Club Tournament #2 and Training Snap Shots

Van Diemen Fencing Club's Second Epee tournament for 2011 was held on the weekend (Sept. 24th).
Open Epee:
1st - Jack Aylward (VDFC)
2nd - Isaac Laredo (TUFC)
3rd - Scott Morgan (VDFC)
4th - Ali Mahjouri-Healey (VDFC)
5th - Emil Kavic (TUFC)
6th - Francis Chui (VDFC)
7th - Avril Holderness-Roddam (VDFC)
8th - Georgie Holderness-Roddam (VDFC)
9th - Heather Howard (VDFC)
10th - Zeekiah Pilon (VDFC)

U20s Epee:
1st - Ali Mahjouri-Healey (VDFC)
2nd - Heather Howard (VDFC)
3rd - Zeekiah Pilon (VDFC)

U17s Epee:
1st - Ali Mahjouri-Healey (VDFC)
2nd - Zeekiah Pilon (VDFC)
3rd - Heather Howard (VDFC)

U15s Epee:
1st - Ali Mahjouri-Healey (VDFC)
2nd - Zeekiah Pilon (VDFC)

Below: Entrants of the Open Epee event.

VDFC fencers, from left: Heather Howard, Jack Aylward, Scott Morgan and Ali Mahjouri-Healey, with their medals from this weekend's club tournament. Not pictured: Zeekiah Pilon.

(Above: Heather Howard, pictured with a medal from the Fencing Tasmania State Tournament in August.)

Above: VDFC fencer Ali Mahjouri-Healey with his medals from the Fencing Tasmania State Tournament in August.

VDFC member Jack Aylward with his 3rd place medal from the Fencing Tasmania State Tournament in August.

The Club:

Training is going well. As per usual, 6-8pm Tuesdays at YMCA Glenorchy.

Here are a few snaps from this evening's club, where ten fencers ranging in experience from State and National reps to beginners were having a lovely evening:

 Below:  Two more shots from the tournament.

Beginner courses start this saturday. For info: van.diemen.fencing.club@gmail.com / 0428 057 473

Van Diemen Fencing Club - a fencing club in Hobart, Tasmania.

“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.

RESULTS: VDFC Tournament #1 - July 2nd

Hereare the results then a write up.

1st. Mark Scully ...............................Scullduggery Fencing Club
2nd. Isaac Laredo ............................Tas Uni Fencing Club
3rd. Peter Terry ...............................Tas Uni Fencing Club
4th. Anthony Rowe ..........................Scullduggery Fencing Club
5th. Avril Holderness-Roddam .........Van Diemen Fencing Club
6th. Jamie Rowe ,.............................Scullduggery Fencing Club
7th. Jack Aylward ............................Van Diemen Fencing Club
8th. Scott Morgan ............................Van Diemen Fencing Club
9th. Saurabh Kemet .........................Scullduggery Fencing Club
10th. Ali Mahjouri-Healey ................Van Diemen Fencing Club
11th. Georgie Holderness-Roddam ..Van Diemen Fencing Club

Our fencers completed their Bronze Certificate in Epee Fencing ten days ago. Only Jack has previous fencing experience, but in foil, not really Epee.

Jack demonstrated that he has taken a lot on board and showed a real improvement since his last tournament. He beat a number of fencers, including A Rowe who came 4th.

It was Scott's first tournament. He beat 1st place Mark Scully. Not only did he beat him, but he did it after receiving a red card (one point against him) for passing the end of the strip. Fantastic bout! Scott also beat a number of other fencers. He demonstrated his ability to analyse and adapt well mid bout.

Ali is 13 and this was his first tournament. He fenced well and made good use of his long reach and fast reflexes, winning several bouts and scoring plenty of points in others, including a point against M. Scully!

Georgie Holderness-Roddam impressed me by getting in there and being offensive rather than staying back. She was constantly analysisng her opponents and trying out various techniques - she fenced very well.

Well done to Jack, Scott, Ali and Georgie! What a proud coach I am after today!  If that's how you fence after only one week of club, you're going to be great at the next tournament with another two months of training! :)

I will pop some photos of the comp up soon :)  

... BUT...

I leave you with some photos from the club launch (Tue 28/6/2011):

Above: Fencers bouting at Van Diemen Fencing Club launch.

Above: Ali V.S. Tom in the back ground. Peter V.S. Andrew in the foreground.

Above: Jack V.S. Ali (background). Peter V.S. Graeme (foreground).

Above: A fencing taster: Morgan, Peter, Javin, Heather and Meg - Coach: Avril Roddam.

Above: Delicious cupcakes, courtesy of Emerald. :)

Above: Andrew V.S. Graeme

Above: Jack V.S Ali

Above: Fencing taster in progress.

Above: Fencers put their gear on. A fencer ses the target practice area. A fencing info display bottom left corner.

Successful Club Launch

Thank you to everyone who came to the launch! We will put photos up shortly.
We had a lovely mix for fencers with a range of experience!

• New fencers
• Fencers who haven't fenced for over a decade
• Fencers who haven't fenced for a couple of years
• People who are about to become fencers (we had three register for our upcoming beginner courses)
• Regular fencers

We had lovely cupcakes courtesy of my friend Emerald - general consensus was that they tasted wonderful!
We had lucky door prizes - 3 x 30min private lessons.

I suspect we should have a good turn out for the tournament this Saturday.

Regards,
Avril Roddam
Coach, Van Diemen Fencing Club