Why I Supported Ivan Lee as Chair

One of the first decisions made at the Board retreat was voting for our next Chair. Prior to the retreat, I had a few people ask me if I was going to run. The answer was a resounding “no” because I have a newborn and an energetic toddler, and I want to make sure I…

On Trans Inclusion in Fencing

Introduction This is a difficult piece to write. I’ve wanted to talk about it for years, as I’ve found that when it’s brought up on my anonymous messaging platform, the answers I give fail to capture the nuance and depth that the topic requires. I’ve avoided writing about it, because it’s something that’s often discussed…

Lehfeldt’s Boring Board Blog – Coaching Education, Strategic Planning, and the Chair (September 2023)

To my constituents, One of the campaign promises I made was to operate out in the open, share with you my positions on different issues, and to write a blog post for every meeting articulating how I intend to vote. With the agendas for the September 8 and September 10 meetings now public, it’s time…

Where are Touches Getting Scored?

Methodology: Findings: Overall By Righty: By Lefty:

When are Fencing Touches Being Scored? An Analysis

In the senior international level of fencing, competitors have three periods and 9 minutes to establish victory (plus an extra minute in priority if need be). How are these bouts playing out? When are touches being scored? This analysis seeks to answer some of those questions for both the men’s and women’s games.

Things I’m Going to do Before my Term Begins in September…And Answering Some Questions from the Community

To the members of the American Fencing community— Nearly 24 hours after learning I’d have the privilege to serve you, I’m still giddy with excitement! In my ongoing commitment to transparency, I wanted to write a quick post on my priorities in the next few months and what happens now. My Message to the Community…

Responding to Remaining Questions from the USA Fencing Candidate Debate (#1)

Hello everyone, Last night, I had the pleasure of taking part in the first USA Fencing candidate debate. That video should be published shortly. We only had an hour and six of us on stage, and a lot of great questions got asked that we didn’t have time to get to. At the end of…

On the Need for a More Democratically Minded Board

I think the members of USA Fencing are pretty damn smart. Fencers are thinkers, fencers are pragmatic, and even Sabre fencers can be left to their own devices to make good decisions. One of the many reasons I’m running for Board is because I have faith in the will of membership, and as a community-oriented…

I Am Not a Master: an Assessment of the USFCA Certification Process and a Hope for the Future of the Organization

When I was a freshman in college, I decided to pledge a fraternity. When I look back on my pledge process 18 years later, I think to myself: “what the hell was I doing?” A Cliff Note’s summary of my ZBT Brandeis experience included: During that process, there were some “brothers” who I became friends…

Product Review: Azza 15/14’s – The New Gold Standard of Fencing Shoes

Disclaimer: A discount code was provided to the author by Azza Fencing in return for my honest review. The shoes, which retail at $167 (plus shipping) were discounted to $66.82. I received no monetary compensation for this review, nor am I endorsed by Azza Fencing in any capacity. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are…

Assessing the Bylaw Omnibus Package – How I’d Vote and What You Need to Know

In the upcoming February 16 Board of Directors meeting, the Board will consider a number of sweeping changes to the bylaws. As a member, you need to be aware of what’s coming and why these changes are important. One of the promises I made to you as a prospective Board member was to transparently share…

Damien Lehfeldt for USA Fencing At Large Director

I’m Running! Dear friends and members of the Fencing Community, I am pleased to announce that I am running for one of the three At-Large Director positions opening later this year. I’m jumping into this election for one simple reason: I love this sport with all of my heart, you love this sport too, and…

Trends in Senior International Epee Fencing (2021-2022)

Note: This article was originally published in the United States Fencing Coaches Association Sword Master magazine, December 2022 issue. To join the USFCA and get access to Sword Master and other publications, visit the USFCA website. Introduction Nearly one year ago, I had the honor of joining the Team USA Epee National Coaching Staff as…

What to Know About the Upcoming 2023 Unwillingness to Fight Rule Changes (aka the “Three Strikes You’re Out” Rule)

The Mad Lads in the FIE Congress have done it again, and the P-Card rules are changing on January 1, 2023. What you need to know you can find it here.

Product Review: Lancet Fencing Ambidextrous Peregrine Grip

Disclaimer: This grip was purchased by the author and not provided by Lancet Fencing. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by Lancet Fencing and/or its affiliates in any way. Giving an ambidextrous lesson can be a clunky affair when you’re carrying one weapon in each hand. One weapon’s pointed…

Simple Rules of Fencing Safety (Version 2)

Note: I’m all about feedback. Got some great input on this from the good folks of the r/Fencing subreddit and wanted to update the post to reflect their comments. A couple of years ago, a northeast region fencing coach was giving a lesson to a maskless student. One thing led to another, and the student…

Explaining the new “Unwillingness to Fight” (P-Card) Conventions (and other refereeing notes from the NAC)

Another NAC done and some more reflections to write down. Here’s what you need to know about the new P-Card conventions and other little nuggets I thought I’d share. Enforcing Unwillingness to Fight: the New Interpretation For the last season, most international competitions have changed the conventions around enforcement of P-Card rules to include resetting…

A Flèche is not a Running Attack

According to my 4000+ touches of thesis research, a fleche is occurring on 16% of actions at the highest levels of international fencing. In modern fencing, it remains one of the most important pieces of one’s repertoire, but there’s an opportunity to revisit how we define it. Nearly every piece of fencing literature references the…

All That’s Wrong with the 2022-2023 NAC Schedule: in Four Maps

On July 19, 2022, USA Fencing announced the National Schedule for the upcoming 2022-2023 season. Allow me to begin this post with two acknowledgments: The contracts for these venues were likely locked in long before the Supreme Court issued the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Decision NAC locations are determined based on which metropolitan hubs…

Defining the Oh $@&# Moment: Knowing When it’s Time to Strike Your Opponent

At the highest levels of fencing, the window to attack is often small. Perhaps it comes on a small flinch of the opponent, or they step in close for just one moment too long. Perhaps they change direction with just a little bit too deep a step, or they overcommit in preparation or on the…

The Modern Epee Fencer (a Qualitative Summary of my Thesis)

The Modern Epee Fencer is a Daredevil They fence at lunge distance, daring the other to encroach even one inch too close, applying pressure with varying preparation while the pulling fencer disrupts their opponent with provoking half advances and beats. The Modern Epee Fencer, as Clement Schrepfer describes in How to Fence Epee: The Fantastic…

There is no Offseason in Fencing

“When you are not practicing, remember, somewhere someone is practicing, and when you meet him, he will win.” -Peter Bergman On paper, the USA Fencing season begins with the October NAC and culminates with the mega-event that is Summer Nationals in July. The three-month window in between might well be the amplest opportunity for the…

A Parent’s Guide to Fencing: Downloadable eBook & Webinar

Hey everyone, for our parents at Nova Fencing Club, I’ve put together this guide on Fencing, and included a recording of the Webinar as well. Please feel free to download and share. I hope this is a valuable resources for parents of fencers at all levels.

A Farewell to Baba: In Loving Memory of Gamal Mahmoud

It’s around 2005 or so. I get off the plane for a NAC in Miami and head down to baggage claim. There’s a boy waiting with his fencing bag in the terminal who looks lost. So I get my bag, approach this kid, and ask him: “you okay dude?” It’s a young Yasser Mahmoud. He…

No Punches Pulled: Answering Your Questions (April 2022)

Refereeing Questions What’s the best way to control your strip as a referee? Credibility is the most important thing to establish first and foremost, and that means knowledge of the rules and the proper current application of the rules. If you show up to ref and you improperly enforce, say, the application of P-Cards or you still…

Fencing With Two Clubs: Kosher or Not?

I used to have a morbidly obese three-legged dachshund named Frankie and a poodle named Batman. When I’d take them out for a walk, the two would often take turns peeing on different objects throughout the neighborhood. It was a game of territorialism. Frankie would pee first. Batman would then pee on top of the…

Product Review: Nike Ballestra SE2 – Nike Prices Without the Nike Quality

Disclaimer:These shoes were purchased by the author and not provided by Nike. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by Nike and/or its affiliates in any way. When I tore my Achilles several years ago, my orthopedist revealed that one of the fundamental problems that led to my tear was…

Eight Rules of Tournament Parenting

There are two paths you can go by as a parent during a tournament: the path of the “Psycho Parent” or the path of “The Quintessential Fencing Parent.” One allows a strong bond between the trio of coach, parent, and athlete; and the other means that as a coach, I hate you. I offer the…

An Interview with 5x World Champion Peter Joppich

This Article Was Originally Published in the Washington Times. WASHINGTON, February 28, 2013 — Prior to the 2000’s, foil fencer Sergei Golubitsky had arguably cemented himself as the greatest foil fencer of all time, winning three world championships in a storied career. At the turn of the millennium, a young German fencer by the name of…

Parents: We Need to Talk About Your Kids’ Shoes

Author’s Note: I am not a podiatrist, nor am I an orthopedist. The recommendations in this post come from common sense and anecdotal experience. For the best recommendations on shoes specific to you, discuss it with a medical professional. The other day I was leading a footwork class. I looked down. I stopped. I called…

Epee Referee Nuggets from the December 2021 NAC: P-Card Interpretation Will be Changing

Another NAC done, another round of 12+ hour days, and some gross food. Here are my nuggets from the Columbus NAC. The P-Card Rules Interpretation will be Changing to that of the FIE’s: Take this section of my write-up with a grain of salt, and consider this the “hey, something resembling this is coming” statement.…

In Support of USA Fencing’s Vaccination Mandate

Note: this post was made on October 27, 2021. Given the nature of this novel coronavirus, data is constantly changing, news studies are being published, and our understanding of this virus and the effectiveness of the vaccination is evolving. The author of this post is not a medical professional in any way, shape or form…

How to Deal With Fencers at your Club Who Refuse to Get the Covid-19 Vaccine

Kick them out of your club until they do. That’s it. That’s the post. Thanks for coming to my TedXTalk.

Understanding the Relationship between USA Fencing Operations (CEO) and Governance (Chair)

Intro If you’ve ever approached Peter Burchard and told him: “I want NAC’s to be exclusively in Richmond, VA,” chances are, you’re talking to the wrong person. If you’ve ever approached Kris Ekeren and said: “I want you to put Justin Meehan in the USA Fencing Hall of Fame,” you’re also talking to the wrong…

Understanding the Relationship Between USA Fencing and the US Center for SafeSport

Introduction: This post was written in response to ongoing confusion regarding roles and responsibilities between that of the US Center for SafeSport (USCSS) and USA Fencing. It is not intended to go into the weeds of their unique disciplinary processes, rather, to establish who takes jurisdiction over a particular case and why. We also wrote…

Assessing the Organizational Change Management Process in the Passage of the 2021 Bylaw Amendments

On August 31, 2021, the USA Fencing Board of Directors convened to discuss a number of sweeping new bylaw amendments to overhaul the current Governance Structure of USA Fencing. I previously posted an assessment of the amendments based on a Board Maturity Model, but today’s post will focus on the shortcomings of these changes from…

On Mandatory SafeSport Training for Minors: a Personal Story

Note: the following article has a personal anecdote on the grooming of minors. Trigger warning and so on, so forth. Update: A previous version of this article stated that USA Archery mandates SafeSport training for children. This was incorrect, and has been edited out. When I was a little kid, we would go to visit…

Answering some Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Alen Hadzic Case

Note: this post was written to to discuss the complex procedures that have gone into his case thus far and clear up some of the misinformation snowballing on social media. What is Mr. Hadzic being accused of? Those allegations are outlined in the BuzzFeed and Insider articles pretty clearly. Mr. Hadzic has denied these allegations.…

Assessing USA Fencing’s Proposed Governance Structure – From the Perspective of an Organizational Design Expert

Introduction: On July 12, 2021, USA Fencing proposed the following changes to the bylaws in order to revolutionize the Board’s reporting structure and as stated by the Governance task force, “improve membership experience.”These amendments will be voted on in the upcoming August 31 executive session with a membership feedback session to be held on August…

FOLO FIE “Hard” Epee Review: a Rising Star and a True BF White Competitor

Disclaimer:I was provided with a complimentary blade from FOLO in return for my honest review. Parts and labor (outside of the blade/tip itself) were provided by me. I received no monetary compensation for this review, nor am I endorsed by FOLO in any capacity, mostly because I suck at Fencing. All thoughts and opinions expressed…

Epee Refereeing Nuggets from the June 2021 Richmond NAC

Hello friends and fellow aspiring referees around the world, The following are my notes I took for personal epee referee development from the Richmond NAC. Many of these things are obvious, many of them are not. Regardless, I wanted to share with you all my notes, and maybe these nuggets will help you too. Sound…

Want to Know Who You’re Fencing Before the Tableau is Posted? Use this Simple Formula

Hell hath no fury like the stench of clustered fencers reviewing pool results and waiting for the tableau to post. So you’ve finished pools, and the seeding gets posted. You’re sitting there waiting for the tableau to follow, and you have one question on your mind: who’s going to ride the pain train next? In…

A Brief Thank You to Jason Pryor

Following the Kazan World Cup, Jason Pryor announced that he was stepping away from Fencing in what USA Fencing said was likely his “…last senior international bout.” For his entire fencing career, Jason Pryor has been the epitome of “sportsman,” approaching every bout with a joie de vivre and a sense of humor. I still…

Four Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Thinking of Breaking Up With Your Coach

This post idea inspired by a question from Redditor /u/skeletortuga, which is an awesome username… I remember the optimism I had heading to my first Junior Olympics. I had won my Central Florida division qualifier in dominating fashion. I had been faring well in local open competition. I trained hard, I was in great shape.…

A Safe Return to Fencing Competition is Near. Get Hyped.

Note: This blog post was written and posted on March 8, 2021. Vaccination numbers and CDC guidance are constantly evolving, so in all likelihood, the data and sources presented in this article will be obsolete within the next few days. Check the CDC website for updated metrics and more information on guidance. Get your weapons…

The State of Virginia has prohibited the December Fredericksburg RJCC/RYC. USA Fencing doesn’t seem to care.

The Fairfax Challenge Winter RJCC/RYC is scheduled to take place on the weekend of December 19 in Fredericksburg Virginia. It’s a wonderful time to have a Fencing tournament. It’s cold outside, there’s Christmas music playing and holiday cheer all around. Fireplaces are burning. And almost 300,000 people are dead from Covid. Virginia Covid hospitalizations are…

On (Not) Returning to Competition During the Covid-19 Pandemic

The only thing that has changed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic is we’ve gotten older and a little bit greyer. As of October 30, nearly 230,000 Americans are dead. We’re approaching 10 million domestic cases with a dangerous Winter spike expected. For those fortunate to survive, the virus doesn’t end with contraction. The Mayo…

Why Fencers Yell (and Why People Should Stop Being Whiny Babies About It)

Originally posted on Tim Morehouse’s Fencing University. Re-posted on thefencingcoach.com with Tim’s permission “There’s a fairly strong inverse correlation between people who don’t like yelling and fencing skill.” -Nick Johnson Fencing has a unique dichotomy that distinguishes itself from other Olympic sports: on the one hand, it’s rooted in the values of sportsmanship and respect…

Winning at Fourteen-All (a Guest Post by Corwin Duncan)

Coming back to win It wasn’t looking good. I was fencing better than I ever had that day, but I let myself slip, and got down 14-9. If I won, I would get my first top 8 at a senior national tournament, and an important result toward making the national team – but that didn’t…

Cellphones be Damned: Staying Focused in the Fencing Club

I’ll be the first to admit there’s an element of hypocrisy to this post. I probably use my cellphone too much to check my work email, catch a Pokémon or 30 in Pokémon Go, swap texts with friends, or make an occasional s***post on Reddit (okay, more like frequent s***posts on Reddit and a few…

The Fencing Coach’s Guide to Being a Good Teammate

As a lover of sports, I have played Football, Basketball, and Fútbol. I wrestled, I boxed (my brain works; I can still read good), and of course, I still actively fence. Each sport, though a potpourri of individual and team has provided me with a unique perspective on the virtues of being a good teammate.…

The Fencing Coach’s Initial Reactions to the FIE’s new Non-Combativity Rules

Two weeks ago, the FIE Congress passed a series of new non-combativity rules that will bring material changes to Epee, and to a lesser extent, Foil fencing. There’s a lot to track here, so I’ve tried my best to break down the nuances of the rules below. I’d like to qualify this post with a…

Regarding Sexual Harassment and Assault in Fencing: Part III – We Can Do Better

Part I – Not in Our Sport Part II – Tales of Sexual Harassment & Assault We now know there is a sexual harassment and abuse problem, so what can we do to fix it? My survey asked for solutions for creating a more positive and safe environment for everyone. Going forward, if you were…

Regarding Sexual Harassment and Assault in Fencing: Part II – Tales of Sexual Harassment & Assault

Part I – Not in Our Sport Part of this survey was giving women a safe space to anonymously share what harassment or assault they had experienced. This section of the series has given me the most anguish, for a couple of reasons. One, it was hard to know which stories to share. Harassment and…

Regarding Sexual Harassment and Assault in Fencing: Part I – Not in Our Sport

Dear Fencing Community, Scandals of sexual abuse have rocked USA Swimming and USA Gymnastics, it’s not a stretch for us to wonder if USA Fencing has a similar problem which should be investigated and addressed. Sexual harassment and assault have become hot topics in the wake of the #MeToo movement, and we can’t assume fencing…

How to Immediately Waste a Private Fencing Lesson

Albert Bandura, the famed psychologist and founder of Social Learning Theory (SLT) posited that our brains go through four mediational processes while learning: Attention: How one is exposed to and processes a behavior. Retention: How one remembers the exposed behavior. Reproduction: How one performs the behavior s/he’s exposed to. Motivation: How one develops the will…

Infographic: a Parent’s Guide to not Distracting Referees in the Middle of a Fencing Bout

Yes, Sports and Politics Do Mix. Get Over It.

When Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the Modern Olympics, he designed the Olympic Rings to include the colors of every flag of every nation, linked together to symbolize the inclusivity of the games and the idea that national differences could be set aside to engage in the struggle of sport. The Baron was so insistent…

Fencing is not a Combat Sport—and that’s a Good Thing

Sometime after I graduated college, I had a quarter-life fencing burnout crisis and decided to take a break from the sport. Boxing, I thought, would be a fun sport to learn. It involves a similar emphasis on footwork, speed, distance control, and strategy, and I loved watching it growing up. When I got into the…

The Black Card as a Last Resort

In a previous post, I quipped about “Tales of Epic Black Cards,” which was a collection of horror stories from various referees where they had to resort to pulling out the dreaded black card (my favorite from my friend Kevin Shanahan, who shared with me a scoresheet signed “this ref stinks”). To everyone not named…

The FIE Non-Combativity Proposal is Malarkey

The Federation Internationale d’Escrime (FIE) often resembles a hyperactive cat distracted by a laser pointer. Each year, ambitious new rule changes are proposed that hold neither the support of the fencers impacted, nor the referees enforcing them. Last year, we piloted the now defunct “Russian Box of Death” proposal that set the Sabre en garde…

What do you Want to Work on Today? Giving the Conductor’s Wand to the Student

I like to think of fencing coaching as a partnership. When compared to sports such as Football where the Coach is master and commander whose word is absolute, Fencing promotes dialogue, exploration, and innovating for new ideas on the piste. When a new student begins, the lessons are more linear and perhaps even mechanical, focusing…

A Harangue on Referee Feedback and Development

Alright, controversial opinion time. Back at Summer Nationals, I had a student walk on as a referee. He’s studied the rules extensively, he’s worked hard at it in practice, and he’s motivated to get better. But he was still “green,” so to speak. A friend of mine refereeing in his pod sent me a message…

Lessons and Reflections from Five Years of Fencing Blogging

Five years ago, just before the 2012 London Olympics, I started a casual blog to keep my friends updated on my coaching adventures abroad and document my experience at the Olympic Games. To my surprise, “TheFencingCoach.com” wasn’t taken, so I jumped on the opportunity to register the domain name. I soon discovered how much I…

On “Bad Actors” in Fencing

  “We all have a Monster within; the difference is in degree, not in kind.” -Douglas Preston Even ten years after “Jason’s” imprisonment, it’s difficult for me to look at his booking photo. Jason is expressionless, his perfectly symmetrical face staring into the camera blankly. His brown eyes are dead, but he raises his cheekbones…

The Fencing Coach’s 2017 NCAA Fencing Predictions #MarchStabness

It’s here! It’s finally here! It’s the most wonderful time of the year. #MarchStabness is kicking off in full swing tomorrow, and we’re about to watch 144 of the best young fencers in the world head to South Bound, Indiana to compete at Notre Dame. In good fun and with zero confidence, I offer the…

Olympic Fencing Schedule & Live Streaming Links

IMPORTANT NOTE: It has been brought to my attention that a Cable Subscription is required to view the NBC Streams. Without Cable, you will be allowed to view a half hour of the stream. If you have an Apple TV, you can download the NBC Sports App and watch that way. Update: I included links to each…

The Al Navarro Show – Episode 2: Al Navarro and the Curious Case of the Capital of the Confederacy

Just in time for your trip to the October NAC, welcome to the next installment in the Fencingtown, USA series on TFC, covering some of the stops on the USA Fencing circuit. In my first Fencingtown USA write-up back in May, I remarked that if I were to judge NAC host cities based on how…

The Al Navarro Show: Episode 1 – Welcome to Fencingtown, USA

Guest contributor Al Navarro is the father of a Y14 Women’s Epee fencer. When not standing around convention centers waiting for DEs to start, he lives and works in New Jersey. He is working on a blog for the parents of current and aspiring youth fencers.  A fellow Y14 WE parent and I have this…

The Road to Recovery (Part 3)

I’M “WALKING!” I got my cast off on Tuesday, which was nice, except for one minor problem: my left calf and quad have shrunk about 60% in size and I look like I have chicken legs. All that aside, my doctor says I’ve been healing quickly and put me on an aggressive regimen for recovery, and gave me…

NCAA March Stabness: Quick Hits (After Day 2)

The men’s field is wrapped up, our individual men’s champions are crowned, and OSU leads the team field. Judging the Judges (Based on Predictions) Damien – Men’s Epee (2/4), Men’s Foil (4/4), Men’s Saber (3/4). Total: 9/12(75%) Hannah – Men’s Epee (1/4), Men’s Foil (2/4), Men’s Saber (4/4). Total: 7/12 (58%). James – Men’s Epee…

NCAA March Stabness Quick Hits (After Day 1)

Day 1 is behind us, Columbia leads with 56 wins, and not too many surprises after day 1, other than how off Leland Guillemin’s picks were. Men’s Saber As expected, Eli Dershwitz (Harvard) coasted through the first day, going 14/15 for +39. With eight bouts remaining, his toughest opponent is Jonah Shainberg (ND), but all…

The Road to Recovery: Week 2

USA Fencing Personal Injury Insurance: a Hidden Gem The first thing I’ll mention in this blog post is that if you don’t know about it, USA Fencing has secondary insurance to cover any costs not covered by your primary. It’s a must have if you get injured at any fencing event, and I would like…

The Road to Recovery: Part 1

“We’ll walk this road together, through the storm Whatever weather, cold or warm Just letting you know that you’re not alone Holler if you feel like you’ve been down the same road.” -Eminem, “I’m Not Afraid” In twenty years of fencing, the “monotony” of NACs and national events is something I’ve lived for. Show up…

An Open Letter to Parents Attending the Capitol Clash

Dear Parents, You should be proud. You should be excited. This weekend, your child/children will be competing in the Capitol Clash Super Youth Circuit (SYC), a tournament that had over 1,500 competitors last year! The Capitol Clash is an amazing tournament for many reasons. For one, it’s a joy to go into a room full…

USA Fencing Points Based Qualification for Division 1A-Divison III Nationals (an Infographic)

Earlier this week, USA Fencing released its new criteria for national championship qualification and the July challenge. The collective fencing community (myself included) scratched their heads and said: “quoi?” In order to make this information more digestible, I created the following infographic. It’s still not the most intuitive. I hope this is of use to…

Revisiting the 2012 NFL Draft (Round 1) Three Years Later

Hey Redditors! This went over the 15,000 character count allowed by the page, so I’m posting here on my crappy shell of a website.  In recent weeks, I’ve been doing team-by-team reviews of the last ten years of first round drafting. So far, I’ve done: St. Louis Rams Jacksonville Jaguars Tennessee Titans New York Jets New…

Guest Poem: The Ballad of the Fencenocks (By Barkevious, a Latin Poet)

There once was a town called “Peanut Gorge” in the deepest of forests within the north. In the gorge lived the fencenocks, some creatures you know, who loved to do fencing, in sun, rain, or snow. When the sun rose at six, so too did the nocks, who would dress for their battles, in masks,…

When the Mask is On: on Women in Fencing

“In our society, the women who break down barriers are those who ignore limits.” -Arnold Schwarzenegger Some of my earliest childhood memories come from watching my older sister, Paloma, play in a boys’ soccer league. Paloma was an athletic phenom, possessing great speed, excellent ball skills, and zero fear of contact or matching up against…

Ask the Fencing Coach: Taking Your Time in a Bout

This question came from one of our favorite readers who is the head coach of a college club and competitor. As a reminder to our readers, we will answer any questions on all things fencing. We’re here to help! Question:  Good morning Fencing Coach Staff, Question for you folks regarding something that is giving me issues…

The Alley, the Denny’s, and the Marble: a Plea to Cease Domestic Violence.

The first time I ever paid witness to domestic violence was my senior year of high school, outside a Denny’s in Lutz, Florida. After a house party, we all decided to load up on greasy food to proactively target our imminent hangovers. Throughout the night, I passively watched as a boy named Sam grew increasingly…

Persevering Through Disappointments and Losses

Horror Stories About Fencing Safety to Tell Your Students and Teammates

In a recent study on Olympic sport injury rates, Fencing ranked among the safest sports listed. Given the fact that Fencing is a combat sport rooted in duels to the death, it should come as a surprise that such a ferocious sport would be safer than say, Badminton or Table Tennis. Yet, our equipment is (mostly) refined…

Poll: Are You a Fencer that has Played Pokemon?

Providing Clarity to Confusion: a Veteran Referee’s Perspective (Guest Post)

This is a guest post from Mary Frye, a seasoned referee and member of the FOC. Mary notes that “this isn’t from the FOC as a body per se, but from myself, as a member of the Domestic Assignments Committee  (DAC) of the FOC.  I suppose I’m splitting hairs a bit here, since a lot…

Growing Pains: Breaking into the Complex and Convoluted World of U.S. Refereeing (Guest Post)

Guest Post by Annamaria Lu The past few weeks, this blog has published a few articles about refereeing. Mary Griffith also produced a post-Nationals write up. All of them have provided different perspectives on refereeing fencing. After Nationals ended, I contacted The Fencing Coach and offered to share my perspective as a new referee. I…

Diego Occhiuzzi’s Greatest Hits

Diego Occhiuzzi is a really good saber fencer. He took a Silver Medal in the London 2012 Olympics. He is also the Luis Suarez of fencing. Here are my favorite Diego Occhiuzzi moments:   Role model. This is how it’s done.

Should a Referee Vary the Cadence of his/her Calls?

A very simple post today to answer a very simple, trivial question: When a referee makes his/her “En Garde! Ready? Fence!” calls, should s/he very the cadence? For many of you, this is a “duh” answer, but for others, it might not be. Never hurts to clarify. I’ve heard multiple opinions from multiple referees, so…

Predicting The Men’s World Championship Field…With SCIENCE! (Guest Post by Todd Kozlowski)

Disclaimer, I’m not a statistician. Not even close. I’m so, so sorry to any of you who are for my lack of rigor. The prediction here is based on the commonly-used Elo system, which tracks competitor performance in other sports like baseball, soccer, and chess. I threw together a program to calculate the odds of…

Predicting the 2014 Kazan Fencing World Championships

A Call for Optimism Among Referees (Guest Post by Kate Thomas)

It’s almost as easy to find refs kvetching about reffing as it is to find fencers kvetching about refs.  If you hang out with a lot of refs it’s probably even easier.  And it’s easy to quit reffing.  It’s easy to see it as a thankless job – standing on concrete for 20 hours straight…

Guest Post: A Referee’s Open Letter of Resignation

Dear Fencing Officials Commission: A new policy will be enacted on September 1, 2014 wherein referee ratings will be evaluated and altered according to national activity.  My referee ratings predate the cut-off years and are subject to degrading or rescinding.  Rather than be subject to a perfunctory system with which I do not agree, I…

Avoiding Staleness

The Referee: Friend, or Foe? (Guest Post by James A. Weiss, Editor, The Fencing Coach)

(Disclaimer: There are three roles that fencers and referees have assumed, or may assume during their relationship with fencing: the fencer, the official, and the spectator. It is important to note that none of these are, or should be thought of as, similar or interchangeable for the other two. And, not being able to realize…

Guest Post: A Diary of a Black Card

This past weekend at the Pomme de Terre, a parent (who shall remain anonymous) was black carded for unruly behavior following a team match. The parent admits that he “violated rule #5 of An Open letter to Fencing Parents and attempted to live vicariously through his child.” It is terribly difficult to admit wrongdoing, particularly when…