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THE GOSSIP PAGE
There is a brilliant definition of news, though I apologise in advance to forgetting whom to attribute it to. "News is something, that someone, somewhere, doesn't want known. Everything else is advertising." We could say the same for gossip, witness the rise of the gossip magazines and televised infortainment.
Whatever definition you give it news/gossip/information is widely sought and avidly devoured. It's dissemination is one of the pillars of democracy for those who hoard information, for whatever mistaken idea, should be rejected by all fencers who believe a bout is a free and frank conversation between two equals.
So this column encourages the spreading of information/news/gossip as long as it can pass the basic tests for slander - truth or reasonable personal belief!
If you have something to say about anything to do with fencing or what is posted on this site then this is the place to say it. Like Letters to the Editor, submissions should be concise, pertinent and may be subject to editing.
3/9/2010: They say that Politics and Sport never mix, but sadly they do as a story in today’s The Press about Kiwi fencer Martin Brill points out: Olympic Uniform
Once you have read the story have a go at answering these two questions. 1. What is the tracksuit Martin is wearing in the pix above? And 2. Who was the Manager for Fencing for the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow? Hint, he/she also comes from Christchurch! Morris Minor keychains for the first correct answers.
26/8/2010: Quick as a flash there was an e-mail questioning what a group of old rockers have to do with fencing. Answer, one of them was a fencer many years ago. Question, which one??
Talking of old fencing news, have a look at this story from the Odious Daily Twaddle (the nick-name given by Dunedinites to their newspaper, The Otago Daily Times): Dave Barson
25/8/2010: Old musicians are like old fencers - they keep on going.... so do go and hear them!
In 1986 the band started as three friends meeting every Tuesday evening to jam in the old band rotunda by the Avon, the music wafting out on the warm summer breeze drew an audience of curious and appreciative listeners, thus the band was born.
Like all new bands they needed a name and inspiration came one Friday while busking in Cashel Street. They were brothers ( in music) and we were standing on the pavement which was made of asphalt, when one of them said "We could be the Asphalt Brothers", just like that, out loud, and he was right.
They have played on trains, trailers, bridges and band rotundas, for weddings, conferences, festivals, for twenty people and twenty thousand.
The current four piece line up still features two of the original members with the third making the occasional welcome guest appearance.
They play and like music from a broad sound scape and enjoy mixing it up, after breaking the rules to give songs a new twist, most of all we do it for he fun and pleasure it brings us and the audience.#
The line up is.
Alan Farrow 6 & 12 string guitars, B/vocals
Lynden (Sleepy) Jackson Drums, lead vocals, harp, trumpet
Stephen (Chad) Chadfield 4, 6 and upright string bass, lead vocals
William Hill mandolin, guitar,dobro, harp, lead vocals
24/8/2010: Free gifts for Kiwi fencers you ask? What gifts? Where are they? Well, here's a hint: 
23/8/2010: The number of fencers in the Nation has increased dramatically - by one! A daughter, Zsophia, to fencers Marguerite and Rangi de Abaffy, early this morning. No indication yet whether Zsophia is left or right-handed.
21/8/2010: Have you received your gift from Fencing New Zealand yet??
The Federation International de Escrime has provided gifts for all Kiwi fencers and the gifts are in the country now – what! You have not heard about them?? Then ask your club officials about them and find out what the FIE has given you! Quick, before someone else grabs them……
Those that turned up at South Island Championships would have seen some of them.
20/8/2010: Talking to a dad who brings his son to the Sabre Sessions on Wednesday nights and we got talking about 12-string guitarist Leo Kotkke. Whats a 12-string guitar and who is Leo Kotkke asked one of our top sabruers - have a look here: Leo Kotkke
13/8/2010: Another have sword will travel story.
Long-haul pilot Arthur Gatland takes his sports gear with him and often fences at the Shanghai Power Fencing Club. Recently they invited him to represent them in their foil team for the 2010 China Amateur Fencing Competition (Shanghai) over the weekend 7/8 August. The canny Aucklander managed to arrange an Air NZ flying duty that saw him fly overnight, arriving in Shanghai at 7.30am on the Saturday, followed by a somewhat scary high-speed taxi ride 65km to Songjiang in the Shanghai suburbs while he changed into fencing gear in the back seat. He arrived with 5 minutes to spare before the 9.00am start of the individual foil competition where a good first round saw him seeded 4th after the pools, with a final result of 3=.
In the teams event on the Sunday there were 4 teams from various parts of China competing and Arthur’s team finished up representing the Guangzhou Fencing Club - a long story he says - and after a couple of close matches they finished in 2nd place.
This event proved great fun and he was made to feel very welcome by organisers and competitors (very few of whom could speak much English but still better than his Mandarin.) Matches were refereed in Chinese except when Arthur, or one of the three other ex-pats, were fencing when they used standard French. Outside air temperature was 38 C and though the gym had some air conditioning it was still very warm!!
9/8/2010: A nifty use for a sword....... 
Read who made it - see Archives for 2008, 5/8/2008!
7/8/2010:
Have sword, will travel. Christchurch fencer Lucy Stewart is off to America.
A member of the nation’s oldest fencing organisation, the University of Canterbury Fencing Club, Lucy has been awarded a Fulbright-Ministry of Research, Science and Technology Graduate Award to study microbiology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Originally a foilist from Wellington, Lucy has spent the last five years adapting to epee while completing a BSc (Hons) in microbiology and a BA in history at Canterbury.
Lucy's PhD will take her around five years to complete, after which she hopes to bring her research back to New Zealand. She believes that Much of the really interesting astrobiology research - at least in relation to microbiology - is done in the United States and Europe, even though most of the field trips are to environments like Antarctica or the undersea volcanic vents that her lab studies. She would really love to see more New Zealand-based research in this area – for Christchurch is one of the major gateways to the Antarctic.
Fulbright-Ministry of Research, Science and Technology Graduate Awards are offered by the US and New Zealand governments to help New Zealand students who are studying in areas of importance to this country’s growth and innovation to undertake postgraduate study in the United States. Approximately ten awards are given out each year.
And yes, Amherst has a fencing club so Lucy will be able to take to the piste whenever she wants after her arrival in late August.
2/8/2010: Caveat Emptor or Let The Buyer Beware!
At a recent major fencing competition I was bailed-up by the irate father of a young fencer who was demanding to see the President and Secretary of Fencing New Zealand. Both Ken and Fiona were unavailable, but the Dad seemed so steamed-up that I took him aside to hear his problem.
‘’It’s the mask,’’ he said brandishing a new foil mask. My wife bought it some months ago and today my son came home crying that the mask could have contributed to his losses.
‘‘Why,’’ I asked?
‘’It’s the bib,’’ he replied.
‘’It causes a hit to be registered. And this could have effected my son’s performance in the pools if he gave away more hits than he should have,’’ he added, giving me the nice new German mask with its lame bib.
‘’They (the lame tabs under the bib) contact the foil lame when my son uses it.’’
‘’Why not cover them with insulation tape?’’ I replied. That way you can use it in New Zealand where the lame bib is not used and you can use it elsewhere where it is mandatory.
‘’Oh.’’ He said, ‘’Why did they not tell my wife that when she bought the mask?’’
And that is the nub of the problem, most parents know nothing about fencing, its safety requirements and its arcane rules, and there is nothing on fencing web sites in New Zealand to help them or, what is there, is ambiguous at best – read the equipment regulations on the Fenz site as a non-fencer would and see what you make of it.
As fencers, coaches and officials we need to be aware of this knowledge gap and take time to pass on some of our (sometimes hard-earned) fencing knowledge. Perhaps it is time to produce a Dummies Guide to Fencing in New Zealand?
There is a good side to this story. Since it happened the Australians have decided to introduce the foil mask with insulated bid from January next year and no doubt Fenz will follow suit, so one lucky Kiwi fencer will not have to buy an expensive new mask to replace their current one.
29/7/2010: THE NZ SABRE CAMP!
SEPTEMBER 11th AND 12th 2010
Organized by The Sabre Club in conjunction with coach Vik Manuge and assisted by Keith Mann and Jonathan Chan. Also attending will be Luke Robertson, (current National champion), Katherine Taylor (former Australian and NZ titleholder). The coaches and fencers have a vast experience of coaching and fencing in New Zealand and overseas.
It is the only major sabre event before the start of the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Melbourne on September 29 th.
The two-day camp, is being held at the Fencing Institute, Jack Hinton Drive, Christchurch, (see map below) and is suitable for beginner to senior. It will cover, goal-setting, tactics – with emphasis on the push-pull nature of top level sabre – and sabre fitness focusing on recovery ability, speed and strength. Plus there will be structured bouting using the latest refereeing interpretations. Each day will begin and end with a round robin competition so the coaches can analyse fencers and provide each fencer with recommendations for improvement.
Your own electric sabre gear is mandatory. Billets may be arranged for out-of-towners, please ask. Much of the information imparted during the sessions may not available in books or on the web so a notebook and pen is a useful training aid.
TIMES:
Saturday: 10am to 1pm. 3pm to 6pm. Free fencing afterwards for those with the energy.
Sunday: 10am to 1pm. 2pm to 5pm. Free fencing afterwards for those with the energy.
COST: $75 for the weekend or $45 per day or part thereof. Price includes morning and afternoon tea but not lunch so bring your own! We have already received advanced entries from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch – numbers limited to the first 16 to pay. No pay no entry.
Please make cheques payable to: The Sabre Club. Or, Direct credit: ANZ 011158 0152359 00 50 (include your surname and the letters ‘tc’). Entries to: Secretary: Carla.Campbell@hotmail.com
Inquiries: Vik Manuge, 03 3666396 vik@netaccess.co.nz
23/7/2010: They say the camera never lies, but 
since when has Alex Chan been left-handed? One of the great pix taken by Scott Suen at the NZ and Oceania fencing champs last week.
22/7/2010; Results of the NZ Secondary Schools and NZ and Oceania U20 fencing championships.
New Zealand Secondary Schools
Mens Epee: 1, Gideon van Zyl; 2, Jurgen van Zyl; 3=, Julius Herzhoff and Jesse Knight; 5, Alexander Thomas; 6, Alex Chan; 7, Felix Boyce; 8, Simon Fisher; 9, Oliver Agnew; 10, Issac Officer; 11, Kwok-Yi Lee. Teams: 1, Wentworth College; 2, Wellington College; 3= Auckland Grammar and Upper Hutt College; 5, Burnside High School.
Mens Foil: 1, Julius Herzhoff; 2, Alex Chan; 3=, Hamish Chan and Gideon van Zyl; 5, Maxime Rolland; 6, Jurgen van Zyl; 7, Kwok-Yi Lee; 8, Oliver Agnew; 9, Felix Boyce; Michael Claydon; 11, Issac Officer; 12, Jonathon Krebs; 13, Jared Howlett; 14, Mason Baxter; 15, Simon Fisher; 16, Alexander Thomas; 17, Louis Ritchie; 18, Jonathon Wanty; 19, Jesse Knight; 20, Lucian Nightingale; 21, Joon Hong; 22, Benjamin Krebs; 23, Tim Jones; 24, Andrew Curtis-Black; 25, Michael Parr; 26, Neeraj Patel; 27, Henry Ellis; 28, David Smith; 29, Jack Chen. Teams: 1 Auckland Grammar. 2 Christs College. 3= Upper Hutt College and Wellington College. 5 Otago Boys High School. 6 Burnside High School. 7 Christchurch Boys High School 1. 8 Christchurch Boys High School 2.
Mixed Sabre: 1, Alex Chan; 2, Jack Chen; 3= Maxime Rolland and Vincent Spaabaek; 5 and top woman, Hannah Ramsay; 6, Michael Parr; 7, Alexander Thomas; 8, Simon Fisher; 9, Stephanie Alexander; 10, Katie Boyle; 11, Melissa Burgess; 12 Kwok-Yi Lee; 13, Rachel Mercer; 14, David Smith. Teams: 1 Auckland Grammar. 2 Upper Hutt College.
Women’s Epee: 1, Jazmin Hopper; 2, Wai-Ling Chan; 3= Stephanie Alexander and Alex Quigley; 5, Katie Boyle; 6, Hannah MacKenzie; 7, Ming-Yi Lee; 8, Hannah Ramsay: 9, Melissa Burgess; 10, Dindi Chan; 11, Fiona Seal; 12, Rachel Mercer.
Women’s Foil: Wai-Ling Chan; 2, Ming-Yi Lee; 3= Stephanie Alexander and Jazmin Hopper; 5, Grace Christie; 6, Katie Boyle; 7, Rosa Brooke; 8, Stephanie Wylie; 9, Emma Howlett; 10, Rachel Mercer; 11, Melissa Burgess; 12, Natalie Shackleton. Teams: 1 Upper Hutt College. 2 Rangi Ruru. 3 Christchurch Girls High School.
Oceania and NZ U20 Championships.
Men’s Epee: 1, Alex Chan, New Zealand; 2, Cosmin Mihailescu, Australia; 3= Herve Perraud, New Caledonia, and Gideon van Zyl, New Zealand. 5, Quentin Touyet, New Caledonia; 6, William Bishop, New Zealand; 7, Alex Hunter, Australia; 8, Arthur Letourneulx, New Caledonia; 9 Daniel Kahu, New Zealand; 10, Nick Davies, Australia; 11, Julius Herzhoff, New Zealand; 12, Brendan Hair, New Zealand; 13, Finn Butler, New Zealand; 14, Reagan Clarke, Australia; 15, Felix Boyce, New Zealand; 16, Jesse Knight, New Zealand; 17, Issac Officer, New Zealand; 18, Robert Snell, Australia; 19, Patrick Daley, Australia; 20 Jurgen van Zyl, New Zealand; 21, Oliver Agnew, New Zealand; 22, Alexander Thomas, New Zealand; 23, Simon Fisher, New Zealand; 24, Lucian Nightingale, New Zealand. Teams: 1 Australia. 2 New Zealand. 3 New Caledonia.
Men's Foil: 1, Mooney Grand Sam, Australia; 2, Robert Snell, Australia; 3= Hamish Chan and Gideon van Zyl, both New Zealand; 5, T C Reynolds, Australia; 6, Adrian Viegas, New Zealand; 7, Patrick Daley, Australia; 8, Felix Boyce; 9, Chris Lear; 10, Julius Herzhoff; 11, Fin Butler; 12, Oliver Agnew; 13, Daniel Kahu; 14, Matthew Hill; 15, Issac Officer; 16, Spencer Smith; 17, Alex Chan; 18, Ben Wilkins; 19, Jared Howlett; 29, Maxime Rowlland; 21, Simon Fisher; 22, Jurgens van Zyl; 23, Jonathon Wanty; 24, Michael Claydon; 25, Jonathan Krebs; 26, Michael Parr; 27 Benjamin Krebs; 28, Lucian Nightingale; 29, Alexander Thomas; 30, Jonathan Brill; 31, David Smith (all New Zealand). Teams: 1 Australia. 2 New Zealand.
Men’s Sabre: 1 Alex Chan, New Zealand; 2 Eoin Queen, New Zealand; 3= Jack Chen, New Zealand, and Nick Davies, Australia; 5, Vincent Spaabaek, New Zealand; 5, Alexander Thomas, New Zealand; 7, David Smith, New Zealand; 8, Simon Fisher, New Zealand; 9, Michael Parr, New Zealand.
Women’s Epee: 1, Ioana Mihailescu, Australia; 2, Clarisse Gally, New Caledonia; 3= Carla Campbell, New Zealand, and Francoise Herren, Switzerland; 5, Anna Soboleva, Russia; 6, Amy Reynolds, Australia; 7, Hannah Ramsay, New Zealand; 8, Jazmin Hopper, New Zealand; 9, Katie Boyle, New Zealand; 10, Stephanie Alexander, New Zealand; 11, Melissa Burgess, New Zealand; 12, Katie Boyer, New Zealand; 13, Alex Quigley, New Zealand; 14, Hannah MacKenzie, New Zealand, 15, Rebecca Jamison, New Zealand. Teams: 1 Nouvellestralie. 2 New Zealand.
Women’s Foil: (All New Zealand) 1, Sally McCance; 2, Wai-Ling Chan; 3= Stephanie Alexander and Ming-Yi Lee; 5, Katie Boyle; 6, Melissa Burgess; 7, Grace Christie; 8, Rachel Mercer; 9, Stephanie Wylie; 10, Olive Butler; 11, Kate Boyer; 12, Emma Howlett.
Women’s Sabre: (All New Zealand) 1, Hannah Ramsay; 2, Carla Campbell; 3= Stephanie Alexander and Sasha Green; 5, Katie Boyle; 6, Rachel Mercer; 7, Melissa Burgess.
21/7/2010: Only for you; Louise Tucker those unpaid volunteers work only for YOU! So be nice to them next time you meet them at a fencing comp.
20/7/2010: Still no results so will harass the organiser again, but here are some photos from the Oceania U20s taken by former fencer now physio, Scott Suen
19/7/2010: New Zealand Secondary Schools and New Zealand and Oceania U20s results and pix will be along soon, in the meantime have a look at Oceania Fencing Confederation
12/7/2010: Check out the Australian teams for the Commonwealth Fencing Championships
9/7/2010: Not something you'd see on a site devoted to fencing, but the story is so unusual and heartwarming you have to read it.. Breasts on a Pink Coffin?
Pam Hermansen wants to go out in style. The 48-year-old Christchurch woman has only months to live and has planned her funeral down to the last detail - her pink coffin is decorated with paintings of breasts - for Pam will die from breast cancer.
Both Pam and her sister Trish suffer from breast cancer, but the simple fact is that while Pam will die, her sister is in remission and will live. It is this message of hope and encouraging women to have regular check-ups that the sisters want to publicise.
Pam’s coffin was made by a friend and decorated by New Brighton artist Lyn Taylor.
More about Pam at the Nation's Top Newspaper: The Press
8/7/2010: Interesting stats from the recent Aussie U15 and U17 champs. Kiwi kids won nine individual and eight team medals!! More at: Full results
2/7/2010: LEARN THE NOBLE WEAPON!
27/6/2010: They are out!
The teams for the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Melbourne later this year are out: cfc teams The veterans are here: Vets.
Your thoughts welcomed or you can post them on the Fenz site.
My immediate feelings are why no women's sabre team - but them I am biased, though I know that one of the three selectors did not know that Fenz had promised to select teams in ALL three weapons! The question is, did they select from only those nominated or, did they go and invite suitable fencers that did not nominate to scramble aboard in an effort to field full teams?
24/6/2010: Wot's this?? 
It delighted many fencers and officials at the MidSouth Champs and may be, with a bit of arm-twisting, available at the Secondary Schools and Oceanics in ChCh next month. Now here is an action shot from the champs..
Further pix at: Scott's pix
22/6/2010: Commonwealth Fencing Championships - New Zealand team members are being informed as you read this. We await Fenz's release of the team to the wider fencing community soon - watch this space!!
19/6/2010: Results of the MidSouth Fencing Championships held at the Fencing Institute, Christchurch the weekend of 19/20th June.
EPEE.
1. Andreas Sesun, University of Canterbury Fencing Club.
2. Alex Chan, University of Canterbury Fencing Club.
3= Brett Davis, University of Canterbury Fencing Club, and Julius Herzhoff, Fencing Institute.
5. Anna Sobeleva, University of Canterbury Fencing Club.
6. Hannah Ramsay, United Fencing Club.
7. Tony Cuncannon, Wellington.
8. Alex Quigley, Fencing Institute.
9. Eoin Queen, University of Canterbury Fencing Club.
10. Hannah MacKenzie, United Fencing Club.
11. Kate Bayer, St Andrews.
12. Mark Nancollis, University of Canterbury Fencing Club.
13. Rachel Hannover O'Connor, University of Canterbury Fencing Club.
14. Josh Gibson, Canterbury University Fencing Club.
15. Fiona Seal, Canterbury University Fencing Club.
16. Jonathon Seal, University of Canterbury Fencing Club.
FOIL
1. Hamish Clarke, Fencing Institute.
2. Chris Bell, Fencing Institute,
3= Andrew Kell, Auckland, Andreas Sesun, University of Canterbury Fencing Club.
5 Ben Wilkings, Fencing Institute.
6. Julius Herzhoff, Fencing Institute.
7. Sally McCance, Fencing Institute.
8. Fiona McDonald, Dunedin.
9. Rachel Rowlands, Fencing Institute.
10. Sam Deavoll, Christchurch.
11. Jonathan Davies, Christchurch.
12. Finian Cresswell, United Fencing Club.
13. Neeraj Patel, United Fencing Club.
14. Rosa Brook, Christchurch.
15. Scott Suen, Christchurch.
16. Hannah McKenzie, United Fencing Club.
SABRE.
1. Luke Robertson, Sabre Club.
2. Alex Chan, University of Canterbury Fencing Club.
3= Carla Campbell, Sabre Club and Eoin Queen, University of Canterbury Fencing Club.
5. Hannah Ramsay, United Fencing Club.
6. Gwen Smart, Sabre Club.
7. Michael Chen, Sabre Club.
8. Robbie Macdonald, Sabre Club.
18/6/2010: Move over Aussies! Forty-five Kiwis are coming to the U15 and U17's in Sydney next month - 29 fencers and the rest support crew of one sort or another.
The turn-out is larger than that at last year's event in Brisbane and is a direct result of Fencing New Zealand's decision last year to encourage participation in an effort to build numbers.
Fenz has committed to sending full teams in all three weapons to this year's Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Melbourne - so mates across the pond, look out for another invasion!
Women’s top quality used fencing gear for sale.
- Uhlmann right-hand size 38 kevlar 800N uniform includes size two plastron. $290.
- Foil lame size 38, $50.
- Standard (non-FIE) foil $50.
- Four single-pin foil bodywires $20 each - near new.
So there you are some fencing gear at bargain prices – check Uhlmann, Negrini or other suppliers’ sites, but be quick as the last lot advertised went quick! E-mail me and I will send the contact details.
13/6/2010. Sorry Luke, you will have to supply the cupcakes tomorrow, however you did get Sandy's name correct - yes, Kiwi foilist Sandy Paterson takes a nap on a wall overlooking the ancient city of Toledo. Famed for it hand-forged sword blades, now alas made elsewhere, but they still have their fencing club - see the pix at the top of the Learn to Fence page on this site.
Read more about why you should visit Toledo If you are wondering why Cooky has wrapped-up so much - it was cold!
11/6/2010: ............................. 
SELECTION!
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t, could become the catch-cry for Fenz’s three selectors for this year’s Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Melbourne, especially after Fenz has said it will send full teams in all weapons, that’s a maximum of five fencers per weapon for the individual events and four in a team.
Selection in most sports is often fraught with controversy as is the funding of teams. Take for example the case of the All Blacks where you have nearly four million amateur selectors (this figure recognises that some in New Zealand do not support Rugby Union!) commenting and endlessly blethering on about whom they would have selected and why instead of someone else. This is not a bad thing for it shows that many people feel they have a stake in Rugby Union and that commitment generates income for the sport.
Will it be the same for fencing? Whatever the Selectors do there will be discussion and comment. This too will be good for Fencing as will full teams of Kiwi fencers out to do their best - pour encourager les autres!
10/6/2010: Sorry AndyPandy, but someone managed to answer one of the open questions correctly. Andy, another one not you, named the epeeist who trains in foil (many tried but got it wrong)!
It is former Christchurch fencer Chris Nokes now living in Hamilton. Seems there are not many epeeists in the riverside city so the poor fellow has to make do with foilists. However Chris did say that another former Christchurch and University of Canterbury Fencing Club epeeist, Al McBride, turns up from time to time. Now do I have some photos of him??? Anyway here is the bathroom raider...
in all his glory.
10/6/2010: Full results of NI champs are here for download: http://sites.google.com/site/fencingnorth/north-island-championships
No takers for the signed pix of AndyPandy!!!???
9/6/2010: You read it here first.... gossip from the North Island Fencing Champs. Who is the top epeeist who trains by fencing foil? Who was the fencer that turned up at airport security with a pocket knife in their carry-on baggage?
As usual, answers on a single A4 page, first correct answer wins a signed photograph of Andrew Kell climbing in through the bathroom window!
Talking of Andrew Kell, he recently bought some used fencing gear in Christchurch, including a Fuchsia coloured fencing rollbag. The smaller fencing bits'n'bobs were delivered to him at NI Champs by kind ChCh fencers, but the bag still needs to be delivered. Anyone going to Auckland in the next few weeks who could take it?? E-mail me and I'll flick it on to AndyPandy.
8/6/2010: Results of the 2010 North Island Fencing Championships held in the gymnasium at Auckland Grammar School Queens Birthday weekend.
Men’s Sabre
1. Luke Roberston, Christchurch.
2. Alex Chan, Christchurch.
3= Luke Crozier, Wellington.
3= Michael Mercer, Wellington.
5. Eoin Queen, Christchurch.
6. Peter Kim, Wellington.
7. Maxime, Rolland, Auckland.
8. Garth Shillito, Auckland,
9. Kwok-Yi Lee, Auckland.
10. Jonathan Hewlett, Auckland.
11. Bryan Clark, Wellington.
12. Rex Heffernen, Auckland.
13. Terry Coleman, Wellington.
Women’s Sabre:
1. Katherine Taylor, Auckland.
2. Monique Coleman, Auckland.
3= Carla Campbell, Christchurch.
3= Sasha Green, Auckland.
5. Katie Logan, Auckland.
6. Hannah Ramsay, Christchurch.
7. Ming-Yi Lee, Auckland.
Women’s Foil:
1. Judit Fliszar, Auckland.
2.Monique Coleman, Auckland.
3= Jazmin Hopper, Auckland.
3= Sally McCance, Christchurch.
5. Vicky Fan, Auckland.
6. Rachel Rowlands, Christchurch.
7. Fiona MacDonald, Dunedin.
8. Susan Grant-Taylor, Wellington.
9. Ming-Yi Lee, Auckland.
10. Hannah Tang, Auckland.
11. Katherine Taylor, Auckland.
12. Grace Christie, Auckland.
13. Anna McKinnon, Wellington.
14. Alice Boyd, Auckland.
15. Stephany Wyllie, Auckland.
16. Amanda Cundry, Wellington.
Men’s Epee:
1.Paul Hentschel, Wellington.
2. Kyle MacDonald, Auckland.
3= Chris Nokes, Auckland.
3= Graham Payne, Auckland.
5. Andreas Sesun, Christchurch.
6. Gideon van Zyle, Auckland.
7. Alex Chan, Christchurch.
8. William Bishop, Wellington.
9. Daniel Kahu, Wellington.
10. Tony Culliford, Wellington.
11. Arthur Gatland, Auckland.
12. Dmitry Trashkov, Christchurch.
13. Felix Boyce, Wellington.
14. Eoin Queen, Christchurch.
15. Stefan Hermans, Auckland
16. Jurgen van Zyl, Auckland.
17. Rory Murray, Auckland.
18. Brett Ammundsen, Auckland.
19. Brendan Hair, Wellington.
20. Bevan Dobbs, Auckland.
21. Oliver Agnew, Auckland.
22. Bryan Clark, Wellington.
23. Tony Cuncannon, Wellington.
24. Rex Heffernen, Auckland.
25. Kwok-Yi Lee, Auckland.
(Men's foil and women's epee to come.)
3/6/2010: It seems there is a good market for second-hand fencing gear at the right price. Kerryn has sold all her gear advertised a few days ago except, the shoes, any takers?? The other interesting thing is the wide market, so to speak, with inquiries coming from across the pond and further afield. The lucky buyers are from Auckland and Adelaide!
Content prior to this is archived below.
Archived Gossip: 2007, 2008, 2009,
About the photographs on this website.
Gossip Page: The Front Page of The Press, Christchurch and the South Island's largest newspaper, goes to bed in the good old days of hot metal type; Montage at the bottom of this page, Australian foilist Franki Bartolilo; Three-times world veteran foil champion Maurizio Galvan fronts up for New Zealand television; Epee action from Challenge Australia; More epee action from the 02 Commonwealth Fencing Championships; A famous French fencer captured in Seoul; Attendees at a training camp in Christchurch run by Maitre Galvan in 2007.
About Me Page: Two top epee coaches at the Giardino Club in Milan. Oleg Putzanov, left, and Gianni Muzio, right. Montage; Kiwi fencer, Andrew Kell, demonstrates the new sabre mask - 2004 A Space Oddity - in Madrid; Top Kiwi womens' sabreur Katherine Taylor; Australian Olympian, Bill Ronald, relaxes on Lygon Street, Melbourne; Hot Man - an interesting portrait from the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Shah Alam; Christchurch fencing physiotherapist Scott Seun bounds in for a hit against a luckless Australian fencer; Kiwi sabreur, Robert Snoep watches the action at the CFC in Shah Alam; A polite discussion takes place among University fencers at the Uni Games circa 1969. Last but not least, a tidy black Morris Minor photographed in Melbourne. A famous Italian Fencing Master and three-times world vets foil champion used my Morris Minor van for his afternoon siestas while running a training camp in Christchurch in 2007. The fact that he went on to win his third title on the trot is no indication of the efficacy, or otherwise, of sleeping in the back of a Morris Minor van named Corrie the Morrie!
Learn To Fence Page: Youngsters, barely taller than the epees they wield, duel it out in the fencing club at Toledo, Spain; Hitting actions - from beginner to Olympic champion - some example of how to hit your opponent; Kiwi epeeist Natalie Fraser fights into fifth place at a national womens epee competition in Vallalodid, Spain. What every competititve fencer needs - an FIE international fencing license - this one from 1973. A promising young sabreur is given a lesson by one of Spain's top coaches, Luis Jiminez, at the Royal Spanish Fencing Federation's national training centre in Madrid. Aussie coach Mathieu at work; A fencing tournament underway in Adelaide, South Australia.
Books To Read Page: Olympic epee champion Marcel Fischer (Switzerland), Rangi de Abaffy and Willie Upritchard (New Zealand) pose against the ivy after a training session in my backyard in Christchurch. The Montage: Aussie Fencer Sarah Osvath recovers from a tumble; The teams line-up at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Malaysia; Top Kiwi women fencers Jess and Les fight it out at the New Zealand National Fencing Championships; Remember when? Kiwi sabreur Keith Mann shows how to fleche during a sabre bout in the 60's! Mann, twice President of New Zealand Fencing and who still competes in local tournaments, received an award for his services to the sport in 2007. Bottom, Hamish McCracken limbers up while some tired Spaniards watch Challenge Australia action and Waimaria and Karita think about what book to read!
Fencing Businesses Page: Top. A New Brighton resident enjoys the nation's top newspaper (The Press) in a local cafe; University Students march through Cathedral Square as part of Capping Day celebrations in the 1960's; A view of the Tagus River near Toledo in Spain; Another shot of University of Canterbury students celebrating Capping Day with a float highlighting Government funding cuts to universities; Chris, the head Reader at The Press, scans reporters copy for mistakes before it is sent for setting in the days before computerisation of the newspaper. Bottom: A Kiwi fencer begs for mercy after being disarmed; Top epeeist and coach David Eccleston at a training camp in Wellington; The last page for the next day's paper is sent to the platers; Ioan Pop, The FIE's Technical Director, captured at the World Champs in Seoul; A photographer from the Otago Daily Times captures the action at the 2006 nationals.
Links Page: Corps a corps or head to head - you decide. The power of acting - Christchurch actor and fencer, Simon Young, attracts the attention of a young admirer during a production in the Botanic Gardens. You need a good sense of balance for inline skating as Christchurch sabreur William Cowper found out. They might look like two grumpy old men, but three-times world foil champion Maurizio Galvan and local coach Rob Sheard were focusing on the actions of fencers at a training camp at the Fencing Institute. Kiwi fencers love beating up their big brothers in Australia and this shot shows Christchurch epeeist Hassan Kamel with the medal he won in Sydney; Gruff young Kiwi fencers ham it up at the Fencing Institute in Christchurch. Action in the mens epee at the 2007 New Zealand Nationals in Wellington where 14-year-old sabreur Alex Chan stole a seven-hit lead on former National champion Chris Nokes. Nokes came back to win 14-7 proving that a good Old Un can beat an uppity Young Un. Aussie and Kiwi coaches who took part in a training camp taken by Ioan Pop, the FIE's Technical Director. Action in the womens epee event at the World Champs in Seoul. Two members of the University of Canterbury Fencing Club fight off in the Duel at Dawn which marks the end of the fencing season. The duel is held at different venues each year, in this case it was the Christchurch Botanic Gardens!
(All photos Copyright Vik Manuge and may not be reproduced without written consent.)
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