USFCA Coaches Clinic

USFCA Fencing Masters Mark Holbrow and Rob Handelman are hosting a three weapon, USFCA Coaches Clinic, Monday, August 9 through Friday, August 13. Two days of coaching instruction will be offered in each weapon, including the presentation of both individual and group lessons with both fundamental and advanced tactics and techniques. Individual lesson presentation will focus on different forms of lessons including technical (teaching) lessons, tactical (training) lessons, lesson structure and organization, and emphasis on distance and timing variables in the lesson presentation. Group lesson presentation will focus on functional warm-ups, footwork drills, technical and tactical drills, competitive speed and distance drills, and de-bugging pair drills to get the results the coach intends, especially when working with younger fencers. Whenever possible we will try to video coaches giving lessons and offer feedback. Coaches who are Prevot level and above who wish to spend time on advanced training may be accommodated. EXAMINATION PREPARATION For those interested, we will instruct and prepare the coach to take the USFCA Moniteur and/or Prevot practical exams. The exams will be offered Friday, August 13. Remember, you must take and pass the online written USFCA Moniteur or Prevot exam before you can take the practical. All payments are made online before the test. EXAMINER CERTIFICATION TRAINING In addition, we will be offering a training and certification session for board examiners. All USFCA members that wish to conduct testing must be certified to sit on a USFCA examining board. The cost of this session is $40 and is NOT included in the clinic fee. Fees: Full Clinic: $300 (this does not include Moniteur or Prevot examination fees on Friday,) Daily: $95 Proposed Training Schedule Mark Holbrow will be presenting all four days. Rob Handelman will be presenting Tuesday through Thursday. Material will be covered from his new comprehensive textbook Fencing: A Practical Guide for Training Young Athletes. This popular text includes information on how young athletes learn, prevention of injuries, games specific for fencing, drills and modern sabre footwork. Detailed information on how to give group classes, and individual lessons for the USFCA certification (Teaching and Training) is included. Most coaches teach their classes directly from the text and no long need notes. The book is on the required reading list for the USFCA and will be available for purchase at a 10% discount during the clinic (cash only). Monday, Aug. 9 10:00 - 12:00 -- FOIL Critical fundamentals presented in individual lessons 12:00 - 1:00 -- Lunch 1:00 - 4:00 -- FOIL Critical fundamentals presented in group lessons Tuesday, Aug. 10 10:00 - 12:00 -- FOIL Advanced technique and tactics in individual lessons. Technical execution and tactical use of “sweeps” and “flicks” will be covered, in addition to defense against these actions. 12:00 - 1:00 -- Lunch 1:00 - 4:00 -- FOIL Advanced technique and tactics presented. Time will be spent on the training of students to deal tactically with the modern realities of foil, where forward motion, rather than the extension of the arm, is often awarded right-of-way. This can be taught very effectively in a group training situation. Wednesday, Aug. 11 10:00 - 12:00 -- Epee Critical fundamentals presented in individual lessons Sabre The presentations will vary depending on the level of the coaches, information may include: Group Class Training: A youth sabre training class: functional warm up drills for fencing classes, games for fencing development, and sabre footwork. Group class drills for teaching distance, balance, core and agility. Teaching sequences for group technique drills. 12:00 - 1:00 -- Lunch 1:00 - 4:00 -- Epee Critical fundamentals presented in group lessons Sabre Types of lessons Teaching distances, coaches’ body positions, footwork, target presentation, blade presentation, replacing the student on guard, coaches’ reactions, and cues Footwork sequence for attacks Simple attacks and varied footwork from close and long distances Parry ripostes and varied footwork Footwork advanced actions (sample sequence, use of the half step, using the back foot, the flunge). Teaching Methods and various reactions of the coach Practice “teaching” type sabre lessons for beginning to advanced youths Ending games: i.e., epee-foil-sabre or castle Thursday, Aug. 12 10:00 - 12:00 -- Epee Advanced epee technique and tactics presented in individual lessons including second-intention, various forms of counter-time, infighting, and tactics of forcing the line Sabre Beat attack drills Prise de Fer drills Compound attack drills Counter-offensive actions Second intention drills Taking technique from the individual lesson and using it for group drills in attacks, defense and counter-offense, etc. Q drills attack options off half step (extend off the back foot) Parry riposte drills using invitations with jump back and PR Coaches give lessons working on the actions from the Q drills 12:00 - 1:00 -- Lunch 1:00 - 4:00 -- Epee Advanced technique and tactics presented in group lessons Sabre Teaching lesson drills that can be used for group or individual lessons Training lesson drills that can be used for group or individual lessons The above lessons can be modified for any level fencer and group Friday, Aug. 13 9:00 - ? -- USFCA Moniteur and Prevot Certification Testing Exact schedule for testing to be determined. Mark Holbrow, Maitre d’Armes Maestro Holbrow is the Head Fencing Master and founder of Bucks County Academy of Fencing. Maestro Holbrow holds his fencing master's certification from the United States Fencing Coaches Association and the Academie D'armes Internationale. He studied under Stan Sieja, Head Fencing Master for Princeton University, for seven years from 1974 to1980, and acted as his apprentice and assistant coach for Princeton from 1978 to 1980. Over the last 20 years, he has produced a number of cadet (under 17), junior (under 20), and senior national finalists in all three weapons. In 1986 Maestro Holbrow was a member of the US team that competed in the World Fencing Masters Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. He was the only member of the five man team to qualify and compete in all three weapons at the championship. Although he considers epee to be his favorite competition weapon, he was on the three-man team who took the bronze medal for the US in sabre. In May of 2001, Maestro Holbrow was invited to the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to take part in the US Fencing Association's new "Black Star" elite coaches training program. Coaches having students in the top 32 of the US national point standings were invited to participate in this program. Maestro Holbrow was one of 12 coaches from across the United States who took part in this program. Rob Handelman, D.C., Maitre d’Armes In 1974, Maitre Rob Handelman joined Halberstadt Fencers’ Club in San Francisco, and was the head coach until 1982. He was in private practice as a Doctor of Chiropractic specializing in sports injuries since 1983, and semi-retired in 2005. Rob began fencing in 1968 in New York and competed in sabre. After university, Rob spent nearly three years in Paris at the Institut National des Sports (INS), earning his Fencing Master credential in all three weapons (sabre, foil, and épée). He is one of only three Americans to ever graduate from the INS. He has been an A-rated competitor and fenced in many European "A" World Cup competitions. His students have been national finalists, national team members, and national champions in all three weapons. He was head coach for the varsity team at UC Berkeley, has taught coaches' clinics for the US Fencing Association at the Olympic training center at Squaw Valley, and training camps for our top junior fencers. He has coached US teams at the Olympic Sports Festivals, World Cup Events and Junior World Championships. He has recently published the popular textbook Fencing: A Practical Guide for Training Young Athletes. The text is required reading for all levels of candidates for US Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) certification. Maitre Handelman is currently the chair of the board that certifies fencing instructors for the USFCA. Please make payment to: "Bucks County Academy of Fencing," and send to: Bucks County Academy of Fencing 287 South Main Street Lambertville, NJ 08530 Payment by credit card can be made by calling the Bucks County Academy of Fencing business office: 215-862-6112 If you need more information or if you have questions, please contact Bucks Country Academy of Fencing at (215) 862-6612 or online at www.bcaf.com. Preregistration opens on 07/15/2010. Preregistration closes on 08/06/2010.