The Fencing Master : Vik Manuge

ARCHIVES FROM THE GOSSIP PAGE 2010

Archived Gossip: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007

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

here!

 

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.

1. Uhlmann right-hand size 38 kevlar 800N uniform includes size two plastron. $290.
2. Foil lame size 38, $50.
3. Standard (non-FIE) foil $50.
4. 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!

31/5/2010: Here's a nice poster..

 

28/5/2010: FOR SALE.

Cheap way to score some FIE quality gear! (Left-handed woman's). E-mail me below for contact details. Seller is ChCh based.

Epee LH Med Grip Maraging Blade

2 Foils Complete 2 pin LH Maraging Blue Blades

2 Foil Blades Maraging

3 Foil 2 Pin Wires

A sabre

Roll bag – fushia in colour

Adidas Jacket 800 N L Handed Size 84 (talle)(name on back)

Uhlman 800 N Pants Size 84 NZ Fern on Leg

Uhlman Plastron (RH)  Size Medium

LH Glove – Mainland Fencing Size 7

Red Lame LH Size 42

Red Mask 1600N Size Medium

Chest Protector Size Small

Adidas Fencing Shoes US Size 9

Test Box

Weight & Guages

 

 

27/5/2010: Why is this person lying down? Who is he? What is his interest in the city in the background? Finally, what was the former Roman city famed for? As usual, first with the correct reply gets the cupcake.

Well done Gio for your quick response to the King Dick conundrum. Do you really want a signed photo??

 

 

24/5/2010: CHALLENGE OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR!

By Gemma Noon

The 2010 ALG Challenge - Australia's biggest fencing tournament - has been a resounding success for the Australian fencing community, according to Australian Fencing's Major Events Director Bill Ronald at the closeof the event on Sunday.

"The tournament has been a success, especially for the athletes as they work towards improving their seedings on the pathway to London (Olympics in 2012). It shows how the Sydney fencing community can come together to build an outstanding event and builds on the legacy of the Sydney Olympics," Ronald said.

He says the organisers have managed to create an athlete-friendly, world class event which continues to be popular with fencers from around the world.

"Many athletes return time after time because they enjoy the tournament so much; we pride ourselves on making it an athlete's event," Ronald said.

American Weston Kelsey beat Japan's Keisuke Sakamoto to win the men's event while Germany's Imke Duplitzer beat Dutchwoman Sonja Tol to take home the gold medal in the women's event.

No Australian fencers reached the medal matches, however dual Olympian Evelyn Halls reached the top eight in the women's competition, while James Lewis reached the top 16 in the men's.

Having a World Tour event in Australia also provides valuable experience to Australia's younger athletes such as Diana Sher, Nick Davies and James Lewis. Sher, a promising junior, came up against Beijing 2008 gold medallist Britta Heidemann in a Direct Elmination match on Sunday. Heidemann eventually finished with the bronze medal after a defeat against Duplitzer in their semifinal.

"The probability of drawing someone (Heidemann) like that is rare," Australian High Performance Manager Peter Osvarth said.

"The event brings world class fencers to Australia which our fencers wouldn't otherwise face. It raises the profile of the sport for both athletes and spectators and brings us to the attention of the world fencing community," he continued.

The Challenge is also a valuable performance indicator for Australia's more seasoned fencers.

"It gives our juniors an idea of the gap between what they do and what they aspire to do; it gives our previous Olympians a chance to come out and see where they currently stand," Osvarth said.

(Please exchange the word Australia with New Zealand to see the benefit for Kiwi fencers.)

 

23/5/2010: Day Two of the 2010 ALG Challenge kicked off on this morning with the Direct Elimination round for the women's event.

Auckland fencer Nancy LIU before he bout against SOZANSKA Monika (GER): "I don't know her. It will surely be a very mental game because she has a very high ranking. I'll have to work extra hard. I will try to visualize winning to prepare for this bout and not to make the same mistakes."

For New Zealander Jennifer Jackson, it was a bittersweet victory knocking out fellow Kiwi Katherine Taylor. "It's a shame it had to be a Kiwi," she said. ""It always would be nicer to come into the event ranked higher, yesterday was not that great but what can you do, you have to work with the draw you get."

Ash Hampers Irish Epeeist's Dash to Challenge Australia By Andrew Pickering

Ahead of the ALG Challenge Australia 2010, Andrew Fenwick is aiming
to repeat his top 16 finish from this event last year but,
regardless of results, is just happy to have made it to Sydney.

The Irishman's flight looked set to be cancelled after volcano
Eyjafjallajokull shut down all the airports in his homeland but
hours before he was due to leave on Wednesday, the ban was lifted.

It's not the first time his plans have been wrecked by the Icelandic
volcano either - his flight home from the World Cup meet in Paris
this year was cancelled.

But now that he's made it here the 23-year-old is trying to put his
travel problems behind him and instead look ahead to the weekend's
competition in Australia.

"It's been a bit of a disappointing start to the season but I got a
top 16 in Iran [in a World Cup meeting] and I'm confident I can do
the same here," he said.

Check out the results of ashen Andrew and our eight Kiwi epeeists at:CHALLENGE!

 

 

22/5/2010: Starts today, Challenge Australia men's and women's world cup epee comp in Sydney:

The Tyranny of Distance.

International rankings are at stake for some of our top fencers this weekend when they take to the piste in the Challenge Australia men’s and women’s world cup epee competition in Sydney. Only three of the eight New Zealanders competing have international rankings, Katherine Taylor of Auckland, William Bishop of Wellington and Adrian Saw of Christchurch.

The three along with Christchurch epeeists Carla Campbell and Andreas Sesun, Aucklanders Kyle MacDonald, Nancy Liu and Melbourne based Jenny Jackson, who are unranked, will go up against some of the best fencers in the world including the current women’s world number one and Olympic champion, Britta Heidemann, of Germany, and Sonja Tol, of the Netherlands, who is ranked 9 th in the world.

Normally Kiwi fencers have to travel to Europe or Asia to compete in competitions recognised by the International Fencing Federation (FIE) and gain world ranking points, but the Challenge Australia, which started in 1994 to build up the expertise to run the fencing at the 2000 Olympics, is a quick, cheap flight over the pond for them.

This year’s Challenge has attracted 121 fencers from 18 countries a far cry from the record 288 entries of 2003, but still a formidable turn out for fencers used to the smaller fields of competitions in Australia and New Zealand, but a great preparation for the Commonwealth Fencing Championships to be held in Melbourne this September. Below, previous medalists...

 

 

21/5/2010: Ask about King Dick and most Kiwis will quickly respond with Richard Seddon, New Zealand's longest serving Prime Minister, but there is another King Dick, a motorcycle made in Abingdon, England, and here is a prime example being fettled by Dunedin motorcyclist Bill Veitch.

First to respond with the model and year will receive a signed 8x10 photo for displaying on their wall. Read more about Bill at: McIver and Veitch Ltd.

 

20/5/2010: This weekend eight Kiwi will take on the best in the world at a top international fencing tournament in Sydney.

The Challenge Australia epee event, one of only 12 men’s and women’s World Cup events world-wide, has attracted 121 competitors from 18 countries among them the winner of the women’s epee event at the Beijing Olympics, Britta Heidemann, of Germany.

Three of the Kiwi epeeists are from Auckland; Nancy Liu, Kyle MacDonald and Katherine Taylor. Three are from Christchurch; Carla Campbell, Adrian Saw and Andreas Sesun, and one from Wellington, William Bishop, and one, Jenny Jackson, lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Epee is the modern development of the old duelling rapier. When Fencing was selected for the first Olympic Games way back in 1896 epee fencing bouts were fought for one hit which replicated, as much as possible, what would have happened in a real duel, but now epeeists fight for five points in the preliminary bouts and 15 hits in the direct elimination rounds with the whole body, head to toe, as target.

You can follow the duels of our Kiwi fencers at: Challenge

 

 

19/5/2010: CHALLENGE AUSTRALIA is this weekend in Sydney.

Over the years many Kiwi fencers have competed in this FIE sanctioned mens and womens epee event. Photos show a past champion and some of the Kiwis who have competed.

Follow the results of Carla, Katherine, Andreas, Nancy and the rest of this year's Kiwi competitors at: CHALLENGE!

 

16/5/2010: How many Kiwi fencers have a world ranking??? Find out for yourself, just select the weapon, input the country (New Zealand) and as they say on the telly, voilla! FIE world rankings.

 

15/5/2010: What's this pix got to do with fencing? Absolutely nothing. I just like motorcycles and these huge machines are sold by a Christchurch company.

If you have an interesting pix e-mail it to the address below.

 

 

13/5/2010: The fencers' nominations are in, Fenz has promised to send full teams and here is the newly designed logo.....

 

 

 

10/5/2010: Pix from the Eccelston Epee.

One would think the whole day consisted of fencing, but no, the fencing took just on three hours, the use of four 'pistes' helped, with the rest of the time spent eating at the Marco Polo cafe on campus......

 

and at Winnie Bagoes later that evening, when a very contrite Martin Brill turned up to return a book about fly-fishing which he had borrowed from Eckky 15 years earlier!!....

Least you think all Uni students are eaters and such-like here is a shot of some in action under the eyes of 'Bod'.....

 

8/5/2010: DUEL IN THE BALLROOM.

Results of the annual Eccleston One Hit Epee competition run by the University of Canterbury Fencing Club today in the Ballroom at the Students Association Building on Ilam Road, Christchurch:

1 Andreas Susun; 2 Alex Chan; 3 Brett Davis; 4 Dmitry Trashkov; 5 Anna Sobeleva (top female fencer); Tom Kent (top left-hander); 7 Roger Welsh; 8 Robert Blackburne; 9 Rachel Hanover-O’connor (club Secretary); 10 Josh Gibson (club Treasurer); 11 Yi Zeng; 12= Dhamendra Unka, John Seal and Mark Nancollis (most double hits); 13 Max Carter-Smith; 14 Rachel van Heugten (club President) and Fiona Seal (youngest fencer); 15 Hannah Ramsay; 16 Vik Manuge (oldest fencer); 17 Fraser Gemmell.

A double hit is where both fencers hit each other at the same time and both fencers loose a point. Just as in a real duel both would have been wounded!

The event attracted 20 fencers, three up on last year. Guests of honour were former Kiwi champions David and Aileen Eccleston, of Nelson, after whom the competition is named. The pair presented five electric epees to the winners plus sundry other prizes. Among the spectators were former UCFC fencers Rangi de Abaffy and Geoff Low.

(pix to come)

 

6/5/2010: Great news for Wellington fencing. Peter Kell, one of the famous triumvirate of former Christchurch fencers - the Kell brothers - is moving back to Wellington later this year. Pete has been working and coaching in London. The youngest brother, Andrew, is now in Auckland and has taken up Tai Chi. Anybody recall the name of the third brother??? Answers on a single page please. First to answer correctly will receive a pix of Andrew Kell climbing through the bathroom window!!

 

5/5/2010: THE OLGA JEKYLL MIXED TEAMS WAS HELD SATURDAY 1ST MAY 2010 AT LINWOOD COLLEGE GYMNASIUM.

This is a fun event held in recognition of Olga's seventy years of involvement in fencing.

Forty-three fencers took part in mixed teams. Teams included a male and a female, fencers from different clubs and of varying abilities. There were three divisions. Open, under 13year beginners and a combined group of U13 year experienced fencers and over 13 yr beginners.

Olga traditionally donates three electric foils and Daniel Chan donated three bodywires as spot prizes so six lucky fencers received these and will hopefully put them to good use in the future.

3/5/2010: Fencing gear for sale!

Right-handed, Women' near new Uhlmann 800N kevlar jacket, trou and plastron, size 38, $290. Women' Uhlmann foil lame same size $50. Four foil bodywires and one epee bodywire, $20 each. Also one FIE maraging right-handed epee, $150.

A great buy for someone moving up the equipment scale as the clothing is less than a third the cost of buying it new - a saving of around $700! Have a look at the new prices: Mainland Fencing then contact me via e-mail (below) quickly and I'll flick you some phone-numbers.

 

2/5/2010: A Canadian fencer has asked do Kiwi fencers do a haka before team events? The answer is no, but perhaps Kiwi fencers should have a think about performing something like this: Poi E

 

31/4/2010: Happy birthday Keith!

Kiwi fencing legend Keith Mann celebrates his 78th birthday today!

Keith has been President of Fenz twice and represented New Zealand at both Empire Games and Commonwealth Fencing Championships - in his last commonwealth outing in 2002 he won two gold medals in the veterans events! Keith, who started his fencing in England as a schoolboy, has just stepped down as President of Fencing MidSouth. He was made a Life Member of MidSouth earlier this year. A long-time coach, a well as administrator, he still teaches our ancient art and modern sport at United Fencing Club. You can send your congratulations and exhortations to: cayman2@clear.net.nz He is known to favour a good cigar and a cold lager.

 

30/4/2010: Don't forget tomorrow's Olga Jeykll foil teams event at Linwwod College Saturday 8.30am to 4.00pm.

8:30 am Registration Open electric foil mixed teams 8:50 am Roll Call

11.00am Registration for visual foil.[fencers who started fencing in 2010] 11.15 roll call

11.00am Registration for Primary school electric foil.

(Olga Jekyll traditionally donates electric foils as spot prizes[drawn at approximately 3.30pm] You must be present to receive the foil. Another number/name will be drawn if the person is not present.)

 

 

28/4/2010: We want action pix you cry, so's here's one from the recent University Games. The other gos from that event is that Russian fencer Anna Soboleva was elected President of the New Zealand University's Fencing Association.

 

27/4/2010: Thanks for your responses. So far LIES (see below) is in the lead with SOS a very long way behind. As two respondents noted, LIES is also very strong in overseas fencing, particularly World Cup events, with its exponents using languages not understood by the referee. Perhaps the FIE will amend its use of in-mask communication devices to curtail the use of LIES, however, as one respondent suggested, the antics of those using LIES is like the actions of football coaches and add a certain something to the sport for the spectators.

 

26/4/2010: Here’s another pix from the NZ U15 and U17 champs in Wellington. It shows former fencer Brian Pomeroy and Fencing New Zealand Patron, Richard Peterson.

Pom, as he is known, terrified sabreurs of the day with a hugely quick quinte parry riposte and instilled fear into the hearts of university fencers with his servings of copious quantities of Lamb’s Navy Rum! While Richard still strikes fear into the Capital’s fencers by turning up to fence from time to time.

There is a rumour that Richard and Keith Mann, of Christchurch, are thinking about entering the Commonwealth Veterans Fencing Championships being held in Melbourne in September.

Now back to the future, an interesting event in Wellington was the attempt by officials to suppress that insidious habit of Secret Observational Signalling. SOS is where two coaches, whose fencers are competing on the piste, position themselves at one end of the piste to observe their charges, then one complains to the referee that the other, who is usually sitting eating an orange, is secretly signalling to her or his pupil. The referee then bans the offending coach to a position behind his or her pupil for committing SOS. Quite how the complaining coach and referee recognise SOS has been kept secret in an effort to aid its suppression.

Another exciting coaching advance witnessed in Wellington was Loud Intrusive Exhortations, or LIES as it is universally known. This is where a coach shrieks out instructions to their fencer fighting on the piste much to the amusement of other fencers and spectators. In Wellington this sad but amusing spectacle was not penalised for some secret reason but allowed to reverberate around the fencing hall. However LIES, also known as off-piste coaching, is frowned upon in international fencing and its exponents can be black carded and expelled from the fencing hall unlike those conducting Secret Observational Signalling. Another interesting observation was that SOS seemed to be exclusively practised by South Island coaches and LIES by North Island coaches.

The question is, dear reader, is SOS more interesting for spectators than LIES’?

 

24/4/2010: Here's another from the U15 and U17s held in Wellington recently....its that other weapon the kids play with...

mtc.

PS. Don't forget to get your entry in for the Eccleston Epee, you can pay on the day, but need to let Titch know you are coming. Lets see if it can attract more epeeists than last year's 17 or so.

The other bit of gossip is that a former foilist and well-known ChCh fizzio is to make a comeback attempt at next weekend's Olga Jeykll foil event!

Plus the turnout at this morning's MidSouth refereeing course was more than double than the last one - perhaps Kiwi fencers are beginning to relise that there will never, ever, be a high-level foil or sabre competition held in New Zealand, or Australia for that matter, until we improve the quality and experience of our referees! In fact, one of the best ways to improve your fencing is to improve your refereeing skills.

 

23/4/2010: Oops, just been told off - ''why did you post a photograph of the AFF comp in Melbourne instead of one from the NZu15 and u17s in Wellington. I saw you there with a camera so why no photographs?''

No excuse, so here is a pix from that event and I'll post more over the weekend! Question: which top Wellington fencer's office can you see here..

mtc (more to come)

23/4/2010: Thanks for your amazing interest in M. Bernet and thanks to Chris for checking the Wellington street for clues. Sadly, no new info has come to hand, but we still hope. Now, for something completely different, spot the Kiwis at last weekend's AFF1 competition...

 

19/4/2010: THE SPORTS BUSINESS!

Great article by Greg Ford in yesterday's Sunday Star Times on where the tax-payers dollars spent on New Zealand sport go. Well worth a read especially for the differing attitudes to requests for information by many top-ranked sports. Read it here: Sunday Star Times

 

18/4/2010: Thanks to those that replied about M. Bernet even though they were all in the negative, somebody somewhere must know something so we will keep hoping.

For more up-t0-date gos on fencing have a look here AustFencingEvents It has the results of a host of Kiwi Fencers trying to improve their chances of selection for the Commonwealth Fencing Champs and other top level events. Well done the Old Fellas!! in the men's and women's vets events.

 

 

15/4/2010: Your help is needed.

This article appeared in the the New Zealand Truth of November 22, 1926. Does anyone know anything about the people named? Nicki, of Auckland, would dearly love to know more about her Great Grandfather's life here in New Zealand or France.

 

12/4/2010: An Invitation to a good time.....

THE ONE-HIT

ECCLESTON EPEE 2010

The University of Canterbury Fencing Club invites you to “The One-Hit Eccleston Epee Competition 2010”! This competition is open to all fencers of epee and this year prizes include two electric epees donated by Dave and Eileen Eccleston.

When: Saturday 8 th May Start time 10:45am

Enter on the day between 10:00-10:40am or email tinytitch@live.com with your details.

Where: This year the Eccleston Epee will be held in the University of Canterbury Students’ Association building, 90 Ilam Road.

Entry fees: Just $10!

Gear: Must be SAFE. No force requirement. Please bring 2 epees and test them before you begin fencing. Weapons will be checked on the piste, but for you foilists or sabreurs epees and bodywires will be available for hire!

Rules: There will be a champion woman and a champion man, based on points, with the number of wins as a tie breaker.

• Every fencer will fight every other competitor.
• If any fencer withdraws for any reason their bouts are deemed not to have taken place and are removed from the score sheet.
• All bouts be of one minute duration.
• Single hit 2 points
• Double hit 1 point
• No hit 0 points
• Any fencer not presenting within 1 minute of call 0 points. The opponent 2 points.
• There will be a performance based spot prize revealed at the end of the competition.

(Fence at your own risk.)

 

 

 

5/4/2010: Usually a challenge posted on this website has a response within hours, not days, but sadly this time the only response was a half-hearted request from an old fencer in Malaysia. Anyway, here's the list of Kiwi fencers who fought in Singapore...

A couple are still involved with our sport, who?? Another two will be Guests of Honour at the Eccleston One Hit Epee comp in Christchurch next month being run by the University of Canterbury Fencing Club. And poor Percy, alive and kicking in the North Island, does not have to cough-up a prize.

 

2/4/2010: A PAGE FROM THE PAST!

Can you name the Kiwi fencers who competed at this event?? Percy Temple will donate a suitable prize to the first correct answer...

 

 

31/3/2010: Well-known Australian fencing master dies.

It is with great sadness that Fencing Victoria informs members that Maitre John Fethers passed away last night. John has been a foundation stone for Australian and Victorian fencing for the last 60 years, as a noteworthy international fencer in the first instance and then over many decades as a coach, developing elite athletes and coaches alike.

His contribution to fencing was enormous and his legacy remains strong in the Victorian fencing community through many fencers and coaches, and their students in turn.

Fencing Victoria extends its sincere condolences to John's family. A detailed obituary for John will be published on the Fencing Victoria website in the days to come and service for John will be arranged for Friday 16 April. Details will be circulated as they become available.

(Prof Fethers was known and respected by Kiwi fencers having been involved in training camps on this side of the Tasman in the 1960s and 1970s. Many older Kiwi fencers will remember him as an ardent competitor - former Fenz President Keith Mann certainly does, ''He was part of an amazingly strong Aussie team training in London in the early 1960s.'')

 

30/3/2010: Kiwi fencer Jess Beer is ranked somewhere between 12th and 13th on British Fencing's rankings of women epeeists. Yes, I know there is no such number, but that's her ranking - if you don't believe me have a look here: British Fencing

Anyway, here's a pix of Jess and you might like to know that she competed in last weekend's A Grade epee event in Luxembourg coming 76th.

On a more mundane matter ChCh epeeist (see I am not one-eyed about sabre and can talk coherently about the other two weapons when there is something to talk about!) Dmitry Trashkov invites you to the opening of his exhibition of drawings based on C S Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. The exhibition, called Ghost Heaven opens at 5.30pm on April 6 th at the Coca, 66 Gloucester Street, and closes April 25 th. There is wine for those who turn up at the opening and big welcome for those who buy a work.

 

29/3/2010: Kiwi Youngsters Put Aussie Fencers To The Sword!

The measure of a true Kiwi sports person is not whether they are a World champion, nice but not necessary, same with the Olympics, yes you have to be on top of your game to a win an Olympic medal, but still it does not stir the New Zealand audience into that visceral enjoyment of winning.

What does? Beating Australians! Any victory over our brothers across the pond seems to bring to the boil that sense of intense satisfaction you see when a younger sibling bests an older one. Which is exactly what two Christchurch fencers did last weekend in Sydney – they put the Aussies to the sword!

The pair, Alex Chan and Hannah Ramsay, were among eight Kiwi fencers taking part in the junior sabre training camp run by the Oceanic Fencing Confederation under the direction of New South Wales Fencing’s newly imported Italian Fencing Master, Antonio Signorello, in Sydney.

Being good competitive types they entered the New South Wales Fencing Association’s Paul Rizzuto Open Sabre competition in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville, which just happened to be held last Sunday towards the end of the camp.

Chan won the men’s event and Ramsay, the youngest fencer at the camp, was third in the women’s event. Full results, including the remaining six Kiwis at:http://www.nswfencing.org.au/results2010.htm

The sad thing is, that some of the Aussie youngsters who competed and attended the camp will be competing in the World Junior and Cadet champs in Baku, but not our Kiwi kids. You can keep an eye on the champs here: Baku

29/3/2010: Pssst. Wanna know what happened to Fenz Treasurer Mark Booth?? Well he has been offered a job in Canberra, sad for us, but good for the Aussies. Booth, who does a bit of sabre coaching on the side in the Kiwi Capital, Wellington, will join Christchurch epeeist Andrew Thomson in the Australian Capital. Andy, or Bicen as he likes to be known, has just finished his PhD in photovoltaics and scored a three-year contract for further research. Now here's Mark...snapped during a Sabre Camp in Christchurch last year. Bye Mark! He leaves at the end of next month.

 

28/3/2010: The new Leaders of Fencing New Zealand are:

President: Ken Claridge, Wellington.

Secretary: Fiona McDonald, Dunedin.

Treasurer: no nominations so no one elected

Auditor: to be appointed

Selectors: Mark Rance (Christchurch), Gareth Foley (Dunedin)and Wayne Cui (Wellington).

25/3/2010:

The Sabre Sessions will resume on April 21 at 6.30pm at the Fencing Institute the format remains the same as last year. Group lesson first followed by controlled (and uncontrolled!) electric fencing. (Electric gear is available for hire at $5 for the session.)

Cost is $150 per term, plus a one-off affiliation fee to Fencing MidSouth and Fencing New Zealand of $30. The affiliation fee will be waived if you have paid it at another club. This fee includes use of mask, sabre, glove, plastron and jacket.

Owing to the delay in starting there will be three ten week terms this year in line with school terms.

As usual the first visit is free for newbies so bring along a friend or two or three.

 

23/3/2010: Action or, in this case inaction, from the weekend's Oceania Fencing Confederation epee camp at the new State Fencing Centre in Melbourne. Sixteen young fencers from Australia and New Zealand attended the camp and the question is dear reader are these Kiwis or Australians or a mixture of both. First correct answer wins a special prize from Maitre Vlad Sher.

 

 

18/3/2010: Came across this little guy on the net, wonder who drew him??

And he's a left-hander.....

 

15/3/2010: Twenty-two young Kiwi fencers embark on the trip of a lifetime later this month when they head off to all expenses paid training camps in Australia. Organised by the Oceania Fencing Confederation, the training camps in foil, epee and sabre, aim to develop the sport’s up and coming talent in New Zealand and across the ditch in Australia.

Those attending the camps are; Foilists;.Hamish Chan, Chris Lear, Ming-Yi Lee, Hannah Tang and Jazmin Hopper, all Auckland. Ben Wilkins and Sally McCance, Christchurch and Daniel Kahu, Wellington.

Epeeists; William Bishop, Brendan Hair, Wellington, Gideon van Zyl, Felix Mann and Jazmin Hopper, Auckland. Carla Campbell, Christchurch.

Sabreurs; Alex Chan, Eoin Queen and Hannah Ramsay, Christchurch. Jono Hewlett, Max Rolland, Sasha Green and Stepanie Simpkin, Auckland. Katie Logan, Wellington.

The epee and foil camps will be held in the spanking new Victorian State Fencing Centre in Melbourne on 20 and 21 March (epee) and foil 27 and 28 March, with the sabre camp in Sydney on 27 and 28 March.

Victorians have been asking themselves if Noah was a fencer, after the brand-new State Fencing Centre was flooded by the wild weather which deluged Melbourne earlier this month. Read more about the camps and weather at: Australian Fencing Federation.

 

14/3/2010: Some of you have asked for more pix of Andrew Kell and his prediliction for strange motor cars. Well, sorry there are no more. However, there is this picture of Andypandy doing an imitation of a motor car in the dark just off Madrid's Grand Via after he had been visiting a fencing club situated on that famous street. Here's more about Grand Via and here's Andy...

 

 

12/3/2010: OOf, two responses from Kiwi graphic designers so look out over the pond. While we're there have a look at this pix:

 

11/3/2010: Calling all Kiwi graphic designers, have a look at this. Anything our cousins across the pond can do Kiwis can do even better - 'cept the cricket. Send your ideas to Bill direct.

The Great Logo Competition of 2010

Not since the Great Logo Competition of 2007 has such an opportunity been available
to the graphic designers of Australian Fencing!

A fencing competition of a different kind!
Your chance to be famous in fencing circles throughout the Commonwealth!

The great
CFC10
Commonwealth Fencing Championships
Commonwealth Veterans Fencing Championships
Melbourne
29 September – 5 October 2010
Logo Competition

Uses & applications:
• “t” shirt for merchandise sales and volunteers uniforms
• Web site
• Stationery, letterheads, tickets etc.
• Participation Certificates
• Banners & Backdrops
• Event program & publicity
• Possible medal reverse

What do we want?
Well, your original ideas, but to get you thinking the design should suit these media & could
represent Australia, our animals, landmarks, and of course fencing themes - could be used.
It could be whimsical, graphic or dramatic and be in a variety of forms to suit the uses above.

The client is the world of Commonwealth fencing. Words are best at a minimum but could
include:
Commonwealth Fencing Championships
Commonwealth Veterans Fencing Championships
CFC10
Melbourne
29 September – 5 October 2010

The prize? Your graphic ability will be displayed to a Commonwealth audience! You will
receive a certificate of appreciation and you will be published. We will also throw in an entry to
an AFF event in 2010 or 2011 and a “T” shirt from your design. Of course the major prize is
that you will feel so good about it!!!

Please send art or sketches by no later than 7 April 2010 to:
Bill Ronald event director at deploy@tpg.com.au or P.O. Box 26, Eastwood NSW 2122.

Simon Auty, Andrew Ius, Bill Ronald, Helen Smith, will be the judges. Copyright will be
owned by Fencing Victoria.

Bill Ronald
Event Director
March 2010 Ref:CFC10LOGO

CFC10 - A Major Event of AFF, FV, CFF
phone: 61 2 9804 6995 fax: 61 2 9874 6168 mobile: 61 403 267 330 email: deploy@tpg.com.au
postal: PO Box 26, Eastwood, NSW 2122, Australia

 

 

11/3/2010: More delightful titivation for you.

What ARE these fencers doing and why have TRIFFIDS invaded the Fencing Institute? On another matter, here are those wanting to stand for Fenz positions at the upcoming AGM.

           Election of officers    Nominations received:
President: Susan Grant-Taylor, Ken Claridge, Heather Lear.

Secretary General: Fiona MacDonald, Laura Harvey.

Treasurer: No nominations received.

Appointment of selector(s) Nominations received to date:
Gareth Foley, Mark Rance, Wayne Cui.

Do remember that as a financial member of Fenz YOU are entitled to vote at the AGM on Saturday March 27.

 

10/3/2010: Wow, a day later and still no breathless windups from foilists and grumpy epeeists. They've either given me up as a bad cause or, seen the humour of the polls. Anyway to cause a few headaches for our friends over the pond, here's a bit of playacting from a well-known member of our Great Brother/Sisterhood of fencing.

Take it away ....... Leon!

(The information contained in this Internet posting is intended
for the viewers only and may contain privileged information, but not
necessarily the official views or opinions of the FIE, the Commonwealth Fencing Federation, New Zealand Fencing, Fencing MidSouth, the University of Canterbury Fencing Club, the Sabre Club, the Australian Fencing Federation, Scottish Fencing or any other democratically elected organisations involved in fencing.
If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or
distribute this message or the information in it.)

 

9/3/2010: YOUR FAVOURITE WEAPON!!!

Everyone loves opinion polls, they give that semblance of authority that some people just love and the percentage figures can be used in endless ways to prove all sorts of things, so here’s one that will get up the noses of many involved in our sport – your favourite weapon.

In March last year I dared to suggest, tongue in cheek, that we should get rid of epee and foil and concentrate on sabre since our kids garnered the largest medal haul with the weapon in Aussie events. See ‘’DOING AWAY WITH FOIL AND EPEE COULD WIN NEW ZEALAND FENCING MORE MEDALS!’’ Published March 3 rd 2009. The response from some hyper-ventilating foilists and a couple of phlegmatic epeeists was interesting to say the least.

Now a poll on the Fencing Central website (FenCen) backs up that call by daring to suggest that sabre is the most popular weapon of the three, in the Captital City anyway.

Your Favourite Weapon
Sabre
26	50%
Foil
24	46.2%
Epee
2	3.8%

( Please, address all your replies to Fencing Central, it's their poll after all!!)

 

 

8/3/2010: Fencing MidSouth has a new Leader.

Luke Robertson was elected the new President at Friday's AGM.
Current Secretary Carville Stewart was re-elected, but the Treasurer remains vacant (any offers?).

Club's represented were, United, University, the Sabre Club and the Fencing Institute, plus the school clubs of Christ's, CBHS/CGHS and RHS, though they have no vote.

A freebee for you........Two referees seminars will be held at the Fencing Institute at 7pm next Thursday and Friday at no charge. One for the more experienced on the Thursday and one for wishing to learn about refereeing on the Friday. All welcome, including fencers from schools clubs plus there will be offerings of nice things to those that do turn up.

Now to more interesting things. Who are these folks???

5/3/2010: Another pix from the Archives.

Diane and Graham partake in a courtly engagement in front of the Students' Association Building at Canterbury University in the late 1960s before the university moved to Ilam.

The building is now the Dux de Lux restaurant which, like the hall (now the Academy picture theatre) the university fencing club trained in, is likely to be joined by a new music conservatoire. Note the canvas clothing and masks that would be frowned upon today yet, to my knowledge, no uni students were injured in the taking of this picture.

 

3/3/2010:

An Invitation to a Duel

The country’s oldest swords club starts its 82 nd year of existence on Saturday 6 th March at 10.30am with a series of duels. The Canterbury University Fencing Club will introduce the ancient art and modern sport with displays of foil, epee and sabre fencing in the Ballroom of the University of Canterbury Students Association building on Ilam Road before signing-up new members for 2010.

Fencing is an art form and competitive sport. At its highest level it requires the muscular control of a ballet dancer with the tactical brain of a chess master. It teaches discipline, courage and humility. It is an individual and team sport operating at the social or competitive levels. The duels will provide a dramatic introduction to the sport showcasing the fast and exciting actions and the differences between the three weapons. CUFC is the only club in the land to do its basic instruction in epee, this came about because it is cheaper for impecunious students as there are no metal jackets needed as in foil or sabre.

Members of UCFC have reached national and international levels in the sport and many former members have gone on to high positions in business, science, medicine, politics and other fields of human endeavour (even in the media!). Its present membership includes five New Zealand and Australian champions and fencers from six different countries; Russia, Malaysia, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Canada, a veritable United Nations of fencing.

Contact President Rachel van Heugten at tinytitch@live.com or telephone Vik Manuge at 03 366 6396.

 

 

21/2/2010: Former Kiwi Policeman defends his house and family with a sword!

What do you turn to when a horde of machete-weilding thugs break into your home bent on who knows what and your high-tech equipment fails? Why, your dress sword of course. Read on: Thrust and parry the policeman's way scroll down to the bottom of Tim Hume's article on Law and Disorder. There is even a pix of him with his trusty blade. For more on our plucky fencer see: New Zealand Police on line. Perhaps they may introduce a class at Police College in our ancient art and modern sport.

 

19/2/2010: Visor Fencing Masks Banned As Unsafe.

Sometimes it pays to be a minnow in the world of international fencing as it could save money and, maybe, your life. That's the feeling among many Kiwi fencers who have just heard of the immediate banning of transparent visor masks by the International Fencing Federation (Federation Internationale de'Escrime) after one was pierced at the World Junior Fencing championships in Denmark late last year.

The fencer was not fatally injured but the incident was considered very serious and now the release of the results of an investigation into the accident have turned up some alarming abnormalities in the manufacture of the facemask.

Implications raised by the report have concerned The President of Fencing New Zealand, Susan Grant-Taylor, enough for her to recommend to Kiwi foilists and epeeists, who own a visor mask, not to use them even for training purposes until further notice.

Introduced more that ten years ago in a desire to spice-up the newly televised sport, the see-through masks allowed the spectators to see the faces of the duelling fencers and the exaltation, or anguish, that went with winning or loosing a fight in the ancient art and modern sport.

Like any innovation there was much discussion over the safety, cost and the sheer ugliness of the new masks, but the FIE adopted their use in most of its foil, epee and sabre competitions.

Three weapons are used in modern fencing; two thrusting weapons, foil and epee with which a strong, fit fencer can generate an amazing amount of power in a lunge thrust. Sabre, the third, uses a combination of cuts and thrusts to score hits, but its blade is lighter and more flexible that the foil or epee and hence less likely to pierce a visor mask.

Christchurch epeeist Andreas Sesun, who competed at the World Fencing Champs in Turin in 2006, found that the only the top 16 fencers had to use the mask, so he did not spend the $600 or more to replace his stainless steel mesh example. Some fencers may have had problems with the new mask, internal and external reflections and, for those wearing spectacles, misting and condensation. His coach, Vik Manuge, who has owned his visor mask for many years has found no problems with its use and the better vision it gives is a big plus during lessons however his example is made by a different manufacturer - Leon Paul. Another Christchurch fencer, Luke Robertson, who fences Sabre has owned a visor mask since 2006 with no problems.

Now Kiwi fencers who are in training for the international Challenge Australia epee competition in Sydney in May and the Commonwealth Fencing Championships to be held in Melbourne in September are waiting to see if the visor mask will be reintroduced or not - the decision could save them a pocket-full of cash and, perhaps, their lives!

 

16/2/2010: Another one bites the dust - yeah a bit corny, but its true, another Christchurch fencer is moving to Auckland.

Bryn Roberts is moving north to study fine arts after winning a national scholarship, worth $2000 per year, for sculpture. But the bad or good news, depending on your view, for Auckland fencers is that the former Burnside High School pupil has sold her fencing gear aiming to concentrate on her studies.

 

 

12/2/2010: Great news for Kiwi junior fencers - 23 of them have been selected to attend the Oceania Fencing Confederation organised training camps in foil, epee and sabre next month.

The epee and foil camps will be held in the spanking new fencing centre in Melbourne on 20 and 21 March (epee) and foil 27 and 28 March, with the sabre camp in Sydney on 27 and 28 March.

MTC: a full list of the lucky 23 will be published as soon as they are confirmed by Fenz.

 

10/2/2010: Would YOU wear a transparent visor mask???

The FIE states in a recent urgent message to fencers: ''... the Executive Committee has decided to suspend and forbid, until further notice, the use of the transparent visor mask both in foil and epee, at all FIE official competitions.'' And many fencers would suggest not using one for training either. For more, see Urgent letter 3

 

9/2/2010: Hanging on for dear life.....

With tape wrapped around his brakes from an earlier fall, former Christchurch fencer Jackson Carter-Smith hurtles down the hill on $12,000 worth of bike at the New Zealand downhill mountain biking champs at Governors Bay, near Christchurch.

The Christchurch Boys High School pupil gave up fencing last year to concentrate on mountain biking and is in training for the Oceanic champs in March. Carter-Smith was 7 th in the 2007 champs and 7 th in the 2007 Australian U17 epee event. He says mountain biking is a more adrenaline inducing sport than fencing and that there are more mountain bike racers in Christchurch than fencers. Just as well he is hooked on adrenaline for he finished his run without any brakes! Jack’s brother Max, also a fencer, will be starting university this year and plans to join the University of Canterbury Fencing Club.

 

7/2/2010: What's Vegimite and why was Yves Auriol avoiding it? Thanks for your e-mails. Vegimite is the Aussie version of the Kiwi MARMITE and why was Yves avoiding it - you will have to ask him....the gos is that US Customs removed Yves' tub upon re-entry to the States. Have a look here for more about a great fencing master: US Fencing Hall of Fame

Coming up in a day or so, The Magnificent Fourteen!! See recently added caption to the group pic below!

31/1/2010:

American fencing maitre Yves Auriol was nicknamed the Vegemite Kid at a training camp he ran in Adelaide back in 1989. In the top photo he is seen backing away from tub of the sticky stuff proffered by a well-known Australian coach (cropped out). The second photo show the attendees at the camp - which one do you think proffered the Vegemite?

Front row: Colin Simpson, Jane Menary, Vivienne Tucker (formerly Vivienne Watts), Colin Oberg, Helen Swan, Yves Auriol, Danielle Seal, Michael Hill, James Fazekas Back row: Trevor Fowler, Jenny Cassidy, Rob Richards, Alwyn Wardle, last but not least, Vic Manuge who took the photos.

The four-times US Olympic fencing team foil coach developed a strange fascination for the salty black spread at the camp he ran for coaches studying for their Australian Fencing Association qualifications in foil. Many of the participants were accommodated thanks to the South Australian Sports Institute.

A left-hander, Auriol, who taught equally well with both hands and who encouraged the Aussie and (solitary) Kiwi coaches to do the same, was a long time coach at Notre Dame University in Indiana. More

Now teaching in Las Vegas, sometimes known as the retirement and entertainment capital of America, he was made a member of the US Fencing Hall of Fame in 2007 – perhaps the vegemite had some impact on his career?? Read more about Maitre Auriol at: Nevada Fencing

 

26/1/2010: Fencing New Zealand's 2010 tournament list is up. See Here!

25/1/2010: And now some words about governance and democracy.

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of The Canterbury Provincial Amateur Fencing Council Incorporated (Fencing Mid-South) will be held on Friday March 5th in room 101, Cranmer Centre, corner of Montreal and Armagh Streets (entry off Montreal Street) commencing at 6.00 pm. Plus here are the dates of Fencing MidSouth's meetings for the year:

Feb 19

Mar 5 AGM

Mar 19

April 30

May 28

July 2

Aug 6

Sept 17

Nov 5

Dec 9

Jan 28 2011

Fencers can attend the AGM and general meetings, but only affiliated members can vote at the AGM or give their proxy vote to someone else. See here for more: MidSouth

 

22/1/2010: Ten Years After -have a look at former top foilist Alex Scott in action...mixed martial arts then have a look at the Panther Page and learn more about the sloper,

 

STOP PRESS: A potential fencer....

 

20/1/2010: Here's a great excuse for a fencing celebration: ''That's right, this is the 100th year of fencing at Victoria University of Wellington.'' In celebration of this achievement, the uni is running an Over 18 competition on the 3rd and 4th of July 2010. This competition will be for all weapons and will include a dinner on the 3rd of July.

The venue for the competition has been booked at VUW Kelburn Rec Centre (of
course), the dinner is yet to be confirmed (any suggestions?). More information will be released closer to the time. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, orto put in your entry, talk with Jeremy Peters (Jezza), Secretary, Victoria University of Wellington Swords Club, vuwfencing@gmail.com

See a list of uni fencing Blues (sports award) in the 2008 Archives (April) page!

 

18/1/2010: Ten Year's After...We know what has happened to two of the four fencers in the picture; Frankie and Hamish, now spies report on Chris McCarthy, second on the left in the pix, and Alex Scott, third from the left. Chris is living in Nelson and Alex is studying in Wellington and doing martial arts - he was spotted on TV by former fencer David Winchester now living in Adelaide, and still with his trademark grin.

Something different to tickle your fancy in the fencing off-season - what is it?

Yes, it is a motorcycle and not a tiny Fiat or Morris Minor, so anyone know what kind? It was snapped on Kodak Tri-X yonks ago in central Christchurch.

 

15/1/2010: More grins, but this time from a line-up of oldies - all former national champions, if my memory serves me correctly, and all have worked for fencing and Fencing New Zealand over the years. A small gift for the first person to correctly identify them - contact address below:

From left: Percy Temple. Steve Clarke, Don McRae, Viv Jenkins, Keith Mann. Thanks Tricia your Morris Minor key ring is on its way!!

 

13/1/2010: Grin and grips. In the newspaper industry these are what photographers call the shots they take where people are posed smiling at the camera with an award or suchlike in their hands. They are anathema to real hard-news photographers, but to the gossip industry and as a record they are essential - here are some from fencing - are you here??

 

11/1/2010: Nice touch by the organisers of last weekend's Scottish Open fencing championships in Edinburgh. With the Northern Hemisphere hit hard by huge snowfalls and icy weather (see earlier pix) they provided two phone numbers for fencers to ring the organisers if they were being badly delayed by the weather. The organisers then tried to delay the start of that fencers pool bout until they arrived.

STOP PRESS. Snow on the Forth Bridges. If you look closely at this photo just received from Rosyth you can see the snow on the the Forth Rail Bridge in the background and the Forth Road Bridge, foreground. Thanks Ian!

For more try Scottish Fencing and for general winter happenings The Scotsman Note the story about the privatisation of road gritting and the seemingly deadly results since it happened.

 

10/1/2010: Is this a paean of delight or defeat?? Its one of our bro's from over the pond. Hint - look at the score.

 

7/1/2010: Make your fencing plans for 2010.

The Aussie's have published the dates of their major comps here: AFF including Challenge Australia and Commonwealth Fencing Championships.

While, Fencing New Zealand, will publish their list here!

You can view a list of CFC champions Here! and Challenge Australia winners Here!

 

5/1/2010: Look out you pesky North Islanders, Christchurch fencer Katherine Taylor will be moving to Auckland in early February to live and work. A double national champion, sabre and epee, and long-time member of the University of Canterbury Fencing Club, Katherine says goodbye to training partner Luke Robertson.

To find out more about Christchurch, try this: the nation's top newspaper and to find out more about UCFC have a look here: ucfc.

 

1/1/2010: A bit corny, but may your cup overflow in 2010! And a range of cups and fencing silverware from round the world:

 

29/12/2009: TEN YEARS AFTER. Poor Frankie, Chris, Alex and Hamish no-one seems to have remembered them ten years on. You can read Frankie Bartolillo's amazing results at: Aussie champions, Chris McCarthy and Alex Scott seemed to have disappeared from fencing while Hamish McCracken was spotted spectating at this year's nationals.

 

25/12/2009: Brrrr. Apparently the picture of the snow covered vehicles in Fife does not adequately show what the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing this winter. Here's a shot from Russian fencer Anna in Novosibirsk where its a chilly minus 34 degrees!!

To learn more about Russia's third largest city and Anna's hometown - when she is not studying in Christchurch - have a look here: Mothers Place!

Some have asked for more pix of Andrew Kell, well be patient while I scan some old negs.

 

24/12/2009: Merry Christmas all! And, for those of you living in the Great Southern Ocean, here is something to take your mind away from sunny beaches and sweltering temperatures - a snowy scene in Scotland yesterday!

Have a look here for more about the Scottish snow scene!

 

19/12/2009: Ten Years after. Back in the late 1960s there was a blues/rock group called Ten Years After they were very popular too and appeared at the Woodstock festival. Now are this group of four successful fencers, below, as popular? Lets find out - the old who, what, where and where please. First with the correct answers wins the left-over pavlova! You can read about the rock group here: Ten Years After

And I’ll post the information on our fab four fencers, ten years after, as it comes to hand.

Now, have a look at the all new FIE website, impressed?? The new FIE site or the Australian Fencing Federation's new site: AFF Don't they remind you of another site you know?

 

15/12/2009: OK, enough of Andrew Kell, and more about fencing. How about this amazing curved sabre blade captured at the Spanish National Fencing Champs in Madrid in 1997. Don't know the names of the fencers, but the acceleration of the extension from the right must have been phenomenal to make the blade curve so much!

And, no the picture has not been Photoshopped. Any thoughts? Have a look at these sites: Leon Paul patent for blades or this one: sword physics Have a look at the bendy foil pix in the Archive gossip for 2008.

 

14/12/2009: Someone asked are there any more pix of Andrew Kell with cars - perhaps - but you might like this better:

Apologies to both Luke and Sandy. More about the Don and Rocinante at: Quixote

11/12/2009: No Guido, Alexander Romankov is the one on the right, otherwise you are correct, but no pavlova as the cream and strawberries which decorate it would not survive the journey.

On the left, in the photo below taken at the recent FIE Congress in Palermo, is Panamanian Doctor Ezequiel Rodriquez Rey and on the right is Alexander Romankov, ten-times world foil champion, in individual and team events, and Russian champion 17 times.

Romankov is well known to Aussie and Kiwi fencers after he coached the Aussie foil squad and ran training camps in Australia in the 1990s – he won the Australian National foil championship in 1990! Sasha said one of the things which drove him as a fencer was when he was told as a child he would never make a good fencer!

Rodriquez, who lives and works in Madrid and fences epee, is also well-known by Kiwi fencers as one of many spanish fencers and officials who have welcome them to the Spanish Capital. There is another difference ‘tween the two, one is left-handed and one is right-handed – which is which??? See here for more: Romankov and what is a pavlova? Kiwi delight.

 

10/12/2009: Someone nameless sent an e-mail decrying the fact that classic motoring news is posted on this site. ''Its a fencing site,'' he says. OK, here's a pix taken recently of arguably one of the greatest fencers ever. You know the story, who, what, when and where? First correct answer will receive a pavlova cake!

 

8/12/2009: Some of you have said I am being too hard on Andrew Kell and his mini-car urges - sorry but that's not true. Here is another picture of him with a strange Spanish vehicle:

 

5/12/2009: And now for some fencing gossip….

Former Kiwi fencer Peter Osvath has been made a Life Member of the Victorian Fencing Association. A graduate of Victoria University and the holder of a New Zealand Universities Blue for excellence in fencing, Osvath has been helping develop the new fencing centre on Arden Street in North Melbourne. Once noted for thrashing a Vauxhall Victor round Mount Wellington Peter is now driving a Mazda.

The Patron of Fencing New Zealand, Richard Petersen celebrates his 70 th birthday mid-January 2010. A top fencer in his day Richard now prefers the more sedate skills of lawn bowls, but occasionally turns up at club to pass his experience on to Wellington fencers.

Dunedin fencer Gio Angelo is the keeper of an interesting fencing blog have a look at: http://www.salle.angelo.gen.nz/blog/

The FIE has excluded the men’s team epee and women’s team sabre events from the 2012 Olympics in London. More at: http://www.fencing.net/news/world/olympic-event-decision-on-mens-team-epee-and-womens-team-sabre.html

 

4/12/2009: Christchurch fencer Andrew Kell makes friends with an attractive local beauty in the Spanish Capital. The youngest of three fencing brothers, Andrew’s middle brother Patrick has vanished from the fencing-scope and may be living and working in Japan while big brother Peter is working and coaching fencing in London. Andypandy, as he is nick-named, fell in love with Fiat Bambinas as a young lad (his father owned a couple) and seeing this 600 look-a-like on Calle General Aranda in Madrid brought all those childhood memories flooding back. Though built by SEAT in Barcelona and not FIAT in Turin, the birthplace of the rear-engined, 500cc runabouts, the tiny cars were a hit with the motoring public and are collectors items today.

This tiny SEAT was one of the many classic cars seen by Kiwi fencers on their way to and from the Royal Spanish Fencing Association’s national training centre which is also located on Calle General Aranda as is Talleres Gomez Garres SA one of several garages in the area specialising in classic cars. For more on SEATs try: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEAT or more about those cute Bambina’s: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_500

 

28/11/2009: Fencing, apart from a few holiday events, is finished down here in the Great Southern Ocean, but here is a source of some holiday reading for Kiwi fencers:

Have a look at the History of Fencing document! And a squizz at the fencing videos.....

 

 

22/11/2009: Running a voluntary organisation can be a thankless task, but without these dedicated people our sport will suffer. Here are those that run Fencing MidSouth at the last meeting for the year on Friday. From left, Rachel (University of Canterbury Fencing Club) and Rachel (Fencing Institute) , Carville (Secretary) , Jono (Sabre Club) standing, Keith (President) and James (Christchurch Fencing Academy), both sitting, and Daniel (coach) Missing is Geof Low (Treasurer) and the rep for the United Fencing Club. You can log on the the MidSouth website to send your messages of support: We love MidSouth!

 

 

17/11/2009: Could this be the last time Christchurch fencer Chris Nokes takes to a piste in the Garden City?

Chris, a former New Zealand National Epee champion, 2002 Australian Veteran's champion, and Life Member of the University of Canterbury Fencing Club, was snapped at last weekend's MidSouth Open. He will be moving to Hamilton with his partner who has landed a lecturship in the North Island city.

Having wiped the tears from your eyes have a look at this new website: FencingCentral.

 

16/11/2009: ''Gotcha now!'' Behind the scene at the wedding of Rangi and Marguerite and their last moments as singles - An apprehensive Groom waits for his Bride - where is she? But wait, the cellphone rings and the joyful news that she is on her way and moments later here she is surrounded by two of her Men and Maids of Honour.

The magic moment!

Recruits for fencing?

 

14/11/2009: ATTENTION KIWI FENCERS; Did you know that Fenz has released its newest selection policy?? No, then have a squizz here : Fenz Selection Policy...

7/11/2009: Enough of fencing humans, have a look at these fencing robots: Rowhats.

After an accident the FIE decided to temporarily suspend the use of the
transparent mask in foil in all FIE competitions. Read more: FIE

 

4/11/2009: Question: How many lawyers does it take to return a fencing trophy. Answer: Two. Former fencers Benoit Upton, left, and Wayne Hudson.

Wayne had rebuilt the former massive marble Master of Armes trophy and returned it - sadly he was unsure of its holders since 1990 - any ideas? Cummon, own up you three weapon specialists.

 

3/11/2009: And here is the Evening News.

Three members of the University of Canterbury Fencing Club (two current one past) will tie the knot within minutes of each other on Saturday 14th November. Former Wellington fencer and usfc member Lucy Stewart will marry Michael Pearce at 1.30 pm, while four-times national epee champion and former ucfc member Rangi de Abaffy and Marguerite Neilson, a current ucfc member, will do the same at 2pm. Sadly for those wishing to attend both events, they are on the other side of the city from each other.

Have sword will travel. Well not quite like that, but Air New Zealand long-haul pilot and Auckland foilist Arthur Gatland, whose last big foray into the ancient art was in the early 1970s, magically appeared at Nationals this year. Just days later he took part in the "Shanghai Power Fencing Club" foil champs and came second. That's what you call a flying foilist!

Talking of older fencers. There are rumours around that the last MidSouth Open fencing comp of the year (November 13th and 15th) is to be invaded by a group of geriatrics? Some even suggest that Rangi de Abaffy will make an appearance in the epee event on the Friday as a prelude to his table-top sword dancing display on the Saturday.

29/10/2009: Pictures from the Nationals...

One of those faceless, unknowns, who do the hard yakka of making things happen - thanks!

BELOW: Coaches hard at work preparing their charges for their big momemt - two contrasting styles of dress!

Fencing is a true life-time sport. Once hooked, you are in it for the long haul - some faces from the past: Garth Shillito, Gaylene Ongley, Rosemary Sharfe, Arthur Gatland and

Bruce McGechan.

There are always fireworks when two lefties meet as there are many more right-handers in fencing. This tussle in the pools of the Mens Epee saw Sam Ramsay and Graeme Payne, two of the four lefties in the pool, trying to work each other out. Ramsay, in his last year at Christchurch Boy's High School won 5-1 in spite of Graeme's passionate appeal to the ref and spectators. See an earlier posting on this site to see which of them won their previous encounter!

 

 

27/10/2009: Results from the 2009 National Fencing Championships held in the gymnasium of Auckland Boys Grammar School over Labour Weekend are as follows:

Men’s Individual Sabre: Luke Robertson, Christchurch, 1; Alex Chan, Christchurch, 2; Eoin Queen, Christchurch, and Garth Shillito, Auckland, 3=. Bryan Clark 5; Max Roland 6; Ronan Whyte 7; Jerome Leveneur 8; Jonothan Hewlett 9; Jack Chen, 10; George Everts, 11; Hamish Bulmer 12 and Simon Farrell 13. Mens Team Sabre was won by Christchurch.

Women’s Individual Sabre: Monique Coleman, Wellington, 1; Katherine Taylor, Christchurch, 2; Sasha Green, Auckland, and Katie Logan, 3=. Silvia Martino 5 and Stephanie Simpkin 6. There was no womes sabre teams event.

Men’s Individual Epee: Nils Lemee, France, 1; William Bishop, Wellington, 2; Paul Hentschel, Wellington, and Christian Linke, Auckland, 3=. Sam Ramsay 5; Kyle MacDonald 6; Mark Rance 7; Benjamin Lee 8; Andreas Sesun 9; Andrew Cribbin 10; Graham Payne 11; Felix Mann 12; Alex Chan 13; Martin Cribbin 14; Felix Boyce 15; Rex Heffernan 16; Eoin Queen 17; Julius Herzoff 18; Tim Jones 19; Rory Murray 20; Brendan Hair 21; Brian Ammundsen 22; Gideon van Zyl 23; Paul Hawkes 24; Jurgens van Zyl 25; Kwok-Yi Lee 26. Mens Team Epee was won by Christchurch.

Women’s Individual Epee: Monique Coleman, Wellington, 1; Katherine Taylor, Christchurch, 2; Nancy Liu and Amanda Van Zyl, both Auckland, 3=. Sheryl Fan 5; Williams-Jones 6; Hannah Tang 7; Tiffany Piper 8; Jazmin Hopper 9; Ming-Yi Lee, 10 and Carla Campbell 11. There was no womens epee teams event.

Men’s Individual Foil: Wayne Cui, Wellington, 1; Graham Payne, Auckland, 2; Michael Hoskins and Karl Snell, both Auckland, 3=. Chris Bell 5; Hamish Chan 6; William Schmidt 7; Clovis Dyson 8; Landon Watt 9; Ben Wilkins 10; Gideon van Zyl 11; Arthur Gatland 12; Chris Hay 13; Michael Aymes 14; Felix Boyce 15; Alex Chan 16; Mike Angelo 17; Christopher Lear 18; Matthew Hill 19; Robert Dunn 20; Christopher Jones 21; Simon Farrell 22; Rory Ogg 23; Benjamin Lee 24; Robert Ogg 25; Rex Heffernan 26; Rory Murray 27; Julius Herzoff 28; Neil Young 29; Jamies Johnson 30; Richard Souness 31; Kwok Yi Lee 32; Jonothan Hewlett 33; Rob Thomsen 34; Simon Williams 35; Karl Butler 36; Lu Elborough 37; Max Rowland 38; George Lello 39; Matt Klee 40; Jurgens van Zyl 41; Daniel Wilson 42. The Mens Foil Team was won by Auckland.

Women’s Individual Foil: Ping Yuan, Wellington, 1; Nora Erler, Christchurch, 2; Monique Coleman, Wellington, and Nancy Liu, Auckland, 3=. Katherine Taylor 5; Rachel Rowlands 6; Ming Ye Lee 7; Hannah Tang 8; Vicky Fan 9; Fiona McDonald 10; Amanda van Zyl 11; Sasha Green 12; Grace Christie 13; Jazmin Hopper 14; Alice Boyd 15. The Womens Foil Team event was won by Wellington.

Mtc... pix shortly...

 

 

19/10/2009 The Duel at Dawn was held in front of the Christchurch Art Gallery on Saturday. The annual event celebrates the end of the fencing season for members of the University of Canterbury Fencing Club. Below; Tom and Rob parade their sartorial elegance....

Windows executes a salute:

While sundry gawpers gather round to watch a duel in the Death Pit.

The University of Canterbury Fencing Club is the only specialist epee club in New Zealand, producing many national age group and open champions over the years, such as Rangi de Abaffy, the only person to have won our national epee championship four times in succession. Among the current crop of top epeeists Andreas Sesun and Sam Ramsay are members while former national champion Chris Nokes is a Life Member. UCFC also runs an unusual annual epee event - the Eccleston One Hit Epee Competition. UCFC is also recognised as the oldest continuously running fencing club in New Zealand.

 

16/10/2009: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE ... The 2009 World Veterans Fencing Championships where three-times foil champion Maurizio Galvan (warmly remembered by Kiwi foilists after running a training camp in the Garden City in 2007), nearly made it four, but after a great fight in the final, had to settle for second place.

Full results and lots more pix at: From Russia with love... read on and see how the more mature fencers can still move it on and off the piste!

 

12/10/2009: The timetable for Nationals is available here: NZ Nationals

8/10/2009:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLGA! NINTY-ONE TODAY!

The Matriarch of fencing in Christchurch, Olga Jeykll, celebrates her 91st birthday today. Born on the 8/10/1918 at the end of the First World War, Olga, who still lives at home in ChCh, was a noted fencer and fencing coach in the Garden City. A member of the now defunct Swords Club Olga was one of the founding members of the United Fencing Club which still runs at Avonside Girls High School. A hardy competitor on the piste, she had her fencing career limited by the Second World War, but built a fabulous record as a coach turning out hundreds, if not thousands, of fencers, many still involved in the sport to this day.

 

6/10/2009: Pssst! Wanna follow the results at Nationals? Then visit here: Nats09 but don't tell em I told you as it could mean trouble.

2/10/2009: Brothers in armes, a Kiwi and Aussie face off in Sydney at the Australian U15s and U17s.

 

 

30/9/2009: Rumour is that Fenz, at a meeting in Christchurch last Saturday, is committed to sending full teams in all weapons to the Commonwealth Senior Fencing Championships next year.

In the photograph below why are the workers leaving?? Is it because they have found out the venue they are working on could be the site of the 2010 CFCs? They are frightened of people waving swords? They are not paid enough? It is knock-off time?

 

28/9/2009: Want to know about qualifying for the first Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010?? Then have a look here: Fencing

27/9/2009: Interesting decision by the American Fencing Officials Commission: ''Given the expense that would be required of our already taxed athletes (and their families), the relatively limited impact on scoring, and no change in the fencers' tactics, it is the recommendation of the FOC that the USFA not adopt the FIE rule requiring lame material on the foil bib.''

Seems that someone, somewhere is taking a stance on what many fencers at the bottom of the food chain think is a contentious and expensive decision to make the bib target. Read more at: Foil bib.. Will Fenz follow suit?

Competitors sign-up on Saturday for the 2009 New Zealand Secondary Schools championships being held at the Fencing Institute in Christchurch. Held in conjunction with the New Zealand U20s, they end on Wednesday.

Also Last chance to enter NZ nationals tomorrow! On tuesday they will be collated
and and Fenz will announce any places available in events.

 

23/9/2009: There has been many a tune played on an old fiddle - so to speak - three times world vets foil champion Maurizio Galvan (seen here enjoying the solitude of Pigeon Bay), who visited ChCh in 2007 came within a few places of another former Italian visitor to ChCh, Gianfranco Mochi, at a recent Italian vets epee tournament in Luganno. Mochi, a former junior world epee champion, lived in ChCh for some years and had a profound affect on local fencing. He also organised a qualification tournament for the Vancouver Commonwealth Games which saw hundreds of spectators pay to fill the Great Hall in the Arts Centre.

 

 

 

21/9/2009: A ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE TO ADVANCE FENCING!

Fencing in New Zealand has a once in a lifetime chance of unfettered and limitless growth with the help of two major events happening in 2010. Starting early next year the Government is to pump $82 million into school sport in an effort to combat childhood obesity, and then later in the year come the senior Commonwealth fencing championships which are very likely to be held in Australia. These two events provide an outstanding opportunity for Fencing to dramatically increase the number of coaches and its overall membership by investing a bit of time and effort in forward planning.

AFTER SCHOOL SPORT

Most of the $82 million will be invested in after-school sport and Fencing New Zealand and the regions can tap into this investment by stepping up to organise and run after-school fencing in hundreds of schools throughout the country.

Lets be frank, fencing is an ideal sport for after-school exercise:

• It can be done all year round, summer or winter and is not affected by the weather.
• It caters for boys and girls of any age – well, ten and above seem to be a good age to start.
• It is injury free – more get hurt in the various codes of thugby, even cheerleading suffers more injuries than fencing!
• Fencing is a perfect form of cardiovascular exercise that gets the heart pumping and oxygen flowing. Experts advise people to undertake some form of cardiovascular exercise regularly to maintain optimum health and fencing is a fun and exciting way to accomplish this aim.
• The benefits of fencing include increased stamina, lower cholesterol, strengthened heart and lungs, increased immune function, and decreased risk of heart disease, it also reduces stress in a safe and enjoyable manner.
• Fencing burns calories, helping participants to lose weight and maintain their ideal weight. It also helps tone and define the body. These physical improvements boost self-esteem, a fundamental attribute of mental and emotional health.
• Fencing develops muscle strength, flexibility, coordination and is a workout for the mind, requiring mental discipline to perform properly.
• Fencing also sharpens the mind as participants try to out-think and out manoeuvre one another in split-second decisions. Fencing is quite often compared with chess, in that the competitors must always be calm, clear-headed, and thinking several moves ahead – chess on the move!
• Lastly, fencing is a social activity, one that entails regular interaction with other like-minded people with benefits that extend to every aspect of a healthy and happy life.

If you think the idea is waffle or pie in the sky, here is the National Party’s plan in their own words:

‘’Our Kiwisport initiative answers calls from schools, clubs, and regional sports trusts for greater support and investment in sport for children. It delivers $82 million over the next four years directly to the frontline.

This funding comes from savings that have been identified in social marketing campaigns, websites and tagged funding programmes. We believe it’s better to invest money directly into schools and organisations helping to deliver sport. Kiwisport will see more children getting active and enjoying sport.

We’re providing $45 million directly to schools around the country over the next four years. Each school will have the flexibility and freedom to spend the money in a way that ensures more of their pupils get access to sport without layers of bureaucracy and heavy-handed reporting.

The other $37 million will go into a regional partnership fund, which will be allocated across the 17 regional sports trusts around New Zealand. This will build stronger links between schools, sports clubs, and private sporting providers as they aim to give more kids the chance to play sport. National is committed to increasing opportunities for children to get involved in sport.

Schools and sports clubs play a crucial role in introducing young New Zealanders to organised sport. By providing funding directly to schools and regional sports trusts, Kiwisport will make a difference. More children will see the benefits of physical fitness, being part of a team, developing leadership skills, and having fun.’’

Now is that an offer Fencing, or any sport for that matter, can refuse?

 

2010 COMMONWEALTH FENCING CHAMPIONSHIPS

 

 

2010 COMMONWEALTH FENCING CHAMPIONSHIPS

These are likely to be held across the pond in a purpose-built venue in a Melbourne suburb in the latter part of 2010 and with a little forward planning and direction the event could become the carrot to keep the over 20’s in the sport.

1. Fenz should decide now that they will whole-heartedly support the event and encourage older fencers to train for the event.
2. This would be done my making it clear in the selection policy that only those OVER the age of twenty will be selected. Since Fenz’s selection policy is not yet set in stone this should be an easy line to walk.

After all there are fencing events in which those older than twenty cannot enter so a bit of reverse ageism could be a good thing for our seniors. Set the selection criteria long enough in advance and there could be a dramatic increase in senior numbers and if that does not happen it is easy to revert to present selection process.

After all, if Fenz can dictate entry to this year’s Aussie U20s; ‘’…remove any applications from fencers who have not entered the New Zealand event.’’ One could say that Fenz and those running the sport are morally required to do the same for seniors. But most of all, an early decision by Fenz will encourage older fencers and engender a nation-wide sense of participation.

In fact all Fenz will be doing is following its stated aims of:

• To promote and foster the art of fencing throughout the Dominion of New Zealand.
• b) To conduct tournaments and fencing competitions within New Zealand.
• c) To promote and foster the participation by New Zealand fencers in competitions and meetings with fencers from other countries than New Zealand. …..”

Note the use of the words promote, foster and participation and not qualify, limit, select or restrictive, in fact Fenz could really step up and promote the Senior Commonwealth Fencing Championships by selecting all those interested in competing as members of separate weapon squads as soon as possible in 2009 and then holding a qualification tournament mid-2010, three or four months out from the senior commonwealths and select all team members on the results? This would have the added advantage of removing any bias fencers perceive with the present selection system by making all those wanting to go having to compete – in other words - put up or shut up! It would also give squad members a chance to seek financial support and focus their training

 

DEVELOPING A SPORT

Now is the time to take advantage these two great opportunies, not by trying to graft on a European system based on clubs or salles, but by doing our own uniquely Kiwi thing – taking fencing back to the schools and not just rich private schools at that, but all schools.

In Christchurch the strength of fencing has always been in the schools and university this is much the same in the other centres of fencing. When the schools and universities were allowed to wither the numbers attending senior clubs dropped. Now there are no, or very few, senior fencers while most of those doing the coaching are in their late fifties or sixties and some tournaments are being postponed owing to a lack of entries – in other words we need more 20 to 50-year-olds in our sport.

Fencing should welcome the Government’s investment by actively encouraging the established clubs to develop a schools programme. Imagine if every senior club took over the coaching and running of four or five schools each??! Remember the emphasis is on after-school sport the majority of which will take place in school for safety and convenience. This will allow the development of part-time, perhaps even full-time, employment of properly trained coaches by the clubs/Fenz in schools.

(For example, MidSouth is already scouring the funding agencies for support to train six new level one coaches in foil, epee and sabre.)

After three or four years there should be a dramatic increase in membership for the senior clubs as those leaving school look for further opportunities to continue the sport. This could also see the beginning of a seamless inter-schools- senior competition regime, which could be based at clubs/permanent fencing venues, all by welcoming newcomers to our sport and developing their skills and participation by providing opportunities for ALL ages. But lets move quickly, for no doubt other sports will have the same idea!

 

15/9/2009: Entries for the National Secondary Schools and U20 fencing champs close on the 19/9/2009. They run from Saturday 26th of September to Wednesday 30th. Entry form and timetable here. Competitors will be able to purchase food and refreshments on site courtesy of the Sabre Club.

14/9/2009: And now for something completely different that is not fencing or motoring related - well not much. An artfully decorated wall in Christchurch...

 

11/9/2009: En Guarde!

A top Spanish coach introduces youngesters to the mysteries of fencing at the Royal National Fencing Centre in Madrid. In Italy and Spain, as in many other countries, children are the most enthusiastic practioners of fencing and are actively encouraged by the local and national organisations.

 

10/9/2009: NATIONALS!

For those that have inquired, this year's open national fencing championships in Auckland will be held at the Auckland Grammar School's sports centre, Mountain View Road, Epsom where it was held the last time it was in Auckland. Fenz had posted a timetable on its website which had fallen off the list but the whole caboodle was updated yesterday with entry forms etc so there is no excuse for not coming - plus the entry fee includes a special t-shirt!

4/9/2009: Is this the site in Melbourne, Australia, of the 2010 Commonwealth Fencing Championships????

 

Below: One Hundred and Fifty years, plus, of fencing experience, Chris Nokes, left, Mark Rance and Paul Hentschel.

30/8/2009: Thanks to all those fencers from Dunedin, Nelson Wellington, Napier, Auckland and Gulf Harbour? Without your support this year's South Island Fencing Championships would not have been half the event it was.

Below: Mens foil action on the Sunday.

Results:

Mens' Epee. 1 Hentschel, Napier; 2 Bishop, Wellington; 3= Nokes and Rance, both Christchurch; 5 Andreas Sesun, Christchurch; 6 Brendan Hare, Wellington; 7 Alex Chan, Christchurch; 8 William Braddell, Wellington: 9 Gideon Van Zyl, Auckland; 10 Adrian Saw, Christchurch; 11 Julius Herzhoff, Christchurch; 12 Ciaran Cook, Christchurch; 13 Eoin Queen, (First Woman) Christchurch; 14 Carla Campbell, Christchurch; 15 Hannah Ramsay, Christchurch; 16 Jazmin Hopper, Auckland; 17 Hannah McKenzie.

Womens' Foil: 1 Ping, Wellington; 2 Eller, Christchurch; 3= Fiona McDonald, Dunedin, and Rachel Rowlands, Christchurch. 5 Jasmin Hopper, Auckland; 6 Wai Ling Chan, Christchurch; 7 Hannah MacKenzie, Christchurch. No eighth placing.

Mens' Foil: 1 Bell, Christchurch, Hoskins, Auckland; 3= Andreas Susun, Christchurch and Christopher Lear, Auckland; 5 Gideon Van Zyl, Auckland ; 6 Nick Ustin, Nelson; 7 Ben Wilkins, Christchurch; 8 Jamieson Johnson, Wellington. 9 Michael Aymes, Dunedin; 10 William Cowper, Christchurch; 11 Alex Chan, Christchurch; 12 Julius Herzhoff, Christchurch; 13 Neeraj Patel, Christchurch; 14 Eoin Queen, Christchurch; 15 Spencer Smith, Christchurch; 16 Chris Jones, Auckland.

There was no mens or womens sabre.

Below: Spectators relax during the epee and womens foil finals on Saturday. All that is missing is the chardonnay. Now, wouldn't that make an exciting event, good food and wine with exciting finals fencing!?

Just good friends? - some more action shots by Ryan and Vik from the South Islands.

 

29/8/2009: Remember the old song '' Trailer for Sale or Rent?'' Well Fencing MidSouth do, they have a purpose-built, twin-axle, lockable trailer for sale.

The weather-proof trailer is ideal for moving or storing fencing pistes, scoring gear and all the equipment needed for running tournaments.

As you can see it is strongly made and very secure. All inquiries to: Vik at the address at the bottom of this page please.

 

 

28/8/2009: Many years ago when studying at Canterbury University I used to hitch-hike to my home in Dunedin. One morning outside Palmerston, while waiting for a lift on the State Highway between Christchurch and Dunedin, I came across this overgrown cross on a roadside bank on the Christchurch side of the North Otago town.

The pictures were taken with a Pentax Spotmatic on TriX black- and-white film in 1970. I never thought much more about the lonely, unkempt cross until recently when I was sorting through a box of negs and decided to do a bit of research and this is what I found:

	FIELD, ALFRED THORNLEY
Initials:	A T
Nationality:	New Zealand
Rank:	Serjeant
Regiment/Service:	New Zealand Maori (Pioneer) Battalion
Age:	29
Date of Death:	15/09/1916
Service No:	9/1007
Additional information:	Son of John A. and A. Emilie Field, of Port Levy, Canterbury, New Zealand; husband of Tui F. D. S. Field, of Palmerston, Otago, New Zealand. Also served in Gallipoli and Egypt.
Casualty Type:	Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:	XI. B. 5.
Cemetery:	CATERPILLAR VALLEY CEMETERY, LONGUEVAL

Perhaps somebody knows more??

 

20/8/2209: Epee fencing, as one person put it, is a weapon waiting for an invention to make it interesting. Maybe, but in the meantime it makes for some bloody exciting pix...as these two show.

Below: is a shot from the Commonwealth fencing Champs in Newcastle, Australia, taken by me, and below that is Pavel Kolobkov, Russia, and Philippe Boisse, France, at the Athens Olympics taken by Kiwi-born photographer Duane Hart. You can view more of his fencing pix at: Athens fencing Duane used a bit of panning and slow shutter speed to generate the blurring while I used a high shutter speed to capture the bend in the Aussie's epee - who says epee blades don't bend?

 

 

17/8/2209: How many scotsmen does it take to put up the hood on a Morgan sports car - Two and the car's English owner. Taken in Windermere last month the picture brings us nicely into the real story - the centenary of the Morgan Motor Company of Malvern! Read more especially about their amazingly fuel efficient three-wheelers at:Morgan

 

16/8/2009: Some pix from yesterday's Eccelston One Hit Epee competition.

Seventeen braved the damp weather and lack of car parking. There would have been more but exams, birthdays and illness took care of six or so. Am I right in thinking that the University of Canterbury is the only NZ uni which holds exams on weekends?? Anyway the winners of this year's event were Auckland fencer Graham Payne and Russian fencer Anna Sobeleva.

The annual event commemorates former national epee champion David Eccleston and the work he has put into the sport over the years. A former Nelson school teacher now retired, Ekky spends much of his time trout fishing, but still takes an interest in the event and promises to turn up sometime - maybe next year!

Below: Winners Captain Hook and his roistering female compatriot.

Below: One-hit action.

Below: Spectators - don't ask what Dave and Martin, left, are doing!

Below: Eoin keeps score.

 

 

15/8/2009: How many men does it take to erect the hood on a Morgan sports car???

First correct answer wins a prize!! No Lizzie, not you.

 

14/8/2009: Drunken buildings?? Kiwi fencers Sandy Paterson, left, Andrew Kell and Luke Robertson with one of the more unusual sights they came across in the Spanish Capital, Madrid. The trio passed the unusual buildings when they exited the Metro station close to the left-hand tower each day on their way to the Royal Spanish Fencing Association's national training facility.

You can read more about the twin leaning towers at: Boozy buildings.

 

 

9/8/2008: A refereeing conundrum - is this an attack, bent arm and all?? A great sabre action shot taken by Duane Hart a Kiwi photographer working in Brisbane. You can see more of his exciting images at: fencing pix

5/8/2009: Watch out for this... There is a documentary called 'The Sword" to be shown on The History channel (Sky TV) 8.30 pm Sunday 9th August. It is the first part of a two part documentary and deals with history, design, making of swords and the sport of fencing.

3/8/2009: Latest on the rumour that the 2010 Commonwealth Senior Fencing Championships could be held in Melbourne, is that an announcement is imminent. Keep watching this space!

1/8/2009: Don't believe everything you hear. The rumour that the 2010 Commonwealth Senior Fencing Championships are to be held in Melbourne is just that - an unconfirmed rumour.

The story started at the 2008 Council Meeting of the Commonwealth Fencing Federation held at Salon Milner, Hotel Le Méridien Montparnasse, Paris on Thursday 4 th December 2008. The President, Helen Smith (Australia), reported that so far no country had submitted an Expression of Interest in holding the 2010 Commonwealth Fencing Championship. Given anticipated government support, she felt there was a possibility that a venue might be available in Melbourne, Australia in the second half of 2010.

Correspondence with the Australian Fencing Federation and the Fencing New Zealand brought no response, but that with the Commonwealth Fencing Federation did. Succinctly put, the Secretary Peter Andersen replied, ''Don't believe everything you hear - nothing has been decided yet.'' So there! You have been told.

However, spies say that Victoria fencing is soon to move base from the old Fencing Factory in Brunswick to an all sparkling and spanking new venue - could that be the reason fuelling the rumour??

Now wouldn't that be a great fillip for Kiwi senior fencers if the CFC were held in Melbourne...so start agitating and booking places in the waka! Plus Pacific Blue are offering flights to Melbourne for a paltry $149 in todays copy of the nation's favourite newspaper, The Press.

 

29/7/2009: An Interesting read? Came across this old fencing text book, dated 1890, in a Christchurch second-hand bookshop.

They say that singlestick was a precursor to sabre, but have a look at the other delights offered....

Bayonet and umbrella fencing??? Nice lunge!

The remarkably tidy little volume is available from Liberty Books at 145 Manchester Street, Christchurch, or you can email Rhys at: shawnee@ihug.co.nz Tell him you are a fencer and he might just give you a discount!

 

26/7/2009: Mind Games! Former national epee champion Graham Harris gives a young fencer some ideas on fencing performance. Harris, a former Canterbury University Fencer and president of Fencing MidSouth - or the Canterbury Amateur Fencing Council as it was then known - turns up at local fencing events from time to time.....

 

 

21/7/2009: From the Australian U15 and Oceania U17 (Cadets) championships held recently in Brisbane....

Above: The Quiet before the Fury. The M A Howell Sports Centre at Brisbane Grammar School awaits the influx of competitors and spectators.

Below: The action. Fencers, coaches, officials, parents and spectators, Aussies and Kiwis, crowd the sports centre during the five day event.

Above: Dressing up. Kiwi fencers prepare for combat. Twenty-five Kiwis crossed the ditch to compete. You can view their results using the link below in the previous posting.

Below: Kiwi support team. Some of the ten-strong support team that accompanied the 25-strong team of fencers to Brisbane cheer on their charges.

Below: Snap! Photographer Duane, a Kiwi from New Plymouth naturally, is caught catching other unsupecting fencers in action. You can view his images at: http://sportingimages.com.au/ These are for sale and will be viewable for the next three weeks or so - be quick. Duane has also covered fencing at the last four Olympic Games and has some exciting fencing shots on his site that are well worth a look.

Finally, the organisers hide-out! With big steel bars suitable for keeping Alex, Denise and the other officials in the manner to which they are used to. Sadly they had escaped when this pix was taken.

 

6/7/2009: Keep your eye on the results of the Kiwi Sharp Blacks from the Australian U15s and Oceania U17s here!

 

3/7/2009: Some sabre action from around the world. And for that handful of Kiwi sabruers who had the chance of fencing and training at the Royal Spanish Fencing Association's national training centre in Madrid, have a look at an old friend in action: Jaime and look under the Press Notices.

 

1/7/2009: A humungous group of Kiwi fencers, plus ten coaches, managers and parents, 35 in all, are off the the Oceania Cadets and Australian U15 fencing championships in Brisbane next week - wish them well:

Oceania Cadet (U17) Championships.
Men's Foil:
Simon Fisher, Wellington.
Daniel Kahu, Wellington. Current New Zealand U17 men’s foil champion.
Matt Stopforth, Wellington.
Nick Mercer, Wellington.
Isaac Officer, Dunedin.
Finn Butler, Dunedin.
Felix Boyce, Wellington.
Kwok Yi Lee, Auckland.
Hamish Chan, Auckland. Current NZ U17 men’s epee champion.
Haz Forrester, Wellington.
Julius Herzoff, Christchurch.

Women's Foil:
Wai Ling Chan, Christchurch. Current NZ U15 girl's foil champion.
Charlotte Forrester, Wellington.
Ming Yi Lee, Auckland.
Olive Butler, Dunedin.
Hannah Ramsay, Christchurch. Current NZ U17 girl's foil champion.
Melissa Burgess, Wellington.
Stephanie Alexander, Wellington.
Katie Boyle, Wellington.

Men's Epee:
Eoin Queen, Christchurch.
Alex Chan, Christchurch. Current New Zealand Men’s U17 sabre champion and current senior open sabre national champion.
Daniel Kahu, Christchurch.
Nick Mercer, Wellington.
Kwok Yi Lee, Auckland.
Felix Boyce, Wellington.
Gideon Van Zyl, Auckland.
Julius Herzoff, Christchurch.
Matt Stopforth, Wellington.

Women's Epee:
Katie Boyle, Wellington.
Hannah Ramsay, Christchurch.
Ming Yi Lee, Auckland.
Jazmin Hopper, Auckland.

Men's Sabre:
Eoin Queen, Christchurch.
Alex Chan, Christchurch.
Matt Stopforth, Wellington.
Nick Mercer, Wellington.
Will Cowper, Christchurch.

Women's Sabre:

Katie Boyle, Wellington.
Hannah Ramsay, Christchurch.

Australian Under 15 Championships
Boy's Foil:
Simon Fisher, Wellington.
Kwok Yi Lee, Auckland.
Felix Boyce, Wellington.
Clovis Dyson, Auckland. Current New Zealand boy's U15 Foil champion.
Julius Herzoff, Christchurch.
Haz Forrester, Wellington.

Girl's Foil:
Stephanie Alexander, Wellington.
Melissa Burgess, Wellington.
Hannah Ramsay, Christchurch.
Olive Butler, Dunedin.
Charlotte Forrester, Wellington.
Wai Ling Chan, Christchurch.

Boy's Epee:
Kwok Yi Lee, Auckland.
Felix Boyce, Wellington.
Julius Herzoff, Christchurch.

Girl's Epee:
Hannah Ramsay, Christchurch.

Girl's Sabre:
Hannah Ramsay, Christchurch.

 

30/6/2009: Action from last weekend's schools fencing competition at Linwood College: Alex Chan, left, Christchurch Boy's High School, faces off against Ben Wilkins, Cashmere High School, in the individual foil. Wilkins won the closely contested bout, but CBHS took revenge by winning the teams event from Burnside HS, St Andrews College and Christ's College.

 

 

29/6/2009: Why are these two standing under the Welsh dragon with an empty take-away coffee container??

?

 

And, why are these people sitting in the lounge at the Fencing Institute??

Keep watching this space for ALL will be revealed soon. As usual a wee pressy to those who can correctly name the subjects and situation - no, the pressy is for those lucky people who were NOT involved in the fantastic weekend.

BELOW: Coaches Luke, Mark and Jenny demonstrate their pedagogic skills at the Sabre Camp held earlier this month at the Fencing Institute.

The camp, expected to be the first of regular camps developing the long ignored weapon of sabre in New Zealand, saw coaches from Australia, Wellington and Christchurch working together. Some of those fencers attending the camp will be competing at the Oceanic Cadets and Australian U15s fencing championships in Brisbane early next month.

 

26/6/2009:

Mid-South Junior Champs 2009

Date:				Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July 2009
Place:				The Fencing Institute. Jack Hinton Drive, off Whiteleigh Avenue, Addington (the red dot in the map below), Christchurch.
Time table:				Roll Call Saturday 10am Epee 3pm Sabre Sunday 10am Foil Events will be mixed if numbers warrant
Entries:				$10 entry for the tournament. Pay by cash or cheque made out to ‘Fencing Mid South’. Please do not post cash – pay this on the day. Entries are to be received by Thursday 11 June Entry fees must be received before the roll call for each weapon. Enter by e-mail to: thefencinginstitute@gmail.com or post your entry to 440F Oxford Terrace, Christchurch 8011.
Clothing standards:				350N/sturdy breeches/jacket plus plastron. Maraging blades not required
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name:						Contact number:
Email:						Emergency contact:
Club and regional affiliation:						U20 Foil M/F
Address:						U20 Epee M/F
						U20 Sabre M/F

18/6/2009: Former Christchurch sabreur Thibault Lozach is alive and well in Australia. Townsville to be exact. The Christchurch Boys High School fencer finishes his degree in New Media Arts with a major in digital imaging and a minor in digital graphic design at James Cook University at the end of the year. He plans to work as a photographer: visit his website at: Thibault's Place to see his pictures. and no, he is not fencing still - they only do epee he says, not sabre.

 

13/6/2009: Some head shots from North Island Champs... can you name them??

 

12/06/2009: An unimpeachable source says the Victoria University of Wellington Fencing Club is planning a knees-up and competition to celebrate 100 years of fencing at the Uni. It will be held round June 2010 so you old Varsity fencers have a bit of time to de-rust your weapons and start limbering up. It would be a great way to celebrate our ancient art and modern sport. Information will be posted as it comes to hand.

 

10/6/2009:

Canterbury Schools 2009 Foil Championships

Date:	Saturday 27th June 2009
Place:	Linwood High School Gymnasium - Aldwins Road
Time:	Saturday 8:30 am Sec Sch Foil Registration. 8:50 am Roll Call 10:30am Primary Foil Registration and 2009 first year
	Fencers not fencing in sec school foil championship
Entry Fee:	$10.00
Entries close	Wednesday 24th June
Entry of yr 7 -8	Intermediate Sch aged fencers can choose to fence in either primary or sec school tournaments depending on ability but if in Sec Sch, must wear full protective gear including 800N plastron and plate and/or padding.
Return forms to:	Diane Swain Fax 3510-567 or Phone 3510-507 or mail to 193 Greers Road, Christchurch 5
Clothing and gear:	All fencers must wear proper protective clothing in good condition. 350N fencing jacket, sec sch 800N plastron or a plastron and/or chest plate/ padding, glove, knee britches, long white socks,white soled gym shoes, track-suit pants are acceptable for primary sch and beginners only, if you have no knee britches. Please bring your own foil, mask, and electrical gear.Some gear is available for beginners. Ring Diane by 22 nd June re borrowing.
Referees Presidents:	Each schools or club must arrange for at least one non-fencing Referee/President to accompany their teams.
Format:	Saturday Separate secondary male and female electric foil seeding pools will start at 9am. Primary school championships pools will follow. There will be separate1 st year fencer pools for junior trophies. Limited DEs will decide the Secondary Foil Champions School Team events for Sec Sch[3boys or 3girls from the same school] and mixed teams for Primary and new fencers will follow.[ Time and numbers may limit these events]
Food and Drink:	Food and drink available to be purchased at the hall on Saturday

Please notify and return any trophies to Diane Swain by Wednesday 24 th June 2009 Thankyou

 

8/6/2009: The University of Canterbury Fencing Club held one of its regular epee comps on Saturday. Eighteen epeeists turned out including former cufc fencer Rangi de Abaffy the first and, so far, the only person to have won our National Epee Title three times in succession - question, how many uni students does it take to get one newbie on the piste? Geof Low a former Uni fencer of the 1960s and now Treasurer of Fencing MidSouth also turned up to cheer.

 

1/6/2009: Results of the 2009 North Island Fencing Championships

RESULTS OF THE

2009 NORTH ISLAND

FENCING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Held at Wellington Girls College the weekend of 29/30 June the medal winners were:

Womens’ Foil. Ping Yuan, Wellington, 1; Nora Erler, Germany, 2; Fiona McDonald, Dunedin, and Monique Coleman, Wellington, =3.

Men’s Foil. Chris Bell, Christchurch, 1; Michael Hoskins, Auckland, 2; Andreas Sesun, Christchurch, and Daniel Kahu, Wellington, =3.

Men’s Epee. Paul Hentschell, Napier, 1; Christian Linke, Auckland, 2; Brendan Hair, Wellington and Mark Rance, Christchurch =3.

Women’s Epee. Monique Coleman, Wellington, 1; Anna Soboleva, Russia, 2; Nancy Liu, and Jasmin Hopper, both Auckland, =3.

Sabre (mixed). Alex Chan, Christchurch, 1; Monique Coleman, Wellington, 2; Nick Mercer and Matt Stopforth, both Wellington, =3.

If you total up the number of medals going, 20, and divide by the areas/provinces/cities this is what shows: Wellington eight medals (1 gold, one silver and five bronze), Christchurch six medals (two gold, two silver and two bronze - we claim Nora and Anna since they train at the Fencing Institute), Auckland four medals (two silver and two bronze), Napier one gold, Dunedin one bronze. Quite a bit different from the results of the 1971 Nationals below - wonder why???

A general view of one of two gyms the fencing took place in:

And those unsung, and unpaid, folks who have to clean up after everone has had their fun - the helpers and volunteers - well done! Say thanks to them at your next competition....

 

 

26/5/2009: Results of the 1971 Rothmans Fencing Championships

MEN’S FOIL: G Stratigopoulos, Wellington, 1; G Philp, Welington, 2; D Boston, Auckland, 3.

LADIES FOIL: L Pomeroy, Wellington, 1; J Fenton; Wellington, 2; K De Luen, Otago/Southland 3.

MEN’S FOIL TEAMS; Auckland 1; Wellington 2; Canterbury 3.

LADIES FOIL TEAMS: Auckland 1; Wellington 2; Otago/Southland 3.

LADIES’ FOIL PLATE: S Thirring, Canterbury, 1; J Crowley, Canterbury, 2: D Ellis, Auckland 3.

EPEE: P Temple, Wellington, 1; G Lodge, Auckland, 2; D Boston, Auckland, 3.

EPEE TEAMS: Canterbury 1; Auckland 2; Wellington 3.

SABRE: B Pickworth, Auckland,1; R Peterson, Wellington, 2; Z Apathy, Auckland, 3.

SABRE TEAMS: Wellington 1; Auckland 2; Otago/Southland 3.

MASTER OF ARMS: P Temple, Wellington.

JUNIOR MEN’S FOIL CUP: D Boston, Auckland.

JUNIOR LADIES’ FOIL CUP: S Greig, Auckland.

SYDNEY ROSE BOWL: Miss S Sandford, Canterbury.

(Two reasons for posting these results. One, you will notice there is no womens' epee or sabre. Two, they held teams events back in those days, but most important the only one of those named still fencing is Richard Peterson - anyone know of any others??)

 

25/5/2009: Someone has asked about the Sabre Club and why it is running a training camp.

The sabre club was started by a group of fencers and parents in Christchurch to promote the sport of fencing and sabre fencing in particular.

Established under the Incorporated Societies Act in October 2008, recognised by Fencing MidSouth and Fencing New Zealand, the club is dedicated to harnessing the energy, excitement and skills of its members to work alongside clubs and organizations to advance the sport of fencing as a whole and sabre in particular.

The first President of the Sabre Club is Jonathan Chan; Secretary, Sharon Taylor; and Treasurer, Tracey Ramsay. It has conferred Life Membership on Keith Mann, former National champion, Empire Games and Commonwealth Games competitor, twice Fenz president and current President of Fencing MidSouth, and Vik Manuge, a long-time sabreur and fencing coach. It has 24 members aged 10 to 77, including Katherine Taylor who did most of the donkey work in founding the club, many of them competitive sabreurs. It welcomes members from throughout the world, fencers or not, who desire to promote the special skills and attributes of sabre fencing. To join, contact the Secretary Sharon Taylor.

Apart from regular sabre competitions (and club meetings) at the Fencing Institute, the club has just received a grant for electric sabre gear and will run two sabre only training camps (open to all fencers) this year (2009). It also plans to offer sabre only classes to local clubs and extra sessions at the FI when numbers warrant them. It also publishes a regular club newsletter for its members and other interested readers – contact the (Secretary) if you would like to go on the list of recipients or would like to join the Sabre Club or attend either of the sabre training camps. The Sabre Club has also produced a unique design of T-shirt and Polo top to encourage a sense of pride and belonging. These are available from the Secretary.

 

22/5/2009: Have a look at the new look web site of Australian Fencing Federation: AFF Plus follow the results of Kiwi fencers at the Challenge Australian FIE epee World Cup here: Challenge Aust 2009 (well done Andrian Saw, William Bishop and Anna Soboleva!) Check out their great results.

 

12/5/2009: Lets celebrate another success for fencing: After 110 students from around New Zealand were nominated for a NZU Blue sporting award, only 39 received the prestigious award for outstanding sporting performances during the 2008 academic year.

 The panel also awarded one Distinguished Performance Award, Four Outstanding Achievement Awards and an NZU Coaching Award which went to Auckland fencing coach Andrew Imms.

This year’s awards will be presented at a black tie dinner on Friday 5th June at Te Papa, Wellington.

The photograph shows a lean, relaxed Andrew Imms taking a break during competitions at the 1996 National Fencing Championships. Andrew has a surprise gift for the first person to contact him with the correct answer to where the Nationals were held in 1996!

 

11/5/2009: Results of the weekend’s MidSouth U15 and U17 fencing championships held at the Fencing Institute Christchurch, were:

U15 Foil (mixed), Julius Herzhoff 1; Joon Hong 2; Tim Jones and Sarah Tzoumis 3=.

U17 Epee (mixed), Alex Chan 1; Eoin Queen 2; Ciaran Cook and Julius Herzhoff 3=; Highest ranked female, Hannah Ramsay 5.

U17 Foil (mixed) Alex Chan 1; Sam Deavoll 2, Julius Herzhoff and Eoin Queen 3=; Highest ranked female, Hannah Ramsay 6.

Here are a couple of pix of the action....Spectators

Competitors and spectators:

 

 

8/5/2009: Former Christchurch fencers Peter Kell, Simon Young and Nic Mason are still at it.

The trio, now resident in London, are members of the Civil Servants' fencing club where Peter is a coach. All three enjoy their regular bouts and appear determined to encourage other Kiwi fencers living in British Capital to come along and have a fence. One name mentioned was that of another former Christchurch fencer Willie Upritchard.

Any London-based former fencers who read this, and I know there are a few of you, e-mail me and I'll flick your contact details on to Nic.

Now, while near London recently, a Spanish Supporter of things Kiwi snapped this pix of the Kiwi flag fluttering defiantly in the English breeze!

 

5/5/2009: NZ Sabre Training Camp

Organised by The Sabre Club.

Suitable for beginner to senior fencer.

Date: 20th & 21st of June 2009

Location: The Fencing Institute Christchurch.

Coaches: Vik Manuge. Guest Coaches: Jenny Cassidy (Australia) and Mark Booth (North Island) Assistant Coaches: Jonathan Chan and Luke Robertson

Food: Please Bring your own. There are cafes and a supermarket within walking distance. There is water, A Zip, Fridge and microwave available.

Cost: $100 for the weekend (Sabre Club Members) or $150 for non-members (Day
rates could be arranged for younger fencers)

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.

Details: Jenny Cassidy is an Australian fencing coach based in Adelaide and was the first women to qualified as an FIE sabre referee. She is also extremely experienced in running tournaments and may be running other seminars when she is here. Mark Booth coaches sabre in Wellington and Jonothan Chan and Luke Robertson have trained and fenced sabre overseas alongside sabreurs ranked in the top ten in the world.

The two-day camp 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.

Each day will begin and end with a round robin competition so the coaches
can analyse fencers and provide each fencer with specific recommendations
for improvement and fencers experience a wide range competitors

Billets may be arranged for out-of-towners, please ask.

Be ready to start on time. The Fencing Institute has heaps of free
off-street parking, a lounge, showers, toilets and changing rooms for
your comfort and convenience. Plus gallons of free cold water available to
quench thirst.

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.

For further information please contact Vik Manuge - 03 3666 396 or
manugevi@snap.net.nz

 

4/5/2009: Thanks to an observant Spanish doctor, a fencer of course, here is a great site for Swine Flu humour: Laughter is still the best medicine! It is in English too...

 

 

 

27/4/2009:

Action from the weekend's New Zealand U15 and U17 championships in Dunedin.

They also serve, in this case a sausage sizzle. Parents and members of Claymore Swords Club, Richard Ellis, Liz Boyle, Steve Butler and Alison Howlett were among the volunteers who made the national u15 and u17s run smoothly.

Results. U15 Men's Foil: Clovis Dyson, Auckland, 1; Haz Forrester, Wellington, 2; Felix Boyce, Wellington and Joon Daniel Hong, Christchurch, 3=.

U15 Girl's Foil: Wai Ling Chan, Christchurch, 1; Hannah Ramsay, Christchurch, 2; Olive Butler, Dunedin, and Charlotte Forrester, Wellington, 3=.

U17 Men's Foil: Daniel Kahu, Wellington, 1; Hamish Chan, Auckland, 2; Alex Chan, Christchurch, and Gideon Van Zyl, Auckland, 3=.

U17 Sabre (mixed): Alex Chan, Christchurch, 1; William Cowper, Christchurch, 2, Eoin Queen, Christchurch, and Ronan White, Auckland, 3=.

U17 Women's Foil: Hannah Ramsay, Christchurch, 1; Katie Boyle, Wellington, 2; Gina Kim, Christchurch, and Charlotte Forrester, Wellington, 3=.

U17 Men's Epee: Hamish Chan, Auckland, 1; Daniel Kahu, Wellington, 2; Alex Chan, Christchurch, and Gideon Van Zyl, Auckland, 3=.

 

More action from Dunedin. Alex Chan fronts up in the U17 foil event. Note the casual poise of some of the spectators.

 

They work hard and get little respect, they are occasionally abused and insulted, but without them there can be no fencing competitions - they are the referees! Here, the four that did the work at Dunedin, are caught in the manner that the spectators see them:

 

And, how the fencers saw them:

 

 

22/4/2009: We now have photographic evidence of the hi-jinks that went on at the recent University Games in New Plymouth, they shall remain nameless and do notice the red and black border in honour of the University of Canterbury fencers who did not attend - shame on you:

:

Also decided at the NZUFC Annual General Meeting were the officials for 09, President remains Nancy Liu, Secretary is now Ben Drayton, Treasurer is now Anna Garcia.

 

21/4/2009: Thanks to Flight of the Conchords' programme of Prime TV last night we can expect a surge in fencing memberships. Find out more here. Their sabre duel was a classic.

 

19/4/2009: Someone asked who was Dr Francis Zold and what was he doing in New Zealand.

A world-renowned sabre coach, he took part in a training camp at Northcote College back in the late 1980s (not too sure of the exact dates) organised by Andrew Harmos and Steve Clarke - Steve was teaching Physical Education at the College then. Fencers from all over the country turned up and the most enduring memory is of epeeist Gavin McLean's feet hanging over the tiny bed in the motel we were staying at. You can read more about him here: Dr Zold

 

15/4/2009: Homeless or legless - you decide.

Spotted in Central Christchurch early one morning and the question is why did he have his bedding with him?

 

11/4/2009: Have a look at this site. I guess you could call it the Aussie equivilent of Sparc: Ausport

 

6/4/2009: Latest from the Worlds in Belfast:

Record number of nations prepare to cross swords at World Championships

Belfast will be putting one of the oldest Olympic sports on centre stage over the next fortnight for the Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships.

The University of Ulster will welcome 1108 athletes from 89 countries across the globe from 4 to 13 April to demonstrate their skill and dexterity using the Foil, Sabre and Epee weapons.

Ahead of the competition, the International Fencing Federation (Fédération Internationale d’Éscrime) has invited 25 young fencers from around the world to train under Petru Kuki, Daniel Levavasseur and Tadeusz Pigula - some of the world’s greatest coaches - and take part in a dedicated training camp on-site.

The event marks a Northern Ireland début as host of this high profile championships, as Britain’s hopefuls gear up to pursue medal glory on home turf.

Keith Smith, President of British Fencing said: “I am delighted that Great Britain is hosting its first Junior World Championships since 1968. This is the beginning of a period of immense activity culminating in the London Olympic Games in 2012.”

Commenting on the event, Piers Martin, Chief Executive of British Fencing said: “Fencing has an incredible heritage and is continuing to grow in profile as a sport, from grass roots level through to world-class competition standard.

“This year’s World Championships have attracted record numbers and promise to be a spectacular experience for both competitors and spectators alike.”

Added Alisher Usmanov, President of the FIE: “We are delighted to bring the event to Northern Ireland and look forward to watching such a strong international field of Junior and Cadet fencers compete at the highest level.

“Free to spectators, the event is an unmissable opportunity to witness the world’s greatest fencers showcase lightning reflexes, skill and agility.”

mtc (more to come).

GB hopefuls bring fencing to the fore

Robin Hood is back on our screens and the clash of swords is a familiar sight, but not something we associate with mainstream contemporary sport.

More than 1,000 international athletes would beg to differ as they descend on Belfast this fortnight to compete at the highest level at the Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships.

Members of the GB squad will be fencing on home turf for the first time since 1968 at this high profile event.

Young British talents have their eyes on the rostrum, keen to claim a medal in one of the country’s oldest sports. Despite its heritage, however, fencing still remains on the fringes of mainstream popular sport.

Corinna Lawrence,18, first discovered fencing as a child attending primary school in Plymouth. She claims the sport is normally associated with public schools but her state school was an exception to the rule as her older sisters were both fencers and had introduced the idea of lessons.

Number one in the UK under 20 section, Corinna claimed a bronze medal in the 2008 European Championships in Holland and is striving for a strong medal position in Belfast. She trains more than 14 hours per week, which can be tough when juggling a Maths degree at Kings College London.

She said: “Our college has a really strong fencing team but it’s not typical of most universities. A lot of people aren’t familiar with the sport at all but I’ve grown up with it in my family and took to it from an early age.”

With a late maturing age, it’s not unusual for fencers to reach their prime in their 30s so time is on Corinna’s side. This is also the case for her team-mate Alex Craig, who at 15 is a promising talent and came to the sport at the tender age of 6.

Alex lives in Hartlepool and regularly commutes to Durham for training sessions as there are no facilities on her doorstep to nurture her passion for fencing. She too juggles a rigorous training programme with studies and will be taking her GCSEs next year.

Alex said: “I’m still pretty young in fencing terms so it’s really about moving up the rankings. I came second in the Commonwealth Under 20 category earlier in the year so I’m hoping to maintain this form. I’m lucky to have a really supportive family who are coming to Belfast with me to support me at the World Championships.”

GB fencers, Ed Jefferies and Marcus Mepstead are strong medal contenders at the University of Ulster competition. Ranked 17 and 78 in the world respectively, all eyes will be on them in the men’s Foil event.

mtc.

 

6/4/2009: Stop Press. Hail to the Chief! Or should it be a politically correct Chieftainess??

Fencing New Zealand management elected at yesterday's two and a bit hour's long Annual General Meeting in Wellington, were Susan Grant-Taylor and Mark Booth(both Wellington) President and Treasurer while Laura Harvey is Secretary. Long time fencer and Wellington lawyer Richard Peterson remains Patron.

 

6/4/2009: They left on Friday, Chris Bell, Hamish Chan and William Bishop are now in Belfast ready to take to the pistes at the World Junior and Cadet (thats U20 and U17s to you and me) Fencing Championships. You can follow their progress here: Kiwi fencers..

 

4/4/2009: Fencing action from today.....The door on fencing, a look at

the 2009 Olga Jekyll at Linwood College, and the ref rests, a relaxed Jeff Low controls the visual foil team event.

And University of Canterbury Fencing Club members jump for joy after hearing that they can have the Easter off as the university cannot get/afford security guards to work during the holiday.

 

 

3/4/2009: Should we federate with Australia?

The Anzac brotherhood, closer economic relations, international flights to be treated as internal flights and now tagging the New Zealand team heading to the World Juniors in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on to the Australian team, this unprecedented spirit of combined comradeship is good for both countries. In fact I remember becoming an Australian referee for the duration of a World Cup epee event in Europe back in the mid 1990s – all for the good of trans-Tasman fencing relations of course (and the saving of a few thousand American dollars), so could it be in the interest of New Zealand Fencing and Kiwi fencers to merge with the Australian Fencing Federation?

Lets face it, in 1850s when the two nations were British colonies it was quicker to travel from the South Island to Sydney or Melbourne than to Auckland, in fact it was only in 1891 that we pesky Kiwis knocked back the chance of Federation with our big brother over the pond. Nowadays it is almost as cheap to fly to Sydney or Melbourne as it is to fly from Invercargill to Auckland and it is certainly quicker to fly form God’s Own to Kangaroo Land than it is from Perth to Sydney.

So why not go the whole hog and merge Fenz with the AFF? After all the combined population of New Zealand is less than that of a large aussie city such as Melbourne, so the benefits to New Zealand fencing could be enormous. A selection system that is clear, unbiased and works; an up-to-date ranking system; a functioning national body that plans ahead and keeps its members in touch most of the time; well run competitions; The list goes on. Sadly the four Australian fencers I suggested the idea to want nothing to do with it! Wonder why?

 

 

31/4/2009: Enough of fencing, here are a couple of rare classic cars snapped in Christchurch, an Alvis and a low-light Moggie.

 

23/3/2009: This is one for the more mature among you - who is this fencer? A former National Champion, fenced at the Worlds and loves fishing. Your answers please.

 

20/3/2009: Speedy reactions, want to test yours? Try this site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbo...n_version5.swf Thanks fencingforum.

 

 

19/3/2009: A reader has just pointed out an interesting statistic from the Fenz website concerning the NZL logo available from the Downloads section - 1489 have been for the left leg and 1362 for the right leg. Why the discreprency? But the thought that there are 127 more left legs among Kiwi fencers than right legs is mind boggling.

 

18/3/2009:

IS YOUR FENCING COACH NECESSARY

AT COMPETITIONS?

A high School teacher or university lecturer’s work is done before the pupil or student sits the examination and the teacher or lecturer is not allowed into the examination room to coach or help. It is much the same with a fencing coach. The coach’s work is done well before the pupil competes however coaches are allowed into the competition; so how important is it that the coach attends a competition with his or her pupil? Dr Francis Zold, a Hungarian fencing coach working in America, who ran a training camp in Auckland many years ago, wrote the following:

        ‘’Physical training schools and sport psychologists are devoting more and more attention to the rôle of the coach. I have written several times about the differences in training methods between East and West and also between their respective conceptions of the amateur status. The differences are also reflected in the part they allocate to the coach.

        The decisive difference between East and West in this respect is that Western competitors appear completely independent as individuals both in training and at the competitions. More often than not the coach is a mere observer at the competition and afterwards, like as not, he communicates his observations to his pupils. Western coaches do not regard themselves as guardians exercising full control over their wards, i.e., their pupils. Eastern athletes and fencers, on the other hand, rely too much on their coaches. In fact, I have seen several interviews given by Eastern athletes who practically laid it down as a condition of entry that their coach must be present at any international competition in which they took part and that the coach should also be sent with the individual competitor or the team (at the expense of the National Association that goes without saying). It is by no means unknown for Eastern champions to blame their occasional defeats on the fact that the Association failed to send the coach with him and he had to fight without the benefit of his coach's constant advice and guidance.

        These two extremes are now beginning to come a little closer and there is little doubt that the ideal is halfway between the two.

        Clearly, a coach who trains competitors of world class must be quite outstanding at his job. He must have not only the highest technical qualifications, but also the right temperament. He must know the physical capabilities of each of his pupils down to the smallest detail. He must know the degree of concentration each is capable of and he must study their personalities and dispositions When it comes to preparing for an international competition, it is up to the coach to impart to his pupil the style and fighting habits of the competitor's future opponents, it is the coach who must think up the most likely methods and tactics leading to victory.

        Having said that, I feel that it would be equally mistaken to leave a competitor entirely to his own resources as it would be to wet nurse him throughout the competition. The coach must study and know his pupil. There are some competitors who, without expressly saying so, expect the coach to sit next to them throughout a competition, not only to soothe their nerves but also to advise them between bouts. Others find this distracting and I once heard that Bob Murrow, the triple gold-medal Olympic champion, was walking up and down with his coach before the 100 metres final discussing the best make of sports car on the market. There are many like him who prefer to forget the competition in progress altogether. Others retire into remote corners and resent any disturbance of their solitude. But, as a general rule, a competitor who trusts his coach implicitly is glad of a little encouragement and a guiding word here and there from him. There is nothing more repellent than the self-important, self-opinionated coach who tries to have a finger in every pie and generally makes a nuisance of himself. Yet, the coach who completely retires into a corner and leaves his pupil alone throughout, as if to suggest that he himself has no interest or stake in the competition, is equally useless. So the ideal coach must fulfil the old definition - he must be guide, philosopher and friend.’’

As many of you will have realized, the above was written some years ago towards the end of the Cold War. Has much changed since then? Not really. My experience is that it is not vital for the coach to be there for all competitions, especially at low-level local comps, unless it is the pupil’s first competition or, the pupil is within three or four places of winning a medal or, is capable of making a final or, has to perform as part of a team.

So when should a coach attend a competition with the pupil? As above – at a first comp or when the pupil is likely to medal - here the experience of the coach is vital in supporting the efforts of the pupil, both in individual and team events, with warm-ups and tactical advice, but it is only a supporting role, not a guarantee of perfect performance. Other coaches, or fencers, such as those appointed to teams or groups, may try and fill the role of a personal coach, but unless they have been working with the fencer for a considerable time, as Zold points out, they are not likely to be as effective as the personal coach and can, in many cases, be detrimental to a fencers’ performance.

Having said that, my own personal experience as an adult fencer is that any coach/support is better than nothing. Another reason for the coach to be present is when a group of pupils are competing at an event, it is cheaper to pay the coach than have two or three parents all attending the same event to manage and look after their off-spring – the big saving here is not so much money, but convenience and the value of two for the price of one – coach and manager together.

Now, should personal coaches travel with national teams, either as an assistant team coach or coach of an individual fencer? That is another can of worms worth discussing, sometime, especially if the pupil(s) are prepared to pay and support the coach. Reread what Dr Zold wrote. In a recent discussion with a group of fencers they made it clear that nearly all of them wanted their coach on hand especially at large national or international comps. They said that having their coach there reduced the fencer’s stress of competing by the coach taking control of much of the down-to-earth problems of travel, communication with organizers, pre-competition warm-ups and tactical advice so perhaps those former Eastern athletes knew a thing or two? And, as Dr Zold says, ‘’… the ideal coach must fulfill the old definition - he must be guide, philosopher and friend.’’

 

13/3/2009: And now for something completly different. Have a look at this: http://www.yarr.org.uk/talk/

 

 

12/3/2009: And now something for the younger fencers....

New Zealand U15 and Cadet (U17) Fencing Championships

Friday 24 – Sunday 26 April

Venue:

Queens High School Gymnasium

195 Surrey St, South Dunedin

Dunedin

Timetable:

Thursday: Weapons check – 6.00pm – 8.30pm

Friday: U15 Foil – Registration 9.00am

Saturday: U17 Men’s Foil – Registration: 9.00am

U17 Men’s Sabre – Registration: 10.00am

U17 Women’s Epee – Registration: 12.30pm

Sunday: U17 Men’s Epee – Registration: 9.00am

U17 Women’s Foil – Registration: 10.00am

U17 Women’s Sabre – Registration: 12.30pm

Finals (top 4 in each weapon) will start at 4.30pm.

Entry Fees:

$35 for any first weapon

$25 for each additional weapon

Late entry fee: $50 (in addition to standard fee)

Payment:
Please make cheques payable to Claymore Swords Club

or

Email daveandfi@xtra.co.nz for the Claymore bank account details if you wish to pay directly into the club bank account.

Date of Birth:
Competitors must provide evidence of their date of birth with their entry form e.g. photocopy of passport of birth certificate.

Please send all entries and enquiries to:

Fiona McDonald

Claymore Swords Club

PO Box 5609

Dunedin 9058

daveandfi@xtra.co.nz

All entries must be made on the attached entry form and received by the closing date, Monday 20 th April 5.00pm.

Additional Notes:

All equipment must conform to the requirements on the Fencing New Zealand website (www.fencing.org.nz)

Competition format will be a first round of poules followed by direct elimination.

 

9/3/2009: The National Rankings are up and running. They are a tad incomplete at the moment, so do view them and pass on any problems or missed results to Kyle so he can correct them. If you don't help him then don't moan or complain if they are not correct! ...Rankings

 

7/3/2009:

PICKWORTH – A ONE-ARMED KIWI WONDER.

Just found this old black and white negative of Brian Pickworth taken at the Dunedin Nations more years ago than I care to remember. The photograph shows Picky and, I think, Barry Garland or Bob Millar, in the final pool in the sabre event. There were no direct eliminations in those days and the final was fenced as a pool of eight! It is easier now, but then there does not appear to be as much time fencing as we had then.

Brian Pickworth was born in Oamaru in 1929 and represented New Zealand in fencing at the 1960 Olympics and at four Commonwealth Games. He lost his left arm in a shooting accident in his early years after his gun went off while he was negotiating a fence and damaged his arm, which was later amputated. He continued to hunt and was known for his prowess in firing a .303 rifle from the hip. Anyone who has experienced the kick-back of a .303 calibre rifle from the shoulder will know how difficult it was shooting from the hip one-handed!

A long-time member of Auckland fencing club, Salle Jean Louis, which was founded in 1955 by Bert Raper, Picky’s first coach, Picky was a very focussed fencer who used his disability to his advantage both with the ladies and other fencers, in particular referees. Among fencers he was known for his willingness to help others and his fondness for hunting and fishing.

Also coached by Prof Phil Lilley, a British Academy of Fencing-trained fencing maitre, Picky fenced all three weapons (most fencers did so in those days owing to the lack of depth in New Zealand fencing – a problem that still plagues our tiny nation today), but it is in sabre that I most remember him.

In my first Nationals in Dunedin in 1972, he lost his balance in an attack when I retreated too quickly, fell and did a forward roll, jumped up and hit me on the head (while I was stupidly standing there wondering wether to go and help him) and then showboated with the President and Jury to award the hit. They did!

In those days sabre was visual, only foil and epee were electric, and a President and four judges, two behind each fencer, officiated each bout. The application of the rules was more relaxed for nowadays loss of balance followed by a renewal would be penalised.

Picky, who worked for Tisdall’s sports shop in Auckland, generated a lot of media attention for fencing. At the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games in 1970 he was filmed sharing a meal with the Duke of Edinburgh, and at tournaments his tendency to lose his balance provided a spectacle for the audience and photographers as the cuttings show.

Picky won numerous national titles and a Commonwealth Games bronze medal in the sabre teams event at the Perth games along with team-mates Mike Henderson and Bob Binning.

Now, Bob Binning, he was a top sabreur and boss of a Christchurch biscuit factory who used his office as a fencing salle, but that’s another story? So is the story of a self-taught fencer who represented New Zealand.

(Thanks to Alex and Keith for their recollections and cuttings. Any mistakes are mine!)

STOP PRESS: A reader has just sent in these results. Picky won a total of 19 national titles. Ten foil between 1956 - 1969. Six sabre 1958 - 1971 and three epee 1963 - 1969.

 

 

 

3/3/2009:

DOING AWAY WITH FOIL AND EPEE COULD WIN NEW ZEALAND FENCING MORE MEDALS!

 

Modern fencing uses three weapons; foil, epee and sabre the three are included in Commonwealth Championships and the Olympics yet for some years now in New Zealand there has been a drift to focus on one or, at most, two weapons, generally foil or epee, in the belief that by concentrating on one or two we can produce better results. Sabre, the third leg of the fencing tripod is the one many see as the weapon to drop, while others think we should specialise in epee and drop foil and sabre. At last year's nationals two Fencing New Zealand officials suggested to a top sabreur who, admittedly made the top three in both weapons here and in Australia, that he should specialise in epee!

* I found this belief of specialisation to be alive and well at a recent coaches meeting in Christchurch. The meeting, of the region's four most active coaches, was called by Fencing MidSouth's President Keith Mann as part of MidSouth's plan to grow the sport over the next few years and, as usual, the hoary old chestnut, specialisation, reared its head and poor old sabre was the weapon picked on. Keith, who is adamant that the three weapons receive equal input in time, money and effort, quickly squashed the idea of specialisation. In fact, he pointed out, that equality for all three weapons was enshrined in the Constitution of Fencing New Zealand and, as twice President of Fenz, he should know.

* Is he right? Are those who propound specialisation right? Lets look at the facts and the fictions surrounding this ongoing belief.

* Ponder upon these facts.

a. At last month's Junior Commonwealths in Penang what weapon produced New Zealand's solitary medal (bronze)? Epee.

b. Over the last four years (2005 to 2008) in which weapons have Kiwi Kids won the most medals in at Australian national U15 events? They have won seven foil, five epee medals, and no sabre medals. Now before you go, I told you so, remember there are NO individual or team sabre events at all and NO epee teams events in the U15's facts which skew the final medal count strongly in favour of foil by allowing sabreurs no chance of winning medals and limiting the epeeists.

c. In the U17 events there is a huge swing to sabre with nine medals, nine for epee and four for foil.

d. In the Australian U20's for the same four year period, sabre again comes out on top in the medal count with four, foil three and epee one. And, don’t even look at the senior rankings as it just too sad.

* Another reason for this unconsidered bias was brought up by one of the coaches at the meeting when it was inferred that it was the lack of coaches trained in teaching sabre that was to do with this negativity against the weapon. He pointed out his training was in epee and foil, hence he concentrated on those two weapons and did not teach sabre. He is probably right for out of around 20 coaches I know of in New Zealand only five teach sabre so no wonder the results are once again skewed in favour of foil and epee. In fact sabreurs should be praised for returning such a large medal count from such a small base. Imagine if more coaches taught sabre? The results could be phenomenal. A couple of questions, in the last four years how many coach’s courses have been held for epee and sabre? How many training camps have specialised in epee or sabre? How many for foil? Now read the previous paragraph again and weep for the medal haul that could have been.

* To pursue another angle in the hoary old debate about specialisation, doesn't it seem strange that those running a sport should only concentrate on two of its three streams?

a. For example, do those officials running Triathlon make the participants concentrate on swimming to the exclusion of cycling and running?

b. Do those heading the sport of Rowing concentrate on single sculls to the detriment of pairs and eights?

c. The same with Athletics, hurdling in favour of the shot put or 1500 metres, and Grand Prix racing, do drivers only practice on straight roads and forget the corners or the start?

d. And then there is Rugby. Do they just teach players how to run with the ball with no emphasis on kicking or tackling?

e. What about Cricket, do those officials running cricket concentrate on bowling to the detriment of batting and fielding?

* So why is this idea of dropping one or two weapons still alive in Fencing? Is there some knowledge or plan about in the wider world of fencing which shows that by specialisation a country can improve its medal count and performance? If there is why is there no informed debate about it? Does this one-size fit all concept have any validity in fencing? Is there any proof that specialising in one weapon will increase the numbers taking part? Personally, I think the more outlets you have for a product (fencing) the more you sell, but then I am not a marketing man just a fencing coach who teaches all three weapons.

* With the results of our Fencing Kids in Australia one could now argue that those of our volunteer officials standing for election, in the upcoming Annual General Meetings of the national and regional bodies, should look even closer at an even-handed approach to developing Fencing as a whole regardless of whether their personal belief is something different. Lets face it, it is the hardworking volunteers that drive our sport and like most unpaid officials they tend to push what is close to their hearts. But, after reading this, they could put our sport on a path to greatness by training more coaches in sabre with the aim of eventually ditching foil and epee - boy would that raise a fire-storm - and what can readers of this rant and general fencers do to ensure an even-handed approach to our great sport? Start fencing three weapons, but most of all enjoy your fencing!

 

 

28/2/2009: Doco about former Christchurch fencer Larance Shustak wins award!

The big winner of the night was New Zealand director Stuart Page, who picked up the prize for Best New Zealand Feature to go along with the Staples Rodway Best Emerging New Zealand Filmmaker award for his documentary Shustak.

The film is exploration of the legacy of enigmatic radical Lawrence Shustak, a popculture philosopher who left New York in the 1970s and later set up the photography department at the University of Canterbury.

Shustak took up fencing on his arrival in the 70's at the Christchurch Swords Club. He also fenced at the University Club and United. An agressive and bouncing fencer Larry was more interested in fencing as an art-form than a sport. That said, his competitive urges won him many bouts.

 

26/2/2009: Daniel Chan has the new foil mask with conductive bib. Hassle him for your example here: Mainland Fencing

19/2/2009: Why is this woman and an older man sitting in front of a wall covered in pin-up centrefolds? What have they to do with fencing? They say her voice can carry for hundreds of kilometres and reach thousands of people - keep watching this space to find the answers.........

 

18/2/2009. The Junior Sharp Blacks win their first medal at the CJFC - William Bishop, bronze in the mens epee!

 

17/2/2009: Fifteen countries are represented at the Commonwealth Junior Fencing Championships in Penang, including New Zealand. Competition starts doday. Keep an eye on how they do at: results See also the blog on the Fenz site: Blog

 

16/2/2009: Now there is no reason for affiliated Christchurch fencers not to know what is being done on THEIR behalf - feel free to instruct YOUR club rep on what YOU want from fencing and MidSouth and/or turn up to watch democracy in action!

If you ask nicely who could be given permission to speak, but attempt to get YOUR views raised by YOUR club rep first.

Fencing Mid-South Executive Meeting Schedule 2009

All meetings at the Cranmer Centre, commencing at 5.30 pm

January 30

February 13

March 13

[March 26 Annual General Meeting]

April 17

May 15

June 19

July 24

September 11

October 16

November 20.

 

 

6/2/2009:A celebration of handedness.............

Left- handed fencers are a bugger to deal with for right-handers and, as this picture shows, the poor Righty has come up with an unusual action to counter the Leftie's dominance and awkwardness. Left-handers make up around 10% of the population, but nearly 50% of champion fencers - read more at: http://www.anythingl#eft-handed.co.uk/sports.html

 

2/2/2009: UCFC has its own website.....

 

 

27/1/2009: A pensive Nelson foilist ponders his next bout at Nationals last year....

 

25/1/2009: Fencing numbers take a big jump in Christchurch!

Now that we have your attention you may like to know that former fencers Renee Brook (nee Lindsay) and Robert Snoep and their partners have been busily increasing the number of potential fencers in the Garden City. Renee and Phil have twin daughters, Alanah Lindsay and Emily Jane, while Snoepy and Kelly have a daughter, Emily Elizabeth, all in the last week! A women's sabre team at last. Best wishes and thanks to all involved.

 

17/1/2009: Kiwi girls win bronze at the Australian Youth Olympics...

 

13/1/2009: A documentary has been made of former fencer and University Lecturer in photography, Larance Shustak. Larance started fencing at the United Fencing Club back in the 1970s when he taught at the Arts School at the University of Canterbury. He died a few years back and the film about Larance's photographic career in America and New Zealand made by Stuart Page, a former student of Larance, has been accepted into the DOCNZ Film Festival and will be screened in the four
main cities.

Auckland
• 26 February '09 - 8 March '09

Wellington
• 12 March '09 - 22 March '09

Christchurch and Dunedin
• 26 March '09 - 5 April '09

600 films were submitted to the festival and 40 have been selected.
5 films have been selected for the best documentary award and
Stuart's film "Shustak" is one of these 5 nominees.
Stuart is also nominated for best emerging documentary film maker of
the year.
These awards will be announced in Auckland on 25 February.

For more info, go to: http://www.docnz.org.nz/festival/index.html

 

12/1/2009

Kiwi Fencers off to the Olympics!

 Oh yes, just when you thought your sporting world had got back to normal after its four-yearly dose of overkill, we have more Olympic sport for you - The Australian Youth Olympic Festival - which starts in Sydney on Wednesday and six Kiwi fencers will be among the 1800 competitors. 

Half the eight-strong team are from Christchurch, Chris Bell, Alex Chan, Carla Campbell and Sally McCance. From Wellington comes lefty William Bishop and from Auckland are Rebecca Cribbin and Jazmin Hopper along with Gideon Van Zyl from Whangapararoa. Manager Kate Brill is also from Christchurch. 

 

The young sharp blacks will take to the fencing piste on Friday and Saturday at Sydney’s Olympic Park. The fighting eight will meet teams from six other countries in individual and teams epee events.

 Epee is the only weapon being used in the fencing at these games. It has a large bell-shaped guard and is derived from the old dueling weapon. The whole body, from head to toe, is target just as it would be in a real duel. Foil and sabre are the other two weapons used in modern fencing.  

 

Results will available daily from: http: //www.olympic.org.nz so keep an eye out for some good results!

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