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 DecisionNAC locations are determined based on which metropolitan hubs are … Continue reading All That’s Wrong with the 2022-2023 NAC Schedule: in Four Maps →

Oh $@&# Moments Defined 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 … Continue reading Defining the Oh $@&# Moment: Knowing When it’s Time to Strike Your Opponent →

The Modern Epee Fencer © Damien Lehfeldt 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 … Continue reading The Modern Epee Fencer (a Qualitative Summary of my Thesis) →

“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 … Continue reading There is no Offseason in Fencing →

Fencing Parents 101 Seminar 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCpGSJvAfRE&t=243s&ab_channel=PresidentOfChina Webinar NOVA_Fencing-for-Parents-101_v01.0_2022-04-15Download

Image shared from the Harvard Gazette. Photograph by Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer 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, … Continue reading A Farewell to Baba: In Loving Memory of Gamal Mahmoud →

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 … Continue reading No Punches Pulled: Answering Your Questions (April 2022) →

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 … Continue reading Fencing With Two Clubs: Kosher or Not? →

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 … Continue reading Product Review: Nike Ballestra SE2 – Nike Prices Without the Nike Quality →

I didn't know what else to put here. 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 … Continue reading Eight Rules of Tournament Parenting →