As you are aware, SAFC will not be running any sessions until further notice.
Because the future is uncertain, for now we suggest you cancel your standing orders from April, and when we return we will look at some sort of credit for the missed sessions in March, whilst we get ourselves up and running again.
Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.
In the meantime, we’ll try to keep you informed of training ideas and possible online training sessions…
PRACTICE AT HOME
So being stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t fence! well, unless you live with another fencer, at least you can practice at home. Here’s a few ideas (thanks Armourer Bird for these two)
[1] Hang up a garden fork and practice your disengages under the tines. Start with a static fork, then try with it moving! Then try with a step-in, and then a step-lunge. Pirate noises optional, arrr me hearties.
[2] Tape or stick some coins to post and try hitting them. From a standstill first, then with a step, and then with a step-lunge.
If you have any suggestions or find any good sources on line, please let us know!
Don’t forget there’s more on our FACEBOOK PAGE and the club has a Whatsapp group for keeping in touch – most of our regulars are on there already and if you’re not, get in touch with Team Captain Bryant via the drop-down box on the home page.
Please heed the official guidance on staying safe, look after yourselves and each other!
Last Thursday our fencers made the short trip to our neighbours at Dacorum for our 2nd league match of the year.
SAFC from L: Flash Gordon, Justin, Richard, JD, Bryant (c), Adam
As expected it was a tough night against stiff opposition:- Dacorum won last year’s epee league.
And they proved too strong for us. Cap’n Bryant managed 2 wins out of 3 bouts and Adam Z-M kept a very cool head under intense pressure to take his very first win outside SAFC! In fact he nearly won two, narrowly missing out by just one point. Dacorum took the epee 6-3.
But we faired better in the foil. JD won 2 out 3 and Alex ‘Flash’ Gordon gave a great performance to win 2 out of 3, one of which was Dacorum’s captain!
Our third foilist Justin had only recently finished one of our Beginners Courses and scored a win in his 3 Counties debut, giving SAFC victory in the foil 5-4. Like Adam, he only narrowly missed out on a 2nd win.
So overall we just lost the match overall 10-8 but a good performance on the night against tough opposition and some big smiles on faces for Adam, Justin and Alex, and that’s what it’s all about…!
Well a lot has happened in the last week and sadly it looks like that’s it for fencing for the club and the league for the foreseeable future until we get through the current situation.
Keep an eye on the club’s website and Facebook page for updates.
Stay safe and look after yourselves and each other…!
In light of the escalating advice on COVID-19, we feel it is in the best interest of club members and visitors to cancel training this week (19/03/20). Sessions for next week and beyond are under review and we will make announcements as far in advance as possible, through the usual channels.
Fees for quarterly/monthly payers and courses will be carried over. (Details TBC.)
Whilst SAFC currently do not expect to be closed in the immediate future due to COVID-19, recommendations from the NHS, DoH and BF are evolving from day to day. Should advice change, and it become necessary to close the club, we will make an announcement via our website, Facebook page, and the club’s Whatsapp* group.
If you are planning to visit the club while there are still concerns about the spread of the virus, please ensure you check at least one of the above, as there is sometime a delay in the distribution of emails beyond our control.
If you are exhibiting flu like symptoms, please do not attend the club. We reserve the right to refuse entrance to the club to anyone who appears unwell.
If you test positive for COVID-19, it is imperative that you inform The Club as quickly as possible. This information will be treated as confidential and names will not be circulated, but it is important that we are aware of any risks and able to advise other members accordingly.
In the meantime, we hope you are all well.
*if you want to join the club’s WhatsApp group please contact Team Captain Bryant via the ‘contact us’ page here, or get in touch with him via facebook.
As of 5/3/20, British Fencing have temporarily suspended “the handshake rule” in the light of concerns about the spread of COVID-19, and “recommends that affiliated clubs consider adopting a similar approach …”
As we are a BF affiliated club, it is our duty to follow recommendations. So if you or your opponent don’t want to shake hands at the end of a bout, that’s fine – a simple salute will suffice. However, we will not be banning hand shaking, and emphasise that the responsibility for such decisions lies exclusively with the individuals involved.
If you test positive for COVID-19, it is imperative that you inform The Club as quickly as possible. This information will be treated as confidential and names will not be published, but it is important that we are aware of any risks and able to advise other members accordingly.
Thanks for your cooperation and understanding.
COMPETITION NEWS: THREE COUNTIES LEAGUE
Last Thursday our intrepid teams headed into the frozen wasteland of the North, aka Milton Keynes, for our first Three Counties League match of the year.
From L to R: Bird, Baker, Batchelor, Bimon, Bryant (c), Biles
The Epee team of Bryant (c), Batchelor & Baker had a slightly shaky start, going 3-1 down, but they rallied strongly & didn’t lose another bout, taking the epee 6-3.
It was a strong performance from the off in the Foil with Giles winning all 3 of his bouts and Simon and Bird taking a brace of wins apiece, giving us a win 7-2.
Overall a very good start to the campaign!
This Thursday we are away at Dacorum and we welcome two newcomers to the team. Adam steps into the league doing epee and Justin joins us for foil. Both have only recently finished Beginners Courses with us so it’s great to see them step up to competing for the club, it will be (a) great experience for them.
EASTERN REGION SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
A number of our fencers entered the ER Senior Championship on Sunday.
In Epee, Bryant won 3 out of 5 bouts and ranked 11th after the Poule stage. He won his first DE fight so went into the last 16 but then lost 15-9; final ranking 13/29.
Other SAFC regular epeeists Jeremy Baker finished 11th, Coach Lajos finished 9th and Sir John of Broxbourne went on to finish in 7th place.
In the foil, unfortunately Giles and Philip were drawn against each other in the first round of DE! Giles was victorious but lost in the next round and eventually finished 15/28.
Special mention must go to Justin, in his first fencing comp having not long finished a Beginners course. He won 2 out of 5 poule matches and scored 4 points in his DE against the fencer who finished 3rd. Justin finished 20/28, not bad at all for a novice.
Great results guys, good efforts!
IN OTHER NEWS
WhatsApp
The club has a WhatsApp group, very handy for comms (eg lifts to competitions etc); if you’d like to join please contact Cap’n Bryant.
Social Secretary
We are in need of a new Social Sec. (thanks Justine for your work) so if you can help organise one or two social events a year please let us know…
And finally…
We’re not going to let a little thing like Coronavirus stop us from fencing, are we?! Leon Paul and Allstar have us covered… literally
And if you really think it’s going to hit the fan, and you must hoard that toilet roll, here’s a handy tip: a full size epee will hold 9, yes 9 (count ’em) rolls.
In light of the escalating advice on COVID-19, we feel it is in the best interest of club members and visitors to suspend training.
We will keep the situation under review, and post updates in our News feed and emails, on our Facebook page, and via the club’s Whatsapp* group.
Fees for quarterly/monthly payers and courses will be carried over and weeks will be made up on the current beginners course. (Details TBC.)
We hope you are all well … and have more toilet rolls than many of the supermarkets.
*If you want to join the club’s WhatsApp group please contact Team Captain Bryant via the ‘contact us’ page here, or get in touch with him via facebook.
