Do Not Read This Article on Strip Coaching Fencing Team Relay Edition Pardon the interruption for a verbose warning that you, most likely, will ignore. Today’s warning will focus on

In my part 1 post, I discussed how clever lighting had made huge improvements to the way Fencing Came across on TV at the Rio 2016 Olympics. There are another few factors that are gradually improving the sports appearance on TV. Did Rio mark a new dawn for televised fencing or is this the start of a raft of changes that will improve the sports appeal to a wider audience? Continue reading →

The Fencing Podcast was launched by two Scottish fencers/coaches/nerds in the immediate aftermath of the Rio Olympics. Sean Walton and Gavin McMenemy are the voices of the podcast, after a friend suggested they give the medium a try. Gav has a history of online fencing presence - maintaining the peace as a moderator on Leon Paul’s Fencing Forum (and the US-based fencing.net) for many years - and Sean has written fencing blogs, so a podcast seemed the logical next step. While there is a lot of online discussion and writing about fencing, there is little spoken-word output. Continue reading →

I have to say that I had a bit of a moment in Rio. Fencing has always been rather impenetrable for the general public and particularly TV audiences. It may just be wishful thinking but I think things are going to change for the better and in the following series of blog posts I will explain why. Continue reading →

It’s fair to say that most of the British fencing community left the Rio Olympic Games behind with a sense of mixed emotions. Richard Kruse coming fourth was an immense achievement but getting so close to a medal meant a slight sense of deflation. As time has passed, I’m sure we’ll all just remember how well he did. All I’ll say about the team event is that it didn’t appear to be our day! Now all we have to do is ponder the “will he, won’t he?” question – will Richard carry on to Tokyo? I do hope so. Last season he showed us that he’s still a major force on the World circuit and he demonstrated that in the toughest environment – Olympic qualification. Continue reading →