bravissimo, franco! - the british academy of fencing

when I returned from the States I wanted to work with an Academy that could offer alot of professionalism. I did my Epée Diploma here in 2009 and, at that time, I wasextremely happy with the training I received. I was confident that I could achieve mygoal of attempting two Diplomas in one week. After my first experience I believed itwas possible, because the people here are just great. I loved the programme and theAcademy is run by people who are very competent.”

Tackling two Diplomas at one exam requires a lot of hard work and preparation.We asked Franco about this. “Since my last visit, I have been working hard with mypupils. I reviewed all the material before I came to the course. I knew I would haveto work hard to put what I knew into practice, so I decided to come with a pupil, Achille.Normally people work on the course in pairs and change between being coach or pupil.When it was time to change, I simply changed weapons and continued with the samepupil. I wanted Achille to have the experience of the course, to learn the basics andimprove his technique. It would have been hard for him to do everything, so I alsoworked with other course members during the week.”

Asked to sum up his week at Denstone, Franco said, “I am very grateful for thechance to participate in the course and for the title it has earned for me. I have to saythat the staff were great.” And would he keep in touch with the Academy now?

“Certainly. I have my application for membership ready.”

We concluded the interview with two words, “Bravissimo, Maestro!” to which ournew Professor replied “Grazie”. Very well done, Franco.

BRAVISSIMO, FRANCO!

British Academy of Fencing

ACADEMY NEWS“Run by coaches for coaches”

Academy News is edited by Bob Merry, 6 Birkdale Close, Bramhall, Stockport, Cheshire SK7 2LN.Tel: 0161 440 9613 or 07836 764026. Email: [email protected].

Articles and other material are welcome and should be sent to the EditorPrinted by BM Colour, Unit 20, Hillgate Business Centre, Swallow St., Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 3AU

November 2011Issue 63

IN THIS ISSUE

The Academy has another new FullDiploma Master, following the Autumncourse at Denstone. He is Franco Cerutti, aformer Swiss international fencer, who nowcoaches in Switzerland. After gaining anEpée Diploma in 2009, Franco returned toDenstone and completed two Diploma examsin one go, achieving high marks in both ofthem.

Academy News caught up with Professor (orshould that be Maestro?) Cerutti immediately afterthe results were announced to get his reactions. Whatwere his feelings? “Happiness. But I want to remainhumble and certainly pass on what I have learnt to mypupils.”

BAF courses have proved popular with overseascandidates. Why did Franco choose to train with theAcademy? “I started my training in the USA and

Professor Franco Cerutti (right), with his hard-working pupil,Achille Giacopini, in a relaxed mood after the exams

DOCUMENTATION

The following documentation is available from the Course Officer, Dave JerryKey Teaching Points FoilKey Teaching Points EpeeKey Teaching Points SabreKey Coaching Points FoilKey Coaching Points EpeeKey Coaching Points SabreGlossary of Terms (including Translation of Fencing Terms).............£7.35 (£9.45)Employment Guidelines……………………………………..............£7.35 (£9.45)Teaching/ Coaching Tactics (2nd Edition)..........….….....................£16.80 (£21)CD-Rom Issue 5 – this contains all the syllabuses and current questions for BAFexaminations, as well as other examination material….…………....£10.00 **Examples of past written Papers – for the Advanced and Diploma examinations -FREE - apply to Course OfficerAll prices include p & p. Figures in RED are for non-BAF members** Price of CD-ROM includes lifetime replacement guarantee - only buy once!

For all the latestinformation and

merchandising go tothe Academy web site

atwww.baf-fencing.org

YOUR COMMITTEEPresident:Prof. Philip Bruce190 Ashurst RoadPeel Hall, Manchester M22 5AZTel: 0161 498 6625Email: [email protected]

Vice-President:Prof. Peter Cormack52 Queens RoadKenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 1JSTel: 01926 859881Email: [email protected]

Vice-President:Prof. Louisa Miller84 Avon StreetWarwick, Warwickshire CV34 4PXTel: 01926 494 145Email: [email protected]

Treasurer:Prof. Liam Harrington76 Varney Road, Hemel HempsteadHerts. HP1 2LRTel: 07712 633106email: [email protected]

Secretary:Prof. Bob Merry6 Birkdale Close, BramhallStockport, Cheshire SK7 2LNTel: 0161 440 9613email: [email protected]

Members’ Representative:Stuart Clough1 Yew Tree CottagesBrown StreetOld Newton, Stowmarket IP14 4QBTel: 07886 708392Email: [email protected] *

Assistant Secretary and Course Officer:Provost Dave JerryOrchard Rise, ChurchtownBelton, Doncaster DN9 1PETel: 01427 874109email: [email protected]

Additional Committee Appointments:

Chairman, SSTT:Prof. Leon Hill

International Secretary:Prof.Philip Bruce

Child Protection Officer, Welfare Officer:Prof. Louisa Miller

Chairman, Disciplinary Sub-CommitteeProf. Peter Cormack

Proficiency Awards Administrator:Steve MorleyGreen Lane FarmStonhamStowmarket IP14 5DSTel: 01449 711698email: [email protected]

Membership Secretary:Stuart Clough *

Editor - Academy News, Insurance, ExaminationResults Coordinator:Prof. Bob Merry

Film & Theatre Representative:Andy WilkinsonThe Cottage, The CommonKinsbourne GreenHarpenden, Herts. AL5 3NTTel: 01582 713052email: [email protected]

* Please note change of details

November 2011 Academy News

Useful InformationProficiency

Awards

The current rates for awards are:

BAF Members:1 - 4 Awards £3.70 each5 - 9 Awards £3.60 each10+ Awards £3.40 each

Approved non-Academy Coaches:1 - 4 Awards £4.70 each5 - 9 Awards £4.10 each10+ Awards £3.90 each

A5 Study Guides:1 - 4 £2.65 (£2.90)each (incl. p&p)5+ £2.30 (£2.65) each

A4 Syllabus leaflets:Free with Study Guide, otherwise 60p(70p) each.

A3 Sized Wallcharts:65p (75p) each

Figures in RED are for non-BAFmembers

} .......................................£7.35 (£9.45) each

RecommendedRates of pay

Level Rate

Diploma 37.75

Maitre d’Escrime 30.35 and Provost

Member 25.00

Associate 22.35

Travel - included for first 20 miles,thereafter 16.1p/mile

Examinationfees

Level 1 Assessment £11.00

Level 2 to Diploma £21.00 (£26.00)

These are for “normal” exams - forSpecial exams, consult the CourseOfficer. Figures in RED are for

non-BAF members

AcademyWeb site


the president writes......

World Championships

I’m sure other members of the BAFwill agree with me what joy it was towatch the final rounds of the recentWorld Championships in Catania. Timeand finances did not allow me to getover there in person, to my greatdisappointment, but we are so veryfortunate these days to have access tohigh quality video of the bouts, both inreal time and after the event.

Two things in particular stood outfor me. Firstly the presentation of thefinal rounds was absolutely superb.The idea of having the sides of the pisteand those of the adjoining ones light upon the side on which a hit had beenscored was absolute genius. The wholeeffect was dramatic and futuristic andcontributed hugely to the spectatorappeal of the event. On behalf of theAcademy I would like to congratulateand thank the organisers in Catania forputting on such a splendid show. It is tothe benefit of all of us whencompetitions make fencing look soexciting and appealing.

The second thing, which stood out,was the quality of the fencing in thoserounds - which was a sheer delight towatch. After all those times when weare told that expert, orthodox fencing is

“not what happens in competitions”, itwas deeply pleasing to see how theworld champions achieved their resultsthrough just that - superb technique,timing and footwork and with simpleactions executed and timed toperfection. The most outstandingexample of this was Valentina Vezzaliand I commend her final bout to anycoach who hasn’t watched it yet. Thefight saw two fencers at the top of their

Advanced and Diploma candidateslearned how to make use of these todevelop their lessons.

As well as all this, at the request ofthe SSTT, I instructed the staff to stressthe importance of lessons having acompetitive emphasis. At the earlylevels this took the form of encouragingcoaches to improve their ability todemonstrate in a competitive mannerand to demand more competitive effortsfrom their pupils. At Advanced andDiploma level, this took the form ofinsisting that all lessons had theunderlying emphasis of them beingcompetitive.

This course was probably one of thehardest working groups I have ever led.Staff were instructed not to letcandidates sit down during sessions andto make them keep up with thetimetable. I was very impressed at howwell the participants all rose to thechallenge, with no complaints orrebellion and the quantity of work theygot through was nothing short ofamazing. Thank you also to the staff forleading by example and staying on yourfeet throughout the week!

With these three elements in place, Ibelieve that it was an exceptional courseand I am very proud of the finishedproduct. Even those who did notachieve a full pass were substantiallybetter coaches in every way by the endof the week. The extracts below comefrom two of the many kind messages ofthanks we have received since thecourse and bear out my conviction thatthe hard work was seen to be worth it.

I have come away with a great dealof new knowledge and experience.Smashing week and made all the moreenjoyable by being able to work with afantastic group of people. Thanks againand see you all soon! Scott McMenemy

A huge thank-you to all who madethe last week at Denstone a trulyunforgettable experience. The staffworked so tirelessly to get the best outof us, more often than not requiring thepatience of all the saints put togetherand I hope they realise how much itpaid off and how much it wasappreciated. Tom Morse

game and was one of the best examples ofclassical fencing I have ever seen

The Italians should also becongratulated for consolidating theirposition after their success of theEuropean championship, by being sodominant in the individual events. In somany ways and on so many levels, Italianfencing has raised the bar. A little overfour years ago, I was privileged to havedescribed to me, by one of their ownofficials, an overview of how Italianfencing was going to be restructured afterwhat they regarded as having had a poorOlympic Games and some poorinternational results. Three years on theirdominance at both the European and theWorlds must make them favourite fornext year’s Olympic Games.

Denstone October Course

What I saw during the WorldChampionships made me ever moredetermined that the course should drivehome the need to develop the basictechnique of the competitive fencer. Ihave always believed that the training ofcoaches should start with developing arock solid basis of technique to providethe foundation for building anunderstanding of competitive tactics andI wanted this to be reflected on the course.

I therefore asked the staff to put thisinto practice on the course. IsobelCombes and Alistair Urquhart were putin charge of the Level 2 & 3 candidates,while Louisa Miller and I worked withthe Advanced and Diploma Group. Atlevels 2 and 3, the week was structured toprovide plenty of revision of basictechnique with a series oflecture/demonstrations (staff instructedto demonstrate more than lecture!) ofbasic skills. As well as this, candidates atLevel 3 began to be introduced to theconcept of simple choice reactionexercises and how to use them as a basisfor coaching. I hope that such aphilosophy will lead to a much smoothertransition from the early levels toAdvanced and Diploma.

At the Advanced and Diploma levels,I wanted to see candidates learning tocoach tactics, using the flowchartsdeveloped in our Teaching and CoachingTactics book.

One large section of the wall wascovered with A2 posters of simplifiedversions of our basic flow charts and Continued on page 5………..


For me, the highlight of my week, and perhaps of my career so far as a coach educator, was the achievement of twodiploma passes in Foil and Sabre by Franco Cerutti from Switzerland. I have seen people work hard before, but the mannerin which Franco pushed himself during the week was frankly terrifying. In any one session, Franco would train for between10 and 15 minute on two or three skills pertinent to a particular question in foil and then, without a break, would do the samein sabre. I have no idea how he managed to survive it and still perform well enough to pass the exams on Saturday. Hiscommitment, his respect for the system, and the demands he put on himself not to, in his own words, let us down, werehumbling and we feel privileged to have had him on the course. He is the second foreign fencer in 10 years to achieve fullmaster status under the British Academy of Fencing system of coach education. Never in my wildest dreams, when I startedout running these courses, did I imagine that we would one day be routinely training coaches from other countries, let alonehave a such a competitive fencer come to train with us to be a Fencing Master.

Congratulations to Franco on behalf of the whole Academy, not forgetting his pupil Achille Giacopini (also fromSwitzerland) who worked tirelessly as Franco’s pupil at both weapons and still found the energy to stooge for Austin Rosein his Advanced exam. Needless to say this was not the only success - other successes are listed on page 6 of this newsletter.

Another innovation on the course took the form of recruiting a group of experienced club fencers to come to Denstoneon Saturday to be used as class participants for the exams. These fencers were invited on the basis of their ability to fenceall three weapons and to do as they were told in a calm and friendly manner. This resulted in a much smoother and quickerrunning of exams and less pressure on the candidates. An unexpected bonus was that the candidates themselves seemed toenjoy having a group of happy unstressed fencers around who were just enjoying the day - a number of candidatesapproached us afterwards to say how much they had appreciated the fencers being there. So, thank you from all of us toMatthew Clarkson, Mike Finney, Imogen Peacock, Jason Randall and Freddie Scragg.

From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank all the participants on this exceptional course. I hope to have thepleasure of presenting certificates to many of them at our upcoming AGM and hope that the rest will soon find theopportunity to retake the exam and convert their part passes into the full passes they deserve.

Philip Bruce

BAF MEMBER IN ISRAELI DEVELOPMENTOne of our overseas members, Peter Harris, is now helping to develop the sport of

fencing in Israel. A fencer for about forty years and having worked for some years in theUSA, Peter returned to Britain briefly and took Level 1 awards with the help of Prof. LiamHarrington, before emigrating to Israel. These awards gave him the necessaryqualification to work as a fencing coach in Israel.

When he arrived, he was fortunate to find a fencing club in Beer Sheva, almost literallyon his doorstep. As Peter says, “I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. The local fencingclub’s headquarters were two streets away – I’ve never had a club that convenient before.I started teaching right away”. The Beer Sheva club was founded about twenty years agoby Gregory Gross, an immigrant from Russia. It is now run by Gregory’s son, Roy, whohas assisted Peter in getting to grips with teaching fencing using Hebrew terminology(something our documentation has yet to cover!).

Now Peter is moving on. He has agreed with the Israeli Fencing Association to startthree new clubs, to add to the existing dozen clubs in Israel. The first is in his new homecity of Rishon Lezion, whilst the others will be in Holon and Bat Yam. The clubs at Beer

Sheva and Ashdodwill be helpinghim to establishthese new clubs.

Peter reports that all this hard work has helped himto lose around 6 Kg in weight. He is basing his classlessons on the work he did at the Denstone course andhopes he will be able to return soon to add to hiscoaching knowledge and qualifications with theAcademy.

We would like to wish Peter the best of luck in hisventures.

This article is based on an interview published bythe Jerusalem Post, as well emails from Peter. Thephotos were also from the Jerusalem Post.


EXAMINATION SUCCESS

The following candidatesachieved passes in theirexams at the end of theAutumn Course.

Diploma FoilFranco Cerutti

Diploma SabreFranco Cerutti

Level 3 FoilRobert PryerRonin Traynor * Class

Level 3 EpéeKevin NelsonAndrew NorrisBret Gantry * ClassScott McMenemy * IndBrian Greaves * Ind

Level 3 SabreAndrew Basford

Level 2 FoilLaura DelanyTom Morse

Level 2 EpéeJames Bate

Level 1 FoilLaura Delany

Level 1 EpéeJames Bate

* denotes part pass, ineither the Class or Individualsection of the examination.

We send ourcongratulations to all thesesuccessful candidates andwish them well in their futurecoaching.

Supplied by Isobel Combes


STAGED COMBATFOR

DRAMA & DANCEBy

Alexander R DiltsDerek Ware

Masters of the Sword

Paperback 125pp

Available from www.lulu.com£5.58 (also available as an e-book)

Many of our members are now showing an interest in getting involved inTheatrical swordplay (see also page 10), whether it is in order to be involved with local drama groups or something moreambitious. It was with interest, therefore, that we were pleased to receive for review a copy of this book, co-authored byAlexander R Dilts, who works in the USA, mainly with ballet companies, and Derek Ware, whom you will remember, gaveus the benefit of his reminiscences of a long career in films and on the stage in the February edition of Academy News.

First impressions of the book were mixed. It has a large number of illustrations, but these are of variable quality. Theyare all black-and-white, generally small and some are little more than photocopies. The other area which lets down theprofessional standards of the book is that of proof-reading. There are numerous typographical errors and misspellings. Onecan find examples of different spellings, one right and one wrong, on the same page. For example “main gauche dagger” and

“main gauch dagger” are found on page 6. Some well known actors’ names are also misspelt.

But once we get past these imperfections, the text itself has much to commend it, particularly to anyone seeking tounderstand swordplay in its historical context and present it on the stage for entertainment. The first chapter covers the historyof swordplay from early times and takes us through a whirlwind tour of the main developments in European swordplay overthe centuries. The numerous references in the text would give the serious student plenty of leads to delve deeper into thesubject.

After this there are chapters covering swordplay in the Theatre, on Screen and in Dance and Musicals, using copiousexamples to show how each of these has developed.

For those who are involved in local dramatic productions, there is a good chapter on Stage Weapons and Costuming, withmany useful hints to guide the novice fight arranger or director.

The middle section of the book is concerned with the actual stage combat itself, starting with Safety. Then there is adescription of the various moves that go to make up a stage fight. The terminology used here follows the Americanconvention (as does the spelling used - e.g. “Theater”), using terms such as Parry Four in place of Quarte, but non-fenceractors would probably find this more understandable. Fights involving single weapons, such as smallsword or foils, as wellas those using double weapons (e.g. rapier and dagger) are covered in separate chapters, with a large number of movesdescribed and assessed for use in stage combat.

The book also contains two appendices of interest. In the first, there are complete breakdowns of fights arranged for sevendifferent ballet productions, whilst the second has the film script for the main fight scene in “The Princess Bride”, completewith annotations by the fight arranger, Peter Diamond, who also credited the “expert input and pragmatic support” of his longtime collaborator, Bob Anderson, the BAF’s own President of Honour.

The shortcomings of the production of this publication have been noted above, but potential buyers should look beyondthese. The wealth of information contained in the text, both from the point of view of historical interest and practical advice,make this a book that should be in the library of anyone who wants to try his or her hand at fight arranging. As a self-publishedbook, through www.lulu.com, the low price gives good value for money (the e-book is even cheaper). Recommended.

Book reviewBy Bob Merry

http://www.lulu.com


Notice of Annual General MeetingThe Annual General Meeting of the British Academy of Fencing will take place on Saturday 7th January 2012 at 11.00 am atthe:

Hilton Hotel, WarwickJunction 15, M40 , A429Stratford Road Warwick

CV34 6RETelephone: 01926 499555

All members of the Academy are urged to attend.

The meeting of Maîtres d’Escrime, Provosts and Members to commence at 9.30 am.

Following the Annual General Meeting, the Annual Dinner of the Academy will be held. Those attending are asked toassemble at 7.30 pm for 8.00 pm. BAF Awards, Diplomas and Certificates will be presented during the evening.

Nominations for election to the Committee, not including that of the post of President, may be submitted to theSecretary.

Proposals for alteration or addition to the articles are required, in writing to the Secretary, at least 21 days before themeeting (by 17th December). Other proposals to be tabled at the AGM should be submitted to the Secretary 10 days beforethe AGM (by 28h December).

Apologies for absence may be forwarded via any Committee Member.

Professor Bob Merry, Secretary

BAF DINNER - MENU£31 per person (to include two bottles of wine per

table)Please select one dish from each course and send choices to Prof.

Louisa Miller by Friday 16th December at the very latest. Contactdetails for Louisa are on page 3.

Please state clearly the guest name and their choices for starter,main and dessert. If you do not send information, the defaultchoice will be vegetable broth, supreme of chicken and apple andrhubarb crumble.

Starter:

Vegetable broth, served with herb croutons and chopped chives (v)

Beef tomato and mozzarella salad finished with fresh basil leaves and olive oil (v)

Duck and peppercorn terrine served on a bed of mixed leaves and accompanied by herb crostini and red onion chutney

Main:

Supreme of chicken stuffed with wild mushrooms and tarragon served with honey roasted shallots,

potatoes rosti and red wine jus

Lime roasted supreme of salmon, served with thyme roasted potatoes and a finished with a warm hollandaise sauce

Asparagus risotto served in a filo basket and drizzled with red pepper coulee (v)

Bronze Selection served with either Panache of turned Seasonal Vegetables, or Honey Roasted Vegetables.

Dessert:

Steamed toffee pudding served with vanilla ice cream

Apple and rhubarb crumble with vanilla pod custard

Chocolate truffle torte finished with a white chocolate sauce


NEW VENUE FOR THE AGMAfter several years at the same venue, it

has been decided to try a new one this year.The hotel chosen for the weekend is theHilton Hotel at Warwick. This is situatedadjacent to Junction 15 of the M40 and isconvenient for Warwick, Royal LeamingtonSpa and Stratford-upon-Avon, so any guestsnot attending the AGM will have a goodchoice of sight-seeing or shoppingopportunities. For those arriving by publictransport, the hotel is a 10 minute taxi ridefrom Warwick rail station, or 20 minutesfrom Royal Leamington Spa station. For thebenefit of anyone planning to travel by air,

Birmingham International Airport is about a 25 minute taxi ride away.

For those wishing to stay at the Hilton, the hotel has rooms at £76 for single occupancy or £86 fordouble occupancy. These should be booked direct with the hotel (01926 499555), quoting th BritishAcademy of Fencing AGM. Alternative accommodation is available in the area, including a Holiday InnExpress, situated on the other side of the roadfrom the Hilton. Members should also beaware that the Hilton charges £3 for carparking.

The official notice of the AGM is on page8 of this edition of Academy News. Ofcourse, the social side of the weekend is asimportant as the democratic processes of theAGM itself and we will be holding our annualdinner on the Saturday evening following theAGM. Various presentations will be made tothose members who have been successful intheir examinations, as well as a number ofpeople that the Academy wish to honour.The details of the menu are given on page 8, opposite. Please note that you need to pre-order the meal,if you want a choice - otherwise you will be served the “default” meal. Please contact Prof. Louisa Millerbefore the 16th December with your order.

So - there it is. The venue has beenbooked, the meal ordered, and all is arrangedand ready for the AGM. The only missingingredient at this stage is - YOU! Comealong and have a say in the running of yourAcademy - hear what the Committee havebeen doing all year on your behalf. If youlike what you hear, you can thank them. Ifyou don’t agree with them, let them know.Who knows? - you might make a difference!But you need to be there to do so.

Photos on pages 8 and 9 kindly supplied by theHilton Hotel, Warwick

Things have settled down a bit since last time, but I suspect this is possibly the calmbefore the storm. By the time you read this, another Denstone course will have been andgone, so congratulations to all those who passed their exams and commiserations to thosewho didn’t.

Traditionally, this is a fairly busy time of year for the Academy, having had membershiprenewals to do in September and October, a Denstone course to organise, run and arrangeexams on and then the AGM coming up in January to organise and prepare for. It’s this lastone that I would like to speak about now.

The AGM is your chance to come along, find out what’s going on and have your say. It’snormally a very informative meeting, followed by a good dinner in the evening. Of course,if you’ve passed any qualifications and haven’t asked for the certificates to be posted to you,

then I’d hope to see you there for the presentations in the evening.

The other thing the AGM can be useful for is networking. It might sound obvious, but the majority of the people there willbe Fencing coaches like you. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get together with other coaches, make new friendships and renewold ones. You never know who you might meet and what you might be able to help each other with. As long as the eveningisn’t dominated by business talk, then I’m sure most of us won’t mind taking a few minutes to talk over any ideas you mighthave for your fencers or club etc.

I think that’s about it for now, but remember, if you want to talk over anything or have any comments or questions whichyou’d like raised at committee level, then my contact details are on page 3 of the News. I look forward to seeing as many ofyou as possible at the AGM.

Stuart Clough, Members’ Representative


Stuart’s scribblingsMusings from your Members’ Rep.

We had had queries from membersabout whether they are covered forarranging stage fights for local drama groups.

The Insurers have confirmed that our“policy will extend to cover “choreography”

work carried out by your members, i.e. foramateur dramatics, provided it does notinvolve live weapons, and appropriate faceprotection is worn when equipment with apointed tip is being used”. This is thewording passed on to us from our brokers.

To help those of you thinking of takingon such projects for the first time, ourTheatrical Rep., Andy Wilkinson, offers thefollowing advice:

There are many questions you will needto ask the Director of the production. If youget the information below you will have abetter idea and a starting point for what youwill be able to do and stage realistically andsafely.

* What do you have in mind for theswordplay sequence?

* Have the performers required for theswordplay sequence had any fencingtraining before, either as a competitivefencer or through a drama school?

* What are the age and ability (fitnesslevels, movement etc) of the performers? -this is important as you will have tochoreograph the sequence accordingly.Children are not permitted to perform stagefight sequences.

* What costume(s) will the performers berequired to wear? (Remember shoes - theyneed to have good grip) They shouldrehearse in costume at least twice beforeperformance in costume.

* The stage where you will perform willneed to be assessed for safety. The ultimateresponsibility is with you as the fight directorfor all safety requirements of both theperformers (involved and watching) and theaudience. Assess the following:

Does the stage have a rake? (A slope)

What is the condition of the stage floor?Is it slippery? Is it wooden (danger ofsplinters)?

Where is the audience in relation to thestage?

Is the stage of any height? (i.e. a drop tothe orchestra pit) - movements where onefighter moves backwards should always beacross stage.

Lighting - will this be in the performers’eyes if performing a sabre parry of quinte,for example?

All disarms MUST be up stage (awayfrom the audience) - will the sword landsafely up stage and not cause injury to othercast members?

Can it be retrieved after the swordplay?

On a creative note:

Try not to stage a clash of swords overdialogue.

Have spare weapons nearby in case ofbreakage

Always build into your sequence arecovery point for the actors, in case onedries.

Do not be over ambitious - a wellexecuted SIMPLE fight is better, morerealistic and fun, than a poorly executed'flashy' fight done slowly and withoutconfidence.

K I S S - Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Finally, if possible I would make a RiskAssessment for your own protection. A basicRA form is available on the BAF websitewhich you can adapt.

HAVE YOU BEEN ASKED TO ARRANGE A STAGE FIGHT?


More useful bits…….

IMPORTANTAll Course organisers and potential attendees should be aware of the following condition, which applies to all BAF Courses,including “non-official”courses run by Academy members.Please note the Course Officer and the Course Director reserve the right to refuse anapplication to attend the course.

BAF RESIDENTIAL COURSEEaster Course - 2nd to 7th April 2012

Fees for the CourseTo be confirmed

Course to be held at Denstone College, Staffordshire.Contact Dave Jerry, the Course Officer for full details.

The under mentioned names are published as having applied for membership of the British Academyof Fencing. If anyone wishes to raise objections or has information which he or she feels is relevant,please contact the Secretary of the BAF.

All objections will be required to be made in writing and will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Jonathan Daley St AlbansMarina Hauer PortsmouthPhilip Wright AshbourneChris Howser PeterboroughJames Bate Halesowen

Andrew Basford Sheffield Andrew Norris Midhurst Franco Cerutti Switzerland

Tom Morse Oxfordshire

See the Academy web site at www.baf-fencing.org for details of the latest applications.

ADVERTISE HERE FOR FREE!

This page is devoted to items letting our members know of courses and otherevents. If you have a course, event, or even a club you want to advertisehere, contact the Editor, Bob Merry, to discuss this. There is no charge tomembers and you don’t even have to supply any artwork. Simply give BobMerry the details and he’ll see you get a mention on this page.

bravissimo, franco! - the british academy of fencing

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