After looking at other regional fencing club schedules John decided there weren’t enough competitions this year. He decided to add a couple more to our schedule to take up some of the slack. So, over the last couple of months, The Fencing Exchange has held quite a few. We managed to have competitions in every weapon including dry foil.
Open Saber
At the end of January we held an Open Saber Competition. We started with 9 competitors. Because saber is such a fast weapon to fence, we decided to do 2 round robin pools of all the fencers followed by the DE’s. The 2 pools would be added together to seed into the DE’s. In the first pool Ray Stedenfeld commanded the strip by winning all of his bouts. John Proctor was right behind him losing only 1 of his bouts (to Ray). Wonny and Justin both from Binghamton weren’t slacking either, they each only lost 2 bouts. Looking at the score sheets nobody was slouching (except Val who couldn’t win anything.) Unfortunately after the first pool one of our fencers, Colby Weist had to leave, leaving only 8 fencers for the second pools and the DE’s.
In the second pool Ray continued his domination and again won all of his bouts. John continued to fight hard to keep up with him and again only lost to Ray. Wonny and Justin might have been getting tired because they started to slip allowing the other fencers to gain a few more victories, especially Jack Cillo from Williamsport, who took over third place. (Well everybody but Val, she still couldn’t win a bout.)
In the DE’s, Ray stayed in the lead from beginning to end winning the competition. Jack continued growing stronger to topple John and take second. John managed to hold onto third place.
Massacre Recap
On Feb. 15th we held our annual St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Open Epee Competition. This event seems to grow bigger every year, this year was no different with a record number of fencers starting, 24 in all. We broke into 3 pools of round robin fencing which would be followed by the DE’s.
During the pool play one of the fencers had to drop out because of a previous injury. This brought a little excitement to the day as everyone was split on how to handle the situation. Half said the remainder of her bouts would be 5-0 victories for her opponents and the other half said she would be eliminated from the competition as though she never existed. I give full credit to the bout committee, they searched the rule book until the found the correct rule for the situation all while trying to fence their own bouts. They showed exactly why a bout committee is assigned. ( the rule says she was eliminated as though she didn’t exist.)
When the pools were done and the points tallied it was a very close competition. Steve Mellner was in first place with 6 victories, but there were 8 fencers tied with 5 victories and 4 more with 4 victories right behind him. Nobody was fooling around. Even in the DE’s the fight continued. With only 1 victory Valerie Pratt wasn’t giving up. She started the DE’s in 20th place. She beat her first oppontent (who started in 13th place.) She then desparately tried to beat her next opponent (he had started in 4th place, but she ended up losing by just 2 points 13-15. Steve received a “bye” in the first DE round but unfortunately he had not been feeling well right from the beginning of the day and by the time he fenced his DE bout he started feeling very sick. Although Steve tried, Chris Pelosi (after winning his first DE) managed to beat him and move on to the next round. By getting this win it moved Chris high enough to earn him an “E” rating. Upon entering the DE’s 3 rd place Dirk Goldgar of BCAF ended up winning, 9th place Jerry Snead also from BCAF took second, 10th place Eric Pho from Binghamton came in third and 5th place Tim McMahon of Williamsport took fourth. It was a very competitive day of fencing.
FEX Meets Africa
On March 6th we held 2 impromptu competitions. We started the day with saber and finished (many hours later) with foil.
The saber competition only started with 7 competitors, 5 were from our own club plus Jude Keenan (a junior fencer) from BDF and our friend Ed Ploy from Williamsport. At the last minute an 8th competitor joined us. Ibrahima Ndiaye originally from Africa and now residing in East Stroudsburg. He does not speak English but fortunately his brother (also a fencer) was able to translate for both him and us. Ibrahima fences epee and saber mostly epee. Looking at him I would guess he stands about 6 ½ feet tall. We had no idea what to expect accept that most of us competing that day were probably between 5’5” and 5’9”, Ibrahima could reach us from half way across the strip. As it turned out, surprisingly, it was the lesser experienced saber fencers that gave him a hard time, Val and Ed actually beat him. The more experienced fencers had more trouble. John theorized is was because Ibrahima was more used to the smoothness of the experienced fencer and it was the unconventional moves of the inexperienced fencers that threw him off. But as the competition progressed non of this mattered because he got smarter about everyone and took 1st place. Ray came in second but almost lost this opportunity in his first DE against Jude. Jude who placed last going into the DE taught Ray never to count the small guy out. He fought valiantly, tied the score a couple of times and continued fighting to the end when the score was 14 – 14. Ray managed to get the last touch to defeat him. John defeated Ed to take 3rd place.
And Still There is Foil
As the saber competition was ending, fencers started coming in for the foil competition. We ended up with 15 fencers for foil making it a “D” competition. There were 2 pools (8 and 7 fencers each) of round robin fencing followed by DE’s. It had already been a long day for some of the competitors (they had fenced in the earlier saber competition.) In fact John was the only one that made it past the first round of DE’s. (I am sure this is just a coincidence though, all of our fencers are in extraordinary condition) but even he could not make it out of the 8th layer round. As the competition progressed it became obvious the boys for Salle Jeanne and the gang from Binghamton were going to rule. Beth Rubin did her best to topple them. A once classic Italian fencer she now attends Cornell University. She has learned to use the killer college style with classical style to become a force to be reckoned with. Chris French of SJ found this out in his DE with her. Beth’s patience, killer instincts and wonderful technique kept Chris on his toes to the final touch. He beat her only to be bettered himself by his own student Eric Sher in the next round. Eric has skills, and wit beyond his years and took first place. Matt Dreyer from Binghamton beat his own teammate Wonny Kim to take second. Wonny then beat Chris for third place with Chris ending the competition in 4th. The highest rank FEX fencer was John taking 5th.
Mega Dry Foil
Ever since we experimented last year with a dry foil competition (we had not had one in a few years) our non-USFA fencers have been asking for more. We obliged them in December by adding a dry foil to our annual Cookie Cutter Competition, but that wasn’t enough they wanted more. So we added a few more to our calendar. The first of these was on the eve of Feb. 27th. Unfortunately we did not have time to advertise to anyone but our own fencers and still 16 people showed up to compete.
With so many people we broke them up into 3 pools in which they fenced round robin style followed by the DE’s. But because there were so many people we could only advance the top 60 percent or risk staying at the Fencing Exchange all night.
It was a night full of surprises. One of the biggest surprises of the night was Evan Giblin. Evan has only been fencing for a couple of months. However, his speed in attacking and ability to redouble enabled him to win all of his pool bouts and make him the top seed going into the DE’s. He continued to stymie his opponents right up until the final bout for first place when John Minora was able to beat him. Even John who has been fencing a few years had a tough time and only entered the DE’s in 7th place. But with patience he saw his openings and took them. It all paid off when he won the gold medal leaving second place for Evan. Amanda Touey was similar to John, She was rocky in the pool play and not as controlled as she could have been and only seeded 6th. However, she too allowed her experience to work for her in the DE’s and calmed down to concentrate on fencing to capture 3rd place.
The dry competitions are a good learning place for would be competitors. Not only do they find out that people fence completely different when they are competing versus when they are sparring (themselves as well as their opponents) they also learn other aspects of competition as well. By only promoting the top 60 percent it is important to make every touch count in the pool play. Make as many touches as you can, without getting touched yourself. Many of the people who would have normally made it into the DE’s were eliminated because their indicators (touches scored versus touches received) were not high enough. Chris Sartorio who tied with many other fencers with 2 victories (a very good showing in the competition) was eliminated when the others moved on because her indictor number was not high enough. Dylan Hubbard lost one of his bouts to red cards due to uncontrolled fencing (when you receive a red card your opponent receives a point.) This loss kept him for advancing to the DE’s. Probably the toughest lesson of the night was for Gloria Benway. After the pools are done, each fencer is asked to check the score sheet for accuracy and sign it acknowledging it is correct. When all the pools were tallied, Gloria’s score was not high enough and she was eliminated. A few days later a mistake was discovered, one of Gloria’s bouts had the scores transposed indicating she had lost the bout when in fact she had won it. Had this been caught the night of the competition, Gloria would have made it through to the DE’s and who knows where she would have ended up. An unfortunate occurrence, but once again the reason for the dry competitions is so that fencers have an opportunity to learn these little lessons. We will be holding another open dry competition on April 17th.
For the complete list of results and updates on our competition schedule please check our website at www.tunk.com/fencing.

The British cavalry sabre of 1796 was novel in neither design nor use. Swords with cutting edges began in antiquity; mounted soldiers with sabre had been the dominant military power for centuries. What is unique about the 1796 was a uniform design, uniform standards of construction, and most importantly, it was a weapon with uniform instruction for use.
Despite the importance of cavalry in 18th century armies, supply and provisions were very haphazard. Many regiments were private, funded and commanded by a wealthy lord. Junior officers purchased their command from these lords. Subsidies from the government were used to defray costs of equipment, provisions, and lodging, but the commander frequently made a profit by purchasing as inexpensive supplies as possible. Swords were especially victim to this; they varied in design and quality.
The shortcomings of this system were tragically evident in the Flanders campaigns. Many swords shattered on impact, and the troopers were so inept at their use that the medical officers frequently treated wounds to horse and rider which were self-inflicted. General Henry Seymour Conway recognized this problem and commissioned a promising young officer, Major John Gaspard Le Marchant.
Le Marchant was the rising star of the British Cavalry. In the Flanders campaign, his keen mind for military tactics as well as his skill with both horse and sabre are credited with deciding the field at Tournay. In an era when officers held their position due to wealth and family connections, Le Marchant was a true exception.
His first research was to investigate the swords used by the Austrians. Austrian Hussars were regarded as the premier troops of the day; their training and discipline were superior to anything in continental Europe. To Le Marchant’s surprise they used a sword from a single template so all castings were essentially identical. Secondly, the troops received the same training; this training emphasized the cut.
The thrust versus the cut was a major debate in armies at this time. The French and the British prior to 1794 had emphasized the thrust. This may have been due to the inferior swords of the time which frequently shattered on impact. Secondly, the thrust delivered lethal blows but took skill to place them. The cut was easier to learn but a lethal counter attack could be made by a wounded adversary.
Le Marchant’s design landed clearly in favor of the cut. The sabre weighed just over two pounds and was 33 inches in length with a curve of 2 ½ inches from tip to forte. At the guard, it was 3/8 inch thick tapering to 1/8 inch. He had the tang lengthened to bend back to the quillion to offer more protection to the hand. Each blade was given a “bending test” to assure quality. More importantly, a grant of £30,000was given for the establishing of sabre schools at Wycombe and Marlow. Later, these would be combined to form Sandhurst, the British requirement of West Point.
The effects of the 1796 were seen immediately. The best way to describe these effects are by transcripts of the actual users. “Corporal Logan of the 13th Light Dragoons engaged a French colonel at Camp Mayor. In a brief exchange, Logan cut downward diagonally in 1st and 2nd cuts against the charging Frenchman. Logan’s blows were so hard and well placed that the colonel’s brass helmet was cut cleanly without a dent and the skull parted to the level of the nose.” Even more graphic are the wounds treated by the medical officers. “Arm cut off at shoulder.” “Leg cut off above knee.” “Head severed.”
Now with training and a proper weapon, the British cavalry became a true weapon of mass destruction. By the Napoleonic wars, prisoners were rarely found without horrific wounds. Despite these advances, Le Marchant’s success was short lived. Sadly, he was killed at Salamanca in 1814. His work did continue. The 1796 pattern was the standard of British armies for over 200 years. The last battle fought by British cavalry was the defeat of the Turks at Jerusalem in 1916. Those troopers, which included Lawrence of Arabia, carried the 1796.

Learning how to fence takes many skills such as using good technique and bolstering one’s self confidence to understanding the psychology of others. It teaches about strategy and tactics. Fencing alerts the senses through intense interaction with many people. It is also a good way to get to meet others and interact with them. No need to break the ice when fencing because there is already a reason for people to get together.
When picking a fencing style here are some ideas about what is available.
Olympic: Three weapons are used in Olympic style fencing. They are foil, epee and saber. All three swords were originally intended for use in a duel or to practice for one. Each of them has different rules and techniques. Today they are used as sport in worldwide competition at every level in local, regional, national, and Olympic events.
Education: When swords were used for defense it was risky to learn how to fence in a real fight so a lot of study and drilling was practiced. Fencing was systematized into several different schools such as French, Italian, Hungarian, and Russian, and a few established methods were chosen as the best way to learn how to sword fight. Today fencing is used in schools as academic study for learning defense and outwitting the huge field of fencers existing today.
Historical: Today there are several well organized historical sword craft organizations. They each specialize in training and teaching different kinds of swordplay throughout history. There are rapier fighting guilds, medieval swordsmanship, classic 19th and early 20th century fencing, and a variety of oriental styles. Some of these groups are truly worth checking out and perform very well in their genre of martial application.
Theatrical: What would we do without those stage fighting choreograph directors? Without them our stories and fantasy would become very dull. Stage fighting has a long well assembled history of movement and approach to fencing in theater. Their job is to make the fencing look good and represent the mood and atmosphere of a particular drama. Displaying drama is a skill made to clearly present movement. Good stage combat takes a lot of control and imagination.
Combat: No longer used in battles except on Star Wars swords have been replaced machine guns and tanks.. However the logic and mechanics of fencing do represent a clear picture about the interactions of combat. There is also a distinct format of how skills are organized and how training takes place plus the gump needed to stick it out under the stress of fighting.
Dueling: With the exception of cheating the IRS dueling is probably one of the biggest no no’s in today’s world. Especially in well organized societies with a strong legal system and monetary compensation. Dueling’s biggest heyday existed when strong judicial courts didn’t exist and the old Indo-European warrior tradition demanded honor and courage be displayed during a dispute. When this became no longer necessary for settling quarrels dueling was removed like a troublesome appendix. Today any death made as a result of a duel is treated as a first class murder. It is strange how our strongest forefathers like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton demanded the right to maintain their dueling privileges in case the need arose.
Health: There are actually a few styles of swordplay devoted solely to improving health. Tai Chi is an oriental style of Kung Fu that aims right at this. Certain Zen philosophies use the destructive power of the sword as a picture to exercise the mind in a way that gives substance and flexibility to how our thoughts operate.
Society: Most kinds of fencing take two people and this assembles a club.
Writing: Here is a funny one but if you are a writer of conflict and romance it might actually help to know how fencing works. How much more thrilling it is to the reader if he can get a better idea about what the written characters know and don’t know about their weapons.
Club: Clubs are fun! A lot of different people get together and pool their knowledge and skills for improvement. There is much to learn and share with such a wide variety of people and some clubs even organize other activities such as bicycling, museum tours, kayaking, chess clubs and who knows what else. Why does fencing work? It’s structured.
Although cutting and thrusting at windmills is good practice having others to fence with certainly teaches another side of fencing. Every club has strong and weak points and you can only pick a club that fits your interests or make the best of what is available. Making the best of circumstances is one of the first steps to learning how to fence.
 

The other night I was watching a tennis match. Now we have all seen tennis on TV, nothing new here. But what was unusual was how the tennis players warmed up. Here are two guys on the court lobbing the ball back and forth, not real serious, they are just keeping it going. Hitting at different angles and getting rhythm into their body. Then one guy makes a repetition of hard serves, the other guy is standing there, returning them when he can. All the while they are bouncing tennis balls off of everything, hitting them against the wall, bouncing them around on the racquet. Green tennis balls bouncing all over the place.
It was hard to tell who these guys were. They didn’t look very serious and didn’t freak out if they missed a shot. They even seemed aware of what the other person was working on and cooperated by sharing different types of shots. Maybe they were the water boys warming the tennis balls up? Then the match started. Wow! These were the tennis players, two professional antagonists facing off for money. They were just casually scrimmaging with each other. In how many sports do we see this?
Maybe tennis is a good case in point for this kind of warm up. Perhaps getting the rhythm down and whacking the ball across the court to your partner is a good way to get the circuits going. One might think this would be a serious tactical mistake by allowing the players to gain knowledge about each other’s moves. But the players didn’t seem concerned.
If you have time to fence casually this is a good way to get into the swing of things. Without any great explanation just spend some time on the floor with a partner, maybe 40 minutes or so. Don’t count touches, just keep your balance, watch what the other person is doing and work with them. In this amount of time many different things will develop. If the fencer you are working with doesn’t seem to be cooperative maybe you can tactfully and constructively herd them into compliance. Try not to do this with your mouth.
If one person gets tired from frequent attacks this might force them to work on their defense and gives the other person a chance to attack for awhile. You might even try to keep pace with certain intensity for a half an hour for the sake of conditioning. Warming up through sparring may NOT be the thing to do with an adversary your about to fight before an important bout, but then again it might. Things can be learned and it is not the same as fencing for points.
 

Last Memorial Day Weekend The Fencing Exchange hosted an outdoor epee competition at the Luzurne County Medieval Festival outside of Dallas. This was a regular event with two pools of seven people fencing for five touches and three minutes. Everybody was promoted to the direct elimination for fifteen touches in nine minutes. What was unusual about this competition was that it was played outdoors on grass. At one time epee was traditionally fenced for one touch. It was held outdoors on grass or dirt to as closely simulate a real duel as possible. The fencers who came to compete at the Medieval Festival were mostly veterans, one of them a real veteran who has been fencing for 56 years. We don’t know if he has ever fenced in the outdoors before but nobody else did. Although the fencers were serious the atmosphere was very carnival.
Jerry Snead from Bucks County Academy of Fencing in Lambertville NJ asked why the fair could not have supplied an indoor room with a regular surface. John Proctor replied, “I requested the outdoors with grass to see how regular competitors would be affected by these conditions.” John did not compete but worked as a sportscaster with an unbelievably loud amplifier and voiced everyone’s thoughts and reactions about the novel conditions. As expected footwork played a less important role but everyone was surprised near the end of the competition to see how little footwork was used. Skilled fencers like Zack Ritter of Williamsport, who relies on stunning footwork and directional change had extreme trouble when attempting sharp moves with his feet. Everybody fell down once if not three times. The ground was unsure and on the left side of strip #2 Peter Folgner commented there was no footwork whatsoever because the turf was rutted, angled uphill, and facing into the sun.
Fencing relies on surgically precise movement from every part of the body. If a move is out of place or delayed this gives the opponent time to gain position for an attack. The slightest bit of slipping in the feet is disaster. Epee scores a touch with a thrust by touching first, or at least 1/25th of a second ahead of the opponent’s own hit, as an electric machine times it. Fencers gain a timing advantage with footwork on a secure surface and the grass made this impossible.
Near the end of the competition two guys, Jack Cillo and Bob Di Giambittista took first and second place respectively. Zack Ritter taking third. On this day it boiled down to Jack’s and Bob’s bladework and almost total absence of footwork that measured success. Bob summed it up like this, “Making big moves is dangerous. Short sneaky little steps and more opportunity for subtle side movement since your opponent cannot launch a long and fast attack. Also it is dangerous to step directly backwards with any speed. A lot of blade cover and preparation from a closer distance than what you are used to. Attacks to the extremity of the arm that are hard to land but also carry the least risk. Emergency fleches to the body occur when you have to bail out. Always cover and control the blade and take as much time as you need when available. Attacking and covering are one and the same. Almost no deep parries and ripostes. Rather a lot of feints with blade cover, preparation, and counterattack to the arm.”
Valerie Pratt commented, “Very short lunges, if any lunge at all. Extremely intense awareness, take the shot immediately if your opponent makes a mistake. Attacks with feint and counterattack. A lot more conversation in the preparatory bladework but little phrasing.” By this she means actual attacks, parries and ripostes.
Holding an event like this is educational for everyone since it shows how differently fencing is approached in diverse conditions. Trying this in a competitive atmosphere is important. Valerie and
Bob summed up the game about using a lot of preparatory bladework but little phrasing. Few real attacks were made but a lot of blade cover and preparatory scrimmaging was used.
Did we say everybody got a pretty good sunburn?



 

Last Memorial Day Weekend The Fencing Exchange hosted an outdoor epee competition at the Luzurne County Medieval Festival outside of Dallas. This was a regular event with two pools of seven people fencing for five touches and three minutes. Everybody was promoted to the direct elimination for fifteen touches in nine minutes. What was unusual about this competition was that it was played outdoors on grass. At one time epee was traditionally fenced for one touch. It was held outdoors on grass or dirt to as closely simulate a real duel as possible. The fencers who came to compete at the Medieval Festival were mostly veterans, one of them a real veteran who has been fencing for 56 years. We don’t know if he has ever fenced in the outdoors before but nobody else did. Although the fencers were serious the atmosphere was very carnival.
Jerry Snead from Bucks County Academy of Fencing in Lambertville NJ asked why the fair could not have supplied an indoor room with a regular surface. John Proctor replied, “I requested the outdoors with grass to see how regular competitors would be affected by these conditions.” John did not compete but worked as a sportscaster with an unbelievably loud amplifier and voiced everyone’s thoughts and reactions about the novel conditions. As expected footwork played a less important role but everyone was surprised near the end of the competition to see how little footwork was used. Skilled fencers like Zack Ritter of Williamsport, who relies on stunning footwork and directional change had extreme trouble when attempting sharp moves with his feet. Everybody fell down once if not three times. The ground was unsure and on the left side of strip #2 Peter Folgner commented there was no footwork whatsoever because the turf was rutted, angled uphill, and facing into the sun.
Fencing relies on surgically precise movement from every part of the body. If a move is out of place or delayed this gives the opponent time to gain position for an attack. The slightest bit of slipping in the feet is disaster. Epee scores a touch with a thrust by touching first, or at least 1/25th of a second ahead of the opponent’s own hit, as an electric machine times it. Fencers gain a timing advantage with footwork on a secure surface and the grass made this impossible.
Near the end of the competition two guys, Jack Cillo and Bob Di Giambittista took first and second place respectively. Zack Ritter taking third. On this day it boiled down to Jack’s and Bob’s bladework and almost total absence of footwork that measured success. Bob summed it up like this, “Making big moves is dangerous. Short sneaky little steps and more opportunity for subtle side movement since your opponent cannot launch a long and fast attack. Also it is dangerous to step directly backwards with any speed. A lot of blade cover and preparation from a closer distance than what you are used to. Attacks to the extremity of the arm that are hard to land but also carry the least risk. Emergency fleches to the body occur when you have to bail out. Always cover and control the blade and take as much time as you need when available. Attacking and covering are one and the same. Almost no deep parries and ripostes. Rather a lot of feints with blade cover, preparation, and counterattack to the arm.”
Valerie Pratt commented, “Very short lunges, if any lunge at all. Extremely intense awareness, take the shot immediately if your opponent makes a mistake. Attacks with feint and counterattack. A lot more conversation in the preparatory bladework but little phrasing.” By this she means actual attacks, parries and ripostes.
Holding an event like this is educational for everyone since it shows how differently fencing is approached in diverse conditions. Trying this in a competitive atmosphere is important. Valerie and
Bob summed up the game about using a lot of preparatory bladework but little phrasing. Few real attacks were made but a lot of blade cover and preparatory scrimmaging was used.
Did we say everybody got a pretty good sunburn?




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Way back in May I participated in a 70 mile canoe race down the Susquehanna from Ostego Lake in Cooperstown to Bainbridge NY. This is the headwaters of the Susquehanna river. The first 15 miles are extremely twisted with many deadfalls and strainers. The current is fast and treacherous at high water. There is little room to pass and having good technique in a super tippy racing canoe is extremely important. Nothing wastes more time than flipping over and emptying the craft out. Simply making one wasted correcting stroke when steering also costs valuable time. Lining up the canoe in the fastest current and piloting through narrow breaks in deadfalls makes or breaks this part of the course.
A 70 mile race takes unbelievable strength and endurance but it should also be noted this is a race. Every foot of the course has tactical significance. Not paddling for a few seconds, especially when trying to break away or catch up to competition can have serious consequences.
The second 15 miles breaks out of the tangled forest into rolling farmland. The river is still narrow and extremely twisted. Passage is much clearer and racers open up here. Strength and power play an important part but watching ahead and reading where the water runs fastest is critical. Especially by watching what happens to the canoes in front of you. Take the wrong line where the current is slows or even stops, such as on the inside of a bend, and suddenly the competition can leap away by 20 yards in seconds. Yet there are some infrequent opportunities that allow for unorthodox attacks. For instance it is possible to power through short sections of slow current, especially on the inside of a sharp turn, and catch up or pass a hard to catch competitor. There are always those moments where the competition gets hung up on an obstruction or flips over for no reason at all. Being in the right spot to take advantage of these faults surely gives a chance to spring ahead.
Less obvious are the almost imperceptible changes of speed in the fastest lines of current on straight stretches. A hair to the left or right might allow you to go 2% faster. A small gain but one that ads up over time and a nuance that more experienced racers excel at.
After mile thirty the space of the river opens up in places. Cruising along one lake made by a damn in the river creates wind problems. Wind is also a current and plays an important role in deciding where the fastest lanes are. This race also has some grueling portages over muddy hills and through forest. Inhuman strength but also good body posture, canoe carrying and running technique are also important. Previously knowing the path is very helpful.
There is also the battlefield psychology of the race. By carefully observing when and where the competition speeds up or slows down because of fatigue, frustration, or limited technical ability allows the racer to plan when to attack. This might be in a turn, rough water, or wind. Here small nuances become large opportunities for those who can see and take advantage of them. Especially when going toe to toe with others who are right at your own skill level.
Somewhere around mile 45 are terribly strong currents, bends and downed trees in the water. In the worst sections are bloodthirsty spectators yelling like idiots awaiting a canoeist’s execution. This adds to the huge confusion in the most dangerous parts of the course. There is no time to straighten these rioters out since losing time destroys your best chances in the race. There are also some pretty big rapids and having a high degree of skill to ride through these without crashing or swamping keeps a good racer sitting on top of the water.
In the same breath it is important to know how to shake off chasing canoes and keep their positions at a disadvantage. There are to many technical details to go into, but defending your position is just as important as attacking your opponents. Good defense puts you into the best spots to attack and keeps you from taking unnecessary risks. Most important, don’t crash! Better to go slower and keep moving forward than recovering the boat.
The last third of the race around mile 50 has some long slow stretches of shallow water. Again technique and phenomenal conditioning play dominant roles. Against those who run at your speed learning the right tactics makes or breaks supremacy. Attacking in this fashion is a resource that should be spared.
Five miles to the finish are a set of impenetrable jungle islands right in the middle of the river. They are so confusing most canoeists opt to jump out and run over them, everyone scurries to find the fastest path. Through much chance I found a channel through some tightly woven deadfalls in one spot and had the ability to safely weave my craft through. This jumped me ahead of about 3 canoes. The final mile, like any race is a matter of dogging out the opposition and attacking in the right place. Every ounce of pure tenacity and stamina might break the competition. If your forte is power better to attack early and make a break, keeping the juice turned on, and the sprinters out of their sprint distance. If you are a sprinter it is best to stick just behind the power pushers and attack at the last moment. Either way it is best to hide your strongest cards until the last moment.
Fencing has moments like this although identifying what must be done has more to do with strategy, tactics, and technique. However; time does play an important role since a bout lasts 3-9 minutes and fencers often have the problem of catching up with points or keeping their opponent down until the clock runs out. Bicycle and running races are directly similar. Regardless of the activity, looking for the most open channel and knowing when to attack is the path athletes seek.
 

The passage below is an excerpt from the classic book, The White Company written by Sire Arthur Conan Doyle. We find the old Knight, Sir Nigel, riding along an English country road with 4 of his pages. They are bound for a ship’s passage across the English Channel to take part in European wars.
Somewhat reminiscent of Don Quixote, Sir Nigel is lusting for the finer points of chivalry and is contriving a way to improve his skills at arms.

“And first I would have you bear very steadfastly in mind that our setting forth is by no means for the purpose of gaining spoil or exacting ransom, though it may well happen that such may come to us also. We go to France, and from thence, I trust, to Spain, in humble search of a field in which we may win advancement and perchance some small share of glory. For this purpose I would have you know that it is not my wont to let any occasion pass where it is in any way possible that honour may be gained. I would have you bear this in mind, and give great heed to it that you may bring me word of all cartels, challenges, wrongs, tyrannies, infamies, and wronging of damsels. Nor is any occasion too small to take note of, for I have known such trifles as the dropping of a gauntlet, or the flicking of a breadcrumb, when well and properly followed up, lead to a most noble spear-running. But, Edricson, do I not see a cavalier who rides down yonder road amongst the nether shaw? It would be well, perchance, that you should give him greeting from me, and, should he be of gentle blood, it may be that he would care to exchange thrusts with me.”
“Why my lord,” quoth Ford, standing in his stirrups and shading his eyes, “it is old Hob Davidson, the fat miller of Milton!”
“Ah, so it is, indeed,” said Sir Nigel, puckering his cheeks; “but wayside ventures are not to be scorned, for I have seen no finer passages than are to be had from such chance meetings, when cavaliers are willing to advance themselves. I can well remember that two leagues from the town of Rheims I met a very valiant and courteous cavalier of France, with whom I had gentle and most honourable contention for upwards of an hour. It hath ever grieved me that I had not his name, for he smote upon me with a mace and went upon his way ere I was in condition to have much speech with him; but his arms were an allurioni n chief above a fess azure. I was also on such an occasion thrust through the shoulder by Lyon de Montcourt, whom I met on the high road betwixt Libourne and Bordeaux. I met him but the once, but I have never seen a man for whom I bear a greater love and esteem. And so also with the squire Le Bourg Capillet, who would have been a very valiant captain had he lived.”
“He is dead then?” asked Alleyne Edricson.
“Alas! it was my ill fate to slay him in a bickering which broke out in a field near the township of Tarbes.”

It is noteworthy in the first paragraph that Sir Nigel is not interested in profit. In fact he attempted to throw away all his money to the first beggar that passed by but his wise pages held onto the bulk of his purse. He is so bent on the single purpose of improving his skills as a knight that he would fight to the death at the drop of a pin. Jousts do exist in his day to appease the demand for such warlike fanfare but for unexplained reasons Sir Nigel thinks that roadside encounters can bring on some of the best affairs. It can be observed how Sir Nigel is describing his plans to exchange spear thrusts and blade cuts with other wayfarers. Organized fencing by a lone knight.
Sir Nigel might be a bit fanatical in his endearment to live the good life of a knight. The story gives much evidence to the abuse taken by his body over a lifetime. He is pretty old and probably wouldn’t mind a violent death at the hands of a skilled man at arms. No doubt he has a practiced disdain for meeting his end. Having responsibility for money is not only odious but is a job for a fat merchant or clerk rather than a man at arms. As this genteel knight imagines.
The cavalier ends his thoughts by reminiscing over old encounters and is most disappointed by the last story told about a knight he killed over base bickering. Perhaps he felt the other man’s talents were wasted in the fashion he was killed.
What is nice is that for all his quirks Sir Nigel is a really good knight and a terror on the field. Despite his intricate romances he has enough self-perception to know how to go about practicing his trade and the practice of arms as a valiant chevalier.
 

The engagement is a situation of blade contact. When making the engagement you should engage foible to foible, middle to middle, your middle to their foible, or your strong to the opponent’s foible or middle. Make the engagement using one of the edges of your sword. When searching for the opponent’s blade move your button first and execute the movement very efficiently. The engagement can be made in any of the 8 guards to the inside or the outside line. This means the engagement does not have to dominate the other blade in the line it is engaged in. Engaging on the inside line means to have your blade nearest to the fencing line. From inside engagement it is possible to make a straight attack. If you are in an outside engagement and you wish to attack you will have to do so with a disengage or coupe. In an outside engagement you can also angle around the opponent’s guard, fake them out of position, or push the blade out of the way before attacking.
In many fencing texts including Classic Italian the engagement is always made to the inside and clearly dominates the fencing line and the opponent’s blade. This is usually the safest way to dominate blade position. Classic Italian only uses the four supinated guard positions 1, 2, 3 and 4 akin to French 7, 8, 6, and 4. These are the most common guards used with any style of fast swordplay that accents use of the thrust.
Making outside engagements is less common and carries far more risk but can become a viable tactical element in the sport of fencing. But using them must be justified in light of the adversary’s reactions. For instance; if the adversary is caught unawares during an engagement of outside fourth it is possible to make a gliding attack around their guard of sixth and angle your sword over their arm. Of course the timing and distance must be excellent. The advantage of successfully completing this bizarre attack is you have penetrated your opponent’s strongest and most important guard that covers the outside high line.
Outside engagements create a wide variety of tactical opportunities. In fact working outside or around the other person’s blade doubles the possibility of actions in each line.
Inside engagements dominate the fencing line and force the opponent to make a disengage when attacking. It also forces them to make a change of engagement to regain control of the inside line. An inside engagement can be followed up with many different actions on the blade. This is also true of outside engagements but the inside engagement is safer and pushes the opponent’s blade away from the body. Initiating an inside or outside engagement causes the antagonist to lose one fencing time. One should be aware that the opponent can turn the tables against you by derobing, or avoiding blade contact and attacking while you are searching for their blade. Another way of looking at this is they are attacking into your time, while you miss the other sword they thrust at your target. This is a sudden and frightening way to take a hit.
An engagement should be made when the initiative, timing, and distance have been won. They are not made for light reasons, in fact an engagement should be immediately followed up with an attack, parry or riposte. Only the briefest moment should exist for the existence of an engagement and it should be followed with a touch. Fencers should make the engagement as gentle as possible. So gently in fact the other fencer is not conscious his blade placement has been dominated. Initiating a touch of swords should carry such fine control you could touch the back of a healthy fly with and it would sit undisturbed. Any noticeable click, chattering, sliding, or tension in the blades should be avoided. An engagement that is obvious to the adversary is done on purpose either to affect a feint or invitation.
Engaging swords for the purpose of sounding out another fencer during preparation is acceptable. For two swords to swirl about gauging each other’s timing and rhythm, touching together briefly and separating, this is a good way to get a feel for the opponent and slowly gain an advantage over them. One might also consider making pseudo engagements where the blades do not actually touch but hover in close proximity to each other. Although the opponent might react in the same way as if the swords were actually in contact this is NOT a true engagement. Correctly engaging means taking the advantage to defend or offend and the adversary’s position is weakened. With a perfect engagement the touch is already scored before the button ever reaches the target.

How do we define a touch? In the USFA competition rule book a touch is defined as “every thrust with the point must reach the target clearly and distinctly to be counted as a touch”. My question to you is this, how do we define a touch? I have competed in two dry competition events, and I found that dry fencing is mentally exhausting. As a fencer I was very frustrated. I wasn’t frustrated so much with my fencing, but with the judging. I have lost so many touches to my opponent because of unjust calls. So, how do you, as a fencer define a touch?
I think that we need to first go back and reflect what type of game you are playing. Dry fencing is a whole new game when compared with electric fencing. You can get away with a whole lot with electric fencing, and thanks to my tricks class, I have more tricks up my sleeve for when I’m on the strip.
In dry fencing, everything must be done clearly and precisely in order for it to count. Here are some examples of what might happen:
Scenario 1 – If there is a touch that does not clearly arrive on target yet proceeds to land off target before halt has been called, should this be counted as a point? First off, I would say no, because if the touch was on target it should have stayed on target. You might be thinking “well, it initially landed on target so it should count”. Usually with this scenario, the fencer that attacks usually just slaps the opponent, or the blade is just resting against the vest and slides off target as the fencer lunges forward. It appears to be on target but it’s not. For a touch to count I believe that the point of the blade must be touching on target and there must be a slight bend in the blade.
Scenario 2- A touch lands clearly off target but the crucial decision is made by one judge, it is called yes and the fencer is awarded a touch. Biased judging is another problem. If you are mad at another fencer or if you are best friends doesn’t mean you should lie about a touch. You should be judging what you see, not who is fencing. Inexperienced judging is also another problem in fencing. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the fencing phrases, but it is most important that you only report what YOU see.
Scenario 3- Your opponent is fencing wildly out of control, and you find yourself trying to protect yourself from their attacks. People who fence saber and epeé tend to be more vicious and uncontrolled when fencing foil. First off, remember what type of game you are playing. Most fencers who fence more then one weapon tend to take on one way of fencing and stay that way. Your job is still to make clear touches with the foil.
These are just a few examples of some cases. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Next time when you are on the strip or judging please remember. 1. Think of the game you are playing. 2. Report only what you see in a touch. Good luck in your future competitions!

Today’s three Olympic-style fencing swords are the foil, epee, and saber. Many people first learn with the foil because it teaches them how to fence. This doesn’t mean the foil is only a beginner’s weapon. In fact many of the top fencers in the world use foil.
The foil is only a thrusting sword and the target area is limited to the torso. The mask, bib, arms and legs are off target. The sides, collar bones, back, and groin are targets as well. There is a rule called right of way meaning only one person is allowed to attack at a time, and during their attack the other person has to defend themselves. Thrusting improves timing and a sense of distance. Learning to protect the torso from thrusts gives fencers a strong defense. The rules that only allow one person to attack at a time create sophisticated sword exchanges.
Because the target area is deep all sorts of fake outs and traps are made to trick the adversary into making the wrong move. Because fencers can only thrust at the torso there are many ways to block or parry attacks and different kinds of attacks to penetrate a strong defense. Changes in speed are an important part of foil psyche
In the nineteenth century the classic French and Italian schools believed in form over function. Today’s emphasis on sport stresses function over form. But foil still requires a minimal amount of style and only one person is allowed to attack at a time. The rear arm must not block the target area, the rear shoulder cannot be turned ahead of the front shoulder, and body contact is not allowed. Right of way also creates an interpretive aspect between fencers and referee. When everyone clearly understands how each person interprets the action some great fencing is present. This is an excellent game using a wide range of planning and tactics. Foil conventions lead to sophisticated movement and a high level of play.
Epee was once a dueling sword. In the nineteenth century some fencers became disgruntled with the ideal form of foil play. So they took the dueling sword and tried to bring reality back into the picture. Like foil the epee is a thrusting sword. The target area is the entire body and no right of way is enforced. This means two people can attack and score touches at the same time. About the only things not allowed in epee are unsafe fencing, running an opponent over, wrestling, grappling, or striking with anything but the sword tip. No, epee fencers cannot change hands during a bout.
It seems epee would be easy to learn since the entire body is a target and there is no right of way. But this creates some problems. Whoever gets touched first gets a point rather than one who initiates the attack first as in foil. When attacking you might get hit on the arm before your point arrives! The complicated movement produced in foil due to a deep target and right of way becomes risky with epee. Simple attacks, counter attacks, and parry ripostes are common actions. Without formalized conventions epee fencers often skip gears moving from attacks to counter attacks to redoublements, trying to score the first touch.
Saber has elements in common with both foil and epee, plus a few of its own. It is a cutting as well as a thrusting sword. The target area is everywhere above the waist. Like foil only one person can attack at a time and right of way is used. Like epee the arm and head are target. It’s own feature is the cut. Cutting is more simple then the thrust. The cut has some weird aspects to it. Because the plane of its movement has a diagonal, or slicing direction to it, as opposed to a thrust which travels straight ahead, we can say the cut is offensive but somewhat defensive at the same time. There is a potential for a little deflection with each cut. Each cut blends nicely into a parry and each parry carries well into the next cut. Cutting actions create a nice rhythm and rhythm is the name of the game.
Cuts and thrusts blend so well with saber the game often sets up a series of rolling attacks, counter attacks, parries and ripostes. Like epee, making anything to sophisticated is risky. There isn’t enough time to make a mistake. Saber is fast. More so than foil and epee the rhythmic aspect of the game is spectacular. Defending against cuts only requires a simple block. There is less planning and preparation involved than in foil or epee, every attack and parry can be out maneuvered instantly. The conversation of swords blends in a highly charged and aggressive game. Saber is dynamic and fluid. It has a healthy, uncomplicated feel to it.
Because saber emphasizes the above features let’s say it is very cut and dry. The speed at which a fencer thinks, seizes opportunity, and executes actions separates the chaff from the wheat. At the same time good observation and planning can make up for lack of mental speed.
 

The Fencing Exchange is an academic school with a competitive edge. Our job is to create the best opportunities for learning fencing. The staple of our school is teaching the Olympic foil, saber, and epee but we also teach Italian, classic, and singlestick fencing. Competitions and other related events are some of the cornerstones but academics are the main focus.

Children’s classes ages 9-12: These classes are ongoing and can be joined at any time. Tests are given to move children ahead into more advanced classes.
Swashbucklers: For beginners.
Cavaliers: For intermediate skilled children. Passing a Foil Level II class is required to move up to the Musketeers.
Musketeers: Our most advanced children’s class.

Adult lessons ages 13 and up: Adult instruction is grouped into technical and tactical classes. Foil, saber, and epee level classes focus on technique and theory. Tactical classes apply movements. The workshops are a mixed variety of fun learning skills and games taught by our three teachers for fencers who cannot make scheduled lessons. Other subjects are also studied such as Italian fencing, classic, historical, singlestick, dueling, and modern Olympic competitive fencing.

Level classes: Foil levels I-X and saber & epee levels I-IV focus on technique and theory. At least a Foil level IV class is required to take saber or epee.

Foil Level I: For beginners. A broad range of drills & games teach the student how to actually fence and get an overall feel for swordplay. Featured is body positioning, centering, footwork, distance, offensive and defensive bladework, and rules. 8 classes $90.00 for one month.

Foil Level II: The class covers everything learned in Foil I, but with greater detail. The theory behind the movements and rules is explained. A written, oral, and practical test is given at the end of class. 16 classes/two months. 90.00 per month

Foil Levels III through X: These higher levels use a technical format that progresses from simple to complex movements. Practical application of using correct technique is in fencing bouts. 16 classes/two months. 90.00 per month

Workshops: The workshops are a mixed variety of fun learning classes and games taught by our three teachers for fencers who cannot make scheduled lessons. Other subjects are also studied such as Italian fencing, classic, historical, singlestick, dueling, and modern Olympic competitive fencing.

USFA Competitions: Held about once every month.

Non USFA Events: Italian, classic, dry fencing, singlestick and other events are scheduled by The Fencing Exchange.

Events: Among our members a variety of off site field trips and tours frequently happen. This might range from a bicycle or canoe to a cross country ski tour or hike. Fencers frequently hold parties and informal events are often held at our club and outside.

 On April 24th The Fencing Exchange participated in the 2nd Annual Tour de Scranton, a non-competitive bike ride that benefits the Erin Jessica Moreken Drug & Alcohol Treatment Fund. Last year the ride was only 5 miles long starting from the Scranton High School, up to the Dunmore High School and back. This year 2 longer distances were added. A 16 mile ride that went to the Valley View Elementary School and back and a 35 mile route that went all the way to the Carbondale Area High School and back.
I found out about the event a little over a week before it happened. I thought it would be fun to do the longer route especially since it was going to Carbondale, my home territory. I knew some of our fencers also enjoyed riding so I posted it on the FEX bulletin board. If there were people interested I was willing to help organize them so they could ride as a group. But, to my surprise, I had barely gotten it on the board and people were attacking it with gusto.
Gloria Benway, Toni Kazmierczak, & Jackie Lewandowski planned on doing the 16 mile route and Eugene Learn and I were going to do the longer ride. However, one by one the 16 milers ended up jumping on board with the 35 milers. Jackie made a deal with her husband that if she could make it to Carbondale, he would pick her up if she couldn’t make it back. Dan Whetsell leant Gloria his road bike which was more efficient for distances than her mountain bike. And of course Toni didn’t want to be left behind. Everyone would go as far as they could; but their main goal was to get to Carbondale. Luckily, without a time limit to the ride, we could go at a leisurely pace.
The day of the ride we met at the high school around 8 am to register and get ready. The previous week had been sunny with the temperature in the 80’s. But this weekend the weather changed. The day started gloomy and cold with a temperature of 36o and rain threatening.
The ride started at 8:30. We had only gone a few blocks when Toni passed me and I noticed her tires were nearly flat. I had meant to check everyone’s tires back at the school, but with the hustle and bustle of getting registered and with Gloria having to drive home to get the helmet she had forgotten (shame on you Gloria), I forgot to check the tires. Of course the full size pump was back in the car which was already an inconvenient distance behind us. So we pulled over and I got my tiny 6” pump out of my pack & started pumping away. With us all working together we got her tires inflated enough to continue the ride. Unfortunately all the other riders were long gone now so we had no one to follow. Luckily we had been told to follow the yellow arrows painted on the road and therefore were able to follow the course to the Dunmore High School. Once there, we became trapped in their labyrinth-like parking lot. While we were trying to figure it out with the volunteers at the school, a group of very competent looking riders pulled up. They were the 2-wheel rescue squad. They led us (and a few other riders) to the Valley View School.
We lost our escort at the Valley View School, but were told it was easy from there on; just follow the yellow arrows all the way to Carbondale. Now that’s not to say the rest of the way to Carbondale was trouble free. Gloria got her pant leg stuck in the chain. Toni fixed it by taping the pant leg with medical tape she brought (in case of injuries.) I suffered a flat tire, but I think Eugene and I would have impressed the best Nascar pit crew the way we efficiently worked together. We flipped the bike, removed the tire, changed the tube, inflated the tire, put it back on the bike and was ready to go in nothing flat. Okay, maybe we didn’t really rival a pit crew, but we were still impressive.
Probably the worst problem we suffered was the cold. Although Jackie wore two fleece pullovers she froze the entire way especially her hands which had no protection. When we finally made it to Route 6 in Carbondale we only had a little over a mile to go. The traffic on Route 6 made keeping the group together impossible. I arrived at the high school first with Eugene close behind. Toni and Gloria arrived about a minute later, but, there was no sign of Jackie. We waited a couple of minutes before I rode back to look for her. I met her a few blocks away. Resourceful Jackie spotted a Dollar Store and went in to buy some gloves; to bad she forgot she left her money back in Scranton.
Once we were all at the school we took a little break and refueled before heading back out onto the road. Reluctantly, Jackie decided to call it quits there. She was disappointed because physically she was fine, she just couldn’t take the cold anymore. The volunteers offered to drive her back. They had a pick-up and could throw the bike in the back. Since we were the last group, they would follow the rest of us back to Scranton. Gloria was having a little trouble keeping up so when her chain popped off, she decided to join Jackie in the pick-up for the rest of the trip. The organizers made the ride back a little different for variety sake, but they also made it a bit more difficult. At one point we encountered a pretty big hill. Toni decided to walk up it. When Eugene and I reached the top, we stopped and waited. But, when the pick-up came by, Toni was inside with the others. So now it was just me and Eugene the rest of the way back. I wish I could say there were no more problems. Eugene and I are both pretty strong riders and the trip back to Scranton was supposed to be easier to follow. But neither Eugene nor I are very familiar with the area and you don’t want to play guessing games when you are riding a bike in the middle of midday traffic. My original idea was that Toni and Gloria, who live in the area would lead at this point, but of course, they were behind us in the truck. As for the yellow arrows, well there is a lot of construction in that area with lots of different colors arrows (including yellow) painted on the ground pointing every which way you can imagine. With a little work and a little luck and the return of the 2-wheel rescue squad we were able to make it back to the Scranton High School.
At the school, to our delight, there was plenty of hot coffee and hoagies waiting for us. We sat, relaxed, warmed up, talked, and laughed a lot as we recounted our journey. It took us a little over 4 hours to do it. There were a few problems, the weather wasn’t great, and things didn’t go peachy but I thought it was a great day. I was doing something I love with people I like and had an enjoyable adventure. I think everyone else felt the same because they all said they were looking forward to next year.