Huntsville Fencing Club Newsletter

06.09.20

Conditionally, HFC is open for fencing!

With the following requirements:

A face covering while not fencing.

Maintain social distancing when not fencing.

Salutes or elbow bumps have replaced handshakes.

A signed waiver must be signed to fence.

March 12, 2020

Coronavirus Guidance for HFC Members

The Huntsville Fencing Club remains open for free fencing unless we state otherwise. Likewise, our beginning class will continue as scheduled unless we state otherwise.

 We ask that fencers do their best to follow the USA Fencing guidance for the coronavirus outbreak posted below on this page.

 If you are sick, please do not come to fencing.

 If you are in a high risk category, you should consider taking a break from fencing until the situation improves. A fair number of our fencers travel regularly or deal with the public in large numbers.

If you test positive for coronavirus, please let us know. We will not release your name without your explicit written consent, but we will inform our members that a fencer has tested positive. Almost certainly, health authorities will also be in touch with all active fencers in such case.

 If you have traveled internationally recently, please self-quarantine from fencing for two weeks. Likewise if you will be traveling internationally in the near future, please self-quarantine from fencing for two weeks upon your return.

 Please use hand sanitizer or wash your hands before and after fencing. We do understand that hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes are in short supply due to panic buying and hoarding.

Bump elbows or touch toes instead of shaking hands.

 Please do not share equipment, especially masks, gloves, and epees.

 In general, stay healthy: stay hydrated and don’t overdo it when fencing, and get plenty of rest afterward.

 If do need to self-quarantine, you can practice footwork, hit a target, fence with a family member, study your fencing books, read a swashbuckling novel (anything by Rafael Sabatini) or watch a swashbuckling film (Captain Blood, The Princess Bride, The Sea Hawk). :-)

Another recent addition:

PLEASE BE ON YOUR GUARD AND PREPARED: TO DATE, ALABAMA’S TESTING FOR THE VIRUS IS INADEQUATE, AND LOCAL AND STATE AGENCIES APPEAR TO BE UNPREPARED.

Beginning Fencing Class, Huntsville Fencing Club
Starting Saturday February 8, 2020 Noon to 2 PM

When and Where

Our next beginning class will start on Saturday, February 8, 2020, and will run for 8 consecutive Saturday sessions from 12 PM until 2 PM at our facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville.

If You're Interested...

If you intend to take the class, or think it likely that you might, please email us ASAP. This will not commit you to anything, it just gives us a rough idea of class size in advance. We like to have at least six students. Average class size is 12, and some classes are much larger. If you have any conflicts that might prevent your taking the class, please email us and I'll let you know if we can work around them.

If you were unable to complete a previous class, or if you completed one of our previous classes and you want to get back into fencing but it’s been a while, you may pick this class up provided there is room (there almost certainly will be) at no additional charge other than USA Fencing membership ($10) for the 2019-2020 year (August to July) if not already paid.


Beginning Fencing Class Purpose and Goal

Our beginning class is designed to provide the beginner with practical ability in the basic skills necessary for free fencing. Course material is based largely on classical foil technique suited to epee fencing and on epee technique itself. Safety is emphasized. The course also provides the novice fencer with a working knowledge of the traditions, courtesies, and basic rules of fencing followed worldwide. For students who wish to continue fencing after the beginning fencing course is over, we will conduct a clinic, free of charge, introducing the student to electrical epee fencing after they have acquired an electrical epee and body cord.


Equipment and Clothing for Fencing

We provide all necessary equipment (jacket, mask, glove, foil, and if necessary, underarm protector) for the 8-week beginning class. Students must wear comfortable clothing, preferably athletic—long pants, T-shirt, and socks--and athletic shoes with good traction. Sweat pants or similar long pants must cover the legs. Jeans are acceptable as long as they provide the necessary range of movement. Athletic shorts do not provide adequate protection. Court shoes or cross training shoes are preferred over running shoes, but are not mandatory. We recommend long-bodied cotton or cotton-poly short sleeve T-shirts to cover the upper body. They should overlap the clothing worn on the legs. Long sleeves and heavier materials are typically too warm to be worn under our fencing jackets. Gentlemen are strongly advised to wear an athletic protector—a "cup” —for the course after the first session.


Age Requirement and Special Requests

In general, we prefer students to be at least twelve years old, although we can make exceptions for students as young as ten. If you have a child under twelve who wants to take the class, please contact the instructor at: huntsvillefencing@gmail.com. Please note that we integrate youth with adults in our beginning classes; we do not run a separate youth program. The decision to accept students under the age of twelve is the instructor’s alone.


Course Fee

The course fee is $110, payable not later than the end of the second Saturday’s class session. Put another way, you can try out the first two classes before you have to pay the course fee. We accept cash, checks, and Paypal. If paying by check, please make payable to “Huntsville Fencing Club.”


Required (Non-Competitive) Membership with our National Association, the USFA

Additionally, USA Fencing requires membership ($10) for each student in order to maintain our insurance coverage. This additional fee is not required for the first class, but must, per recent rule changes, be paid PRIOR to the second class. Students or their parents must register and make payment online; we cannot do this for you. (Registration may also be made through the regular mail, but the USA Fencing charges an additional $10 for this option.) We'll provide instructions on how to join USA Fencing during the first class, but in any case, it's fairly straightforward, just like signing-up and making a membership payment for any club or organization online. We do not recommend you become a member of USA Fencing until after the first class. However, if you like, you may do so in advance at https://member.usafencing.org/membership-types. It is only necessary to join at the $10 "non-competitive" level. We do not advise our beginner students to join at any other level.

Paperwork

You will receive a separate email that includes two required forms. If you don’t receive the forms within the next day or two, please let us know. One is a simple registration and waiver form required by the Huntsville Fencing Club, the other is the trial membership application required by USA Fencing to satisfy its insurance requirements for the first day of class. Students under 19 require parent or guardian signatures. We'll also have these forms available in hard copy on the first day of class. Both forms must be filled out and signed by the beginning of the first day of class. Do not mail the attached USA Fencing form to USA Fencing: please bring it to the first class instead. We'll mail the insurance forms to USA Fencing. We do apologize for the amount of required paperwork: it used to be simpler.

Affiliation

The Huntsville Fencing Club is USA Fencing member club in good standing. The HFC, its officers, and its instructors are insured through USA Fencing, and instructors and officers are background screened in accordance with USA Fencing Safe Sport requirements.


Directions to Our Facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue

Heading west on Bob Wallace from the Parkway, turn left at the Tower Loan sign into the east (left) parking area. Tower Loan is immediately to the right (west) of O’Reilly Auto Parts. Our facility is at the end of the Tower Loan building at the back of the left parking lot. An HFC sign is on the door. Tower Loan is roughly three tenths of a mile from the Parkway.


Other Questions

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me. Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Benerson Little
Instructor and Co-Director, HFC

Trial_Membership_Form.pdf     Beginning  Fencing Class Waiver and Registration_0719.pdf

Celebrating 20 Years

Events to be Announced.

Ben will be doing a lecture for Learning Quest on the history and practice of modern western swordplay in September, followed by a limited attendee two-class abbreviated intro to modern fencing.  Check with Ben for more details.

Beginning Fencing Class, Huntsville Fencing Club
Starting Saturday February 9, 2019 Noon to 2 PM 

When and Where

Our next beginning class will start this Saturday, February 9, 2019, and will run for 8 Saturday sessions from 12 PM until 2 PM at our facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville. The last regular class session will be held on March 30, 2019. We will not run another beginning class until July 2019. We apologize for the very short notice, but juggling the instructor’s schedule is always difficult.


If You're Interested...

If you intend to take the class, or think it likely that you might, please email us ASAP. This will not commit you to anything, it just gives us a rough idea of class size in advance. We like to have at least six students (average class size is 12, some classes are much larger, occasionally smaller). If you have any conflicts that might prevent your taking the class, please email us and we’ll let you know if we can work around them. If you want to take the class but can’t attend the first session, that’s OK. However, it is very difficult to catch up if you miss more than the first two sessions.

If you were unable to complete a previous class, or if you completed one of our previous classes and you want to get back into fencing but it’s been a while, you may pick this class up provided there is room (there almost certainly will be), at no additional charge.


Beginning Fencing Class Purpose and Goal

Our beginning class—formally titled Beginning Classical Swordplay and Modern Fencing--is designed to provide the beginner with practical ability in the basic skills necessary for free fencing. Course material is based largely on classical foil technique suited to epee fencing and on epee technique itself. Safety is emphasized. The course also provides the novice fencer with a working knowledge of the traditions, courtesies, and basic rules of fencing followed worldwide. For students who wish to continue fencing after the beginning fencing course is over, we will conduct a clinic, free of charge, introducing the student to electrical epee fencing after they have acquired an electrical epee and body cord.


Equipment and Clothing for Fencing

We provide all necessary equipment (jacket, mask, glove, foil, and if necessary, underarm protector) for the 8-week beginning class. Students must wear comfortable clothing, preferably athletic--pants, T-shirt, and socks--and athletic shoes with good traction. Sweat pants or similar long pants must cover the legs. Jeans are acceptable as long as they provide the necessary range of movement. Shorts do not provide enough protection. Court shoes or cross training shoes are preferred over running shoes because of better lateral support, but are not mandatory. We recommend long-bodied cotton or cotton-poly short sleeve T-shirts to cover the upper body. They should overlap the clothing worn on the legs. Long sleeves and heavier materials are typically too warm to be worn under our fencing jackets. Gentlemen are strongly advised to wear an athletic protector "cup" for the course, at least after the first class.


Age Requirement and Special Requests

In general, we prefer students to be at least 12 years old, although we can make exceptions for students as young as ten. If you have a child under twelve who wants to take the class, please contact the instructor at: huntsvillefencing@gmail.com. Please note that we integrate youth with adults in our beginning classes. We do not offer a separate youth program, nor can we accommodate requests for individual lessons for true beginners (you must complete a beginning class first).


Course Fee

The course fee is $110, payable not later than the end of the second Saturday’s class session. If paying by check, please make payable to “Huntsville Fencing Club.” Note: UAH Fencing Club members will receive a discount.


Required (Non-Competitive) Membership with our National Association, the USFA

An additional fee of $10 for membership in USA Fencing for insurance coverage is now required by USA Fencing. This fee is not required for the first class, but must, per a relatively recent USA Fencing rule change, be paid prior to the second class. Further, please note that students or their parents must register and make payment online, we cannot do this for you. (Registration may also be made through the regular mail, but USA Fencing charges an additional $10 for this option.) We'll provide instructions on how to join USA Fencing during the first class, but in any case, it's fairly straightforward, just like signing-up and making a membership payment for any club or organization online. We do not recommend you become a member of USA Fencing until after the first class. However, if you like, you may do so in advance at https://member.usfencing.org/signup. It is only necessary to join at the $10 "non-competitive" level. We do not advise our beginner students to join at any other level.

Paperwork

We’ll send two forms separately to avoid the possibility of this primary email being incorrectly screened as SPAM. If you don't receive the forms, please let us know. One is a simple registration and waiver form required by the Huntsville Fencing Club, the other is the trial membership application required by the USA Fencing to satisfy its insurance requirements for the first day of class. Students under 19 require parent or guardian signatures. We'll also have these forms available on the first day of class. Both forms must be filled out and signed by the beginning of the first day of class. Do not mail the attached USA Fencing form to USA Fencing: bring it to the first class instead. We'll mail the insurance forms to USA Fencing. We do apologize for the amount of required paperwork: it used to be simpler.

Affiliation

The Huntsville Fencing Club is USA Fencing member club in good standing. The HFC, its officers, and its instructors are insured through USA Fencing, and instructors and officers are background screened in accordance with USA Fencing Safe Sport requirements.


Directions to Our Facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue

Heading west on Bob Wallace from the Parkway, turn left at the Tower Loan sign into the east (left) parking area. Our facility is at the end of the building at the back of the parking lot on the left. An HFC sign is on the door. Tower Loan is roughly three tenths of a mile from the Parkway.


Other Questions

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me. Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Benerson Little
Instructor and Co-Director, HFC

Articles/2017-18_Trial_Membership_Form.pdf     Huntsville Fencing Club Waiver and Registration Rev 6 15(2).pdf

Required and Updated fencing Waiver and HFC Membership form.

Huntsville Fencing Club Waiver and Registration Rev 12 18.docx

In Memoriam.

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Gerald [Jerry] Steven Hall this past Thursday. Jerry was an active fencer at the Huntsville Fencing Club in the 1990s, as well as club president for two years. He enjoyed fencing immensely, both in practice and in competition, and always stood out for his sense of honor and sense of humor on the strip, not to mention for his swashbuckling attitude. In many ways, he enjoyed the camaraderie of fencing as much as the swordplay.

 A former member of United States Marine Corps, Jerry is survived by his wife, Judy Cooper, who is also a fencer and former Huntsville Fencing Club president; his stepdaughter, Mariel Smith; his sister, Anneliese Mitchell; his brother, Ron Hall; and his nieces and nephews.

 The family will receive friends Tuesday, November 13th from 4:00 - 4:30 p.m. at Berryhill Funeral Home followed by memorial service at 4:30.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:  Cure PSP; 1206 York Rd, Ste. L4; Lutherville, MD 21903.

Beginning Fencing Class, Huntsville Fencing Club
Starting Saturday November 3, 2018 Noon to 2 PM

When and Where

Our next beginning class will start this Saturday, November 3, 2018, and will run for 8 Saturday sessions from 12 PM until 2 PM at our facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville. The last regular class session will be held on January 5, 2019, and we will not hold class on November 24 or December 22. We apologize for the very short notice, but juggling the instructor’s schedule is always difficult.


If You're Interested...

If you intend to take the class, or think it likely that you might, please email us ASAP. This will not commit you to anything, it just gives us a rough idea of class size in advance. We like to have at least six students (average class size is 12, some classes are much larger). If you have any conflicts that might prevent your taking the class, please email us and we’ll let you know if we can work around them. If you want to take the class but can’t attend the first session, that’s OK. However, it is very difficult to catch up if you miss more than the first two sessions.

If you were unable to complete a previous class, or if you completed one of our previous classes and you want to get back into fencing but it’s been a while, you may pick this class up provided there is room (there almost certainly will be), at no additional charge.


Beginning Fencing Class Purpose and Goal

Our beginning class—formally titled Beginning Classical Swordplay and Modern Fencing--is designed to provide the beginner with practical ability in the basic skills necessary for free fencing. Course material is based largely on classical foil technique suited to epee fencing and on epee technique itself. Safety is emphasized. The course also provides the novice fencer with a working knowledge of the traditions, courtesies, and basic rules of fencing followed worldwide. For students who wish to continue fencing after the beginning fencing course is over, we will conduct a clinic, free of charge, introducing the student to electrical epee fencing after they have acquired an electrical epee and body cord.


Equipment and Clothing for Fencing

We provide all necessary equipment (jacket, mask, glove, foil, and if necessary, underarm protector) for the 8-week beginning class. Students must wear comfortable clothing, preferably athletic--pants, T-shirt, and socks--and athletic shoes with good traction. Sweat pants or similar long pants must cover the legs. Jeans are acceptable as long as they provide the necessary range of movement. Shorts do not provide enough protection. Court shoes or cross training shoes are preferred over running shoes because of better lateral support, but are not mandatory. We recommend long-bodied cotton or cotton-poly short sleeve T-shirts to cover the upper body. They should overlap the clothing worn on the legs. Long sleeves and heavier materials are typically too warm to be worn under our fencing jackets. Gentlemen are strongly advised to wear an athletic protector "cup" for the course, at least after the first class.


Age Requirement and Special Requests

In general, we prefer students to be at least 12 years old, although we can make exceptions for students as young as ten. If you have a child under twelve who wants to take the class, please contact the instructor at: huntsvillefencing@gmail.com. Please note that we integrate youth with adults in our beginning classes. We do not offer a separate youth program, nor can we accommodate requests for individual lessons for true beginners (you must complete a beginning class first).


Course Fee

The course fee is $110, payable not later than the end of the second Saturday’s class session. If paying by check, please make payable to “Huntsville Fencing Club.”


Required (Non-Competitive) Membership with our National Association, the USFA

An additional fee of $10 for membership in the United States Fencing Association (USFA) for insurance coverage is now required by the USFA. This fee is not required for the first class, but must, per recent USFA rule changes, be paid prior to the second class. Students or their parents must register and make payment online. (Registration may also be made through the regular mail, but the USFA charges an additional $10 for this option.) We'll provide instructions on how to join the USFA during the first class, but in any case, it's fairly straightforward, just like signing-up and making a membership payment for any club or organization online. We do not recommend you become a member of the USFA until after the first class. However, if you like, you may do so in advance at https://member.usfencing.org/signup. It is only necessary to join at the $10 "non-competitive" level. We do not advise our beginner students to join at any other level.

Paperwork

We’ll send two forms separately to avoid the possibility of this primary email being incorrectly screened as SPAM. If you don't receive the forms, please let us know. One is a simple registration and waiver form required by the Huntsville Fencing Club, the other is the trial membership application required by the USFA to satisfy its insurance requirements for the first day of class. Students under 19 require parent or guardian signatures. We'll also have these forms available on the first day of class. Both forms must be filled out and signed by the beginning of the first day of class. Do not mail the attached USFA form to the USFA: bring it to the first class instead. We'll mail the insurance forms to the USFA. We do apologize for the amount of required paperwork: it used to be simpler.

Huntsville Fencing Club Waiver and Registration Rev 12 18.docx

Affiliation

The Huntsville Fencing Club is a USFA member club in good standing. The HFC, its officers, and its instructors are insured through the USFA, and instructors and officers are background screened in accordance with USFA Safe Sport requirements.


Directions to Our Facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue

Heading west on Bob Wallace from the Parkway, turn left at the Tower Loan sign into the east (left) parking area. Our facility is at the end of the building at the back of the parking lot on the left. An HFC sign is on the door. Tower Loan is roughly three tenths of a mile from the Parkway.


Other Questions

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me. Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Benerson Little
Instructor and Co-Director, HFC

August 18th, 2018: Huntsville Fencing Club hosts the HFC Rocket City Season Opener.

After a long and diligent search we've found the perfect venue to host our first tournament in several years. Please come out and help us this August. 

Preregister Today!

HFC Rocket City Season Opener

Beginning Fencing Class, Huntsville Fencing Club
Starting Saturday June 30, 2018 Noon to 2 PM

When and Where

Our next beginning class will start on Saturday, June 30, 2018, and will run for 8 Saturday sessions from 12 PM until 2 PM at our facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville.

If You're Interested...

If you intend to take the class, or think it likely that you might, please email us ASAP. This will not commit you to anything, it just gives us a rough idea of class size in advance. We like to have at least six students. Average class size is 12, and some classes are much larger. If you have any conflicts that might prevent your taking the class, please email us and I'll let you know if we can work around them.

If you were unable to complete a previous class, or if you completed one of our previous classes and you want to get back into fencing but it’s been a while, you may pick this class up provided there is room (there almost certainly will be), at no additional charge.


Beginning Fencing Class Purpose and Goal

Our beginning class is designed to provide the beginner with practical ability in the basic skills necessary for free fencing. Course material is based largely on classical foil technique suited to epee fencing and on epee technique itself. Safety is emphasized. The course also provides the novice fencer with a working knowledge of the traditions, courtesies, and basic rules of fencing followed worldwide. For students who wish to continue fencing after the beginning fencing course is over, we will conduct a clinic, free of charge, introducing the student to electrical epee fencing after they have acquired an electrical epee and body cord.


Equipment and Clothing for Fencing

We provide all necessary equipment (jacket, mask, glove, foil, and if necessary, underarm protector) for the 8-week beginning class. Students must wear comfortable clothing, preferably athletic--pants, T-shirt, and socks--and athletic shoes with good traction. Sweat pants or similar long pants must cover the legs. Jeans are acceptable as long as they provide the necessary range of movement. Shorts should not be worn for fencing for your own protection when getting hit by a blade. Court shoes or cross training shoes are preferred over running shoes because of better joint protection, but are not mandatory. We recommend long-bodied cotton or cotton-poly short sleeve T-shirts to cover the upper body. They should overlap the clothing worn on the legs. Long sleeves and heavier materials are typically too warm to be worn under our fencing jackets. Gentlemen are strongly advised to wear an athletic protector "cup" for the course.


Age Requirement and Special Requests

In general, we prefer students to be at least 12 years old, although we can make exceptions for students as young as ten. If you have a child under twelve who wants to take the class, please contact the instructor at: huntsvillefencing@gmail.com. Please note that we integrate youth with adults in our beginning classes.


Course Fee

The course fee is $110, payable not later than the end of the second Saturday’s class session. If paying by check, please make payable to “Huntsville Fencing Club.” We have recently raised the fee by $10, our first increase since 2002.


Required (Non-Competitive) Membership with our National Association, the USFA

An additional fee of $10 for membership in the United States Fencing Association (USFA) for insurance coverage is now required by the USFA. This fee is not required for the first class, but must, per recent USFA rule changes, be paid prior to the second class. Further, students or their parents must register and make payment online. (Registration may also be made through the regular mail, but the USFA charges an additional $10 for this option.) We'll provide instructions on how to join the USFA during the first class, but in any case, it's fairly straightforward, just like signing-up and making a membership payment for any club or organization online. We do not recommend you become a member of the USFA until after the first class. However, if you like, you may do so in advance at https://member.usafencing.org/. It is only necessary to join at the $10 "non-competitive" level. We do not advise our beginner students to join at any other level.

Paperwork

Two forms will be sent separately to avoid the possibility of this primary email being incorrectly screened as SPAM. If you don't receive the forms, please let us know. One form is a simple registration and waiver form required by the Huntsville Fencing Club, the other is the trial membership application required by the USFA to satisfy its insurance requirements for the first day of class. Students under 19 require parent or guardian signatures. We'll also have these forms available on the first day of class. Both forms must be filled out and signed by the beginning of the first day of class. Do not mail the attached USFA form to the USFA: bring it to the first class instead. We'll mail the insurance forms to the USFA. We do apologize for the amount of required paperwork: it used to be simpler.

 Please bring both forms to the first class. We’ll also have printed copies available if you need them.

2017-18_Trial_Membership_Form.pdf  Huntsville Fencing Club Waiver and Registration Rev 6 15(2).pdf

Affiliation

 The Huntsville Fencing Club is a USFA member club in good standing. The HFC, its officers, and its instructors are insured through the USFA, and instructors and officers are background screened in accordance with USFA Safe Sport requirements.


Directions to Our Facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue

Heading west on Bob Wallace from the Parkway, turn left at the Tower Loan sign into the east (left) parking area. Our facility is at the end of the building at the back of the parking lot on the left. An HFC sign is on the door. Tower Loan is roughly three tenths of a mile from the Parkway.


Other Questions

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me. Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Benerson Little
Instructor and Co-Director, HFC

Beginning Fencing Class, Huntsville Fencing Club
Starting Saturday January 20, 2018 Noon to 2 PM

When and Where

Our next beginning class will start on Saturday, January 20, 2017, and will run for 8 Saturday sessions from 12 PM until 2 PM at our facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville. We apologize for the relatively short notice, but juggling the instructor’s schedule is always difficult.


If You're Interested...

If you intend to take the class, or think it likely that you might, please email us ASAP. This will not commit you to anything, it just gives us a rough idea of class size in advance. We like to have at least six students. Average class size is 12, and some classes are much larger. If you have any conflicts that might prevent your taking the class, please email us and I'll let you know if we can work around them.

If you were unable to complete a previous class, or if you completed one of our previous classes and you want to get back into fencing but it’s been a while, you may pick this class up provided there is room (there almost certainly will be), at no additional charge.


Beginning Fencing Class Purpose and Goal

Our beginning class is designed to provide the beginner with practical ability in the basic skills necessary for free fencing. Course material is based largely on classical foil technique suited to epee fencing and on epee technique itself. Safety is emphasized. The course also provides the novice fencer with a working knowledge of the traditions, courtesies, and basic rules of fencing followed worldwide. For students who wish to continue fencing after the beginning fencing course is over, we will conduct a clinic, free of charge, introducing the student to electrical epee fencing after they have acquired an electrical epee and body cord.


Equipment and Clothing for Fencing

We provide all necessary equipment (jacket, mask, glove, foil, and if necessary, underarm protector) for the 8-week beginning class. Students must wear comfortable clothing, preferably athletic--pants, T-shirt, and socks--and athletic shoes with good traction. Sweat pants or similar long pants must cover the legs. Jeans are acceptable as long as they provide the necessary range of movement. Shorts should not be worn for fencing for your own protection when getting hit by a blade. Court shoes or cross training shoes are preferred over running shoes because of better joint protection, but are not mandatory. We recommend long-bodied cotton or cotton-poly short sleeve T-shirts to cover the upper body. They should overlap the clothing worn on the legs. Long sleeves and heavier materials are typically too warm to be worn under our fencing jackets. Gentlemen are strongly advised to wear an athletic protector "cup" for the course.


Age Requirement and Special Requests

In general, we prefer students to be at least 12 years old, although we can make exceptions for students as young as ten. If you have a child under twelve who wants to take the class, please contact the instructor at:huntsvillefencing@gmail.com. Please note that we integrate youth with adults in our beginning classes.


Course Fee

The course fee is $110, payable not later than the end of the second Saturday’s class session. If paying by check, please make payable to “Huntsville Fencing Club.” We have recently raised the fee by $10, our first increase since 2002.


Required (Non-Competitive) Membership with our National Association, the USFA

An additional fee of $10 for membership in the United States Fencing Association (USFA) for insurance coverage is now required by the USFA. This fee is not required for the first class, but must, per recent USFA rule changes, be paid prior to the second class. Further, students or their parents must register and make payment online. (Registration may also be made through the regular mail, but the USFA charges an additional $10 for this option.) We'll provide instructions on how to join the USFA during the first class, but in any case, it's fairly straightforward, just like signing-up and making a membership payment for any club or organization online. We do not recommend you become a member of the USFA until after the first class. However, if you like, you may do so in advance at https://www.usfencing.org/page/show/698115-individuals. It is only necessary to join at the $10 "non-competitive" level. We do not advise our beginner students to join at any other level.

Paperwork 

Two forms will be sent separately to avoid the possibility of this primary email being incorrectly screened as SPAM. If you don't receive the forms, please let us know. One form is a simple registration and waiver form required by the Huntsville Fencing Club, the other is the trial membership application required by the USFA to satisfy its insurance requirements for the first day of class. Students under 19 require parent or guardian signatures. We'll also have these forms available on the first day of class. Both forms must be filled out and signed by the beginning of the first day of class. Do not mail the attached USFA form to the USFA: bring it to the first class instead. We'll mail the insurance forms to the USFA. We do apologize for the amount of required paperwork: it used to be simpler.

Affiliation

The Huntsville Fencing Club is a USFA member club in good standing. The HFC, its officers, and its instructors are insured through the USFA, and instructors and officers are background screened in accordance with USFA Safe Sport requirements.


Directions to Our Facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue

Heading west on Bob Wallace from the Parkway, turn left at the Tower Loan sign into the east (left) parking area. Our facility is at the end of the building at the back of the parking lot on the left. An HFC sign is on the door. Tower Loan is roughly three tenths of a mile from the Parkway.


Other Questions

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me. Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Benerson Little
Instructor and Co-Director, HFC

Beginning Fencing Class, Huntsville Fencing Club
Starting Saturday September 30, 2017 Noon to 2 PM

When and Where

Our next beginning class will start on Saturday, September 30, 2017, and will run for 8 Saturday sessions from 12 PM until 2 PM at our facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville. We apologize for the relatively short notice, but juggling the instructor’s schedule is always difficult.


If You're Interested...

If you intend to take the class, or think it likely that you might, please email us ASAP. This will not commit you to anything, it just gives us a rough idea of class size in advance. We like to have at least six students. Average class size is 12, and some classes are much larger. If you have any conflicts that might prevent your taking the class, please email us and I'll let you know if we can work around them.

If you were unable to complete a previous class, or if you completed one of our previous classes and you want to get back into fencing but it’s been a while, you may pick this class up provided there is room (there almost certainly will be), at no additional charge.


Beginning Fencing Class Purpose and Goal

Our beginning class is designed to provide the beginner with practical ability in the basic skills necessary for free fencing. Course material is based largely on classical foil technique suited to epee fencing and on epee technique itself. Safety is emphasized. The course also provides the novice fencer with a working knowledge of the traditions, courtesies, and basic rules of fencing followed worldwide. For students who wish to continue fencing after the beginning fencing course is over, we will conduct a clinic, free of charge, introducing the student to electrical epee fencing after they have acquired an electrical epee and body cord.


Equipment and Clothing for Fencing

We provide all necessary equipment (jacket, mask, glove, foil, and if necessary, underarm protector) for the 8-week beginning class. Students must wear comfortable clothing, preferably athletic--pants, T-shirt, and socks--and athletic shoes with good traction. Sweat pants or similar long pants must cover the legs. Jeans are acceptable as long as they provide the necessary range of movement. Shorts should not be worn for fencing for your own protection when getting hit by a blade. Court shoes or cross training shoes are preferred over running shoes because of better joint protection, but are not mandatory. We recommend long-bodied cotton or cotton-poly short sleeve T-shirts to cover the upper body. They should overlap the clothing worn on the legs. Long sleeves and heavier materials are typically too warm to be worn under our fencing jackets. Gentlemen are strongly advised to wear an athletic protector "cup" for the course.


Age Requirement and Special Requests

In general, we prefer students to be at least 12 years old, although we can make exceptions for students as young as ten. If you have a child under twelve who wants to take the class, please contact the instructor at: huntsvillefencing@gmail.com. Please note that we integrate youth with adults in our beginning classes.


Course Fee

The course fee is $100, payable not later than the end of the second Saturday’s class session. If paying by check, please make payable to “Huntsville Fencing Club.”


Required (Non-Competitive) Membership with our National Association, the USFA

An additional fee of $10 for membership in the United States Fencing Association (USFA) for insurance coverage is now required by the USFA. This fee is not required for the first class, but must, per recent USFA rule changes, be paid prior to the second class. Further, students or their parents must register and make payment online. (Registration may also be made through the regular mail, but the USFA charges an additional $10 for this option.) We'll provide instructions on how to join the USFA during the first class, but in any case, it's fairly straightforward, just like signing-up and making a membership payment for any club or organization online. We do not recommend you become a member of the USFA until after the first class. However, if you like, you may do so in advance at https://www.usfencing.org/page/show/698115-individuals. It is only necessary to join at the $10 "non-competitive" level. We do not advise our beginner students to join at any other level.

Paperwork

Two forms will be sent separately to avoid the possibility of this primary email being incorrectly screened as SPAM. If you don't receive the forms, please let us know. One form is a simple registration and waiver form required by the Huntsville Fencing Club, the other is the trial membership application required by the USFA to satisfy its insurance requirements for the first day of class. Students under 19 require parent or guardian signatures. We'll also have these forms available on the first day of class. Both forms must be filled out and signed by the beginning of the first day of class. Do not mail the attached USFA form to the USFA: bring it to the first class instead. We'll mail the insurance forms to the USFA. We do apologize for the amount of required paperwork: it used to be simpler.

Affiliation

The Huntsville Fencing Club is a USFA member club in good standing. The HFC, its officers, and its instructors are insured through the USFA, and instructors and officers are background screened in accordance with USFA Safe Sport requirements.


Directions to Our Facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue

Heading west on Bob Wallace from the Parkway, turn left at the Tower Loan sign into the east (left) parking area. Our facility is at the end of the building at the back of the parking lot on the left. An HFC sign is on the door. Tower Loan is roughly three tenths of a mile from the Parkway.


Other Questions

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me. Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Benerson Little
Instructor and Co-Director, HFC

One Touch Epee Multiple Round Robin This Friday, March 4th, 7 to 10!

We'll run the club tournament on multiple strips, and should be able to do at least two or three rounds, giving plenty of opportunity for revenge!

Double touches count as double defeats. J

The tournament is designed to get fencers to focus on a single touch. Too often, we don't focus enough on the touch at hand, unless forced to, figuring we can make it up later.

There are several strong reasons to practice single touches:

As noted already, fighting for a single touch forces you to focus.

In particular, it forces you to focus on the touch at hand. An old fencing aphorism is to focus only on the touch at hand; the score will then take care of itself.

Being able to get single touches is vital when you're behind in a bout.

Getting the first touch in a bout--a single--has psychological advantages for your fencing and often a psychological disadvantage for your opponent's.

There are several other circumstances in which getting a single touch is imperative:

When the score is tied 4-4 or 14-14 and the clock has not yet run out, it's better to get the touch now than risk the disadvantage of a lost coin toss when the clock runs out.

If the bout goes into overtime and you lose the coin toss, a single is imperative.

When the score is 2-3 or 12-13, or 3-4 or 13-14: these are critical junctures. If you're behind, you need a single touch to tie the score up. In the case of the first two scores just above, the loss of the next touch puts your opponent within one touch--even a double--of winning, and puts you now two touches behind. In the case of the second two scores, you lose if you don't get a single touch. If you're ahead in any of the situations just above, a single touch puts you in a strong position or gives you a victory.

All this said, one touch competitions are difficult and often have surprise finishers. Against your peers--fencers of similar ability--if you win more than you lose, you're doing well!

Huntsville Fencing Club Waiver and Registration Rev 6 15.pdf          USFA Trial Membership Form.pdf

When and Where

Our next beginning class will start on Saturday, July 11, 2015, and will run for 8 consecutive Saturday sessions from 12PM until 2 PM at our facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville.


If You're Interested...

If you intend to take the class, or think it likely that you might, please email me ASAP so that we have a rough idea of class size in advance. If you have any conflicts that might prevent your taking the class, please email us and I'll let you know if we can work around them.


Our Apologies for the Long Delay

We apologize for the long delay in starting this new class, but the instructor's schedule, the club's relocation to a new facility, and the installation of new flooring have hindered scheduling.


Beginning Fencing Class Purpose and Goal

Our beginning class is designed to provide the beginner with practical ability in the basic skills necessary for free fencing. Course material is based largely on classical foil technique suited to epee fencing and on epee technique itself. Safety is emphasized. The course also provides the novice fencer with a working knowledge of the traditions, courtesies, and basic rules of fencing followed worldwide. For students who wish to continue fencing after the beginning fencing course is over, we will conduct a clinic, free of charge, introducing the student to electrical epee fencing after they have acquired an electrical epee and body cord.


Equipment and Clothing for Fencing

We provide all necessary equipment (jacket, mask, glove, foil, and if necessary, underarm protector) for the 8-week beginning class. Students must wear comfortable clothing, preferably athletic--pants, T-shirt, and socks--and athletic shoes with good traction. Sweat pants or similar long pants must cover the legs. Jeans are acceptable as long as they provide the necessary range of movement. Shorts should not be worn for fencing for your own protection when getting hit by a blade.  Court shoes or cross training shoes are preferred over running shoes because of better joint protection, but are not mandatory. We recommend long-bodied cotton or cotton-poly short sleeve T-shirts to cover the upper body. They should overlap the clothing worn on the legs. Long sleeves and heavier materials are typically too warm to be worn under our fencing jackets. Gentlemen are strongly advised to wear an athletic protector "cup" for the course.


Age Requirement and Special Requests

In general, we prefer students to be at least 12 years old, although we can make exceptions for students as young as ten. If you have a child under twelve who wants to take the class, please contact the instructor at: huntsvillefencing@comcast.net.


Course Fee

The course fee is $100, payable not later than the second Saturday's class session. If paying by check, please make payable to Huntsville Fencing Club.


Required (Non-Competitive) Membership with our National Association, the USFA

An additional fee of $10 for membership in the United States Fencing Association (USFA) for insurance coverage is now required by the USFA. This fee is not required for the first class, but must, per recent USFA rule changes, be paid prior to the second class. Students or their parents must register and make payment online or via regular mail. We'll provide instructions on how to do so during the first class, but in any case, it's fairly straightforward, just like signing-up and making a membership payment for any club or organization online or by mail. We do not recommend you become a member of the USFA until after the first class. However, if you like, you may do so in advance at https://www.usfencing.org/page/show/698115-individuals. It is only necessary to join at the $10 "non-competitive" level. We do not advise our beginner students to join at any other level.


Paperwork

Two forms are attached. One is a simple registration and waiver form required by the Huntsville Fencing Club, the other is the trial membership application required by the USFA to satisfy its insurance requirements for the first day of class. Students under 19 require parent or guardian signatures. We'll also have these forms available on the first day of class. Both forms must be filled out and signed by the beginning of the first day of class. Do not mail the attached USFA form to the USFA: bring it to the first class instead. We'll mail the insurance forms to the USFA. We do apologize for the amount of required paperwork: it used to be simpler. The Huntsville Fencing Club is a USFA member club.  The HFC, its officers, and its instructors are insured through the USFA, and instructors and officers are background screened in accordance with USFA Safe Sport requirements.


Directions to Our Facility at 2319 Bob Wallace Avenue

Heading west on Bob Wallace from the Parkway, turn left at the Tower Loan sign into the east (left) parking area. Our facility is at the end of the building. An HFC sign is on the door. Tower Loan is roughly three tenths of a mile from the Parkway.


Other Questions

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me. Looking forward to seeing you in (slightly less than) two weeks,

Benerson Little
Instructor and Co-Director, HFC

We've Moved!  

The Club is now fencing at 2319 Bob Wallace Ave.

Details on the Information page.

A new Calendar has been added for upcoming events:

The Link will remain on the Information Page.

After January 1st, 2015 - see Geoffrey for update on membership fees.
Our annual club membership fee--$30--is also due. Active fencers, please pay to treasurer Geoffrey Babb or any of the club officers by the end of the month. Note: Please make checks out to "Geoffrey Babb" until further notice, given that we are in the process of changing financial institutions.


Membership Details

With the exceptions of fencers whose primary membership is a collegiate program or HFC-associated club, we discourage dual membership in the HFC and any other local area club. Any such dual membership must be approved annually in advance by the directors. Dual membership is permitted for fencers visiting long distance.


Annual Safety Reminders

Fencing is a very safe sport, and our club has an excellent safety record. In keeping with this, here are a few annual safety reminders.

Underarm protectors are mandatory. Although they are only required by the USFA for competition, we require them of all fencers, given the stiffer, heavier blade of the epee. We strongly urge all fencers to wear fencing breeches or pants, but we stop short of requiring them, although nearly all members do wear them. Fencing breeches or pants are required by the USFA for competition. Women are required to wear breast protectors (also required by the USFA for competition), and we strongly recommend that men wear a protective cup. Men who fail to wear one do so at their own risk. We're almost entirely an epee club, remember.

Anytime you are demonstrating a technique with a partner, even in "slow motion," you must each wear your masks in order to prevent possible injury, particularly to the eyes.

All fencers are responsible for safety in the club. If you should happen to see a violation, speak up--shout "Halt!" if necessary--and bring it to the attention of the offending fencer or fencers, and to one of the officers as well.

Weapon points remain pointed down unless you are engaged in fencing or fencing exercises with appropriate safety considerations in place.

All fencers must abide by USFA rules and regulations appropriate to fencing practice. This includes no "horseplay" or roughhousing or other potentially dangerous practices on or off the strip.

Ensure that your uniform and weapons are in good repair and safe to fence with.

Please pay extra attention both to the fencers on adjacent strips, as well as to fencers, visitors, and athletic equipment on the sidelines. Fencers and visitors who are not fencing should move carefully throughout the room, paying particular attention to the movement of fencers on strip.

As always, the head instructor has the final word on safety.




 

Beginning Fencing Class, Huntsville Fencing Club
Starting March 22, 2014, Noon to 2 PM

Our next beginning class will start on Saturday, March 22, 2014, and will run for eight Saturday sessions from noon until 2 PM in the aerobics room of the Athletic Club Alabama (ACA). We had hoped to start this class in two to four weeks ago, but have been waiting on storage space to become available after renovations at ACA. We therefore apologize for the relatively short notice: we typically try to give at least two weeks advance notice.

The beginning class is designed to provide the beginner with practical ability in the basic skills necessary for free fencing. Course material is based largely on classical foil technique suited to epee fencing and on epee technique itself. Safety is emphasized. The course also provides the novice fencer with a working knowledge of the traditions, courtesies, and rules of fencing followed worldwide. For students who wish to continue fencing after the class, we add a ninth session, free of charge, introducing the student to electrical epee fencing after they have acquired an electrical epee and body cord.

We provide all necessary equipment (jacket, mask, glove, foil, and if necessary, underarm protector) for the eight week beginning class. Students must wear comfortable clothing, preferably athletic, and athletic shoes or similar shoes with good traction. Sweat pants or similar clothing must cover the legs: shorts do not adequately protect the legs from inadvertent thrusts or hits. Jeans are acceptable as long as they provide the necessary range of movement. Court shoes or cross trainers are preferred over running shoes, but are not mandatory. We recommend long-bodied cotton or cotton-poly short sleeve T-shirts to cover the upper body. They should overlap the clothing worn on the legs. Long sleeves and heavier materials are typically too warm to be worn under our fencing jackets. Gentlemen are advised to wear an athletic protector ("cup") after the first class, although this is not required.

The course fee is $100, payable not later than the second Saturday. Students are welcome to attend the first two classes in order to see if they're interested in continuing.

An additional fee of $5 for membership in the United States Fencing Association (USFA) for insurance coverage is now required. This fee is not required for the first class, but must, per recent USFA rule changes, be paid prior to the second class. Students or their parents must register and make payment online or via regular mail. We will provide instructions on how to do so during the first class. In general, we do not recommend you become a member of the USFA until after the first class. However, if you like you may do so in advance at https://www.usfencing.org/page/show/698115-individuals. It is only necessary to join at the $5 "non-competitive" level. We do not advise joining at the competitive level.

Two waiver forms are attached. One is a simple registration and waiver form required by the Huntsville Fencing Club, the other is a relatively recent form required by the USFA to satisfy their insurance requirements for the first day of class. Students under nineteen will require parent or guardian signatures. We'll also have these forms available on the first day of class. Both forms must be filled out and signed prior to the first class. We do apologize for the amount of required paperwork: it used to be simpler. The Huntsville Fencing Club is a USFA member club, and both the club and instructor are insured through the USFA. The instructor, assistant instructors, and club officers have all been background screened in accordance with recent USFA requirements.

If you intend to take the class, or think it likely that you might, please email us so that we have a rough idea of class size in advance.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Looking forward to seeing you in (slightly less than) two weeks,

Benerson Little
Instructor and Co-Director, HFC
 

November 4, 2013

NO'ALA Huntsville Magazine Article

The November-December issue of NO'ALA Huntsville magazine includes an article on the Huntsville Fencing Club. See pages 36-40 in the associated link. Ben should be receiving some hard copies for distribution as well. The editor even sought out one of our fencers, Amy Hitchcock, to help provide photographs in addition to those taken by the staff photographer. In particular we appreciate that the editor was willing to tell the history of club and interview two founding members, John Jordan and Elias Katsaros. During our 50th anniversary celebration earlier this year, we were unable to generate local media interest in the club's fascinating early history. See https://www.noalapress.com/huntsville/read-online/?i=noala-huntsville-novemberdecember-2013 or https://issuu.com/noala/docs/noalahville_novdec2013.

North Alabama Huntsville Magazine Article

Winter Holiday Party

Our annual winter holiday party will be held this year on Saturday, December 7th starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Young's house at 9002 Craigmont Road, Huntsville. From fencing, head south on Memorial Parkway. Turn right at Logan/Lilly Flagg, then left at Whittier. At the first stop sign, turn left on Craigmont. 9002 is the second house on the right. The club will provide a main course and some beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Please bring a side dish or desert, and if desired your favorite beverage.


Equipment Order

Our armorer Dave Young will be buying fencing equipment from multiple vendors on December 14. He'll probably work out a price a bit below retail from Absolute Fencing, and won't have to pay shipping from any of the vendors at the NAC. If you want anything let Dave know by the end of fencing on December 10th or email him at zqmuser@gmail.com by the 12th.


New Glove Rule at National Tournaments

Quoted from the USFA: "Every athlete competing in North American Cups and National Championship events this season must present his or her glove to the armory during weapons check. Gloves with holes, rips, tape or loose seams will not be approved." Perhaps the nitpickers have nothing better to do. The inspection will be a nuisance to those fencers who use tape to reinforce areas subject to wear, but whose gloves otherwise entirely conform to the rule. Quite likely, 80% or more of fencers' gloves would not pass this standard right now. If nothing else, the rule will be a mini-boon to equipment vendors. Ratty stinky comfortable old fencing gloves are a venerable tradition in fencing. The rule is not likely to be enforced at local tournaments, but be prepared just in case.


Fencing Clinics

We'll do our best to run at least one historical fencing clinic, smallsword probably, over the holidays, and also an epee clinic. Ben and Mary will visit Ben's old fencing master and mentor Dr. Eugene Hamori this fall, and Ben will assist him in an epee clinic in New Orleans. Anything new he learns will be featured in our epee clinic over the holidays.


Bravo Zulu

Our high regards to Franco Scaramuzza, coach of the Vanderbilt Fencing Club, for using his epee to chase away a pair of thieves. See the details here: https://www.wsmv.com/story/23553180/fencing-coach-uses-sword-to-foil-robbery-at-bellevue-shopping-center . Franco visited us recently. He is both a gentleman and a swordsman.


Policy on Visitors and Dual Memberships

To reiterate the HFC policy on visitors and dual memberships, visitors from other clubs are welcome, and HFC members may hold membership in other clubs, with the following exceptions: First, visitors from any other local area club (Madison and adjacent counties in Alabama) must be approved in advance by the directors without exception. Violators of this rule risk their HFC membership, and such visitors will be turned away. Second, simultaneous membership in the HFC and other fencing clubs is entirely acceptable, with the exception of membership in any local area club not affiliated with the HFC. Again, any such membership must be approved in advance by the directors without exception. This policy has been in force and posted on our website for some time, and we similarly advised the other area club in writing two years ago, thus it should surprise no one. Although the directors regret the circumstances that forced the implementation of this policy, it is founded on extensive experience, has the full backing of the directors and the majority of the active membership, is similar to policies in force in many fencing clubs, and has unfortunately proved necessary to preserve the traditions, good order, discipline, and amiable atmosphere of the HFC. We also remind parents of youth fencers that, although we have always encouraged youth fencing, the HFC is not a youth-centered club, nor is it a business. Parents should therefore not be surprised that the HFC might not cater to some of their expectations. In particular, the HFC is not here to provide instruction and practice to fencers from other local clubs. All of this should be quite clear from the policies posted on our website, not to mention from common sense and common practice. Anyone who has questions regarding membership or visitors should contact either Benerson Little or Mike Greene.
 

Beginning Fencing Class
October 5, 2013, Noon to 2 PM

Our next beginning class will start on Saturday, October 5, 2013, and will run for eight Saturday sessions from noon until 2 PM in the aerobics room of the Athletic Club Alabama. We had hoped to start this class in September, but the processing of new USFA membership, insurance, and background screening requirements for all member clubs has caused a delay.

The beginning class is designed to provide the beginner with practical ability in the basic skills necessary for free fencing. Course material is based largely on classical foil technique suited to epee fencing and on epee technique itself. Safety is emphasized. The course also provides the novice fencer with a working knowledge of the traditions, courtesies, and rules of fencing followed worldwide. For students who wish to continue fencing after the class, we add a ninth session, free of charge, introducing the student to electrical epee fencing after they have acquired an electrical epee and body cord.

We provide all necessary equipment for the eight week beginning class. Students must wear comfortable clothing, preferably athletic, and athletic shoes or similar shoes with good traction. Sweat pants or similar clothing must cover the legs: shorts do not adequately protect the legs from inadvertent thrusts or hits. Jeans are acceptable as long as they provide the necessary range of movement. Court shoes or cross trainers are preferred over running shoes, but are not mandatory. We recommend long cotton or cotton-poly short sleeve T-shirts to cover the upper body. They should overlap the clothing worn on the legs. Long sleeves and heavier materials are typically too warm to be worn under our fencing jackets.

The course fee is $100, payable not later than the second Saturday.

An additional fee of $5 for membership in the United States Fencing Association for insurance coverage is now required. This fee is not required for the first class, but must, per recent USFA rule changes, be paid prior to the second class. Students or their parents must register and make payment online or via regular mail. We will provide instructions on how to do so during the first class. In general, we do not recommend you become a member of the USFA until after the first class. However, if you like you may do so in advance at https://www.usfencing.org/page/show/698115-individuals. It is only necessary to join at the $5 "non-competitive" level.

Two waiver forms are attached. One is a simple registration form required by the HFC, the other is a new form required by the USFA to satisfy their insurance requirements for the first day of class. Students under nineteen will require parent or guardian signature. We'll also have these forms available on the first day of class. Both forms must be filled out and signed prior to the first class. We do apologize for the amount of required paperwork: it used to be simpler.

If you intend to take the class, or think it likely that you might, please email us so that we have a rough idea of class size in advance.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Looking forward to seeing you in two weeks,

Benerson Little
Instructor and Co-Director, HFC

August 6, 2013

Car Stickers, T-Shirt Designs, & Old Division Patches

Club logo/arms car stickers, $3 each, are available again in red/black, blue/white, and black/white, see attached image. See Chad Scales or any of the club officers. Chad also has a variety of fencing- and HFC-related T-shirt designs available, see him for details. Last, any fencer who attended the MARS 50th dinner and did not receive one of the old 1970s era Alabama Division Patches (see attached image) should contact Ben. After all MARS attendees have theirs, the remainder will be given away to other HFC fencers on a first-come, first-served basis.


Club & USFA Dues

The new fencing year began on August 1. Annual club dues--$30--are due, please see treasurer Geoffrey Babb or any of the club officers. USFA dues are also due. Remember, all HFC fencers and beginning class students must be members of the USFA for our insurance to be valid. Membership at the $5 "non competitive" level is sufficient unless you intend to compete or you fall under the new USFA requirement for a background screen (see below). Please email Ben via the club address above when you have renewed your USFA membership, and please include your USFA number. https://www.usfencing.org/page/show/698115-individuals


New USFA "Safe Sport" Policy

The USFA, apparently in keeping with USOC policy and new insurance requirements, has suddenly via an emergency board meeting instituted a "Safe Sport" policy, including a strict background screening requirement for persons in certain positions. Although the effort to protect minors and adults from abusive behavior is highly laudable, several of the policy requirements appear to be overkill, and some even onerous. Further, to date the policy appears to conflict with itself and with its FAQ in some areas: clearly the policy was hastily-fashioned to meet new insurance requirements. As has been the case with some other recent USFA policies and requirements, notably universal USFA membership as a requirement for USFA insurance coverage, the policy was dropped on the membership without adequate warning. Parts of it appear to have angered much of the USFA membership, most of the ire due to some of the screening requirements as well as to prohibitions on some behaviors between consenting adults. In particular, the policy requires ALL referees be background-screened. This referee requirement is particularly onerous, given that many pools are self-directed, that is, without formal referees. 

For now, we do not recommend anyone join as a "professional member"--in other words, have a background check via the USFA--unless the club directors specifically inform you it is necessary. The HFC intends to refund $30 (the difference between competitive and professional membership fees) to those members who must have the background check. (The background check is a criminal records check looking primarily for felony convictions, as well as misdemeanor convictions for violence or threat of violence, animal cruelty, and those of a sexual nature. A credit check is not performed.) So far, it appears that in addition to our instructor (who has had background screening since it was first introduced), screening is required for our club directors, our members who are Alabama division officers, and our members who assist our instructor. We're going to wait to see how the USFA interprets or chooses to enforce the policy on referees before we require our members who referee to get professional membership. Professional membership can be added at any time, although the background check may take a couple of weeks. The policy, FAQ, and related info are available here: https://www.usfencing.org/page/show/892379-safe-sport 


Tournament Venue

And speaking of tournaments, we're still looking for a reasonable venue to hold them--that is, one whose rent won't cost us the entire proceeds of the competition. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please contact Geoffrey or Ben ASAP. We'd like to get back to holding tournaments quarterly.


Division Officers

Our new confirmed Alabama Division Officers include HFC members Geoffrey Babb as Chair and Derek Welford as Officer-at-Large. Congratulations!


Facebook Page

A reminder again that the club does have a Facebook page, Huntsville fencing club. At the moment it remains a "secret" page due to the large number of membership solicitations we had, nearly all of which were SPAM in disguise. Contact Ben or Mary to be added.


New Epee Tip Screws

Dave has tested new epee tip screws and highly recommends them, as does Ben who tried them at his behest. The screws are slotted in each end with an X to receive a special screwdriver, and so far appear to be of superior quality. Because the screws are held firmly by the screwdriver, there is no wobble and they are very easily installed, even by those whose eyesight has been diminished by time. (The plus-40 set, in other words.) Further, surely due to their quality, screws so far tested have threaded easily and tightly into tips whose threads were stripped and would no longer accept standard screws. See Dave for details. Again, highly recommended.


Armorer Email Address Change

Dave Young's email address is now zqmuser@gmail.com.


Clinics & Next Beginning Class

We probably won't start our next beginning class until sometime in September. Between now and then we may offer a couple of clinics, notice forthcoming. Likely subjects will be (1) epee training methods and (2) historical smallsword technique. If you have any requests, please forward them to Ben. For now, we're holding off on historical backsword clinics until we decide how best to manage issues of heavier weapons and adequate protection.


Fencing Quote

"The answer is easy.  The great art of swordsmanship consists in laying successful snares, such as making your opponent expect the attack exactly where it is not intended.  To deceive his expectations, to break up what he combines, to disappoint his plans, and to narrow his action; to dominate his movements, to paralyse his thoughts, represent the art, the science, the skill, and the power of your perfect swordsman..."   --Sir Richard Burton, The Sentiment of the Sword, 1911. 


 

May 30, 2013

M.A.R.S. and HFC 50th Anniversary

Our many thanks to everyone who participated in the 50th anniversary celebration of Huntsville Fencing! In particular we’d like to thank Geoffrey Babb and Rob Parks for doing all the legwork, especially for engaging The Summit at Redstone as the venue; and Chad Scales for handling the artwork, certificates of appreciation, and so forth. We’d also like to thank those we honored that evening: Joe Dabbs, John Jordan, Elias Katsaros, Emil Luft, and Donnie Phillips. For those of you who attended and do not yet have one of the old Alabama Division patches from the original M.A.R.S. and Huntsville clubs, contact Ben. By the way, M.A.R.S. stands for Marshall Athletic Recreation Society.

Congratulations to Emily Stewart

Congratulations again to Emily Stewart, member of the Huntsville Fencing Club and Indiana Fencing Club and Team, this year for taking second in women's epee at the United States Association of Collegiate Fencing Clubs national championships. In 2012 she was USACFC women's epee champion.

New Beginning Fencing Class

We’re starting a new class this Saturday, June 1, from noon until 2 for eight sessions. Details are posted on the “News” page of our website.

Equipment Orders

Our armorer Dave Young will be able to get fencing equipment from multiple vendors at the end of June without paying shipping.  If you want anything, let him know by June 27.  

New Division Officers

At the moment it looks like Geoffrey Babb will serve as the Alabama Division Chair and Derek Welford as Officer at Large.

Facebook Page

A reminder that the HFC has an active Facebook page. The page is “secret” due to a large number of recent friend requests that were nothing more than spam in disguise, so you’ll have to contact one of the administrators—Ben, Mary—to be added.

Updates to Website & Membership

We’ve made a few updates to the our webpages: the “Books” page has been significantly expanded, and the home page and “Information” pages have been updated in minor ways to reflect policy on membership, including membership in other clubs. (Not to worry, no new fees have been added, and membership and floor fees remain the same.) Soon, we’ll update the “Salle de Bernis,” “Ironmongery,” and “Scrapbook” pages. Suggestions should be forwarded to Mike Greene or Ben Little.

New Quote

We’ve added the following to our home page: “[Early epeeists] were realists who preferred the romantic to the classic.” R. A. Lidstone in Fencing: A Practical Treatise on Foil, Épée, Sabre, 1952.

Summer Party

We have tentative plans to hold a party this summer, probably in August. Seeking host and venue…

Member Events

The next edition of Cs Vintage Co.’s online magazine—a project of Chad Scales, Geoffrey Babb, et al—should be out on June 1st. Elias Katsaros is busy in York, Pennsylvania installing icons at St. John Chrysostom Antiochian Church. Ben will host a reddit AMA on “Piracy from Antiquity to the Present” on June 5th, probably starting at 9:00 a.m. Links to these events: Cs Vintage Co., https://csvintageco.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cs-Vintage-Co/433666243389350?fref=ts. Byzantine Icons, https://www.byzantine-iconography.com/Byzantine_Art_Studio/Welcome.html or https://www.facebook.com/elias.n.katsaros. Piracy AMA, https://www.reddit.com/user/Benerson.

A Note Regarding Lessons

If you desire fencing lessons, contact Ben. He is available on occasion on Friday evenings, and often on Saturdays from 2 to 4 p.m. Given his schedule at the moment, advance notice is recommended. Lessons are $7, unless you happen to feel that “you get what you pay for,” in which case Ben will gladly raise the price for you to $20 or even $30.

Upcoming Tournaments

To date, due to venue scheduling issues, we haven’t set dates for any tournaments, but will do so as soon as we can, and will send out a notice as well as posting the dates online.

USFA Membership

A reminder to all active fencers that you must belong to the USFA, if only at the $5 non-competitive level, for our insurance policy to remain active. No exceptions!

Safety Reminder

Although we haven’t had any safety issues, we want to remind everyone to avoid horseplay, fence according to the rules, and keep your equipment in good repair. Underarm protectors are mandatory! Also, although not mandatory, we highly recommend fencing breeches.

April 2013

To all concerned,

For those of you who have completed the recent beginning class and
intend to continue, the 9th session, covering electrical epee, will
be held this Saturday, 27 April, from noon until 2 p.m. You will need
at least one electrical epee, body cord, underarm protector, mask,
jacket, and glove. You may use your jacket, mask, and glove from the
beginning class, and we should have enough underarm protectors
available in case you haven't purchased one yet.

If you can't attend this session, please let me know. I may be able
to offer another session before the next beginning class.

If you missed two or more beginning class sessions and intend to
continue, let me know, I will try, as my schedule permits, to bring
you up to speed individually.

If you have any questions, please email me.

Best Regards,

Ben

Congratulations again to Emily Stewart, member of the Huntsville Fencing Club and Indiana Fencing Club and Team, this year for taking second in women's epee at the United States Association of Collegiate Fencing Clubs national championships.

Beginning Fencing Class
 
Our next beginning class will start on March 26, 2011. The class will run for eight two-hour sessions on Saturdays from noon until 2 p.m. Details are posted on the information page ( https://www.huntsvillefencingclub.org/information1.htm). Class fee is $100, due by the end of the second class. Please let us know if you plan on attending. This will not obligate you, but will give us an idea of class size. Please contact us if you have any questions. At present, we are planning on running only two beginning classes this year. The next will be in the fall.
 
 
2011 HFC Tournaments
 
Rocket City Open: March 19, 2010. Only two weeks away! A D and Under Mixed Epee will be followed by a Mixed Open Epee. Tournament details and pre-registration are available on askFred.net ( https://askfred.net/Events/whoIsComing.php?tournament_id=14403).
 
Second Annual Joe Dabbs Open­40th Anniversary of the Huntsville Fencing Club: June 18, 2011. A Mixed Open Epee will be followed by a Team Epee event. We're also planning a social event of some sort in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Huntsville Fencing Club, details forthcoming. Tournament details and pre-registration are available on askFred.net ( https://askfred.net/Events/whoIsComing.php?tournament_id=14404). In addition to a medal, the winner of the open event will receive an annually rotating trophy, in this case a rapier mounted on a plaque.
 
La Maupin Open: TBD, probably early August. A Women's Epee Open followed by a Mixed Open Epee.
 
MARS Musketeers: TBD, Fall. A Mixed Open Epee followed by either a Team Epee or a One Touch Epee.
 
 
USFA Registration
 
A reminder that, if you are not a member of the USFA but want to compete occasionally, you can join online for a single day for $10. This is a good way to save money if you only plan on competing two or three times per year. You can join for a single day or for the fencing year (August to July) at https://usfencing.org/us-fencing-membership. You must be a USFA member, even if only for the day of the tournament, in order to compete. Regular annual competitive USFA membership is $60.


Attendance Sheet

The attendance clipboard is now posted on the wall in the aerobics rooms. Please help the secretary/treasurer (Geoffrey Babb) out by marking your attendance. See Geoffrey if you have any questions regarding your floor fees, lesson fees, or membership dues.
 
 
Last Year's Tournaments
 
Our thanks to everyone who helped plan and run last year's tournaments, or competed in them, with special thanks to the Story Family, Geoffrey Babb, Mike Greene, Dave Young, and the Central Church of Christ  . Although we had to cancel the team epee event at the last minute during the MARS Musketeers, the tournament still went well. In particularly, four original MARS/HFC guest fencers who were there--Joe Dabbs, John Jordan, Elias Katsaros, and Donnie Phillips--expressed how impressed they were with the club and that the Huntsville fencing is going strong. Anyone who watched these founding members fence quickly realized that their prowess hasn't diminished at all.
 
 
Crescent City Open
 
At present, several club members have tentative plans to compete this October in the Crescent City Open in New Orleans. If you might be interested in the competition and associated celebrations, see Geoffrey Babb.
 
 
Posted Tournament Results
 
A reminder for competitors to let Mike Greene know about any tournament results not posted on the website. We do our best to keep them updated, but some slip by.
 
 
Clinics
 
We recently ran a smallsword clinic for fun, and also a 'footwork tactics' clinic. Given the response, we'll run each again after the next beginner class is finished, probably in June or July. We've also run clinics on beginning epee, epee tactics, basic footwork, and prise de fer/attacks on the blade. Let us know if there's a clinic you would like to see. Clinics are free to HFC members. Members of other clubs must contact us in advance.
 
 
Equipment Donation
 
Many thanks to Monique Kitts and her family for their donation of fencing equipment, including uniforms, fencing bags, and foil lamés, to the club.
 
 
Equipment For Sale
 
The club is selling some obsolete or unused equipment . See Dave Young, or email him at dave.young@springmail.com if you are interested in any of the following:
 
Fencing bags in need of repair - free.
Used foil lames, boys size 36 - $15.
Used synthetic fencing pants, unisex, size 32 - $5.
Used test box - $5.
Used  Epee Combat book - $5.
Posters of Epee fencing positions (from Epee Combat) - $5.
 
Old Prieur scoring box with creative repairs - $50. Usable for an epee practice strip, but does not meet current tournament specifications.
 
Obsolete full jacket, without gusset. $10
Vintage half jackets - $10. Collector's items. Unlike a modern plastron, the original half jacket covered the entire torso and one arm down to the wrist. Originally used for class instruction.
 
Obsolete masks - $5. These CANNOT be used for fencing, as they don't meet the current safety standards.  Good for display or as a collector's item.
 
 
Fencing Parties
 
Thanks again to Chad Scales for hosting the 2010 summer party and our 2010/2011 New Year's Eve party. As usual, we'll hold a party this summer. Intended main course: a roast pig.
 
 
Fencing Fiction and Film
 
For those interested in swashbuckling literature and cinema, the sixth installment of Arturo Perez-Revere's Alatriste series, Pirates of the Levant, was published in English late last year. The film version of the novels, starring Viggo Mortensen, is excellent; several club members own copies. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles.
 
1612, a Russian film combining history, brief elements of fantasy, and swordplay, is available on DVD. Be advised, much of the violence is very graphic. In Russian, with English subtitles.
 
A new film version of The Three Musketeers will be in theaters soon, and in May the fourth installment of the Pirates of Caribbean franchise arrives in theaters.
 
Errol Flynn's The Adventures of Robin Hood was recently released on Blu-ray. The resolution is spectacular, as close as possible to seeing the film as it was when first presented on the silver screen. Several other swashbuckling adventure films are also recently available on Blu-ray, including Rob Roy, Master and Commander, and The Princess Bride.

March 30, 2009

Charlene Kiesler

Charlene, our club treasurer, recently had one of her legs amputated below the knee. She wants everyone to know that she is doing well and is in good spirits. We send our best wishes for her recovery.


Emily Stewart

Emily was recently featured, along with two other area students, in a Huntsville Times feature article describing their superior individual choral performances and abilities. Emily was named female Alabama Outstanding Choral Student at the Alabama All-State Festival. If you missed it, the article is available here: https://www.al.com/huntsvilletimes/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1237194922298360.xml&coll=1


Club Photo

We're looking at dates for both the summer party and a club photo, July or August being the most likely months for both. Please send an email to let us know the best days of the week as well as the best dates over the summer that you're available. We want turnout for the photo to be as complete as possible. Digital copies will be available for free. The photo will be taken on a Friday evening or Saturday afternoon at the club.


Alabama Divisionals

A reminder that Alabama divisionals will be held this Saturday, April 4, at the YMCA in south Huntsville. Those of you who might be interested in volunteering should contact Dave Young ASAP.


Division Election

The proposed slate of division officers for the next term is currently being put together, and must be complete by April 15. Division officers are hoping to have it complete by April 4. We've passed the names of two volunteers (Mike, Jonathan) to the division treasurer (Dave Young). If anyone else is interested, contact Dave ASAP. According to Dave, the election will be held by May 31, probably via email.


MTSU Tournament

Middle Tennessee State University plans on holding an epee tournament on Saturday, April 25. The organizers are hoping for a strong turnout from our club, and we're encouraging our competitors to attend.


Huntsville Epee Tournaments

We have plans to host two epee tournaments per year, starting this year. Ideally, we'll hold one tournament in the spring and the other in the fall. Given our late start this year, we hope to hold the spring tournament this summer. The main event will be an open mixed epee competition, and we'll probably hold a team event or one touch epee round robin as an additional "fun" event. We're also considering "D and under" and youth events, time and venue permitting. The tournaments will be the Joe Dabbs Open and the M.A.R.S. Musketeers Open, the former in honor of M.A.R.S. and HFC founding member Joe Dabbs, and the latter in honor of the original NASA-based M.A.R.S. club and its members from which the HFC developed.


Epee Refereeing Issues

Later this week we'll be posting a pdf file of epee refereeing issues and notes on our website. The document, written from the fencer's point of view, will review significant epee rules and refereeing issues, and hopefully clear up some misconceptions. It will not be a substitute for reading the rule book and learning the rules.

Clinics

Right now Ben has tentative plans for running two to four one-hour epee clinics over the next month on designated Saturdays between noon and 2 p.m. The clinics will be free. Tentative topics include Infighting and Fencing at Close Distance, Epee Defense, Epee Footwork, and Basic Epee Tactics. He might also hold a clinic on late 17th and early 18th century smallsword technique. Dates will be posted on the website during the coming week.


Beginning Class

The next beginning class will start in early May. We'll post the date and send out notices during the coming week.


Mask Designs

For those of you who have asked about designs or graphics on the face of the mask, the following is quoted from the rules book, Appendix A to the Material Rules, at the end of section 2.1 (page 68): "USFA Note: Masks may feature colored designs on condition that they are approved on the sole and absolute discression [sic] of the Head Referee, and is unappealable at that event." In other words, in general avoid them, or risk not being able to wear the mask in competition. If you do paint a design on your mask, have a second mask available in case the design is not approved.


Strength, Technique, and Fortune versus Spirit

From Montaigne's essay Of Cannibals: "We have sufficient advantages over our enemies that are borrowed and not truly our own; it is the quality of a porter, and no effect of virtue, to have stronger arms and legs; it is a dead and corporeal quality to set in array: 'tis a turn of fortune to make our enemy stumble, or to dazzle him with the light of the sun; 'tis a trick of science and art, and that may happen in a mean base fellow, to be a good fencer. The estimate and value of a man consist in the heart and in the will: there his true honour lies. Valour is stability, not of legs and arms, but of the courage and the soul; it does not lie in the goodness of our horse or our arms: but in our own." Similar sentiments are expressed in 17th and 18th century Japanese works on swordplay.

In the same essay, Montaigne also briefly addresses the subject of spirit and surrender, quoting Seneca's famous line: Si succiderit, de genu pugnat--"If his legs fail him, he fights on his knees." (Monty Python and the Holy Grail wasn't very far off, after all.) Dr. Francis Zold, a student of Italo Santelli and a revered fencing master, put it much more simply: "Never give up!" Our thanks to Mary Crouch for pointing out Montaigne's essay.


Swordswomen in History

"There have lived many famous swordswomen in France, conspicuous among whom, at different times, were Madame de Chateau-Gay, who was perfect mistress of the rapier; there was also La Donze, who killed two professionals at Auvergne. La Baupré and La des Nilis were both experts with the sword; while La Maupin, disguised in male attire, at a bal masqué killed three clever Parisian swordsmen in one night. What training may accomplish with women is, perhaps, best shown in Vigéant's account of Jean Louis' daughter--who is, by far, the most excellent and extraordinary swordswoman that ever lived." From Ben C. Truman, The Field of Honor (New York: Fords, Howard, & Hulbert, 1884), 459. Jean Louis, a Frenchman of mixed African and European parentage, was possibly the greatest swordsman and master of the 19th century.


March 9, 2008