullnose edge and are modeled after existing steel practice weapons from the period. We plan to make a final determination based on your input and order on the coming Monday.
4. JULY CLOSURE: The Salle will be closed on 5 and 6 July. Normal classes will not be conducted on 4 July, but appointments are available for lessons.
5. ONE DOLLAR LESSON WEEKEND SPECIAL: Do you have a problem with your technique? Need some focused attention to one particular flaw or opportunity? Or just want to be worked fast and hard for 5 minutes? Starting this weekend, short, intense 5 minute lessons with a focus on one specific technique will be available to Salle members for $1.00 at each open fencing. The price is right, you will work hard, and you get undivided attention on how to make one thing work better for you. Come either with a specific problem in mind, or take the standard lesson of the day.
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-9
9 June 2006
1. THIS WEEKEND'S SCHEDULE: The Salle will be open normal hours for opening fencing on Saturday (starting at 12:00 noon) and on Sunday (starting at 11:00 am). The Escrime Artistique class will meet at 1:00 pm on Sunday. We do have members of the competition team out at foil, sabre, and epee over the weekend, but we are staying open on competition days to meet the needs of our growing body of fencers.
2. ONE DOLLAR LESSON WEEKEND SPECIAL: Do you have a problem with your technique? Need some focused attention to one particular flaw or opportunity? Or just want to be worked fast and hard for 5 minutes? Starting this weekend, short, intense 5 minute lessons with a focus on one specific technique will be available to Salle members for $1.00 at each open fencing. The price is right, you will work hard, and you get undivided attention on how to make one thing work better for you. Come either with a specific problem in mind, or take the standard lesson of the day.
3. UPCOMING AMERICAN FENCING LEAGUE TOURNAMENTS: The Central Virginia AFL will be sponsoring tournaments at Salle Green in June and July. Preregistration is required - no one will be accepted at the door. AFL is using FRED, an online tournament registration system, to handle preregistrations; a link is included at each event below for preregistration.
18 June Novice Foil (open to Novice and Prep classified fencers) - 10:00 am - pools promote to a final pool.
18 June Novice One Touch Epee (open to Novice and Prep classified fencers) - 1:00 pm - pool unique.
Preregistration link is http://askfred.net/Events/Prereg/prereg.php?tournament_id=2141.
23 July Three Weapon Individual - 10:00 am - fenced double elimination - each fencer fences foil, 1 touch epee, and sabre in order against the opponent in the draw.
Preregistration link is http://askfred.net/Events/Prereg/prereg.php?tournament_id=2151
4. HOW DO I USE FRED? FRED allows you to preregister online for tournaments:
(1) Go to the preregistration link provided in this newsletter.
(2) If you have not already registered as a FRED user, up will pop a box asking you to enter your last name.
(3) Enter your name and click GO.
(4) FRED will offer choices of people already registered with your name - use the pull down to make sure you have not already been registered.
(5) Click on the link for create a new fencer record.
(6) Complete the entire form (including to create an account) and you are in FRED - your club is Salle Green (and we are on the pull down) and your Division is Virginia.
(7) Go ahead and register for the event.
5. TEAM MATCHES NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE SALLE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: If you are a member of Black, Gold, or Silver, your team needs to complete at least one team match in the Salle Team Championships. We need to complete this by the end of June, so teams, please get with your opponents and agree on a day to fence. Matches remaining are:
Black versus Gold
Black versus Silver
Green has completed all of its matches.
As a reminder team rosters are:
Silver - Raymond Watson, Courtney Prothero, Michael Workman
Black - Terri Noll, Minta Smith, Charles Wendt
Gold - John Fauntleroy, Samuel Poad, Robb White
6. AFL PREP AND NOVICE EPEE: We had an excellent turnout for our second American Fencing League Event on 28 May - 13 fencers for Prep Epee and 15 for Novice Epee. With 78 bouts in Prep and 105 in Novice, organization was the key, and referees Joseph Iaquinto, Raymond Watson, and Troy Prothero did a superb job of managing the flow - the result was 183 bouts fenced on two pistes in 4 hours, and that included the time between the two events to compute the final standings. Individual fencers made a major contribution to this by cooperating to keep both pistes fully staffed with judges, so that there were no delays in starting bouts. Medalists were:
Prep Epee:
1st Place - Ke Ma (earned Novice Classification)
2nd Place - Walter Green (earned Novice Classification)
3rd Place - Michael Workman (earned Novice Classification)
Novice Epee:
1st Place - Joseph Iaquinto (earned Junior Classification)
1st Place - Raymond Watson (earned Junior Classification)
3rd Place - Ke Ma
7. WHAT ARE THESE AFL CLASSIFICATIONS? All American Fencing League members enter as Prep classified fencers for their first year of fencing as an AFL member. After completion of a year, you are automatically reclassified as a Novice. You can also earn Novice by winning a medal in a Prep competition. Classifications above Novice - Junior, Intermediate, and Senior are earned by winning or placing in higher level tournaments.
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-8
12 May 2006
1. THIS WEEKEND'S SCHEDULE: The Salle will be open normal hours for opening fencing on Saturday (starting at 12:00 noon) and on Sunday (starting at 11:00 am). Escrime Artistique will meet at 1:00 pm on Sunday. Team Berlin will meet at 10:00 on Sunday.
2. HOW DO I GET TO BE A BETTER FENCER? Yes, people do ask this question. There are three key elements to becoming a better fencer:
a. Take lessons - group lessons or individual lessons (each has certain advantages and plays a role in your development). A regular schedule of lessons is critical to being a better fencer.
b. Do drills and exercises - when your coach assigns a drill or exercise for practice at home do it - the coach is not just talking to make himself heard. Excellence comes from daily practice and work on fundamental skills that do not require a partner, but that do require your concentrated effort. Don't just go through the motions. Make every effort to make each element perfect.
c. Fence - fence 5 touch bouts against opponents, and fence as many of them as you can on open fencing days (at least 10-15 bouts is a reasonable target). A reasonable target is 100 bouts a month. And fence as many of them as you can in a competition environment - it is never too early to start fencing in competition, and the Salle's wide variety of internal competitions and the AFL meets we sponsor offer excellent opportunities to grow before you venture into amateur competition. Strangely enough, fencers learn to compete by competing ... and the entire nature of fencing is competition against another person with steel in his or her hands.
3. AMERICAN FENCING LEAGUE EPEE MEET: The Salle will host a Central Virginia AFL Epee Tournament on Saturday, 20 May, starting with Prep Epee at 10:00, followed by Novice Epee at 11:00. AFL membership is required to fence, and application forms are available in the Salle office. Annual AFL dues are $25.00 and cover through July 2007.
PREREGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Go to FRED at http://askfred.net/Events/Prereg/prereg.php?tournament_id=2085, and follow the directions. Fencers who already hold a Novice classification in Epee only fence in the second event, the Novice Epee. Fencers who are Prep fencers (in other words, not yet Novice classified), can fence in both events. Registration fee is $2.00 to cover the cost of medals and is paid at the door.
4. SALLE LADDER TOURNAMENT: The May-July Ladder will start on Saturday. If you have not yet registered for the ladder competition, you may do so on our registration page at http://www.sallegreen.com/competitions.html (under the Ongoing Competitions line) or you may sign up on Saturday. There is no penalty for late entries, but if you start after the start, you automatically start at the bottom of the ladder.
The Ladder Tournament is an ongoing event over the next three months. You may challenge fencers who are 1, 2, or 3 places above you on the ladder - if you beat them, you take their place and bump them 1 place down. Bouts can be fenced in conjunction with classes or during open fencing on the weekends or at any time the Salle is open.
5. REMINDER - TEAM BERLIN: Interviews for the Escrime Artistique Team for the Erste Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaft im Szenischen Fechten in September will be held this coming Monday at 8:00 pm in the Salle.
6. ONE DOLLAR LESSON WEEKEND SPECIAL: Do you have a problem with your technique? Need some focused attention to one particular flaw or opportunity? Or just want to be worked fast and hard for 5 minutes? Short, intense 5 minute lessons with a focus on one specific technique are available to Salle members for $1.00 at each open fencing. Students agree the price is right, you will work hard, and you get undivided attention on how to make one thing work better for you. Come either with a specific problem in mind, or take the standard lesson of the day.
7. FENCING MEMBERSHIP: It costs money to run the Salle and to provide the equipment and services you use. We do have some fencers who are now only coming for weekend open fencing. Effective this weekend we are instituting a Fencing Membership for the weekend fencer priced at a level that you can afford, but that will help us meet our costs. Four weekend days (either day) are available for $30.00.
8. RESULTS: Final standings for the February-April Ladder tournament are:
LADDER FOIL:
1st - Joseph Iaquinto
2nd - Emily Bryner
3rd - Kelley Wendy
4th - Courtney Prothero
5th - Charles Wendt
6th - Michael Workman
7th - Samuel Poad
8th - Robb White
9th - John Fauntleroy
10th Troy Prothero
11th - Minta Smith
12th - Kevin Neilson
LADDER EPEE:
1st - Joseph Iaquinto
2nd - Emily Bryner
3rd - Raymond Watson
4th - Courtney Prothero
5th - John Fauntleroy
6th - Kevin Neilson
7th - Samuel Poad
8th - Terri Noll
9th - James McMath
LADDER ONE TOUCH EPEE:
1st - Joseph Iaquinto
2nd - Raymond Watson
3rd - Courtney Prothero
4th - Emily Bryner
5th - Samuel Poad
6th - Kevin Neilson
7th - Terri Noll
8th - John Fauntleroy
9th - James McMath
LADDER SABRE:
1st - Joseph Iaquinto
2nd - Raymond Watson
3rd - Kevin Neilson
4th - Minta Smith
5th - Samuel Poad
6th - C. R. Croson
This quarter we initiated an end of the quarter tournament in each of our Intermediate classes. The goal is to provide fencers who are only fencing in our Intermediate program a competition experience and to give them more familiarity with judging, refereeing, time keeping, and score keeping. Results for the April Intermediate Tournaments were:
INTERMEDIATE FOIL:
1st - Kelsi Callahan
2nd - Josh Ernst
3rd - Lindsey Carr
INTERMEDIATE EPEE:
1st - Joseph Iaquinto
2nd - John Fauntleroy
3rd - Ethan Cover
4th - Austin Renshaw
5th - James Renshaw
6th - Emily Bryner
7th - Eleanor Muse
8th - Alex Woerner
9th - Brett Colbert
INTERMEDIATE SABRE:
1st - Raymond Watson
2nd - Alex Snyder
3rd - Thomas Watson
4th - C. R. Croson
5th - Joseph Vandersyde
6th - Sam Archer and Taylor Watson (substitute)
7th - Ryan Pellegrino
8th - Austin Ivey
9th - Josh Ernst
10th - Minta Smith
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-7
28 April 2006
1. THIS WEEKEND'S SCHEDULE: The Salle will be open normal hours for opening fencing on Saturday (starting at 12:00 noon) and on Sunday (starting at 11:00 am). Escrime Artistique will meet at 1:00 pm on Sunday. We do have members of the competition team out at foil, sabre, and epee over the weekend, but we are going to start staying open on competition days to meet the needs of our growing body of fencers.
2. ONE DOLLAR LESSON WEEKEND SPECIAL: Do you have a problem with your technique? Need some focused attention to one particular flaw or opportunity? Or just want to be worked fast and hard for 5 minutes? Starting this weekend, short, intense 5 minute lessons with a focus on one specific technique will be available to Salle members for $1.00 at each open fencing. The price is right, you will work hard, and you get undivided attention on how to make one thing work better for you. Come either with a specific problem in mind, or take the standard lesson of the day.
3. SALLE CLOSED 5-7 MAY: The Salle will be closed 5-7 May, as Maitre Green will be out of town attending the Pan American Fencing Academy competition foil coaching seminar in San Antonio. Every fencing professional has an obligation to engage in regular continuing education to provide his or her students the most current techniques, and this is one of three training opportunities that Maitre Green has scheduled for his professional development each year. Special teams (our Teams for Nationals and the Berlin Team) will meet at the Salle as scheduled by their captains.
4. SALLE CHAMPIONSHIPS: Have you signed up yet for the Salle Championships? Starting on 1 May and running through 30 June we will fight our Salle Championships. The format is a pool unique in Foil, Epee, Sabre, and One Touch Epee. In addition, our classical fencers will have their equivalent to the Salle Championships running, the Masters of Defence Challenge in foil (our classical meets are all named for professional fencing guilds of the 1500-1600s). Entry fee is $1.00 for each weapon to help meet the cost of awards.
Bouts in the Championships can be fenced at any time - weekend open fencing, during bout time at the end of each class session, or by prior arrangement at the Salle at a convenient time for the two fencers. You can sign up either using the registration sheet in your mail box, or available at the desk in a holder, or by registering online at our competition registration page for Salle events: http://www.sallegreen.com/competitions.html.
People often ask "I have only been fencing for 2 months, should I enter this competition?" In a word, YES. You get better at fencing by taking lessons; you get better at fencing by doing training drills; and you get better at fencing by ... fencing. Two out of three or one out of three does not get you better - you need all of them working together. The nature of fencing is that two fencers cross swords in an attempt to defeat the other fencer. When you fence in a competition format, win or lose, the fact that it is a competition, and that medals and bragging rights are at stake, makes any fencer put more effort into the contest.
So, if you have not signed up, sign up, now. Fencing starts 1 May, next Monday.
5. NEXT BEGINNER'S CLASS: Our next Beginner's Class starts Tuesday, 2 May, at 7:00 pm in the Salle. Come dressed in comfortable clothes and wearing athletic shoes.
6. INTERMEDIATE CLASS TOURNAMENTS: We have ongoing tournaments in our three Intermediate classes in Foil, Epee, and Sabre - full results will be in the next newsletter. These events provide training in how to fence in competition and how to judge and scorekeep. They give our more experienced fencers an opportunity to develop their skills as referees. And they give everyone a chance to start to develop the ability to see and understand what the action is - who attacks, who defends, what techniques they use. These skills are important enough that we will plan to run similar events once a quarter.
7. THE NEXT AFL TOURNAMENT: Salle Green will host a Central Virginia American Fencing League tournament on Saturday morning, 20 May, at 10:00 am. Two back to back events are scheduled in Epee - a Prep Epee (the Epee fencers who earned Novice ratings at our first Prep Epee event are not eligible to compete), followed by a Novice Epee (in which everyone, including the Novice rating holders, can compete). AFL Epee is one touch, so the events will run quickly. We encourage everyone who fences Epee to take part.
Entry fee for each event is $2.00. This pays for medals and contributes toward the Central Virginia AFL being able to undertake a number of activities once officially recognized as an AFL Division (which we expect will come in August of this year). AFL membership ($25.00 through July 2007) is required to fence.
8. TEAM BERLIN: The Captains of the Noble Company of the Sword (our Escrime Artistique competition team) have met and established criteria for selection for Team Berlin for the Erste Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaft im Szenischen Fechten. Candidates must:
Be 16 years old or older on January 1st of this year.
Demonstrate maturity and a concern for safety at all times.
Be able to meet twice a week for training sessions.
Training sessions are being held on Monday at 8:00-9:00 pm, Thursdays at 8:00-9:00 pm, and Sundays from 10:00-11:00 am. Team selection will be made on Monday, 15 May at 8:00 pm with interviews at the Salle. Acceptance on the team may include alternates based on the number of members finally required for the scenarios the team will present in Berlin.
Team members must as soon as possible:
Provide clothing measurements.
Complete the application form for the event, and deposit the entry fee (5 Euros per event).
Provide emergency contact information and have parental consent forms completed (in English and German).
Start the passport application process - this can take several months.
Be prepared to pay for air fare.
Provide a nonrefundable deposit for your longsword - $150.00 to the order of Salle Green. And be ready to make the remainder of the $400 payment in June.
Be ready to start paying for the cost of clothing.
The team is already hard at work practicing our scenarios for Medieval and Grand Siecle, and one of these should be ready to demonstrate as a formal opening for the 20 May AFL tournament.
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-6
14 April 2006
1. OUR FIRST AFL MEET: On Sunday, 9 April, we hosted the first American Fencing League meet conducted on the East Coast, with 12 fencers in the Prep Foil competition and 6 fencers in Prep One Touch Epee. Both events were hard fought, with fencers rising a step or two above what we normally see in our weekend fencing bouts. Sportsmanship was excellent, and all of the fencers showed considerable patience with their fellow fencers as they learned how to calibrate their eyes and understanding of actions for dry fencing. We had the pleasure of Joseph Iaquinto's father Joe joining us, fencing unattached, and he proved to be a fast and technically very proficient opponent. We also had a number of fencers participating in their first formal tournaments - John and Sam Poad, Michael Workman, Minta Smith, and Jarrett Revels all deserve credit for taking the big step up to the next level from our much more informal Salle events. The unanimous comments were that the meet ran well, with no down time between rounds, and that the fencers enjoyed themselves ... a lot.
Foil results:
1st - Joseph Iaquinto
2nd - Joseph Iaquinto (unattached)
3rd - Raymond Watson
4th - Courtney Prothero
5th - Charles Wendt
6th - Jonathan Iaquinto
7th - Kelley Wendt
8th - Michael Workman
9th - John Poad
9th - Sam Poad
11th - Minta Smith
12th - Jarrett Revels
One Touch Epee results:
1st - Raymond Watson
2nd - Terri Noll
3rd - Joseph Iaquinto
4th - Courtney Prothero
5th - Michael Workman
6th - Jonathan Iaquinto
New classifications earned in Foil:
Joseph Iaquinto (Salle Green) - Novice
Joseph Iaquinto (unattached) - Novice
Raymond Watson (Salle Green) - Novice
New classifications earned in Epee:
Raymond Watson (Salle Green) - Novice
Terri Noll (Salle Green) - Novice
Joseph Iaquinto (Salle Green) - Novice
2. WEEKEND REMINDER: We are on our normal weekend schedule this weekend - with open fencing on Saturday at 12 noon and on Sunday at 11:00 am. Escrime Artistique is at 1:00 pm on Sunday.
3. AND FOIL QUALIFIERS FOR NATIONALS: When all the computations were completed, our Men's Foil Team joined our Men's Epee and Women's Epee Teams in qualifying for the Summer Nationals in Senior Team competition. Congratulations to the fencers who made that possible - Joseph Iaquinto, Robb White, and John Fauntleroy. In addition, Joseph Iaquinto qualified for Division III Men's Foil.
4. AFL SCHEDULE: We will be hosting one AFL meet each month during the remainder of the summer - one touch epee in May, foil and one touch epee in June, Sabre in July, and three weapon in August. An updated schedule will be out shortly.
5. SALLE CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE: Over the next three months we will be running our Salle Championships in Foil, Epee, Sabre, and One Touch Epee. We will conduct a Classical meet at the same time to serve as the Classical Foil Championships. All of these events will be fenced by the participants scheduling their bouts during normal practice periods, at the end of classes, etc. In addition, we have our team championships to conclude. Instructions on how to sign up will be out this coming week, with a planned start on 1 May.
6. ESCRIME ARTISTIQUE PRIZE PLAYING: As part of preparation for the First German International Championships in Stage Fencing, we will hold the public test for Scholar for our Escrime Artistique Team in May. The candidates have to present a 30 second scenario that shows mastery of Longsword technique. We are looking for volunteer judges and timekeeper for this event, so if you are interested, please contact Maitre Green.
7. FINISHED A BEGINNER COURSE AND NOT SURE WHERE TO GO? You are always welcome, and we encourage you to continue your fencing education. If you are having a hard time matching your schedule and ours, please contact Maitre Green at 804-241-0972 - we can work out something that will help you continue to fence. There is a lot going on in the Salle, and there are plenty of ways to fit in. Our current class sessions are:
Classical Foil - Monday nights at 6:00 pm.
Intermediate Sabre - Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm.
Intermediate Foil - Wednesday nights at 7:30 pm.
Intermediate Epee - Thursday nights at 7:00 pm
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-5
3 April 2006
1. MARCH BEGINNERS COURSE: Our March Beginners Course starts this Monday evening at 7:00 pm at the Salle's facility at 11058 Washington Highway in Glen Allen. Cost for the 8 week, 8 session course is $90.00, including the use of all required equipment (which the Salle supplies). The first five 1 hour classes give the beginner a basic introduction to foil, followed by 1 lesson in sabre and 1 lesson in epee. The course closes with a class tournament.
2. EPEE TEAMS QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS: For the first time in the Salle's history we will be sending teams to the Summer Nationals in July. Our Women's Epee Team (Terri Noll, Captain, Courtney Prothero, Emily Bryner, and Kelley Wendt) and our Men's Epee Team (Joseph Iaquinto, Captain, Raymond Watson, John Fauntleroy, and Jonathan Iaquinto) both placed fourth in the Virginia Division's team qualifiers for fencing's national championships, earning the trip to the Summer Nationals in Atlanta. Two touches separated the Women from third place (40-42 against Charlottesville Fencing Alliance), and the Men achieved a satisfying victory over the Richmond Fencing Club's Senior Team (45-34). Everyone felt the team format was very good for our development as an actual team, comraderie and morale were high, and the opportunity to fence strong teams was invaluable experience. The teams will be concentrating over the next three months on a highly focused training mesocycle to prepare for Atlanta. We are very proud of their success - of 8 fencers, 6 have less than one year total fencing experience and the other 2 are in their first competition season.
3. FIRST AFL TOURNAMENT: Everyone is reminded that our first Central Virginia American Fencing League tournament will be this Sunday, 9 April. This event is a good way to start to gain experience in competition (see the comments below in item 6).
Entries for Foil close at 10:00 am and for One Touch Epee at 1:00 pm. To preregister our preference is that you use Ask FRED. Please preregister so that we can start fencing on time (preregistration will be required for all future AFL events, so you might as well get used to the process) - and we will start promptly. The link is:
http://askfred.net/Events/Prereg/prereg.php?tournament_id=1868
Entry fee per event is $2.00 for those preregistered and $3.00 at the door. American Fencing League membership ($25.00 for the charter year running through July 2007) is required, and application forms will be available at the door. AFL membership for minors requires parental signature, so if you plan to fence, get forms this week, either from the Salle or by downloading from the AFL website at http://www.classicalfencingus/afl/charter membership form.pdf. You can make your registration process move more smoothly by having the application completed and ready to turn in at the door, if you are not already an AFL member (do not send the application directly to AFL as we will have no documentation of your membership).
Foil will be fenced as pools, with the top half of the preliminary pools being promoted to the next round. Epee will be fenced as a single pool unique. This is a dry tournament (or "standard" to use AFL terminology, or "steam" if you are English), and all fencers are expected to judge bouts, serve as score and time keepers, etc. to help the meet run smoothly.
4. FENCING THIS WEEKEND AT THE SALLE: With the AFL tournament on Sunday, our schedule will be a bit different:
Saturday - open fencing starting at 12:00 noon. Teams in the Salle Team Championships still have a number of matches to fence, so this would be a good day to fight (team rosters are in the last newsletter - check at http://www.sallegreen.com/newsletter.html). Lessons are available before noon.
Sunday - AFL Foil tournament starts at 10:00 am. AFL Epee tournament starts at 1:00 pm. Escrime Artistique meets at 2:30 pm. Lessons are available before 10:00 am.
5. LARGEST BEGINNER TOURNAMENT: Our largest end of class Beginner Tournament ever was fought last Monday with the able help of Robb White and Courtney Prothero as Referees. Seven fencers, plus the anonymous Salle Opponent (a more experienced fencer added to round out the field and to force the beginners to fence to their full potential), completed a double elimination format event run using our new tournament software Tournament Scheduler Pro. In a hard fought bout Troy Prothero defeated Josh Ernst for first place. Full results are on our Beginner Tournament page on the website at http://www.sallegreen.com/championsbeg.html.
6. SO YOU WANT TO BE A COMPETITIVE FENCER? Competition is not for everyone. For new fencers in particular getting beaten in a string of 5-0 bouts in your first United States Fencing Association competition can be very demoralizing. So can some of the attitudes and behaviors you will encounter. As a school this Salle is about learning the use of the sword, and many of our members have no interest in competition in any form - and we feel that every member should be able to pursue that education however he or she wants. We do not define our success by USFA tournament wins - we do define it by changed lives.
However, if you do think you would like to compete in amateur sport competition, we have designed our program to provide a series of steps toward that goal:
(1) Our 5 Level skill and knowledge based proficiency program - if you are not already working actively to acquire both the technical skill and the knowledge required to be successful, moving through the levels of this program should be an immediate goal.
(2) The Salle Ladder - every quarter we run a hotly contested Salle ladder competition. The Ladder operates on a simple set of procedures - you can challenge the fencers above you on the ladder (two places up) - if you win you take the place of the fencer you beat. Ladder bouts can be fought at any time.
(3) Salle tournaments - each year we have a Salle Championships, an Anniversary Tournament, Team matches, a series of Classical Tournaments, all within the Salle. You can expect a Salle tournament in one form or another every 5 to 6 weeks during the year.
(4) American Fencing League - AFL meets offer a more formal tournament experience, but fenced dry (without the use of electrical scoring). These offer an excellent introduction to how major tournaments work.
(5) The Salle's competition squads - this coming year we will be running a full scale competition program, starting next week with the summer training cycle to prepare for the fall competition schedule. Our competition squads prepare using the full range of training common to elite athletes in any sport.
7. BERLIN: Members who have confirmed with our Escrime Artistique Captains (Joseph Iaquinto and Terri Noll) that they are part of the team for the First International German Stage Fencing Championships in Berlin in September will be receiving a checklist this week of the what and when for the trip. The script for the Grand Salute is available in the Salle, and we have a tentative scenario under development.
8. SKILL LEVEL AND RANK PROMOTIONS: A number of Salle members have recently earned promotions in our Amateur and Classical skill progression systems:
Kathy McKenna - Classical Rank 2 in Foil
Linda Barrett - Classical Rank 3 in Foil
Emily Bryner - Level 1 in Foil
Raymond Watson - Level 2 in Sabre, Level 2 in Epee
9. ON THE BULLETIN BOARD: Maitre Green recently had an article published in Fencers Quarterly Magazine on the training of new classical fencing masters - a copy is posted on the bulletin board in the Salle office.
10. THIS ISSUE'S TRAINING TIP: Lunging is a critical skill in fencing. You only develop a strong, smooth lunge by ... lunging:
(1) sit down in a good on guard position, legs bent, front foot forward, back arm up
(2) extend the weapon arm, and lunge - do only a short to medium length lunge
(3) check - weapon arm fully extended, back arm dropped, shoulders level, head up, torso leaning slightly forward, knee over the ankle of the front foot, back leg fully extended ... definitely not bent (you used your back leg to drive you forward as the front foot kicked)
(4) recover
(5) lunge again and check and correct - when you pass the check completely ...
(6) do 10 lunges
(7) check at the last lunge to make sure you are still executing correctly
(8) do two sets each morning and two sets each evening, every day
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-4
8 March 2006
1. FIRST AFL TOURNAMENT: Our first Central Virginia American Fencing League tournament has been scheduled for Sunday, 9 April. Entries for Foil close at 10:00 am and for One Touch Epee at 1:00 pm. To preregister our preference is that you use Ask FRED. The link is:
http://askfred.net/Events/Prereg/prereg.php?tournament_id=1868
Entry fee per event is $2.00 for those preregistered and $3.00 at the door. American Fencing League membership ($25.00 for the charter year running through July 2007) is required.
Foil will be fenced as pools, with the top half of the preliminary pools being promoted to the next round. Epee will be fenced as a single pool unique. This is a dry tournament (or "standard" to use AFL terminology, or "steam" if you are English), and all fencers are expected to judge bouts, serve as score and time keepers, etc. to help the meet run smoothly.
2. SALLE FENCING ON 11-12 MARCH: We will be closed on 12 March as we have fencers in the US Fencing Association's Virginia Division Youth Meet. We will be open on Saturday as follows:
11:30 am - 1:00 pm open fencing
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm Escrime Artistique
3. SALLE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Salle Team Championships for 2005-2006 is ongoing, and teams are encouraged to make sure your members are available for dual meets. We would like to get one more team dual meet done on 11 March during open fencing. Still to fence are:
Green versus Gold
Silver versus Black
Silver versus Gold
Green versus Silver
Black versus Gold
Team rosters are as follows:
Green - Kelley Wendt, Emily Bryner, Joseph Iaquinto
Silver - Raymond Watson, Courtney Prothero, Michael Workman
Black - Terri Noll, Minta Smith, Charles Wendt
Gold - John Fauntleroy, Samuel Poad, Robb White
4. FIRST INTERNATIONAL GERMAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN STAGE FENCING: We have a link to the English site for the Championships on the Escrime Artistique page of the Salle website - just click on the banner. The Rules are posted in English as a .pdf file, and there are some differences from the last World Championships rules we have been using. It is time to start serious preparation - this will be an expensive trip (a rough estimate is $1000 each), and members of the team will be expected to bear their own costs. Everyone who goes will need to have (1) USFA membership, (2) a FIE license, (3) current passport, (4) proof of health insurance, (5) weapon, and (6) appropriate dress. The time line for these mean that we need to (item 5) start ordering weapons at the end of March, (item 6) get measured for clothing in April, (item 3) get the passport applications out by the end of April, (items 1 and 2) and get USFA renewals and FIE License requests in immediately when the new year membership forms are available, but no later than 1 August. Our two Captains (Terri Noll handling all the arrangements at the Germany end and Joseph Iaquinto dealing with staffing, scenario, and roles) will be meeting to develop a plan, and they will need firm commitments from you as to whether you intend to go. This is a serious international competition with teams from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and Russia - do not commit and then back out.
5. DO YOU HAVE A LEVEL OR RANK PROMOTION SITTING OUT THERE? If you have passed the practical, but not the written, please contact the Maitre and take the written test. The purpose of having a progression program is for people to progress. Congratulations to the latest award earner:
Courtney Prothero - Level 1 (Red) in Foil.
6. CHANGES IN THE LADDER: We are now managing the quarterly intramural ladder competition with Challenge Ladder, a tournament software developed by Greencourt Software. When you fence a ladder challenge bout, use the new individual bout score sheet to record your results. Each day these forms are used to update the ladder, and a new printout is available. We will be posting the ladder at regular intervals on the Salle’s website.
THRUST AND CUT
The E-Newsletter of Salle Green
No. 2006-3
25 February 2006
1. PARENTS’ WORKSHOP: Our first parent’s workshop will be held on Saturday, 4 March, from noon to 1:00 pm. We plan to hold these at least quarterly in the future. On the agenda is a discussion of a wide variety of topics such as:
Parents’ roles in supporting fencers
Should my child start competing, and when?
Equipment – when, where, how much, and how long is it good for?
College and fencing
Where is the Salle going and how do we fit in?
How does the Salle’s skill progression system work?
This is intended as a relaxed informal discussion, so bring all of your questions. We will have light refreshments.
2. SALLE CLOSED: The Salle’s competitive team is on the road on 25 and 26 February, so the weekend open fencing and escrime artistique sessions are cancelled. Our schedule on the weekend of 4-5 March is normal:
Saturday - Open fencing 12:00 to 1:00 pm
Sunday – Open fencing 11:00 am to 12:45 pm, Escrime Artistique 1:00 to 2:00 pm
3. MARCH BEGINNER’S CLASS: Our March Beginners Class starts at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, 7 March. Come wearing comfortable clothes that you can move easily in and athletic shoes.
4. TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS STARTS: The Salle’s 2006 Team Championships is underway with four teams (Black, Green, Silver, and Gold) of 3 fencers each participating in intramural dual matches. Each team has one foil fencer, one sabreur, and one epeeist. Matches are fought for a cumulative 15 touches. In the first match of the series, Green (Kelley Wendt F, Emily Bryner E, and Joseph Iaquinto S) defeated Black (Charles Wendt F, Terri Noll E, and Minta Smith S) 13 touches to 12 on 19 February.
5. NOVEMBER LADDER RESULTS: The Salle runs a quarterly ladder competition that allows all Salle members to fence competitive bouts on their own schedule. To advance on the ladder you must challenge and defeat the fencers above you. Results for the 1 November 2005 to 31 January 2006 Ladder are:
Foil:
1st – Emily Bryner
2nd – Courtney Prothero
3rd – Joseph Iaquinto
Epee:
1st – Ke Ma
2nd – Raymond Watson
3rd – Minta Smith
One Touch Epee:
1st – Joseph Iaquinto