Club Update, March 22nd, 2012

Van Diemen Fencing Club is based at the YMCA in Glenorchy: 

8a Constance Avenue, Glenorchy.

You can contact the club 10am-9pm, 7 days a week:

0428 057 473

van.diemen.fencing.club@gmail.com

www.hobartfencingclub.com.au

 

Hello all!

Long time no update.

 

We now have squad training monthly, see previous blog update for a list of 2012 dates.

The March one went really well, we're definitely close to having a smooth format for training.

 

Junior club (7-10s) is now up and running. 

Tuesdays 5-6pm. 

New members are required to have 4 x individual lessons before they join junior club.  

Contact Avril Roddam for information and to book a lesson.

AFF #1 - Open Nationals - Melbourne

This weekend VDFC members Jack Aylward and Avril Holderness-Roddam will be competing in the first National tournament for 2012. 

Jack will be entering the Open Men's Epee and Avril will be in the Open Women's Epee.

Good luck Jjack! (Avril writing this so it would be weird if I wish myself good luck...) ;)

 

Farewell to Magaly Le Du

Our lovely French Sabre coach has returned to France. We will all miss her but if we're lucky she will visit again in the future :) 

Don't forget adult (11+) club is Tuesdays, 6-8pm @ YMCA in Glenorchy.

Cheers,

Avril Roddam

Head Coach

Van Diemen Fencing Club

Beginner and Intermediate Courses

Hello!

It is coming to the end of a fantastic year at Van Diemen Fencing Club. 

I have enjoyed meeting so many lovely people and look forward to meeting more in 2012!

This year:

• VDFC opened at the YMCA in Glenorchy with a lovely opening night consisting of cupcakes and fencers from beginners to very experienced, some of whom hadn't fenced for several years and some of whom were training for National tournaments this year.
• We have had two tournaments and one still to come before the year ends. We held OPEN, U20s, U17s and U15s events and saw fencers competing in a happy and friendly atmosphere.
• We have had fencers from Europe visit and currently we have the lovely Magaly teaching the beginner Sabre course - everyone is loving it!
• We went to watch The Three Musketeers together at the cinema... an interesting adaptation it was!
• Some club members represented the club at other tournaments, another congratulations to Jack Aylward for coming 3rd at the Scullduggery Golden Blade Tournament!
• I have seen many members transform from nervous beginners to very fine fencers, using finesse, accuracy, speed and style to win their bouts.
• We have grown from a hand full of members to lots of regulars ranging from beginners to ex International fencers and I have a big surprise for everyone next year, but you'll need to come to club to find out ;)

Beginner and Intermediate Epee Fencing courses start in February 2012.

Ages 7-10

Ages 11-15

Ages 16+

Ages 11+ (Great for parent-child pairs etc)

Classes will fill quickly so contact the club now for more information and to book your space:  van.diemen.fencing.club@gmail.com / 0428 057 473

___________________________

The Coach:

Avril Holderness-Roddam

• Started Fencing in 2000
• Competes Nationally and keeps up to date with FIE rules, global fencing news and coaching techniques
• Has trained and won medals Nationally and over-seas
• Has a Senior First Aid Certificate with Red Cross
• Has a National Police Check for working with children
• Believes fencing should primarily be about having fun. That said, it is also a great sport for improving balance, co ordination, agility, self-confidence and fitness and suits all ages.

The Venue:

Van Diemen Fencing Club

• Targets for point control practice
• Jackets are washed after every use, masks are cleaned after every use
• Viewing area overlooking club floor for family and friends
• Showers and toilets 
• Scoring box
• Videos of high-level fencing tournaments running for students to watch
• Videos of recent State tournaments for members to watch to analyze and improve their fencing
• Fencing publications from other countries for members to read

Events:

• Tournaments for members and tournaments open to all fencers
• Workshops including equipment maintenance, tournament preparation etc
• Training sessions - general and high performance
• Social events; movie nights, BBQs etc
• End of year Awards Night for members and their families

___________________________

In 2012...

• A well known fencing author and experienced fencer and coach may (we're planning dates with him) be coming to VDFC ro run a training session with members. This is a once-in-a-blue-moon experience so be excited :)
• Early in the year a group of members will be flying to Melbourne to compete in a Victorian tournament.
• In December members will have the opportunity to compete in the Open Nationals in Canberra.
• VDFC will be reviving the Tassie Teaspoon Cup - a fun event where engraved teaspoons hung on ribbons are awarded in place of medals. The event will be open to fencers from all clubs.
• Lots more but you'll have to wait and see ;)

Cheers,

Club Coach,

Avril Holderness-Roddam

Next Beginner Fencing Courses.



All courses run for eight weeks and cover the basics of Epee fencing; students will learn offensive and defensive techniques and tactics. On completion, they will be ready to fence at club and in local tournaments.


We've made a few improvements for the next lot of beginner Epee fencing courses.

EACH COURSE RUNS FOR EIGHT WEEKS.
The 7 to 10s class will run for 50 minutes and the price will be reduced to $80. We will take a maximum of six students for this class, so please register ASAP, as the class will commence on October 1st.

The 11 to 15s class will run for 90 minutes - an increase of 30 minutes - the price will be $100. Classes will have a maximum of eight students.

The 16s+ class will continue to run for 90 minutes and the course fee will remain $100.

The above classes run on Saturdays.
There will be ONE class on Mondays for ages 11 and over, so if people are interested in a parent-child class, this one will be appropriate, as all ages 11+ learn the same skills. This class will run for 90 minutes and will cost $100 per student, with a discount of $20 for parent-child pairs, so $180 total.

We've made a few new rules for the 7 to 10s class after a few issues with the current one.
The basics are: 

• Parents must stay in the hall for the duration of the class unless the coach is okay for you to leave.
• The hall will be out of bounds until 10 minutes before the class starts - when students arrive 40 minutes early, the coach is then stuck caring for them when the coach has other things they need to be doing.
• On arrival, students need to sit on a seat and wait for the coach to call everyone over for class - running around the hall is a distraction to other students.
• The coach will hand-out Epees - students are not to help themselves as they are not toys.
• If the coach asks a student to stop doing something, the student must stop immediately, no questions asked.

All it takes is one disruptive student to distract the whole class and students who are well behaved normally, will be inclined to copy the disrutive behaviour.  If a student is given a warning and they continue to act up, they must sit out until the coach intives them to join in again.

The 7 to 10s classes are designed to be fun; students play games designed to improve their co ordination, balance, agility, good sportsmanship and work on fencing specific skills.

During each class, students will do blade work, learning the parries and simple attacks in fencing. 

On completion, students aged 7 to 10 will have earned the Junior Bronze Certificate and will be ready to use junior metal Epees. Students must purchase their own junior Epees - once they out grow them (11 years old) the club will buy them back from them so they can purchase the adult sized Epee.

Please register soon as the classes are already receiving a lot of interest.

Regards,
Avril Holderness-Roddam
Coach, Van Diemen Fencing Club

CLUB WEBSITE!

Finally we've had a lovely man by the name of Peter Wallhead design a website for us.

It's very basic until we can afford to add more pages, but it covers the basics.

 

Here it is:                                     http://www.hobartfencingclub.com.au/