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 →

Introduction: The Wrong Messenger with the Right Message When I look on my bookshelf at the extensive library of fencing books I possess, authors include the likes of: Zbigniew Czajkowski- Founder of the Polish school, coach of multiple Olympic medalists and world champions (across all three weapons) Aldo Nadi- Olympic champion in all three weapons … Continue reading Analytics in Epee Fencing – The Lehfeldt Evaluation Framework (LEF) →

The French military strategist General Andre Beaufre coined the concept of "Total Strategy," a holistic approach encompassing: “Selection of the decisive point to be attacked (this depends on the enemy’s vulnerable points) Selection of the preparatory maneuver, which will enable this decisive point to be reached. Victory will go to the side that which succeeds … Continue reading On Modern Epee Preparations and Ideas →

In a coaching clinic, Maestro Gil Pezza equated Fencing distance to that of an accordion, contracting as the fencers gain proximity to one another and expanding as they withdraw and create space. Visually, this is perhaps the most accurate analogy I’ve come across. In the single tempo modern Epee game that has gotten to much … Continue reading On Modern Distance in Epee Fencing →

This study was originally published in the journal "Arrancada" Volume 24 Number 47. It has been republished with the author's permission. Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine the relations between balance, flexibility, and standing long jump performances of 10-13-year-old fencing athletes. A total of 20 male fencers participated in the study … Continue reading Examining the Relationship Between Balance, Flexibility, and Power in Fencing (by Maestra İpek İrem Ülkü) →

Note: this article was originally published in Carmimari's Fencing blog in September 2019 which has since gone offline. Maestro Pezza has given me permission to republish here. It's an important work and I want to make sure it remains visible to the public! Unlike a madeleine dipped in tea, a modern foil bout is not … Continue reading In Search of Lost Time in Today’s Fencing (by Maestro Gil Pezza) →

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary pair of devices from Calibur Fencing in return for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for this review, nor am I endorsed by Calibur Fencing in any capacity. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by Calibur Fencing and/or its affiliates … Continue reading Calibur Wireless Fencing Machine Review – On the Cusp of Primetime but not Quite There →

Let me begin by once again expressing my gratitude.  That gratitude begins with our members who voted to elect me as an At-Large Director in September of 2023.  And after a year of serving on the Board, that gratitude extends to my colleagues who voted to elect me as the 4th Chair/President of the Board.  … Continue reading Lehfeldt’s Final Boring Board Blog: I’m Kind of Selling out…but also not Really →