Contents in the 'Articles' Category
Received from Amir Rubin of the University of Florida Fencing Club:
Dear Mauro,
I just wanted to say a huge thank you for hosting a once-in-a-lifetime fencing camp! I especially want to thank you for taking the time to work with me ind
ividually. I can honestly say as I continue to process what I learned in our lesson, my fencing level continues to increase. I’ve also started teaching what we worked on to the fencers here at University of Florida, and their fencing is already improving after just a week.
I had an incredible time, and all the fencers here in Florida love hearing about my experiences fencing the Italians. I learned more about fencing in one week than in the past 2 years. It was also great talking with Dan, as I picked up a ton of tips and examples on how to deal with younger kids.
Thanks again for arranging this and allowing me to participate, I really enjoyed it.
Cheers,
Amir
Thanks Amir and best of luck at Summer Nationals and in the coming season. We hope to see you at our future camps!
Salle Mauro
Lead by Andrea Baldini, Simone Vanni, and Martino Minuto of the Italian Men’s Foil Team, Salle Mauro held its first Italian Camp from June 6-10. Joined by US National team members Miles Watson-Chamley (currently 10th in the world) and Kurt Getz (currently 13th in the world) as well as Tomer Or (former Junior Men’s Foil world Champion) of Israel, over 40 fencers from around the country spent the week in intense preparation for Summer Nationals.
Feedback from the camp is stellar. We’ve heard from attendees that the training techniques used at the camp has already helped raise the level of fencing at their club. Several people have said this is just what they needed to get their fencing to the next level after hitting a plateau in their club. We welcome all comments and want to share them with you.
From St. John’s Maverick Stampede:
From club to varsity, good fences make good neighbors for Alex Stadnyk and Stanford foils.Head Stanford Fencing Coach Lisa Milgram had this to say about Alex.
"He walked onto the team this year and has been on our traveling team ever since. He is a strong fencer and fits the team well. He qualified for post season competition at the first round of the NCAAs this year. He did not qualify for the final round but fenced strong at the regionals. He is a great addition to the team and we are happy to have him."Alex shares his thoughts on the collegiate athletic experience as Stanford heads to the National tournament this weekend.
What was the process of walking on and making the Stanford Varsity Fencing team.
At the beginning of my first year at Stanford, I decided to force myself to take a one-year break from fencing in order to focus on academics and all the other semi-frightening aspects of freshman year. I lasted six weeks – maybe two months, tops – before I started looking around for opportunities to fence. I met with the fencing coaches, and we decided that I would join the varsity team immediately after winter break. In the meantime, I would fence nights at the Cardinal Fencing Club, which is a fencing club affiliated with the university but entirely separate from the varsity team. The club atmosphere was excellent: because the club is not restricted to the same NCAA rules as the varsity team, it is open to all fencers, regardless of age or university affiliation. I was able to fence in a relaxed environment and meet many fellow fencers from the surrounding area, including several who were also on the varsity team. In many ways it reminded me of Salle Mauro, my fencing club in Houston, which only served to ease the transition to fencing in a collegiate environment. I received my official NCAA certification just days before my first tournament, and qualified for Western Regionals through my performance there. In the end, everything worked out wonderfully. Aside from the ever-daunting prospect of morning practices, that is.
What is your training regiment for fencing?
For non-collegiate fencers, the regular season lasts roughly from August to early July, which is the permanent date set for Summer Nationals. The college season begins the first day of school and culminates with the NCAA championships just after spring break. As for extra training this past summer, I actually didn’t change anything. For several weeks in June, I attended my club’s 7-hour summer camps after continuing my regular fencing routine during the school year. That being said, fencing has slowly been taking over my life for four and a half years, and I mean that in the best possible way. The more I fence, the more I love the sport – and the more I am willing to put in the extra hours. Which brings me to my next point. In short, there are primarily two reasons I am here right now. First of all, I had wonderful coaches who were – and still are – always willing to work with me on anything and everything, and I cannot thank them enough. Fencing is both a physical and mental game; between Coach Mauro Hamza, who had been recently appointed men’s foil coach for the U.S. National Team, and Coach Dan Gorman, I had excellent instruction in both aspects. The second reason is hard work and discipline. I know it sounds terribly clichéd, but it’s true: there really isn’t any substitute for hard work.
What has been a highlight for you so far?So far the highlight of this season was my first NCAA tournament, which was held at Northwestern University. The two-day tournament was an exciting chance to put into practice everything I have learned over the last four and a half years.
Congratulations Alex.
From USFencing.org:
By Vicki Volper: Men’s Foil Team Manager
The United States Men’s Foil Team has had a great 2009-2010 Cadet and Junior season. National Men’s Foil Coach, Mauro Hamza, is well on his way to achieving his goal of restructuring the team for increased unity, effectiveness and success. Fencers, coaches and parents are all very pleased with his approach and with the team’s excellent results.
Coach Hamza’s decision to invite some of our country’s outstanding foil coaches to travel with the Men’s Foil Team to international events has been very well received and extremely productive. Special thanks to Jon Tiomkin, Greg Massialas, Slava Grigoriev, and Nat Goodhartz for their outstanding work with our fencers and their contribution to the success of the U.S. Junior team, and to Gia Kvaratskhelia and Jed Dupree for their excellent work with our nation’s top cadets.
Here’s a recap of the top U.S. finishes at the international Cadet/Junior events this season:
At the first event, the Eden Cup, which took place in London in October, David Willette clinched the first Category-A world cup medal of the season, a gold, after a difficult weather-delayed trip from State College, Pennsylvania. Teammate Zain Shaito finished an impressive 8th. Race Imboden and Brian Kaneshige both finished in the top 16, and Alexander Massialas and Alexander Pensler finished in the top 32.
In November, at the next designated Junior world cup in Aix-en-Provence, France, the U. S. Team displayed its depth against some of the top competitors in the world. Race Imboden and David Willette were among the top 16 finishers, and Nobuo Bravo, Jeremy Goldstein, Igor Krivenko and Alexander Pensler finished in the top 32.
At the final Junior world cup of the ‘09 calendar year, the “Steinfurter-Schloss”, which took place in Burgsteinfurt, Germany, Alexander Massialas captured the U.S.’s second Junior world cup gold of the season. Brian Kaneshige’s bronze medal finish and Zain Shaito’s 6th place were also spectacular. Bolivar Charles finished in 11th place, and Alexander Pensler, Jerry Chang and Jeremy Goldstein were among the top 32 finishers.
As always, the toughest Junior event of the season was the world cup in Budapest in January. Despite the stiff competition, Alexander Massialas and Jerry Chang finished in the top 16, an outstanding achievement.
The season finished off with the Junior World Cup in Modling, Austria in February, where David Willette, for the second time this season, stood on the podium of a Junior world cup, this time with a bronze medal around his neck. Zain Shaito finished in the top 32.
Although there are no official international Cadet rankings, there is no doubt that the U. S. Cadet Men’s Foil Team is the strongest in the world. Their success this season bears this out. At the Cadet competition in Budapest in October, Adam ElKassas took the bronze, Race Imboden and Michael Woo finished in the top 16, and Robert Daniluk, Jerry Chang, Jonathan Jacovino, Rodney Chen and Nobuo Bravo were in the top 32.
In November, the Cadets fenced the extraordinarily large international invitational in Cabries, France. Out of 427 participants, four of the top eight finishers were Americans: Alexander Massialas crushed the competition, and for the second consecutive year, struck gold. Jerry Chang took bronze, and Brian Kaneshige and Race Imboden finished 5thand 8th respectively. In the top 16 were Nobuo Bravo, Harrison Bergman and Michael Dudey. Jonathan Lee and Robert Daniluk placed in the top 32.
The U.S. cadet team displayed its dominance once again at the final Cadet tournament in Paris in February. Six of the top eight finalists, in a field of 205, were American. Brian Kaneshige won the gold, Michael Dudey took silver and Nobuo Bravo took bronze. Race Imboden, Jerry Chang and Michael Woo placed 4th, 5th and 6th respectively. Jason Chang, John Avendano and Jonathan Lee were in the top 16 finishers, and Justin Lee and Robert Moore finished in the top 32.
In addition to medals, another result of Coach Hamza’s leadership has been the increased cohesiveness of the team. In past years, fencers were often spread out over a variety of hotels, only seeing each other at the competition venue. This season, team members traveling to international events now all stay in one team hotel and travel to and from the tournament venue together. A highlight of the trips has been the team dinner the night before the event where fencers could bond, and coaches and parents could socialize and discuss logistics for the following day.
Apparently, the fencers liked this change. Junior fencer Alexander Pensler “…really liked how we did everything as a team. For example, everyone stayed in the same hotel and then traveled to and from the competition together. Made it feel more like a team representing USA as opposed to individuals just representing themselves.”
Adding to the team’s strength this year was the training camp in December run jointly by Coach Hamza and Mike Pederson, coach of the United States Women’s Foil Team. Penn State University generously donated their facilities and the time and expertise of their coaching staff for this camp, hopefully the first of many. It also goes without saying that in a country as large as ours, the team would not have been as successful without the consistent, excellent training the fencers receive all year from their personal and college coaches.
Stephen DiCioccio, father of Junior fencer Gianni DiCioccio, has traveled to a number of Cadet and Junior International events over the last few years and sees a big change for the better this year. He appreciates the improved organization of the trips and better dissemination of information. He also thinks that having “a team hotel, team dinner and common transportation, encourages the fencers and their families to feel like a more cohesive team than a collection of individuals fending for themselves.” He added that “wearing their U.S. Fencing warm ups, traveling together, and sharing a hotel and meals at a World Cup event is the nearest thing most fencers will have to an Olympic Team experience and goes a long way to building espirit d’ corps.”
Fiona and Bill Imboden, parents of Cadet fencer Race Imboden, have this to say about Coach Hamza’s leadership: “Whether it’s his plans for the season or details for individual events - we’ve been pleased to hear regularly from Coach Hamza. Coach Hamza has really made an effort to communicate what’s happening with the fencers, including Juniors and Cadets. He has made great progress building a bridge for all U.S. competitors on the international circuit.”
Fencer Brian Kaneshige summed up the season this way: “Coach Hamza’s presence has changed men’s foil in the U.S. by bringing us closer together as a team.”
Kurt Getz, the men’s team captain, had this to say: “Never during my time as a cadet/junior was the US team so deep as it is now. This season it seems there is at least one finalist in virtually every cadet/junior tournament the U.S. has fencers entered in. The efforts put forth by Coach Hamza and the new generation of U.S. cadet/junior fencers and their personal coaches has helped set a new bar of success for Americans on an international level.”
In the moments immediately following his July appointment as men’s foil coach for Team USA, Rice fencing coach Mauro Hamza could have relaxed and dreamed of Olympic glory. No one would have blamed him. Except himself.
With the 2009 Senior World Championships looming in September and next summer’s Senior Pan American Zonal Championships right around the corner, Hamza could not afford to daydream. Qualifying his team for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London will require a commitment far greater than any effort previously spearheaded by Hamza.
“I can’t cross a hurdle until I reach it,” Hamza said. “I know there is a lot of work to be done, and that’s why I take it a step at a time.”
Hamza is one of six weapons coaches named by US Fencing. The national team appointment is the first for Hamza, although he helped coach the U.S. Junior & Cadet National Team to its first world championship in Poland in 2001 and served as coach of the Egyptian team at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Those successes validated Hamza in international coaching circles, but he views his current challenge in a different light. Developing the juniors into an international power required painstaking persistence, but achieving a similar level of notoriety on the senior circuit will test the will of everyone remotely affiliated with US Fencing.
“A lot of work needs to be done in order to achieve a medal in the Olympic Games,” Hamza said. “Our team is younger than most, but we’ve managed in the last couple of years to become a top world contender, and last year we took the silver medal.”
Hamza is grateful that he’s not building the Olympic team from scratch. “It’s the same group I’ve been working with. We already have instilled in them the culture to become Olympic champions, but it will be difficult to transition them to competition at a very high level. Even so, there is a good chance for us to do well.”
Hamza believes in blending physical training with mental reinforcement and video analysis. Many of his potential team members are young — either college seniors or recent graduates — so it is imperative that they follow a strict regimen. Hamza senses a shift of perceptions internationally regarding US Fencing, thanks in part to the success of the junior team.
“When you’re an underdog, no one knows who you are,” Hamza said. “But when you move up, everyone is watching you. We’re on that spot now, and it’s definitely more challenging.”
The first challenge came in Antalya, Turkey, at the 2009 Senior World Championships. There, Hamza aimed to give his team some important experience as well as to improve its international ranking. While the results were not a resounding success, two U.S. team members made it into the top 16: Kurt Getz at No. 7 and Gerek Meinhardt at No. 16. From the Senior World Championships, Hamza will lead the way through a series of competitions designed to further prepare Team USA to challenge the international community for supremacy in London. Only eight teams will qualify for the 2012 games, and with the clock ticking, Hamza is hard at work.
But taking the team to the Olympics isn’t Hamza’s only dream. He has reestablished the fencing club at Rice, and he would like to see Rice fencing compete in the NCAA. He plans to do that by establishing a women’s team at Rice, and as the program expands and matures, he could further expand it to involve men’s fencing.
By order of Mayor Bill White of Houston, December 26 has been declared Mauro Hamza Day.
Mayor White cited Coach Mauro’s recent appointment as National Coach for the men’s foil team, as well as his past results as a coach. The honor is timed to coordinate with the start of Salle Mauro’s Winter Camp.
Mauro was also honored by Rice University President David Leebron.
From Rice University’s “Who Knew”:
Mauro Hamza
Perfecting his thrust, pull and parry are all in a day’s work for Rice University’s Mauro Hamza, recognized as one of America’s top fencing instructors. Hamza really hit his mark in July when he was chosen to coach the U.S. National Men’s Foil team for the 2012 Olympics. A former international competitor from Egypt and coach of the Egyptian National Team in Athens 2004, Hamza will ready the squad for individual and team events, as well as continue teaching Rice students the strategies of landing the perfect touch. Since joining Rice in 1995, he has raised interest — and more than a few swords — in the sport of fencing. In addition to earning a physical education credit in fencing, students also compete against other universities through Rice’s Fencing Club, one of 21 club sports available on campus. Hamza contends that good fencers use physical skills and brains — two traits in plentiful supply at Rice. As Rice’s competitors often say, “Curses, foiled again.”
From Page 19 of the September 2009 West University Buzz:
by Cheryl Laird, staff writer
Writer Cheryl Laird salutes before fencing at her first Summer Nationals tournament.
Life-changing moments come in all shapes. For me, it was a beekeeper’s mask. Actually, it just looked like a beekeeper’s mask, with its black metal mesh.
“It’s for fencing,” said my husband. I finished unwrapping his Christmas present and posed awkwardly for a photo. The gift came with fencing lessons.
“For me?” I thought. “You shouldn’t have. Really.”
He explained that since I rode horses and loved fantasy stories like The Lord of the Rings, he figured that all I was missing was the sword.
It was the most thoughtful present I ever had received. And I didn’t want it. Fencing was way out of my comfort zone, and I didn’t like to do things I didn’t know how to do.
Besides, I was a mom to two young kids. Moms don’t poke other people with long sticks. Moms apply too much sunscreen and fall asleep at 9 p.m. It had taken time for me to embrace motherhood, but now I had settled comfortably into my role.
At the first class, I felt as if I had wandered into the wrong room and didn’t have sense enough to leave. It was embarrassing to jog with the younger students with all my extra mom softness flapping around.
When we picked up our weapons, my teacher told me to hit her. I tentatively reached out. It felt wrong to stab her so that the steel bent. Unlike the adolescent boys in the class, I hadn’t grown up playfighting. My sister and I didn’t wrestle. When I got hurt, I didn’t tough it out in silence.
It took a while, but I came to relish those nights. My bruises became badges of honor. Maybe the foil wasn’t a real sword, but I felt like a hero. When I got a touch, I felt a rush of primal satisfaction. I liked competition. How could I have forgotten that?
It slowly dawned on me that as rewarding as motherhood was, it wasn’t the final chapter in my life. I was still the same tomboy I used to be. Saying vows and giving birth didn’t make me a girly-girl.
Some of my friends didn’t get it. But others who had passions - art, horses, work - did. We shared our guilt over time spent away from family. We wondered whether we were good role models. I wished out loud that I had fallen for cooking or something useful. But I felt undeniably alive.
This summer, I placed well enough in local tournaments to qualify for the year-end U.S. Summer National Championships. I drove up to Dallas with a friend from my West University-area fencing club, Salle Mauro.
The convention center was packed with competitors, most under drinking age. But there were a surprisingly large number of people my age and older. At first, I went into my old mode of “Oh, isn’t it funny that I’m doing this?” If I didn’t act as if I wanted to win, then it wouldn’t hurt to lose. Not surprisingly, that attitude didn’t pay off, and the results of my first foil event were nothing special.
The next day, I competed in epee. In epee, you can hit your opponent all over, while foil has different rules and a smaller target area. I was newer to epee and didn’t expect much.
But sometime during my bout, I realized that my opponent didn’t know me, or that I was someone’s mom. She was scared. Of me. I began to predict what she would do and beat her to the punch. It worked. And then it worked on the next girl. And almost the next one.
I lost to her 15-14. When I lost, I threw back my head and yelled in frustration. And it felt awesome. I had done all that I could do, and she beat me fairly. But I could have beat her. And the next time, I would. I realized, finally, that I deserved to be there as much as anyone.
The final day was a foil event for women in their 40s. The veteran fencers’ actions were clean and beautiful. Until they took off their masks, you couldn’t tell their age. It was inspiring, and I was satisfied with placing in the top half.
Afterward, I learned that a woman in her ‘80s was fencing that week. “The shell ages,” she had said, “but the desire to compete is the same.”
I get it now. Thanks to the gift of a beekeeper’s mask.
9/4/2009
Mauro Hamza
Rice’s Hamza named men’s foil coach for Team USA
BY MOISEKAPENDA BOWER
Special to the Rice News
Had the moments immediately following his appointment as men’s foil coach for Team USA been filled with fanciful thoughts of Olympic glory, no one would have blamed Rice fencing coach Mauro Hamza. Such inclinations are completely natural.
Rice fencing coach Mauro Hamza has been appointed as men’s foil coach for Team USA.
But with the 2009 Senior World Championships coming this month in Turkey and the Zonal Championships to follow next summer, Hamza could not afford to daydream. Qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games in London requires commitment far greater than any effort previously spearheaded by Hamza.
“I don’t cross a hurdle until I reach it,” Hamza said. “I know there is a lot of work that needs to be done, and that’s why it’s like a mile. Mile by mile until I get there.”
In July, Hamza was named one of six weapons coaches by US Fencing, each charged with the task of qualifying for and medaling at the 2012 Olympic Games. The national team appointment is the first for Hamza. He helped coach the U.S. junior/cadet national team to its first world championship in Poland in 2001 and served as coach of the Egyptian team at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
That success validated Hamza in international coaching circles, but he views his current challenge in a different light. Developing the juniors into an international power required painstaking persistence, but achieving a similar level of notoriety on the senior circuit will test the will of everyone remotely affiliated with US Fencing.
“It’s a lot of work,” Hamza said. “A lot of good work needs to be done in order to achieve a medal in the Senior World Championships and also the Olympic Games. Our team is a younger team. We’ve managed in the last couple of years to become No. 1 in the world as a junior (team), and last year we took the silver medal. That team is the same team I’m going to try to qualify for the Olympic Games. We have already instilled in them the culture to become an Olympic champion. So that’s why I’m saying the job is difficult to transfer them from a junior (team) to competing at a very high level. There is a good chance for us to do well.”
Rice Athletics
Find out more about the varsity and club sports available at Ricehas outlined a plan to get his team up to spec. He believes in blending physical training with mental reinforcement and video analysis. Many of his potential team members are young — either college seniors or recent graduates — so it is imperative they follow a strict regimen. Hamza senses a shift of perceptions internationally regarding US Fencing, thanks in part to the success of the junior team. No longer will Team USA be dismissively viewed as a perennial underdog, and with great expectations — inward and outward — come increased responsibilities.
Unlike with the junior team eight years ago, Hamza is not building from scratch.
“It’s a similar situation, but it needs a little more structure,” Hamza said. “We have to structure it in a way that people start to know that we are becoming a powerhouse.
“So the job is even more difficult because when you come as an underdog no one knows who you are, but now when you are on the spot and everyone is looking for you, for sure (it is more challenging). We are on the spot now.”
The first challenge will come in Antalya, Turkey, at the Senior World Championships Sept. 30-Oct. 8. There, Hamza aims to improve his team’s international ranking while establishing those competitors transitioning from the junior team. From there, Hamza will lead the way through a series of competitions designed to prepare Team USA to challenge Italy, France, Japan, China, Poland, Germany and the British for supremacy in London. Only eight teams will qualify for the 2012 games, and with the clock winding down, Hamza is hard at work.
Hamza doesn’t know of any other way. Perhaps one day he can dream of triumph.
“I work 24/7 always thinking (of) excelling, enhancing, what can we do (and) how can we get rid of the weakness and increase our strengths,” Hamza said. “Yes, it’s a joy. Actually, I will get the joy if we do well at the Olympic Games.
“This is very exciting for me because I know it is within reach.”
From US Fencing, July 28, 2009:
US Fencing is pleased to announce the hiring of national weapon coaches for all weapons. These coaches have been selected to coach and lead the national team programs for the United States Fencing Association with the ultimate goal of medal performances in the London Olympics in 2012 and beyond
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Newly hired coaches include:
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Mauro Hamza - Men’s Foil
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Each of the newly hired coaches bring outstanding previous experience with international fencing at all levels including world cups, world championships and the Olympics.
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Mauro Hamza has been involved in Men’s foil ever since being an international competitor for Egypt when he was an athlete. He has been a frequent team coach for the Men’s Foil Program on international trips and his students and teams have won numerous medals both domestically and internationally. The National Team Program will benefit from his fair and calm demeanor, tactical and technical expertise and ability to work with athletes and coaches from all over the USA.
We at Salle Mauro extend a hearty congratulations to Mauro on this stellar accomplishment.