Longtime readers know I’m a gamer. With that hobby comes a habit: I read reviews not just for entertainment, but for the reviewer’s analysis to help me decide whether to buy a game. The comments on these reviews often fixate on scores, especially with IGN, which gets memed for its frequent “7 out of 10.” … Continue reading Beyond the Numbers: Why I’m Retiring Review Scores on TFC →

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary Touch Tester in return for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for this review, nor am I endorsed by Touch Tester in any capacity. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by Touch Tester and/or its affiliates in any way. I … Continue reading Touch Tester Review: a Must Have in Every Fencer’s Bag →

This isn’t an easy post to write, but it’s time to be honest with myself and with all of you:I’ve decided not to seek re-election as Chair of the USA Fencing Board of Directors. While the announcement has come through official USA Fencing channels, I find it necessary to provide my own, unfiltered perspective through … Continue reading I’m Tired, Boss →

Note: David Sierra is a Maître d’Armes who specializes in sabre, but with extensive experience in the other weapons as well. He is an NCAA Division 1 Head Coach at Wagner College and serves as the Education Manager for the USFCA. David was a Sabre Coach Developer at the recent Coaches’ Academy and wrote this piece as … Continue reading Pro Tips for Passing the USFCA Prevot Exam in Sabre (Guest Post by David Sierra) →

Photograph by Donna Felsenheld Note: I am an Epeeist and I will not pretend to know anything about Foil or Sabre. As such, I’d probably use this only as exam prep for Epee.Over the weekend, I attended USFCA’s 2025 Coaches’ Academy. In Epee, we had five candidates testing for Prevot. I wanted to make damn … Continue reading Pro Tips for Passing the USFCA Prevot Exam in Epee →

Warning: Moderate spoilers for Superman (2025). Read at your own risk In the new Superman movie, Lex Luthor unleashes Ultraman—a clone of Superman—against the Man of Steel. The problem is, Ultraman isn’t capable of thinking for himself. Every move he makes comes directly from Luthor’s constant stream of instructions. When Krypto the Superdog destroys the … Continue reading Don’t Turn Your Fencers Into Ultramen: Experiential Learning vs. Puppeteering →

This past week has been surreal. In the wake of voicing my support for trans fencers, my name’s been in the news, and with that visibility has come an avalanche of hateful messages. Strangers—people who know nothing about me beyond a headline or a soundbite—have taken it upon themselves to fill my inbox with vitriol. … Continue reading A Week of Rage →

Intro In an improvised scene from the 1981 classic Raiders of the Lost Ark, the hero Indiana Jones prepares to face a sword-wielding adversary. With his whip in his right arm, shoulders leaning in, a crowd clears and the two stare each other down. The swordsman begins to toss the sword left hand to right … Continue reading The American Gap: Problems, Solutions, and Considerations to Bring Forth an Epee Renaissance →

The Lehfeldt Evaluation Framework (LEF) Download the .ppt template here. Not for commercial use/redistribution TFC LLC_Lehfeldt Evaluation Framework (LEF)_v1.0_2024-11-21Download It took a number of years to refine this template and really get to a place that I thought painted a full picture of opposing fencers in a way that I could take hundreds of thousands … Continue reading How to use Analytics and Observation to Evaluate Opponents →

I like Pokemon. A lot. And I know you do too, because you're a fencer. For every type of Pokémon, each has a weakness. For example, fighting types are weak to psychic. Normal and dark types are weak to fighting. Dragon types are weak to dragon, fairy, and ice types. At the end of the … Continue reading Defining the Archetypes of Epee – Counter-Offensive, Offensive, Defensive, and Swarming Fencers →