September 30, 2008

No fencing on Thursday, October 2, 2008

Just a friendly reminder that there will be NO FENCING on Thursday, October 2, 2008.

We will resume fencing on Monday, October 6, 2008.

Have a good week! See you on Monday!

September 19, 2008

Northern Freeblades Fence-Off Tournament -- October 4-5, 2008

The UNBC Freeblades Fencing Club is pleased to invite you and all your members to the innaugral "Northern Freeblades Fence-Off"! This performance clinic and tournament competition is taking place at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George over the weekend of October 4-5, 2008, a date that is fast approaching!

Events on Saturday, October 4th will include Open mixed Foil and Sabre, and on Sunday, October 5th, there will be 2 hour performance clinic in the morning led by Maitre Victor Gantsevich of Dynamo Fencing Club, followed by competitions in Cadet mixed Epee and Open mixed Epee.

Prince George is a scenic 9.5 hour drive from Vancouver, and there are plenty of hotels, motels, and B&Bs in the city for you to stay on the Saturday night. In addition, there is a limited number of free billeting with UNBC fencing club members too, on a first-come first-served basis.

Full information sheet and registration form documents can be found on the BCFA website at www.fencing.bc.ca. Register by emailing this email address (pgfreeblades@yahoo.ca), and feel free to email or call Gareth Hopkins (250-981-5325) with any questions you may have.

September 16, 2008

No fencing on Thursday, September 18th

Just a friendly reminder that there will be no fencing this Thursday, September 18th due to Clubs Days. AMS has booked all the big rooms in the SUB during Clubs Days so we weren't able to find a room to fence in!

The next practice is on Monday, September 22, 7:00-9:00 pm in the SUB Ballroom Extension.

See you there!

Term 1 Club Equipment Orders

It's that time of year again! We've decided to start taking in orders so take out that wish list of yours and decide what you want ordered! We're ordering from Absolute Fencing again. Why? Because there's always a demand for it! Plus, as a club, we get up to 20% discount on fencing gear. So, what's different this year? Well, as a requirement to place your order down, we will need (in a form of cash or cheque) a non-refundable deposit. We're asking 80% of the total cost of the item(s) you want ordered (not including taxes, duty and shipping costs -- that will be given to us when they give us the bill after the final order has been sent out...and when customs gives us the bill of what we owe them). To make things easier, if the item you want ordered costs $100 USD on the website (without taxes and shipping added on it yet), you will have to pay us a non-refundable deposit of $80 CAD. We are aware that the exchange rate may fluctuate on a day-to-day basis (and may not be on par with the Canadian dollar) so that is why we would like the "80% of the total cost" in Canadian dollars. The remaining money we will charge you (once the taxes and shipping are calculated) will be at the time of item pick-up. When the equipment arrives, we'll bring it over to fencing practice, collect the remaining money that you owe us, THEN we'll give you your item(s).

Here is the website: http://www.absolutefencinggear.com

Please provide us with the EXACT product name, price (in USD dollars), catalog number, size, colour, hand (left or right handed), and any other important details that will help me determine which item(s) you want. It gets even more tedious when you order clothing or full weapons, so DO BE SPECIFIC.

We will be taking in orders AND MONEY starting now until Thursday, October 9, 2008. October 9th is the very last day we'll be accepting the 80% non-refundable deposit.

Please send us your order via EMAIL please, it's just easier that way to manage records in the event there is some form of miscommunication.

Just to clarify on the discounts, we get 20% off Absolute Fencing (AF) equipment. The 20% club discount we get from Absolute Fencing applies to only Absolute Fencing-brand items. AF kits get 5% discount mainly because you already save a lot of money by ordering a kit so the best discount they can give us is 5% off. Despite that, the club still receives a smaller discount regardless of brand but it varies between each brand (Negrini, Leon Paul, Uhlmann). It's obvious we get the biggest discount on AF brand items.

Here is a breakdown of the different club discounts by brand:

For Uhlmann and Negrini, all FIE blades, and French and German parts -- 15% discount
For Leon Paul products -- 10% discount
For Absolute Fencing brand items (not including kits) -- 20% discount


There seems to be some confusion on how to measure yourself to figure out which size fits you best. Here's some helpful tips on how to measure yourself properly so that you'll be able to order the right size.

For chest protectors, they come in sizes XS to SL. Here is a breakdown of the sizes in detail:
XS = for girls who are under 12, or under 30A
S = is 32 ABC cup
M = is 34 BCD cup
L = is 36 BCD
XL = 38 and higher


Here's the Absolute Fencing sizing chart, for your convenience -- http://www.absolutefencinggear.com/Sizing.pdf

Note that for AF cotton jackets, measure your chest and THEN add an additional 6 inches. For AF nylon jackets, add an additional 4 inches. E.g. if you measured yourself to be 34 inches, add 6 inches -- so you would order a size 40 cotton jacket.

Here's a better diagram to better measure yourself -- http://www.fencepbt.com/pbthome3.nsf/70C93D082F9947218525704D006E70DB/346370E6002776BA8525707A0067FF4A?OpenDocument

For breeches/pants, you measure your waist. If you are a 32", then order 32". If you are slightly over 32" and prefer something a little more roomier, then I would suggest 34".

If you have a 38" chest, then I would suggest that you order 38" or 40". It really depends on the stretch of the material and the brand name. Uhlmann and Leon Paul brands, for example, have different sizing charts.

Here is some information grips and sizing information -- http://www.amfence.com/html/grip_pics.html

If you're a beginner, I would recommend that you get yourself a french grip so you won't pick up any bad habits, plus your point control would be much better. French handles/grips come in one size so there's no need to fret over which "size" is right for you, unlike pistol grips.

However, if you want to get a pistol grip, here are some useful information. Pistol grips all vary in size and style. There are many different types such as Visconti, Belgium, Russian, Rambeau, etc. People usually go for Visconti, it's more of a preference thing. It's best to physically try out a pistol grip before ordering one. The best way to do so is if you see a club member with one, politely ask him/her if you could hold onto it for a second. You'll either like it or you don't.

Glove size: 6 or 7 = Visconti extra-small, SchermaSport small
Glove size 7 or 8 = Visconti small, Belgian Standard, SchermaSport medium
Glove size 8 or 9 = Visconti small, Belgian Standard
Glove size 9 or 10 = Visconti medium, Belgian Modern, SchermaSport medium, German, Rambeau
Glove size 10 or 11 = Visconti large, Russian, Belgian Large, SchermaSport large

For glove size, you should measure around the palm of your hand excluding the thumb, and then add 0.5" - take a look at this diagram -- http://www.fencepbt.com/pbthome3.nsf/70C93D082F9947218525704D006E70DB/6B8DB481F46951648525707A0068442D?OpenDocument

For example, if you are a size 7" for gloves, then add 0.5" - you should order size 7.5" gloves.


Good luck!

September 10, 2008

2008 Leon Auriol Open

The USFA WWD presents
the 2008 Leon Auriol Open
October 4-5, 2008
at Salle Auriol Seattle

http://askfred.net/Events/moreInfo.php?tournament_id=6472

The Leon Auriol Open is a Western Washington tradition dating back to 1982. Founded by Maitre Leon Auriol himself, this event has consistently been attended by the best fencers in the Pacific Northwest.

WWD members will earn points toward the WWD points list based on their placement in each event.


---- Schedule ----

Saturday, October 4:
8:00 am - Doors open
9:00 am - Mixed Saber, Women's Epee
12 Noon - Mixed Foil

Sunday, October 5:
8:00 am - Doors open
9:00 am - Women's Foil, Women's Saber
12 Noon - Mixed Epee

If all goes according to plan, the mixed foil & epee events will finish around 6:00pm each day.

All times are close of registration. Arrive early to get your equipment checked! We will be running on a strict schedule so your promptness is appreciated.

Fencers that wish to fence in two events on the same day must report to the strip when called or they may be scratched from the event. We will try to accommodate people as best we can, but we will not delay events if a fencer is still fencing in another event.


---- Registration Information ----

Registration is $10 USD plus $20 USD per event entered and must be pre-paid.


!!! IMPORTANT !!!
This year we are requiring pre-payment of all fees (just like a NAC.) The registration & payment deadline is 11:59pm PDT on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29th. No exceptions will be made - if you miss the deadline, you will pay DOUBLE fees at the door.


Follow this link to register & pay online with AskFRED:
http://askfred.net/Events/Prereg/prereg.php?tournament_id=6472

September 07, 2008

BC Fencing Association Membership for 2008-2009

Hi folks,

Just thought I'd point out that for those who would like to fence competitively for the 2008-09 season, you're just in luck. This year, the BC Fencing Association reduced its membership fee from $80 to $40. You have to pay $10 to the CFF (directly on the CFF website) to purchase/renew your licence, followed by paying $30 to the BCFA for branch membership (directly on the BCFA website).

Here are the links for convenience:

$30 BCFA membership: http://www.fencing.bc.ca/Content/The%20BC%20Fencing%20Association/Join%20the%20BCFA.asp

$10 CFF licence for purchase: http://www.fencing.ca/cff_licence_info.htm