YOUR Coaches

[schlager7]

I am curious about the different coaches and instruction each of us has had.

I'm willing to start.

I did not start fencing until I was in my late 30s. My first Coach was Michael Mergens (foil). Since then I have taken classes from:
Richard Alvarez (foil, epee, sabre, rapier, rapier/dagger and rapier/cloak),
Scott Brown (sabre),
Paul Koo (foil)
and Jerry Dunaway (foil and epee).

[AbbynormalGuy]

Erik Kosubud (Foil)
John Monahan (foil)
Matt Cooper (foil)

[MTD]

I did not start fencing until I was in my late 30s too. My first Coach was Michael Merens (foil) too. Sunce then I have taken classes from:
Richard Alvarez (foil, épée),
Scott Brown (saber),
and Jerry Dunaway (foil and épée).
Something at the back of my head says I left out somebody for saber many years back.

The question is how many of these people disown me as a fencer.

[Don Cravey]

My first instruction was a semester of foil at UT. I enjoyed it a lot, but couldn't afford the time (or money) for competition. I believe I had a very good instructor, but don't know his name.

I joined CLFC about 10 years ago, and was instructed in foil by Mike Mergens, and more by Jerry Dunaway, both of whom I regard very highly.

I later had instruction from Richard Alvarez in epee, and seem to remember going through 3 of his classes. He's another great instructor.

A few years ago, I had a class in saber from Scott Brown. He taught this class very well; I still think back on his key lessons when praticing and preparing for bouts.

[Don Cravey]

Oh, yeah. Regarding time, I think I was 38 ( almost 11 years ago) when I joined the CLFC. I had epee instruction about 6 years ago, and saber instruction about 2 1/2 years ago.

[Maupin]

I was about 22 when I started fencing.

Claude Caux: U of H
Patrice Caux: U of H (was NOT happy when I took up sabre)
Michael Mergens: U of H, then various locations around Clear Lake.
Jerry Dunaway: Same places as Mergens.
Richard Alvarez: Clear Lake
Scott Brown: Clear Lake

Foil, Epee, Sabre, Rapier & Dagger, Rapier & Cloak

[Ryan McMullan]

I started with the Fencing PE class at Rice my freshman year (I was 18), taught by Mauro Hamza. My lineage, by weapon, would be:
* Foil: Mauro Hamza, Tim Miller
* Epee: Chip Jared, Suzanne Simpson
* Sabre: Steve Lewis

And in fencing news from my new home of Santa Barbara, I'm helping the sabre team out here who are just starting up. I hope all are well back in Houston.

[Bill Trapani]

MY FIRST COACH WAS MY FATHER WHO INFORMED ME THAT SINCE I WAS THE OLDEST OF FIVE BROTHERS I WILL FENCE. YOUR BROTHERS WILL SHOOT HOOPS. BEING A PERFECTIONIST HE HAD LITTLE PATIENCE WITH MY TWO LEFT FEET SO HE TURNED ME OVER TO HIS FIRST COACH TONY ORSI IN 1968. TONY HAD BEEN WOUNDED IN WW2 AND THIS ONLY ADDED TO HIS DISPOSITION. HE MADE ME STAND ON GUARD FOR TWO HOURS A DAY FOR THE FIRST 9 WEEKS OF MY TRAINING. HE REALY JUST WANTED ME TO GO HOME AND NOT COME BACK. WHENEVER MY ARMS WOULD BEGIN TO FALL OR MY FEET WERE NOT AT RIGHT ANGLES HE WOULD PICK UP HIS SABRE AND HIT ME OVER THE HEAD AND EXCLAIM,"WHOEVER TAUGHT YOU HOW TO FENCE?" KNOWING FULL WELL IT WAS MY FATHER. ONCE IN HIGH SCHOOL I WAS TAUGHT BY JACK ALBANESE. YES I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ALL THINKING,ANOTHER IRISH COACH. AFTER HIGH SCHOOL I JOINED THE ARMY IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY IN 1972. I WAS MORE FEARFUL OF COLLEGE ACADEMICS THAN OF THE VIET CONG. WHILE IF THE ARMY I WAS TRANSFERED TO THE USMA AT WEST POINT WHERE I WAS ASST COACH TO AND WAS COACHED BY JOHN GERACI, ANOTHER IRISHMAN. WHILE IN COLLEGE 1975- 1979 I WAS COACHED BY ALPHONSE SULLY(SULLIO) WHO WAS COACHED BY TONY ORSI AND WHO COACHED MY HIGH SCHOOL COACH JACK ALBANESE. HEY FORGET ABOUT IT! NEW JERSEY IS A SMALL WORLD. HEY VINNIE! WHAT EXIT ARE YOU FROM?

[Katman]

Erik Kosobud (foil and some epee)
Joel Robinson (foil)
John Monahan (foil and some epee)
All three of these were at FCUH.

These qualify because I spent more than a month learning from each. Some that I've recieved instruction from but I didn't consider 'my' coaches are:

Camila from BCFA
Mauro Hamza
Witold Rutsomoethingoranother, from BCFA.

Edit: Changed wording to include Joel and to not make it sound as if I think Mauro, Camila or Witold aren't coaches.

[Oliver]

I started 1997, in Texas A&M's College Fencing class - working under Tom Cross, the university appointed teacher for any number of things... from fencing to squash.

My very first saber coach was David Burns - he nabbed me over from beginner foil class and stuck a saber in my hands. For a few weeks, he taught me saber like a hammer teaches a nail how to make noise.

Dan Gorman and Allison Frary began teaching me soon after. From them I learned how to do: stop cuts, beat attacks, parrys, and how to seriously injure someone who repeatedly hits you too hard.

To supplement my instruction in college, I began driving to Houston to take lessons from Mauro - who taught me strong fundamentals and tactics.

John Monahan and Greg Dilworth coached me to my first local tounament victory with pearls fo saber wisdom like "just keep attacking" and "make him cry."

After a year or so of lessons at BCFA/Salle Mauro, I stopped taking them routinely and just fenced, picking up lessons from random coaches or from Mauro every so often.

Some nice people who worked with me: Rudy Volkmann, Sarah Soloman, Pogosov, Waldek, and a several Egyptian friends of Mauro's.

My last few lessons were from Andrey Geva and Tomas Stitinski (sp?)

Now I give saber lessons at Salle Mauro. Much more fun. <shameless plug: saber classes Tuesday and Thursday at 6:00pm>

-Oliver

[Oliver]

Ryan, for christ's sakes stop stalking me.

[Richard Alvarez]

The fencing world is really pretty small when you think about it. Most of my own coaches knew each other professionally, and thought highly of each other.

In rough chronilogical order.

Maitre Claude Caux (UH) (foil/epee/sabre/stage combat)

Maitre Michel Sebastiani (foil/epee)

Maitre Jean Jacque Gillet (At The American Fencing Academy in Ithaca, where I met and fenced with Adam Crown, Maitre Steve Cook, Lynn Antonelli, Bucky Leach, Guy Bertrand, Bob Scranton and the wonderful Cornell Team)

Back to Houston and more lessons/Training with Caux/Sebastianni (Where I began teaching at Salle Sebastiani and had the priveledge to fence with Al Peters, Tim Glass and numerous fantastic fencers - each bout being a lesson in itself.)

Off to Paris where I was exposed to the teachings of "My masters' master" - Maitre Pierre LeCaze (by auditing his courses at Marcel Marceau's School of mime, where my wife was a student). I also expanded my training in Sabre with lessons from Maitre Robert Heddle-Roboth, who taught me "classical" rapier and dagger and "baton" as well at Cite University.

And lastly, every student who picks up a foil for the first time and eagerly falls on guard. Because "We teach best that which we most need to learn."

[Dan Gorman]

Well, I started fencing at Purdue University in 1990 being instructed by the other students (most memorably Al Danial) for part of the first semester in foil. Next semester I fenced sabre and the instruction amounted to yell and run at each other. The real instuction for the next 4 years was from one night at Escrime du Lac with their coach at the time (Ed Korfanty) and referees at tournaments (most memorably Waldec Czaja).

My first coach was Mauro then Andrey. I've taken lessons from others at various camps, but them 2 is it as far as coaching goes.


Dan

[August Skopik]

I took the beginning class at Texas A&M fall of 1979, and in the Spring I worked with Kenneth Perkins (sp?). That summer I worked with Roland Reed at the Bellaire Club.

The next summer I worked with Michelle Sebastiani, and like Richard Alvarez said there was a pool of talent to learn from such as Tim Glass, David Adams, Al Peters, etc.

After graduating from college I worked with Claude Caux for about 6 years, and with Patrice after that for about 1 year. I also picked up a lesson or two from Salem, Al Peters. There was a void in coaching in Houston from 1990 to about 1993, when Mauro came to town. I didn't have a knee to take lessons, but I worked with him and wished he was here when I had two knees.

I took a lesson from Adrian last Spring, (now in Phoenix), at FIT and he showed me how to hold my hand in epee so that I now can hit a quarter consistently. I also learned and observed lessons from Sabina, Andrey, Pouj, Vinnie, Eric, and many other coaches in the area. We now have a coaching core that is very deep, and much different than when it was limited to one or two coaches in the area. I now incorporate many of the things I have been taught in the lessons I give.

[margaret]

I began to learn how to fence on September 2, 2003 when I was 44. I am still 44 and am still beginning to learn how to fence! I have had only one instructor, Andrey Geva. He has worked minor miracles with what he has had to work with in me! His incredible patience has been called upon constantly (thank you!) . . . Though I have had some minor setbacks, of late, I plan to make fencing my number one priority in the year to come (except for my children, of course!). I love fencing.

[cowpaste]

I started with classical fencing about February 2003. My coaches were students!

Joel Robinson
Matthew Cooper

Later that summer I took some lessons from a coach in Thailand. Her nickname was "Tim," which sounds weird because in English, such names are usually associated with males.

[Angel Askins]

My first fencing experiences were with the Modern Pentathlon in San Antonio. I was coached by several pentathletes from eastern Europe. But the main coach that gave me lessons for several seasons was named Viktor somethingorother. I don't think anyone has ever called Viktor by his last name.


Then my cousin Leith Askins gave me lessons for about a year. She's an excellent coach.

And now when I'm not so insanely busy Suzanne Simpson, Tim Miller, or Ryan McMullan (come back to us Ryan!) have given me lessons with the RFC.

[Geezer]

I've had foil and mask since I was a teen, but the door never opened. Real opportunity never came until AFTER my mid-fifties...1999, CLFC, "I've got to do this or I'll just die." I don't want to get sloppy here, but my thanks and respect go to many as I learn and continue. To Scott Brown and Jerry Dunaway, my regards, I wouldn't be here if not for them...and Mergs and Richard, who watched and offered comment. Sadly, Richard, you went West as I was beginning, so I've never been your student...my loss! To Suzanne Simpson I owe serious debt. To Tim Miller, to Ryan McMullan, to Siegfried Henicke...all to whom I stand in awe, and everyone esle with whom I've ever crossed a blade, win or lose. Every time, I owe a debt, because as old and slow as I am, I am compelled, and I'm just glad to be there.

"That was a Great Game!", (from the film, "Hook").

[steve lewis]

I got started in fencing by taking Caux's class at UH as a student back around 1980 or so. It was a free elective, held under the auspices of the drama department, not a PE class...still it was basic fencing and not acting, focused on footwork, simple blade work, judging, and directing. Maitre Caux was quite accommodating of those interested in the sport and let several of us 'audit' the class <ie drop in take footwork> even after graduation. Round '85 I stumbled onto the newly reformed UH fencing club and had the good fortune to be introduced to saber by David Hubbard; who is in no way responsible for any of my bad habits, he saw the many flaws of my game and tried valiantly to beat them out of me but to no avail. Mr. Hubbard had grown up fencing in the Bellaire club under Roland Reed. That's the closest I've come to have any structured instruction, after that incarnation of the UH club faded away <I was the only member who competed on a regular basis, and by that time hadn't been a student for years> I drifted around spoiling for saber bouts where ever I could find them, as there was very little saber in town in those days, and would fence foil if I had to. Whenever I found someone with experience like Lei Tan <who used to fence at Rice but now I hear has moved further south> I would try to fence them often and learn from my losses. I would like to thank Mr. McMullan for listing me as introducing him to saber but can take scant credit for his skill, I was simply a bouting partner, anyone who knows Ryan can easily believe that he taught himself far better than I did.

[Ivanhoe]

I started fencing in Feb. of 2000. Our coach is often away on church business so I can't say I've had steady coaching. I was taught foil by two of the veterens, including Peter Power, when I first started. Sinclair was able to return during the summer and fall of 2000 and I received plenty of lessons in classical foil for a time. I got out of fencing for a few months due to school and work and when I returned I took up epee. For the most part, I have been completely self-taugh in epee except for a recent lesson. I've read a few books on classical epee and learned from experience by bouting clubmates.

As to sabre, I am currently going entirely on my own brief observations at the Div II/III qualifiers and what little I trust Nick Evangelista to state; that being to hold the hand in prime.

***EDIT*** Not prime, but pronation vs. supination.
*********

[Rene Garcia]

Started in 96' age 18 with coach Jerry Dunaway @ SHHS weapon foil.

continued fencing through college
coach Scott Whitaker weapon Epee

Junior year of college I switch coachs and weapons
coach Gary Murray weapon Foil

back in houston I now fence all three weapons and take instruction from Jerry Dunaway on tuesday nights.

I am 26 now and have been fencing for a total of 8 years.

[Rene Garcia]

Oh yeah and the above mentioned college is BAYLOR UNIVERSITY.
I was Vice president of there fencing club and there Epee Captin

[pete wells]

The question that John posts assumes that I know anything about fencing. I don’t, in spite of the efforts of many patient and talented coaches over the years. Not to mention all the lessons I’ve learned on the strip or would have learned if I knew enough to understand what all that flashing steel and sudden pressure on my chest or back signified.

As for the question itself, I first tried fencing when I was in High School. The school, Brooklyn Technical HS, had a fencing team and I tried out for it. After a month of running around the halls and doing footwork drills without a weapon I was told that I would never be a fencer and was thrown off the team.

Twenty five years later my family moved to Clear Lake. My son, Ian, and I took up the sport together at the Clear Lake Fencers Club. The head Coach at the time (1995) was Michael Mergens. The beginners class was taught by Michael and Jerry Dunaway so I give credit to the two of them for instilling in me a fascination for the sport. After the beginner’s class I learned from Richard Alvarez and through fencing with other club members. Ian was primarily interested in Sabre and since there was no instruction available at the time he and I dropped out of the sport for a few years.

In the late 90’s we learned that Sabre instruction was available at Bayou City Fencing Club under Head Coach, Mauro Hamza. Mauro was assisted by John Monahan at the time and I took many lessons from them both. Mauro left to found his own Salle and Ian and I went with him. John eventually took up other interests and moved on. Over the next several years Mauro has added several coaches to his staff and I’ve received many lessons and training from them. They are, in chronological order, Noura Fawzi, Sabina Bazarbeyeva, and Amgad Khazabak. All excellent teachers. All very patient with an older and slower veteran foil fencer. There have been others as well but these coaches have had the most influence on my fencing

[Ivanhoe]

Pete,

I've bouted you before and I have a great deal of respect for your ability to fence foil.

[S Simpson]

I started fencing after attending the Olympic Festival in Houston in 1986. I was 25 at the time.
So, people who have influenced my fencing have been....

1. Augie Skopik - for organizing the fencing at the Olympic Festival
2. Judy Cull - my very first coach (for one lesson)
3. Steve Fared - my dearest first coach
4. Claude Caux - for footwork drills
5. Salem - for the 2 months I was in NY at the Fencer's Club
6. All of the more experienced fencers at the NAC's - they always offered advice on technique, etc.
7. Mauro Hamza - for the short time he stayed at Rice Fencing Club
8. Pouj (& sometimes Neil) - wishing I could have lessons there more often
9. The fencers I 'teach' now - they probably help me more than they think I help them

All in all, it's been a great 18 yr adventure that I have never regretted.

Suzanne