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Ronin · 10-28-2002, 08:32 PM

is anyone here from Houston?

D'Artagnan1673 · 10-28-2002, 09:14 PM

Port Arthur, Tx, close enough.

Mauro Hamza is an Olympian level coach in the area. You also can fence with Clear Lake Fencing Club, Rice University Fencing Club, University of St. Thomas, Bayou City Blades, Knights of Trapani and if you get real desperate, you can drive 70 minutes out to the Spindletop Cavaliers and I'll give you a run for your money in epee.

Ronin · 10-28-2002, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by D'Artagnan1673
Port Arthur, Tx, close enough.

Mauro Hamza is an Olympian level coach in the area. You also can fence with Clear Lake Fencing Club, Rice University Fencing Club, University of St. Thomas, Bayou City Blades, Knights of Trapani and if you get real desperate, you can drive 70 minutes out to the Spindletop Cavaliers and I'll give you a run for your money in epee.

give me a few months and I might take you up on that. Its been a while since I have picked up a blade and was looking for a good coach to help me get back in the game

JEC · 10-29-2002, 12:55 AM

weapon? Mauro has the largest club, and it is a very nice facility. My son attended their summer camp, and overall, I was quite impressed with their club. His club practices the three weapons. However, the strength of Mauro's club is foil. Andrey Geva is their senior Epee coach. Knights of Trapani is primarily an Epee club, and might have more adults.

JEC · 10-29-2002, 01:08 AM

I just noticed that you list saber in your profile. You may want to talk to August Skopik. Mauro's club (www.sallemauro.com) should be able to tell you where he fences saber.

Ronin · 10-29-2002, 04:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JEC
I just noticed that you list saber in your profile. You may want to talk to August Skopik. Mauro's club (www.sallemauro.com) should be able to tell you where he fences saber.

Thank you very much! Another name I was given was Richard Alvarez but that was some time ago, from what I understand he runs/ran the Clear Lake Fencing club with Mike Mergins. Can anyone give me insight as to his teaching skills/credentials ( Alvarez I mean)

D'Artagnan1673 · 10-29-2002, 08:42 AM

I cannot remember to where, but Richard Alvarez has left the state. Mergens is currently at the Pentagon. I believe that the club is primarily being run by Jerry Duunaway, but I am not positive on that.

Ronin · 10-29-2002, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by D'Artagnan1673
I cannot remember to where, but Richard Alvarez has left the state. Mergens is currently at the Pentagon. I believe that the club is primarily being run by Jerry Duunaway, but I am not positive on that.

ah I see, what kind of coach is dunnaway?

D'Artagnan1673 · 10-29-2002, 11:21 PM

I've met coach Dunnaway only twice. I am therefore hardly in a position to make any comments about him or his fencers. In all honesty however, I would say that his fencers tend to be more brutal than they are elegant.

My club does not have a coach, but that hasn't stopped me from being a fencing fanatic. I would give Clear Lake or University of St. Thomas a go. BTW, U of St. Thomas coach also works with Dunnaway at Clear Lake. It seems that both coaches have started other clubs. Dunnaway also has a high school club, South Houston High.

Ronin · 10-30-2002, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by D'Artagnan1673
I would say that his fencers tend to be more brutal than they are elegant.

hmm can you elaborate a little more on this statement?

D'Artagnan1673 · 10-30-2002, 08:39 AM

You must forgive me, I still see fencing as art with sport. I mean that the small number of fencers I've met with of his tend to be overly aggressive and lack a strong foundation of defence. That said, the one beat me 4-5 and the other 2-5

Then again, foil was never my forte'

Ronin · 10-30-2002, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by D'Artagnan1673
You must forgive me, I still see fencing as art with sport. I mean that the small number of fencers I've met with of his tend to be overly aggressive and lack a strong foundation of defence. That said, the one beat me 4-5 and the other 2-5

Then again, foil was never my forte'

hehe I see

135711 · 10-31-2002, 03:39 PM

Nursing is also "art and a science" why is that? because art is creative. When you're a good nurse, a good fencer, or cook for example, you need to start with the basics, and then be able to invent or create, if you can't then you'll never be a great fencer. as a quasi beginner, i feel that part of the process is learning just that. If I were having a dinner for several people and I wanted to make something very special I would probably select a menu that I'm familiar with, but could do something artistic with, create a great centerpeice. No-one has dinner parties anymore, alas, they're all doing something else. I also believe that a dedicated fencer will want to fence for many years, and develop their creativity as well as their athletic abilities. If you get sick you want to visit a good doctor, you want your doctor and nurse to be able to diagnose: diagnosis is considered to be an art. I feel very comfortable making simple diagnosis.

schlager7 · 10-31-2002, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Thank you very much! Another name I was given was Richard Alvarez but that was some time ago, from what I understand he runs/ran the Clear Lake Fencing club with Mike Mergins. Can anyone give me insight as to his teaching skills/credentials ( Alvarez I mean)

Perhaps I can help, here. For once I am uniquely qualified to help as a friend of both men, a relative of one, a student of both, a member of CLFC and itinerant local fencing historian...

The Clear Lake Fencers' Club (now Clear Lake Fencing Club) was formed by Michael Mergens ("Mergs") and others from an older incarnation of the University of Houston Fencing Club.

A few years later, Richard Alvarez joined. Both men served as coaches for several years. Neither is currently a member. Both made significant contributions to the club. Both are very welcome any and every time they come by.

Richard Alvarez first studied fencing in the mid-1970s under Maitre Claude Caux. He has studied under Michel Sebastiani, Jean Jacques Gillet, Pierre LaCaze, and Maitre Heddle-Roboth.

He has been involved in the classical fencing movement and is a member of the Academy of Arms (which includes Adam Crown, Ramon Martinez, Nick Evangelista, William Gaugler, Patri Pugliese, Al Peters, and Chris Amberger).

He has been active in historical and theatrical fencing. His first troupe of period swordsmen, "Triomphe" appeared at the very first Texas Renaissance Festival in the 1970s. He was a partner in the Hanlon-Lees Action Theatre. He founded Pierrot Productions, which included mime, magic, classical fencing and jousting for various clients.

Richard left Houston in 1999 for the San Francisco Bay Area, but has since returned to Bagdad on the Bayou. He makes occassional appearances at some local tournaments, mostly as moral support for his friends.

FYI: Jerry Dunaway, who founded the fencing program at South Houston High School, was among those from the U of H club who formed the Clear Lake club. (As, by the by, was my wife.) Jerry's high school program has run almost a decade and is the only such organization currently running within the Gulf Coast Division. His group and the CLFC have had a long symbiotic relationship.

Scott Brown, began as a young fencer with the CLFC and has taken lessons from Mergens, Alvarez and Dunaway and is a coach in his own right at CLFC and the University of St. Thomas Fencing Club.

If you want to know anything else you can PM me or try the link to one of my sites.

TTFN,

John

Ronin · 11-05-2002, 05:36 AM

actually i have e-mailed brown and hamza but neither has replied yet... are they both non e-mail people ?

D'Artagnan1673 · 11-05-2002, 08:53 AM

BTW, Ronin, what is your primary weapon?

schlager7 · 11-05-2002, 08:11 PM

You may be using an old address for Scott. Also he just finished hosting a tournament this last Saturday at the University of St. Thomas and may have been distracted.

Try this email for Coach Brown

texasfencer@hotmail.com

BTW, D'Artagnan, I believe your coach is a University of St. Thomas alumni. Am I correct?

D'Artagnan1673 · 11-06-2002, 09:08 AM

Schlager7, I know my coach fenced at Rice so I am assuming that he also attended Rice. I am not positive on that one.

BTW, scratch me fencing on Saturday. My prize epee is no longer functioning so I don't have two weapons for Saturday. Not just that, but my backup has a tip problem and is not setting off the buzzer like it should. I can fight computer problems day and night but my frustration level rises very fast when I try to mess with a weapon.

See you later then........

schlager7 · 11-06-2002, 07:39 PM

Quote:

I know my coach fenced at Rice so I am assuming that he also attended Rice. I am not positive on that one.

Actually,
he was kind enough to send me some emailed material for my (growing) history project. While he was at the University of St. Thomas, he took fencing lessons at Rice University under Arnold Mercado.

Mercado taught fencing first at the University of Houston in the late 1940s and into the 1950s before later teaching at Rice after the passing of Harold Van Buskirk.

Mercado, who is now the Southeastern Vice-President of the Fencing Coaches organization, has also been kind enough to share his recollections.

Van Buskirk, sadly, is deceased.

...my project grows...