Sanzo and Cassarà video clip

[gladius]

Schermaonline.com has an interesting video clip of a practice bout between Sanzo and Cassarà during the pre-Olympics camp in Tirrenia, Italy.

You can also observe the legendary Maestro Antonio Di Ciolo giving a lesson to Valerio Aspromonte.

http://www.schermaonline.com/scherma...ticle&sid=1972

The Italian caption reads:

While Toti Sanzo and Andrea Cassarà fence observed by the CT Stefano Cerioni, Maestro Antonio Di Ciolo gives a lesson to Valerio Aspromonte. Other people in the video Luca Simoncelli, Marco Vannini, Stefano Barrera, Martino Minuto, Francesco Archivio, armourer Antonio Di Biase and physiotherapist Massimo 'Max' Donati.

[glowstix]

hmm.. cassara looks like a completely different fencer..

[erooMynohtnA]

You can also observe the legendary Maestro Antonio Di Ciolo giving a lesson to Valerio Aspromonte.

So what are they working on? I can see some weird leaning footwork, and I'm totally lost.

[edew]

It's the secret "ain't got to put on a coaching jacket" lesson. I should do more of those.

[whtouche]

trying to watch that video made me dizy. I wish if they were going to post something like that the person taping would have a more clear purpose.

[jjefferies]

trying to watch that video made me dizy. I wish if they were going to post something like that the person taping would have a more clear purpose.

Guessing that this is someone taking a shot of any day at the salle. One thing you learn quickly is that clarity is never simple and usually takes quite a bit of planning and re-shooting. On the other hand occasionally someone just lucks out (speaking of actually capturing something meaningful on video).

[Gav]

So what are they working on? I can see some weird leaning footwork, and I'm totally lost.

Looked like they were discussing remises.

Or they could be just discussing body positions. I couldn't make out the coaches words to be sure.

[erooMynohtnA]

Yeah, I thought it was some post-lunge close-quarter pre-infighting body English until they started doing steps while leaning different directions.

[Gav]

The interesting thing - from my perspective - was that I was chatting to one of the GB team last week. Baldini (iirc) has a technique were he invites you to attack him, he leans back causing you to fall short, then he attacks in and hits. It's devastating (because he has excellent awareness of distance and timing) and hard to cope with. In the context of this video that makes sense.

[Mr Epee]

It's devastating (because he has excellent awareness of distance and timing) and hard to cope with.

Considering that the discussion already centers on Italian foilists, this statement is rather superfluous. :-)

In watching the clip, I was reminded of Mark Spitz boasting of how he would intentionally screw around with his stroke whenever he knew that the Soviets were observing/filming his training laps. They, of course, would occasionally attempt to copy and implement Spitz's "advanced training methods".

One year at world championships he claimed that his mustache deflected water away from his mouth and allowed him to breathe more efficiently. Spitz claimed that the following season several Soviet swimmers also showed up with mustaches.... and a few of the E. German women, too...

What a funny guy.

The moral of the story is... don't believe everything you see your competition doing in practice.

[Grasshopper]

I would say the lesson is just about ideal body position, first during a short medium and longer lunge, and then a final lean in case the the point would still land short. Second part of lesson seemed to be about upper body position during different phases of defence. Interesting...

I doubt this video is meant to throw off the competition.

[Sabresque]

based upon his half nude appearance my guess is that he was dressing up or down and then they just ened up getting in a discussion about something having to do with technique.

Mr Epee... watching this much of a training session to me doesn't seem like it would effect any kind of opponents perceptions on their fencing. Truthfully, there's so much information about every fencer out there that watching 2 minutes of a practice bout is not going to throw anything out of whack. Especially when they seem to not be taking that particular practice very seriously.

[Mr Epee]

Mr Epee... watching this much of a training session to me doesn't seem like it would effect any kind of opponents perceptions on their fencing. Truthfully, there's so much information about every fencer out there that watching 2 minutes of a practice bout is not going to throw anything out of whack. Especially when they seem to not be taking that particular practice very seriously.

er... DUH!!!

I was simply sharing an anecdote directed towards those folks who had already posted in this thread with commentary and questions about what they were working on in the clip.

Someone had mentioned that Cassera looked like a totally different fencer...

Really? Not quite looking like his world-beating self during a light practice bout against a team mate? Perhaps he was distracted by handsome topless guy. ???

Someone else was trying to figure out what specifically they were working on...

Considering how common it is for random tidbits of "european training" lore to get recycled in the US*, I thought it was an amusing point... I never thought, nor suggested that the Italians were 'pulling a Spitz'.




* These stories are often prefaced with some idiot saying, "Well, I heard that the fencers at Tauber...."

[Adler]

Well, I heard that fencers at...oh nevermind.

[schermaonline.com]

trying to watch that video made me dizy. I wish if they were going to post something like that the person taping would have a more clear purpose.

Dr. Antonio Fiore, the cameraman, is the physician of the Italian national fencing team. He does not use a professional video camera on purpose just to catch athletes and coaches as they train, without too much interference on the part of the observing camera man whom they all know as a physician, not a TV reporter. The video equipment used is a Nokia N95 cell phone. Obviously, from the technical point of view these video clips aren't great but allow us, the interested public, to have a peek during these training sessions and occasionally catch situations that cannot be repeated, like the practice bout between Sanzo and Cassarà or the unique and very special lesson given by Maestro Antonio Di Ciolo to the young Valerio Aspromonte.

With his primitive camera phone Dr. Fiore's intent is to catch some spontaneous moments without any staging whatsoever so that the protagonists do not feel that they are on stage and need to perform for the camera. Just as if the viewer had the opportunity to be there and casually observe what's going on. A fly on the wall, so to speak.

E.L.

[schermaonline.com]

So what are they working on? I can see some weird leaning footwork, and I'm totally lost.

Since we don't want you or anyone else to be totally lost I consulted with Maestro Enrico Di Ciolo, Antonio's son, who runs the Club Scherma Pisa Antonio Di Ciolo http://www.cspdiciolo.it/index.html Here is what he said.

My father is always developing training routines that optimize the bio mechanics of the gesture in relation to the anthropological type and style of his pupils. Using a sartorial metaphor, his lessons are like custom made suits. My dad does not look for positions but types (styles) of movements. If you stabilize the going in the en guarde position you can than optimize the equilibria. Anyone familiar with the bio mechanics of the human body can understand this approach.

To go in greater detail I should know what exactly the reader does not understand and finds weird. I would like to extend an open invitation to anyone to come visit us in Pisa and see what we do, how we do, and why we do what we do, arguably with a certain success over many years. The doors of our club are open to anyone interested in our methods. Ciao, Enrico.

If I might add: check the link to http://www.cspdiciolo.it/didattica.html You'll see some photos of training sessions at the Antonio Di Ciolo School in Pisa. More weird stuff ... :-)

E.L.

[seven6ty]

Enrico sounds like a good guy.

[erooMynohtnA]

I just didn't understand the motive behind the exercise.

What was weird was that I haven't seen anyone using that footwork before. I'd call it rather nonstandard. Now that I understand the motive behind it, it makes sense.

Thank you, and send my thanks to Maestro Di Ciolo for the explanation.

[jbenjamin]

did Sanzo say the "F" word on 1:43-44? teehee..