December 2016, Emily & I were chasing the Northern Lights on a holiday in Iceland when I asked her to marry me. While the aurora borealis might have escaped us, she said yes. We had to wait to set the date, I didn’t want any clashes with the European or World Championships but following the publication of the international fencing calendar a suitable date was found and the challenge of finding a venue was next. Continue reading →

Having been an organizer at the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, I understand what it feels like to have the whole world focused on the city I have lived in all my life. It makes a person feel really proud. It's kind of like having a big party and inviting the whole world. A good mascot adds to the energy and enthusiasm for the Games, especially among volunteers and organizers. A bad mascot detracts from this energy and enthusiasm. Continue reading →

The FIE recently has released new requirements for chest protectors both in men’s and women’s foil. For full information about the underlying problems (including a bit of foil history) as well as some instructions on what to do now and where to purchase, please read on... Continue reading →

Here are a few questions and answers about the new FIE rules in regards to masks. All new masks sold by Leon Paul are compliant with the FIE rule changes that will come into effect next season in Septembre 2018. Why are the FIE changing the rules for all FIE masks? Over the past 6 years, the number of masks, made by all fencing manufactures, falling off during competition has increased. Continue reading →

I hate outsourcing. It is something I am not very good at and it always causes me problems. I think to outsource work well, you need to be very detailed...

This is a short post to show our appreciation for the guys at the Fencing Podcast, who are celebrating their first year in the business of all things fencing. Continue reading →

British Fencing has released a new International Fencing Rules app. It costs £1.99 ($2.60) (€2.25) and is available on Google Play and Apple Store for mobile and tablet use. Continue reading →

Fencing is a sport that is surrounded by an air of inaccessibility and mystery for most of us outside the fencing world and it’s no secret that the majority of...

It’s hard to improve something if you have no idea how to measure it. “Being a better fencer” is a worthy goal, but it is difficult to know if you’re achieving it. We all want to be better fencers. If you don’t then you can stop reading here - but leave a comment at the bottom because I’m curious why you’re on this site. We train,  drill, spar, compete, pore over old books and read modern fencing handbooks on the sly. All to be better fencers. How do we know if our training is working? Continue reading →

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 →