Distance.
GAH! I had this page finished and ready to post, then I realized I had coach’s sabre in the wrong hand. Andrei can coach all three weapons with either hand, but he is giving Serik his test left-handed to provide more of a challenge.
Distance.
GAH! I had this page finished and ready to post, then I realized I had coach’s sabre in the wrong hand. Andrei can coach all three weapons with either hand, but he is giving Serik his test left-handed to provide more of a challenge.
Tonight the show The Amazing Race visited Kazakhstan! There were many opportunities for contestants to sample local culture, including a traditional meal, a meeting with Mongol warriors, and a demonstration of traditional Kazakh eagle hunting. However, as usual, the racers are all too focused on winning the money to truly connect with the culture. And as is characteristic of this show there was also a display of American ugliness, with contestants staggering about complaining about a lack of English speakers when they can’t get directions. Then of course they all chose to do something ridiculous like walk through town in a cow suit rather than learn to play a traditional Kazakh instrument. It’s almost painful to watch this show sometimes. Is it just me? The segment is sure to be posted soon at the official website if you are interested in a somewhat farcical taste of Kazakh culture.
This past weekend I had the privilege of attending a fencing clinic with five-time Olympian and coach Michael Marx, hosted by Raleigh Fencers Club. Michael recently left Oregon to take on a coaching position with Alex Beguinet at Duke University here in North Carolina.
Glove distance demonstration
The weekend started with a night of casual bouting. In addition to regulars from RFC, we were lucky enough to have two outstanding epeeists down from Northwest Fencing Center, Adam Maczik and Helen Jolley. Following the bouting we sat down for a discussion about our goals for the weekend, mine being primarily to take back as many training ideas as possible to our small club.
The following day started at 9 am with another discussion. Topics included:
The footwork drills were particularly enlightening, and introduced three maneuvers that were completely new to me: check forward, check back, and forward slide. All three are strategic moves which effectively mask your intentions, and will make a welcome addition to my classes and personal repertoire. Michael’s method of leading the footwork was as entertaining as it was educational, and made what is usually the most dreaded part of fencing practice much less of a chore.
After a bouting session and then lunch at a local pizza joint, we returned to discuss the morning session and introduced new topics.
The beanbag drills were simply outstanding. I had heard of a few of them, but there were many new ones as well, and he only scratched the surface of all of the possibilities. I frantically scribbled descriptions in my notebook to take back to my club. If he comes through on his intentions to publish a video of these drills, I’ll be first in line for a copy.
Sunday began another day with more bouting and new topics of discussion:
It became clear that many of the drills are designed to develop the elusive skill of split-second decision making. By the end of the clinic my head was spinning with information and my body was starting to catch up with me. But I have a full notebook of ideas and renewed inspiration for both fencing and teaching!
In summary, a clinic like this would be well worth your time and money if you have a free weekend and hope to improve either your fencing or your coaching methods. Michael is a welcome addition to the fencing talent already present in North Carolina, and I hope there will be future opportunities like this one. Keep your eyes glued to Ask Fred!
Update 1: For the needle-and-thread challenged, here’s a quick way to construct your own beanbags: Fill party balloons with 1/4 cup of rice or dry beans using a kitchen funnel and tie off. To make these more durable, cut the necks off of 2 to 3 more balloons and stretch over the first. Voilà! Your own beanbags!
Update 2: Picture added.
Slightly off topic today, but I’ll bet there are plenty of you out there who have friends or loved ones in the military. We’re talking about care packages. Gone are the days when the most needed items were personal hygiene and candy. Most deployed military, even in areas like Iraq or Afghanistan, have ready access to exchange facilities*, which stock items commonly found in convenience stores like Oreo cookies, Doritos, soda, and sweets. Shower facilities are commonplace as well, so once-common items like baby wipes aren’t necessary. Instead, you’ll have to do a little more thinking. Being deployed to these areas still isn’t like being at home, so a touch of home or something harder to get will go a long way to relieve boredom.
Some items I like to send:
Don’t send:
Next, let’s consider the packaging itself. The USPS flat-rate box may save money, but for bigger packages, use only corrugated cardboard boxes, not thin paper boxes. Labeled boxes can easily be re-used by turning it inside out: Break the glue holding the flaps and side of the box together, then tape with heavy packing or strapping tape. Use crumpled newspaper or plastic grocery bags for packing materials, completely filling the gaps so that you can shake the box and the items won’t move around. Waterproof vulnerable items by putting them in Ziploc or plastic grocery bags. Once the box is completely packed, seal all seams of the box with clear packing tape (a tape gun works great for this). Put two more strips of tape completely encircling the box perpendicular to the center seam. Put the last strip of tape across the center seam and also completely encircling the box. (If you think you used too much tape, you probably did it right.)
Print the to and from addresses with a Sharpie on index cards, then cover the cards with clear packing tape to seal them completely to the box and waterproof the labels. Get customs forms from the post office ahead of time. You will be required to list the contents of the box. Be wary of how you list the contents to avoid tempting potential package pilferers: put “music” instead of “CDs” for example. When listing the value of the contents, I would also put a lower than actual number for the same reason. When you go to the post office, you will give them the customs form and they will help you do the rest. You will be required to pay for “Priority Mail” service (ask for discounts for family members). Skip the insurance, delivery confirmation, etc. A common delivery time is around three weeks to the Middle East, so plan ahead for birthdays and holidays.
Have fun with it and be creative! It’s always fun to be surprised or have things to share. Help stave off boredom and let them know somebody cares!
Find other tips at the USPS site.
* This is most true for those who stay close to base. If your friend or loved one is in certain fields like the infantry and stationed far from the bases, they may still need these items so be sure to ask!
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