“At Van Diemen Fencing Club, the fencers are taught that fencing is about FASS: Finesse, Accuracy, Style and Speed, and they fence by the saying, “TO the target, not THROUGH the target.” A sign of a good fencer is when they do not hit so hard that they leave a bruise."VAN DIEMEN FENCING CLUB, A FENCING CLUB IN HOBART, TASMANIA.
Tasmanian Fencer and Coach Avril Holderness-Roddam is leading the way in a resurgence of Fencing in Tasmania.
Late last year Avril put a halt to the six year decline of fencing in Tasmania by promoting the sport through flyers, advertisements and leaflet dropping. Avril also contacted fencers around Tasmania, encouraging the small fencing community to work together to launch a new state fencing association (Fencing Tasmania Incorporated), the first in over a decade, to build a strong foundation for the soon-to-expand community. She put many hours into researching, planning and promoting and in early 2011, Avril opened her fencing club in Southern Tasmania, Van Diemen Fencing Club.
The club is modelled on top European fencing clubs and is the only club in Tasmania with a coach registered with the Australian Fencing Federation.
Avril’s club currently has four members training to represent Tasmania at National tournaments later this year and in 2012, including one cadet (U17s) fencer.
Van Diemen Fencing Club provides classes for ages 5 and over and has club members from 6 to 60 years of age.
Van Diemen Fencing Club has a mix of recreational and competitive fencers with experience ranging from beginner to National representatives. Fencing is a great sport for people who are not so keen on team sports, but there are also opportunities to fence in teams representing clubs, Tasmania and Australia.
Fencing as a sport has a long history and was one of the first three sports in the first Modern Olympic Games.
Van Diemen Fencing Club fencers in Tasmania:
At the recent VDFC Open Epee Fencing Tournament #1, one of Van Diemen Fencing Club’s beginner Epeeists beat Tasmania’s #1 Male Open Epeeist, Mark Scully. One of VDFC’s junior fencers scored 3 points in a 5 point bout against Tasmanian University Fencing Club’s President, Isaac Laredo, who split the junior’s glove in a particularly rough hit.
At Van Diemen Fencing Club, the fencers are taught that fencing is about FASS: Finesse, Accuracy, Style and Speed, and they fence by the saying, “TO the target, not THROUGH the target.” A sign of a good fencer is when they do not hit so hard that they leave a bruise.
Van Diemen Fencing Club holds Beginner Fencing Courses regularly. These courses run for eight weeks and cover all the basics of fencing with the Epee sword, the sword now commonly used to introduce beginners to the sport.
