02-18-2003, 06:31 AM
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#241 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: UK
Posts: 784
| Who coaches at Keele?
The most obvious place for foilists to go to is London: most unis there have decent teams and you are close to a number of serious foil clubs (Boston, Pauls and Sussex House).
London (LTFC/Haverstock) and Bath (Bath has a good club and the National Pentathelete team are based at Bath Uni) for epee.
London (LTFC) and Durham for Sabre (although I would imagine that Durham could be good for the other weapons too - Laszlo is an excellent coach and I think that there are a few good foilists and epeeists who train up there too). Bristol also has a good sabre club.
Northumbria, up near Durham, has a VERY generous bursary programme for elite fencers (but you have to be VERY good for that - i.e. a good/promising international). I believe that they sponsor top fencers upto about £3000 a year towards fencing expenses - unheard of in this country. Some other unis do bursaries as well (I believe that Bristol does), but I don't know much about them.
Oxford has a great coach and is connected to London (for training at the London Clubs). Believe that the Oxford uni club is consistently strong too.
And, of course, there are some great coaches and clubs up in the Edinburgh area ;-) (certainly for foil, but also for the other two eapons I believe).
There are other good places to train around the country, but these are probably the main ones (although I am probably forgetting some!).
Am sure that some of those do a good English course :-)
Boo | 
|  | | And now for this message... |
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02-18-2003, 03:05 PM
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#242 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kent, England
Posts: 232
| lol, I managed to post my origional reply to this in completely the wrong thread. (I have time-share on a brain-cell, okay?!  ) Quote: |
Thanks Boo! I'll keep my eyes out!
| An in referance to... Quote: |
Oxford has a great coach and is connected to London (for training at the London Clubs). Believe that the Oxford uni club is consistently strong too.
| (I am NOT going to Oxford! Dagnabit, I've just convinced my English teacher that I don't want to apply to Cambridge!  )[/quote]
^That was it (sorry to the other thread)
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I wish there were some giant, economy-size asprin tablet that would work on international headaches. But there isn't. The only cure is patience with reason mixed in. - Lyndon B. Johnson.
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02-18-2003, 03:34 PM
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#243 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Reading, UK
Posts: 300
| university fencing
All of the "better" universities have fencing clubs. Their positions in the leagues depend mostly on their intake that year. If the french number one decides that he wants to study at Wolverhampton (for some reason, nice guys at the club but a horrible place) and fence for them then wolverhampton will win the league.
The main thing to do is check that the club (or at least the city) has a coach. Here at Southampton we have just gained a coach after several years with out one. We did well before but that was reliant on good fencers joining the club every year, now we have the chance to train up people to a decent standard.
Most of the university clubs have websites (although some are woefully out of date) these are often the best places to find out about the clubs. Most of them can be found on the link pages from here www.soton.ac.uk/~fencing (Shameless plug)
Dave | |
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02-18-2003, 06:40 PM
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#244 | | Just Joined
Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Stoke-on-Trent
Posts: 7
| In answer to Boo, Mike Ray is the coach of both Staffordshire and Keele and is the person who has got me hooked on the sport (...he has a lot to answer for...lol...). He is a very very good sabre coach and a good foil coach and I only have praise for the work he does.
Obviously a University fencing club has relatively a high turn-over of students per year in comparison to members in a normal club, so obviously a more respected University may well entice student who have fenced before, but this is not always the case and highlighted well by Dave
In a concurrent response to/with Dave, I totally agree on checking out whether the club has a coach, there are few clubs if any to my knowledge (and that is limited with regards to university clubs nationwide) which do not have a coach but I am certain there are also some which exist without a coach. But having a look through some websites may come up with the goods and if you are thinking of a Midlands based fencing club, then I can get information from my sources. The only thing I will say is that quite a lot of Universities have fencing clubs, obviously the better universities may well have more renowned and stronger clubs but being in too strong a club may not be the best thing going.
The only other thing I have to say is that I whole-heartedly agree that the people at Wolverhampton are utterly fantastic and it is the general consensus amongst everyone we have fenced with in BUSA is that they are the nicest lads going and I have serious respect for them.
If there is any more information you want, give us a shout | |
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02-18-2003, 07:06 PM
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#245 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: UK
Posts: 784
| I agree totally that university clubs tend to go up and down in quality depending on who is studying there at the time (have seen this with Bath and Bristol over the years).
That is why many fencers will take into consideration the non-university clubs in. For instance, if you are a hot sabre fencer and go to Kingston Uni, it wont matter to you if Kingston don't have a great fencing club (although I have no idea if they do or don't...) because you base your training at LTFC just down the road....
btw Dave, I think I know the previous coach at Southampton (well, one of my friends used to coach there - he is a certified coach - which he was a student there)....
What's wrong with Cambridge Aoife? Some good foil fencing there too: many young people (quite a few excellent, promising girls about your age). Cambrudge is a beautiful uni too :-)
Boo | |
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02-18-2003, 07:09 PM
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#246 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 1999 Location: Australia - various
Posts: 2,756
| Unlike the University of London who never really replied to my emails while I was over there! I would have loved to have done the BUSA comps....but did the sum total of 1 competition in the year I studied in London.....
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You may love me but you dont accept me. I dont want your love without your acceptance. | |
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02-19-2003, 06:05 AM
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#247 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Reading, UK
Posts: 300
| Boo Boo, by our previous coach I assume you mean Alex. He was indeed qualified as a coach and very good when he had the time.
But he was a competitive fencer who wanted to fence rather than coach most of the time(and was in his final year when I got there). There is a big difference between that and someone being there specifically to coach within the club.
Last edited by Dave; 02-19-2003 at 06:25 AM.
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02-19-2003, 06:32 AM
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#248 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: UK
Posts: 784
| Yes, Alex: I knew him when he was at school and he has moved back into the area (Gloucestershire) and is back fencing (trains regularly and does a few competitions).
Yes, agreed: most active competitive fencers like to fence rather than coach. Hope that your coach works out well for the club.
Boo | |
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02-19-2003, 07:48 AM
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#249 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kent, England
Posts: 232
| Quote: |
What's wrong with Cambridge Aoife? Some good foil fencing there too: many young people (quite a few excellent, promising girls about your age). Cambrudge is a beautiful uni too :-)
| I'm quite certain that's true, I just know there's no way in a million years they'd want me (well, if I was running a University I wouldn't want me... I tend to run against the crowd a lot )
__________________
I wish there were some giant, economy-size asprin tablet that would work on international headaches. But there isn't. The only cure is patience with reason mixed in. - Lyndon B. Johnson.
Member of the Clarendon Blades. | |
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02-19-2003, 08:42 AM
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#250 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: UK
Posts: 784
| Running against the crowd can be very desirable: you have your own original thoughts (providing you can argue them well).
Any decent university will appreciate an original thinker - you don't want to go to a university that on accepts and produces "sheep" anyway - far too boring ;-)
Boo | |
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02-19-2003, 09:26 AM
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#251 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kent, England
Posts: 232
| Arguing is my main hobby (after fencing anyway).
Well... I tend to call it 'debate' (more often than not 'political debate').
And to keep this on topic, there's some photos of me at More me but the site is very experimental and really I'm just fiddling with geocities to see what I can do on it
__________________
I wish there were some giant, economy-size asprin tablet that would work on international headaches. But there isn't. The only cure is patience with reason mixed in. - Lyndon B. Johnson.
Member of the Clarendon Blades. | |
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02-19-2003, 11:21 AM
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#253 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2002 Location: South Texas
Posts: 2,897
| Quote: Originally posted by Aoife
Arguing is my main hobby (after fencing anyway).
Well... I tend to call it 'debate' (more often than not 'political debate'). | Hey, I need you to introduce you to a new friend with similar interests (except that he also likes political debate too). I wonder if you know who I am thinking ... (U. Mass. ... epee and sabre ... prolific thread replies ... 81 ... enough clues) | |
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02-19-2003, 01:56 PM
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#254 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 698
| Quote: Originally posted by Aoife
Arguing is my main hobby (after fencing anyway).
Well... I tend to call it 'debate' (more often than not 'political debate').
And to keep this on topic, there's some photos of me at More me but the site is very experimental and really I'm just fiddling with geocities to see what I can do on it | Political debate?? *eager expression* I have GOT to get some IM screen names for you!!! You have AIM, MSN, or ICQ?
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It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag. - Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC
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02-19-2003, 04:10 PM
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#255 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kent, England
Posts: 232
| Quote: |
(U. Mass. ... epee and sabre ... prolific thread replies ... 81 ... enough clues)
| Wild stab in the dark- epeemike81, perchance? Quote: |
Political debate?? *eager expression* I have GOT to get some IM screen names for you!!! You have AIM, MSN, or ICQ?
| My hotmail is olgavukavitch@hotmail.com for anybody who wants me on MSN-Messenger. Just do please identify yourself when we start talking- it always helps
__________________
I wish there were some giant, economy-size asprin tablet that would work on international headaches. But there isn't. The only cure is patience with reason mixed in. - Lyndon B. Johnson.
Member of the Clarendon Blades. | |
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02-19-2003, 11:43 PM
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#256 | | Just Joined
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 12
| Yay! this thread's back!
Umm.. It's probably been "back" for months, but I haven't. lol
I couldn't find my original pic, but I'm sure I'm nothing like it now. heheh I'll dig one out and edit it into this post, although there is the mandatory warning not to eat within 24 hours of viewing. :P
Steve. | |
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02-20-2003, 12:14 AM
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#257 | | Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Scotland
Posts: 4,657
| Hey Steve laddie!
How's it going! | |
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02-20-2003, 11:47 AM
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#258 | | Just Joined
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 12
| Hey, Gav. not so bad thanks.
I can't find a new picture.  If you remember at all that last one, I've had my hair dyed Blue , shaved off, regrown... Now it's sort of long and black with an undercut. (Yeh.. picture it!)
I'm picking up a webcam today, so a new picture should be on the cards soon.
matter of fact, I'm off right now to get it...
Steve. | |
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02-20-2003, 07:37 PM
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#259 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 1999 Location: Australia - various
Posts: 2,756
| Steve you have a mullet??? ICK!!! they have 2 be one of the most unflattering hairstyles around!!!
__________________
You may love me but you dont accept me. I dont want your love without your acceptance.
Last edited by Zelda; 02-20-2003 at 07:41 PM.
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02-20-2003, 08:01 PM
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#260 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: NYC
Posts: 133
| Then you'll loooove this... http://www.ratemymullet.com/
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The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts. -- B. Russel
Injustice is relatively easy to bear; what stings, however, is justice. -- H. L. Mencken
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