Coaching Clinics in Western Massachusetts this Spring

[Jason]

I don't think so. I am, at this point, for all intents and purposes, an academic, and a "master" is a post-graduate degree signifying a high level of learning. The term is loaded to imply a high level of skill, even if you don't want it to be.

I'm sure you'd agree that a wide range of variance exists in the actual "mastery" of people with a masters degree. "Mastery", in fact, is often expected to occur (if ever) well after the degree is earned.

[qatet]

And for those that aren't, I think this clinic is fine. I think all the ranting I've done in thread, with the assistance of a few others, really isn't aimed at this clinic. This clinic merely brought up the topic, and gave me the opportunity to rant.

You know, we're all involved in very small businesses in this field, so we should all be aware that it's rather a jacka** move to use somebody else's promotional materials as a starting point for your own rant, especially when you go out of your way to put down the business or businessman in the process, and REALLY especially when you're speaking from a vague general knowledge of the person in question, not from firsthand experience. I was struck earlier in this thread by how *shocked* people were that Paul sounded a bit defensive. Well, he'd just been attacked, in thread that he'd started to just simply let people know that he was offering a service that is probably of interest to other people on this board. I could swear that many fencing coaches teach that defensive actions are a good response to offensive ones. (And, yes, in this instance, I do mean several senses of "offensive.")

In this sport, the younger, less experienced members of the community are often delighted by how accessible the stars are. You hear it from the fencers at NACs
- "OMG that's Tim Morehouse!!!" "Ack! I have Lee Kiefer in my pool!" You also hear it from the coaches - "Michael told me..." "When I was at Gary's clinic he said..." But you know what? We don't only learn from fencing Lee and Tim. And, sadly, there's much less peer-to-peer coaching discussion than there could be, because we only want to learn from the superstars.

It's so easy to put other people down in an attempt to seem discerning, but I don't think that it really comes across as discerning.

I don't think so. I am, at this point, for all intents and purposes, an academic, and a "master" is a post-graduate degree signifying a high level of learning. The term is loaded to imply a high level of skill, even if you don't want it to be.

I have a Pee Atch Freaking Dee. This is only a marker of a high level of skill to others who don't know anything about the field. For anybody in the field, it only means that I might be allowed to have a seat at the table. There is a lot more baggage associated with the word "master," sure, but it's is the equivalent of my doctorate and should imply the same - a seat at the table, not induction into a hall of fame.

[jkormann]

That's nice? You seem to have gone whizzing past a point somewhere.

I had it on radar at one point.

[MdA]

For those of you who may be interested, here is a link to one of the last articles written by Dr. William M. Gaugler, Maestro di Scherma and Honorary Member, Associazione Italiana Maestri di Scherma and Accademia Nazionale di Scherma, Naples.

Teaching Fencing: Curriculum and Diploma

It starts with the question:
“What makes a fencing master? And how is the body of knowledge he (or she) is supposed to transfer to his students to be defined?”

On December 10, 2011, one of the great fencing masters, scholars, and authors of the 20th century, Maestro William M. Gaugler, died of cancer in Sunnyvale, California.

Thanks to J, Christoph Amberger for posting this article and the In Memorium to Dr. Gaugler on his site