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A note from the editors – well, one of them, anyway. Happy autumn, everybody, and welcome to the latest issue of Off the Strip. For no apparent reason, Steve has asked me to write the introduction to this quarter’s issue, so here I am! Sorry! I promise I’ll [try to] keep it short! We have another exciting issue for you this quarter. Steve has written an article chronicling the road to the Prevot. I’ve written an article about how to avoid giving your opponent free touches, and no, the answer isn’t “don’t get hit”. I’ve also written a special piece for the kids and the kids at heart, Choose Your Own Adventure: Fencing Tournament. Before I go any further, I’d like to say a great big thank you to Sarah Timmons, who has just redesigned our website. http://home.mchsi.com/~dmfc/ It looks fantastic! Thank you for all of your hard work, Sarah! We’ve just started a new session so I would like to say welcome to all of the new students and families. We’re glad you’ve joined us. Right now we are looking for guest authors of all ages who would like to have their fencing-related pieces featured in an edition of Off the Strip. Book reviews, movie reviews, your tournament experiences, a short essay on why you joined fencing… Take your pick, write it up, and send it to us! dmfc@mchsi.com We’d also love to have submissions of questions for our “Ask the Coach” feature. You ask, we’ll answer. promised to keep it short, so I’ll just add one more thing. Tournament season is starting up this month. For those of you who have never seen a tournament, please try to stop by and watch. For those of you who have never fenced one and think you might be interested in trying, at least consider giving it a try and definitely ask us if you have any questions. I have competed in events ranging from small local/club tournaments to international events and I’m always happy to answer any questions you might have. You can contact me at jlsemon@mchsi.com or catch me after class. Finally, for those of you who are already competing, keep at it! I’ll stop running away at the keyboard now. I hope you’ll enjoy the latest issue of Off the Strip. Jennifer
The Behrends
Bit It all starts with a dream. I do not, as a rule, talk about myself a lot. At least I try not to. Especially here, since most of you probably hear me talk more than enough during lessons at times. I thought that you might be interested in hearing the rest of the story, though. By now, most of you have heard that I just received some coaching certification. A few might remember that it was the Prevot. Most will not know what that means. Anyone who had been to a Thursday night session prior to August will have seen me giving lessons for hours on end to Jennifer. A few of you have commented on the fact that I haven’t been giving you much attention lately. This is what it was all about. In 1999, I attended Coaches College at the Olympic Training Center for the first time and met Alex Beguinet, a Fencing Master. This was the first time I had ever heard the term, let alone worked with one. Here was an instructor equally at home with any weapon and could instruct at a VERY high level. Given my current state of training, I was quite impressed and a little awed. I met and worked with several more Fencing Masters over the following years, and while I could dream of becoming a Fencing Master myself, the idea of actually becoming one seemed impossible. Then, in 2003, through various conversations with people, I started to get curious about the process of becoming a Fencing Master. I still did not think it was too likely that I would be able to get to that point, but I learned a lot. I discovered that there are three levels of coaches: Moniteur, Prevot and Maitre. The Moniteur is the initial certification level for a coach. A Moniteur can be certified in each weapon individually. This level is for those coaching more informally, in a community program or school. A Prevot is the initial level for the professional coach. The Prevot must be competent in all three weapons at a higher level and have more depth of knowledge of the sport. The Prevot is essentially a “young” Fencing Master. The Maitre, or Maestro, is just that: a Fencing Master. They have mastered the art of teaching any of the three weapons at a high level with either hand. With this in mind, I went to a clinic in Chicago in 2004 on preparing for the Moniteur exams and that is where I met Maestro Gillham for the first time. I had seen him at many events over the years, and he recognized me as well. The clinic convinced me that I had a chance to pass the exam for Moniteur and we arranged to have Maestro Gillham come to Des Moines to do a clinic for us and administer the exams. The clinic was in March of the following year and it was a great experience for us. At that time, Jim Musgrave and I were the only ones in the club with any formal coaching training. Everyone learned a lot about being a fencing coach. It is a lot more than “this is how you do this move correctly.” A coach must also be aware of safety, risk management and rules and we covered all of those with Maestro Gillham. The test we had to take was in two parts: a written and a practical. The written exam covered basic rules, safety and terminology. The practical exam involved giving a basic lesson to a student and answering a few questions. Today, you can also take the lesson with a group lesson instead of an individual student. R.J. Lesch, David Bell and I each took the exam for all three weapons and we each passed. As far as I can tell, we were the first Moniteurs in the state of Iowa, and I was one step closer to my goal. The next level after the Moniteur is the Prevot and, according to Maestro Gillham, it is a significant step up from the Moniteur. The candidate has to be comfortable with giving a higher-level lesson with each weapon. The written exam covers several books on teaching fencing, as well as sports physiology, risk management, rules and tactics. The practical exam has you teaching a lesson in each weapon in front of a jury of Fencing Masters. There is also an oral exam along with the practical exam. Overall, it was a very challenging test to prepare for. The challenge was brought home to me when Maestro Gillham told me that the United States Fencing Coaches Association would be holding its annual meeting in Chicago in August of 2006 and they would be administering the exams at that time. The candidates should provide their own student for the exam, so having the test in Chicago would be very convenient for us. This was in November of 2005 and I now had a LOT of preparation to do. The books that the written exam was based upon were very good from the standpoint of providing information on coaching fencing and I learned a lot studying them. They were not, however, highly entertaining. I was spending a lot of time studying fencing for many months. I was also teaching a lot of lessons. A part of the test was the practical exam, so I had to be comfortable with all three weapons. I had selected Jennifer and Karen Forrester as potential students and was working to get them more comfortable taking lessons from me as well as improving my coaching techniques. I took the written exam in March of this year, and it was the hardest fencing exam that I have ever taken. There were 100 questions ranging from ideas in the books, rules, tactics, safety, risk management, sports physiology, training ideas…the whole gambit of this great sport called fencing. I needed the entire time allotted for my exam and would have taken more had it been available to me. I did manage to pass, though. I was now able to take the practical exam. But was I ready? To help me find an answer to that question, Maestro Gillham came down several times to do mini-clinics with the coaches and me. Basically, it was to cover what could be on the practical exam and see if I was ready to take it or not. We would meet for several hours over a weekend and Maestro would work with me to give lessons to the other coaches, as well as work with them directly. In the intervening time, Jennifer, Karen and Kevin Powell had all earned Moniteurs in various weapons as well. These sessions helped reinforce ideas, teach us new ways of doing things and really pushed me to be ready for the Prevot practical exam. By May, Maestro felt comfortable telling me to go ahead and attempt the practical exam. The pressure was now REALLY on. I spent a lot of time between then and August 13th thinking about the exam, planning ideas for lessons, dreaming up possible oral exam questions and just basically pacing in my head. I won’t go into the details of the exam in any great degree here. I had to teach three lessons, one with each weapon. Each lesson was a different type but they all had the same purpose: to see if I knew my stuff. I had two Fencing Masters on my exam board and they kept Jennifer and me pretty busy for an hour while they grilled me. They would stop what we were doing and ask for something specific or to ask a question about something that just happened. While it wasn’t my greatest performance, I felt pretty good about how I looked in front of them. When Jennifer and I had finished the last lesson, they turned her loose and started to fire questions at me in earnest. The questions were far reaching, from tactics to dealing with situations that might come up as a coach dealing with students and parents of students. When the dust had settled and the scores were tallied, I had passed. I had earned my Prevot d’Armes. I was now a professional fencing coach. And here we are. I’m going to starting to give more lessons than ever. I will also be starting to use my left hand more to give lessons. My goal now is to improve my coaching and make it smoother and more fluid. I will need high-level students in each weapon for my Master’s practical exam and that means more training! There is no written exam for certification as a Master, but I do need to write a thesis on some fencing topic. Before I even think about a topic for that, I think I am going to take a little break and just train fencers. I have somewhat aggressively neglected to do a lot of individual coaching while I was preparing for my Prevot. I will use this time to start to work with individuals and get them ready for the coming tournament season and just basically improve the fencing at the club. This will also help me get ready for my next practical exam. So be careful, Steve the Prevot is watching your fencing and may have a comment or two for you! Thanks for the support and patience, everyone! Steve Behrends, Prevot d’Armes A View from
Across the Pond “Beep! Beep! Beep!” “Yellow card to my right.” “No backup weapon? Red card to my right.” A mad dash ensues as you try to find a foil to borrow. “Beep! Beep! Beep!” Sigh. “Red card to my right.” ….and all of a sudden the score is 2-0 in your opponent’s favor, before you’ve fenced a single touch. I hope this doesn’t sound familiar to anyone but I’m sure it does. But with a little care and attention, you should never have to start a bout with points against you. For those of you who are new to the sport of fencing, at a tournament you are required to bring two working weapons and two working body wires to the strip with you. If you present yourself to the director with equipment that does not work you will receive a yellow card. A second offense makes you the recipient of a red card, which means a point for your opponent. If, for some strange reason that I can’t possibly imagine, since I’m sure by the time you do a tournament you’ll know the rules, you’ve failed to bring a second weapon or body wire to the piste, you can receive a card for that – yellow if you haven’t had a warning so far in the bout, red if you’ve already found yourself on the business end of a yellow card. Just to clarify, if your equipment fails any time after you have begun fencing that bout you will not be penalized. According to the rules, your equipment passed the director’s examinations and failed during the match. You will have to switch equipment and submit the new piece of equipment for checks but you will not be penalized for having a weapon or a body wire fail after fencing has begun. When you attend a larger event, your body wires will be checked by an armorer prior to the start of the tournament and will be marked to show that they have passed inspection. Arriving at the strip and attempting to use equipment that does not have inspection marks present will result in a red card, point for your opponent. “So how do I avoid receiving yellow and red cards for presenting with faulty equipment?” you might ask. The answer is so simple I’m astonished that you haven’t thought of it yourself! A day or two before the tournament check your equipment!!!! This will allow you to identify any problems you may have. Be sure to allow yourself enough time to make any repairs that might be necessary. Then, on the morning of the tournament, check your equipment one more time to make sure that contents haven’t shifted during takeoff or landing. Checking your equipment is not a difficult task. You just need a digital multimeter, available very cheaply from Radio Shack or some hardware stores. I bought mine at Radio Shack and paid $16 for it, probably the best investment I ever made. Alternatively, you can buy test boxes from most fencing equipment suppliers. You will also need a weight, 500g for foil, 750g for epee. Epeeists will also need a set of shims. You should be aware of the tests the director will do on your weapons. When you present your foil to a director, they will check weights. The spring in your tip must be strong enough to repel 500g. You must also test your weapon against your opponent’s lame. Epee checks are more extensive. The director should check for all of the following:
You will then have to test the opponent’s bell guard to make sure the lights will not go off if it is hit. If your epee fails any one of these tests you will not be allowed to use it and you will be penalized. Checking your weapons prior to a tournament is not a difficult process, nor is it time consuming. The time you put into it is a small price to pay to ensure that you will not be penalized for showing up with faulty equipment. When you are ready to learn how to do this, Steve or I would be happy to sit down with you and show you how it is done. Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse. This applies to all rules in the rule book, including the rules on equipment. There is no excuse for not presenting with working equipment at the start of a bout. Test your equipment before a tournament. Don’t hand out free points because you didn’t care enough to check your weapons and body wires, make your opponents earn every single point. Jennifer Bulletin
Board
The Board of Directors has voted to
adopt a new club logo. Merchandise with this new logo on it will be
made available soon! This section is devoted to the youth of the DMFC. What would you like
to see here? Helpful information? Fun stuff? Just let us know! In the
meantime, enjoy! Ask a Coach I’d like to start a new bit in the Kid’s Corner where you can send in
questions you want answered by a coach. We’ll e-mail you the answer to
your question and your question might even be published in the next
issue! If you would like to ask a question, please send it to
Jennifer. Back to Basics
It’s the day of the
big Des Moines tournament. It’s your first competition outside of club
and you’re really excited for it. You wake up feeling well rested and
ready to go. It’s a bright sunny day outside, but very warm. You start
to get ready to go to the tournament. You pack up your things…. If you
eat a healthy breakfast before you go,
click here
The armourer clucks
her tongue at you in disappointment as she tugs on your bodywires. She
tells you that only one of the two you brought over passes inspection.
She tags your working equipment then sends you on your way.
Click here
You arrive at the
front of the line and hand your equipment to the armourer, who begins
checking it over. She lays out your lame and begins to run the tester
over it, frowning slightly.
Click here You and your
friends start talking excitedly about the day ahead of you. Apparently
there are 32 people signed up for your event and a lot of them are
really good. They’re really excited about the quality of fencer that
has turned up today. One of them even placed in the top eight at
Nationals last year!
Click here You rush into the
venue at full speed, fifteen minutes late. You dash over to the
registration table, check and USFA card in hand, to sign in. You are
wiping sweat and off of your forehead, leaving in its place a big black
smear of grease from changing your flat tire. The person behind the
registration table shakes their head and tells you that registration has
already closed and pools have been printed. The day is over for you.
Click here to try again.
You rush back to
the registration table and hand the card to the person behind the table,
who helpfully points out that this is last year’s card, and is no longer
accepted. You fill out a new USFA application and write out a check,
even though you’ve already done this before. They won’t charge you for
your membership again, but it’s your fault you have to fill out all the
paperwork again. You forgot your card. After you hand in your new
USFA application, you’re informed that you’re running short of time and
still need to have your bodywires, mask and lame checked before you can
start fencing.
Click here
You’re so excited
you hardly notice the organizers call out that registration has closed.
You hurry over to your bag and throw your kit on to go to the strip your
pool was assigned to. You check in at the strip and hook up to fence
your first bout, against someone you’ve fenced – and beaten – many
times. You lose the bout 5-0. That’s disappointing. Your next bout
doesn’t go much better. 5-1. Your third bout you mange to lose 5-3,
same with the fourth. Only during the fifth round do you manage to
win. You start to concede that your coach’s advice about warming up
before a tournament might just have been worth listening to….
Click here
You check in with
your director and find out that you’re the first bout. Your pool is off
to a good start. You just fenced one of the toughest people at the
tournament and lost 5-3. You win your next two bouts easily. The one
after is with another really great fencer and this time you edge out a
win, 5-4. You lose to the last fencer 5-4, but it was a really good
bout. You feel very pleased with yourself. This should put you in a
decent position going into DEs.
Click here.
She tugs at her
wires a bit, then starts fiddling with the test box. She smiles and
tells you that the wire was loose, then nods approvingly as she runs the
tester over the lame. She efficiently checks your bodywires, applies
weapon inspection marks and sends you on your merry way.
Click here
You get a flat tire
on the way to the venue! Oh no! If you
left to arrive at least an hour before your registration closes for your
event,
click here
You arrive at the
venue with little ado. Even with the flat tire debacle you’ve arrived
in plenty of time for your event. You go straight over to the
registration table and check in for your events. If you
forgot your USFA card,
click here
You frantically run
back to your bag and search for your USFA card. You’re sure you brought
it! You find the flimsy card buried at the bottom of your bag, under a
towel that’s been lying in the bottom of your bag for months.
Click here
The person handling
registration smiles at your preparedness and hands back your USFA card.
You’re informed that they are checking masks, bodywires and lames at
this tournament.
Click here.
You run briskly
around the room a few times, then beginning to warm up with footwork and
lunges. You spot your coach across the room and run over for a short
lesson to warm up your mind – and your point control. Just as you
finish the lesson, pools are called. You collect the rest of your kit
and head over to the strip.
Click here
Your ten minute
break passes and you find yourself in your third DE of the day, against
one of the very best fencers there. You fence as well as you can and
it’s a close bout, but you end up losing by four points. Oh well. It
was a great tournament. You did your very best. And you ended up in
fifth place. An incredible result for you at this event. Plus, as an
added bonus, you now have some ideas about what you should be working on
next week in practice. Well done!
You’ve finished
your pools but you’re not happy with your indicators. Your result
places you down near the bottom of the list, not at all where you
expected to be or should have been. This means your first DE is against
someone very, very good… Your DE is called and you go to the strip.
You’re finally warmed up, so you fare well in your DE, but not as well
as your opponent, the 5th seed going into DEs. You lose the
match 15-8.
Click here to try again
You approach the
armourer’s table with your equipment. You wait patiently in line. If you
checked your equipment since you last used it,
click here
The clock on the
wall tells you there are only fifteen minutes left before registration
closes. You look around the room and see some people warming up and
others standing around chatting. If you
join your friends and chat,
click here
Your name is called
for your first DE. Because you did so well in your pools, your opponent
for your first DE is a relative beginning, whom you dispatch easily.
You’ve now advanced to the round of 16. Your opponent in the next round
gives you a run for your money, but at the end of the bout, you’ve come
out the victor. You’re now in the top eight.
Click here
You have thirty
minutes left until registration for your even closes. You look around
the room and see people standing in small groups chatting, others
warming up. If you
join your friends and chat,
click here
The Rummage Sale The operators of the Des Moines Fencing Club merely provide this area
for individual club members to list items for sale. They do not
guarantee any equipment or become involved in any transaction via this
medium.
You be the Referee! Fleche – An attacking footwork formed by either leaping or running forward, with the rear foot crossing past the front foot Counter Time – An action made against an opponent’s stop thrust or stop cut Finta in Tempo – A composed stop thrust or cut, usually made against an attempted Prise de Fer or attack in Counter Time Is there a fencing question you’d like answered, but didn’t have time in class to ask? Email your questions to us and we’ll be happy to answer them! The question must be fencing related and may be directed to an individual if you wish. You will be emailed an answer, and your question and answer may be published here as well.
Tournament Checklist If the tournament is outside of your home area, there will most likely
be shower facilities available for your use after the tournament. Plan
ahead and bring your towel, soap, shampoo and clean clothing. The people
you’re riding home with will appreciate your forethought! The answer is true. For a halt resulting in some
action, you can’t be put past the end of the strip, but in this
situation, a penalty is being applied, in the form of your opponent
gaining a meter. In this case, if that gained meter puts you off the
strip, you opponent does in deed get a point. Last updated 8/15/06 |
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