RDF’s Jim fenced his first tournament of the weekend on Saturday in Lincoln, NE. He placed 3rd at the Shamrock Old Farts’ Veterans tournament (for ages 40+). Full results here:
Spring 2017 Beginner Youth Fencing Registration Now Available
Registration is open for our next Beginner Youth Fencing class, which will meet Tuesday evenings 5:30-6:30, April 4-May 9. Have fun, make friends, learn a new sport!
Our 6-week kids’ beginner class is designed so that children ages 8-12 can build up some basic skills before practicing with the more experienced kids. Beginner kids learn safety, terminology, rules, and basic actions through games, drills, and practice matches (“bouting” in fencerspeak). We follow a similar structure to the regular Youth Epee practice: we start with footwork, focusing on balance and coordination, then we put on our gear and work on basic actions, with a focus on mechanics and technique, and we usually finish with practice matches where we try to apply the skills we just worked on.
Cost is $60. All equipment is provided. Students should wear comfortable athletic clothes, specifically pants that allow full range of motion (no shorts!) and close-toed shoes.
ISU Frosty Open Results
Two of our fencers traveled to Ames last weekend for the Frosty Open tournament hosted by the Iowa State University Fencing Club. Unfortunately, they both ended up in the same direct elimination bracket after the first round, so after winning his first 15-point match, Carl had to fence Sarah. We forgot to check the final results before we left and they aren’t posted online yet, but Sarah ended up tied for 3rd and we think Carl is 8th… We’ll update when the final results are posted.
Icicle Invitational Results
Three fencers from RDF competed at the Icicle Invitational in Lincoln, NE on Sunday. In Mixed Epee, Jim finished in 5th place, Julia ended 17th, and Sarah was 23rd. In Women’s Epee, Sarah tied for 3rd and Julia finished 9th.
RDF to Host Equinox Epee Tournament
We’re hosting our annual Equinox Epee Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2017 at Hillside Elementary in West Des Moines, so if you’ve been wanting to see what a tournament is all about or come cheer on your friends, it’s free to watch! Registration for fencers is open, too: https://askfred.net/Events/moreInfo.php?tournament_id=35861.
Times listed on the schedule are close of registration – fencing will begin about 15 minutes afterwards:
9:00 AM – Mixed Epee
12:00 PM – D & Under Mixed Epee
12:00 PM – Y10 Mixed Epee
1:00 PM – Y12 Mixed Epee
2:00 PM – Y14 Mixed Epee
This venue doesn’t have a lot of seating, so bringing a camping chair is a good idea if you have one!
Snowball Youth Tournament Results
RDF fencer Kaden traveled to Iowa City for his first tournament today! It was a foil tournament, which meant the rules (and strategies) were a little different than in epee, the style we fence at RDF, but that’s okay – Kaden’s goal was just to get some experience and see how a tournament works. Since only the torso is target in foil, Kaden couldn’t always rely on his favorite epee actions – like counterattacks to the arm – and had to find other ways to hit. He ended 6th of 6 in Y12 Foil, but it was a good learning experience and he’ll be that much more prepared for his first epee tournament! Thanks to our friends at the Iowa City Fencing Center for hosting the event!
Thank you, Coach Dorothea!
As many of our fencers know, Coach Dorothea’s last day at practice – before moving to Virginia to start her new job – was Thursday. Dorothea has put in a lot of hard work and waited very patiently for this (non-fencing) career opportunity, and we’re so glad she’s been a part of RDF in the mean time. We especially appreciate her help in growing our youth program! We’ve certainly learned a lot from her, and we will miss her cheerful, enthusiastic presence both on and off the strip. Thank you, Dorothea!
KCFC Holiday Tournament Results
RDF fencer Julia competed in two events at the Kansas City Fencing Center’s Holiday Tournament this past weekend. She fenced well in pools, but struggled with the 15-point direct elimination matches. Julia finished 9th in C & Under Epee and 10th in Open Mixed Epee. Final results available here.
December NAC in Richmond
RDF fencer Sarah traveled to Richmond, VA to compete at the December North American Cup. This time, US Fencing was experimenting with a new 2-day format for Division 1, designed to mimic the format used for international (FIE) tournaments. The top 62-seeded athletes received an automatic bye into Day 2 of the event, and everyone else (including Sarah), had to fence to determine the rest of the competitors. Sarah made the 75% cut to Day 2 (anyone who didn’t make the cut was automatically entered in Division 1A, also on Monday) and ended 94 of 130. Of course, when you start out as last seed, the only place to go is up!
Final results available here.
2017 Beginner Fencing Class Registration Now Available!
Registration for our first Youth Beginner Fencing and Teen/Adult Beginner Fencing classes of 2017 is now available! Have fun, make friends, and learn a new sport! Both 6-week sessions start the 2nd week in January:
Kids ages 8-12 meet 5:30-6:30 on Tuesday evenings starting Jan. 10.
Teenagers and adults meet 7-8 on Wednesday evenings starting Jan. 11.
