Fencing Academy - Main Line

Fencing Academy Main Line

Welcome to the Fencing Academy Main Line!
[Providing fencing lessons and fencing classes on the Main Line since 1993]

We generally meet at our host:
Church of the Good Samaritan, U.S. Rt. 30, Paoli, PA
Wednesdays and Thursdays
from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Individual Lessons by appointment

OUR CURRENT SESSION IS UNDERWAY

NO FENCING THE FIRST WEEK IN APRIL

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[Under Development] USFencing
Mid-Atlantic Sect.
Local Clubs:
Agnes Irwin School
Conestoga
Great Valley
Liberty Fencing Alliance

PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION

SAFETY
At all times, each fencer will be responsible for their own actions. Rules relating to safety apply to EVERYONE - AT ALL TIMES. There are no provisions for exceptions or warnings. We cannot afford any accident.

HONESTY
Every club member will be expected to be honest with themselves as well as others. Club members will be expected to acknowledge points against themselves in practice. Club members will also be expected to honestly evaluate their own progress, and to communicate with the coaching staff when they need assistance, have questions, or when they are injured.

RESPECT FOR OTHERS
Each member, being a critical component of the Club, will respect the person, rights, property, and privacy of the other club members and any host organizations.

THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
Each fencer will be responsible for their own development. Personal improvement will require practice. The coaching staff will assist members in achieving each member's goals.

SPORTSMANSHIP
Sport can teach many things, and courtesy will be one of them. Each fencer will be expected to develop and refine their attitudes of sportsmanship. We will learn to win graciously, and to lose politely. However, we will NOT learn to lose and LIKE it.

TEAMWORK
Teamwork, being critical to the success of both the club and each fencer, will be the foundation of the program. Team support has proven invaluable in competition, and will be emphasized not only during competition, but also during practice. When fencers help their clubmates improve, they will have better opponents with whom they can practice, which in turn helps their own efforts to improve.

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DIRECTIONS

The Church of the Good Samaritan is located at 212 W Lancaster Ave. [US Route 30] in Paoli, PA, 0.9 mi. West of the intersection of US Rt. 30 and PA Rt. 252. [Click here for a map from Yahoo]. [Click here for a satellite map from Google].

We generally meet in the auxiliary building of Church of the Good Samaritan, upstairs in Walton Hall. Please frequently check our calendar for changes. Announcements will be made during club nights.

PLEASE ENTER THROUGH THE DAY SCHOOL ENTRANCE NEAR U.S. ROUTE 30, under the SMALLER timberframe portico between the chapel and the Christian Education building [the main office-building-looking structure]. For those who are differently-abled, the main path to the fencing room(s) is now wheelchair accessible.

It is suggested to bring water to drink. Fencers must dispose of their trash.

IF YOU CANNOT FIND A WAY IN, PLEASE CALL THE CLUB CELL PHONE AT: six-one-zero.889.0300

DRIVING DIRECTIONS:

From the North & East:
Take the best way to exit #326 [Valley Forge] of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. After the toll plaza, take exit #328A to US Route 202 South, to PA Route 252 South. At the traffic light immediately after going under the railroad bridge, turn right onto US Route 30 West for 9/10 mile.
The Church is between the 4th & 5th traffic lights [between the Burger King & Wendy's] west of PA Route 252, on the South side of US Route 30. The Church parking lot is on the left, adjacent to the road.

From South of West Chester, PA:
I-95 to US Route 202 North in Wilmington, DE, and follow the directions from US Route 202 North [below].

From the West:
Pennsylvania Turnpike to the Downingtown exit, to PA Route 100 South. Follow that to US Route 30 East [Exton Bypass], to US Route 202 North.

From US Route 202 North:
PA Route 29 exit, turn right. Past 2 traffic control lights, turn left onto US Route 30 East. Continue for about 6 traffic lights, to just past the Wendy's. The parking lot is on the right, adjacent to the road.

ADDITIONAL SITE:
Here are directions to our occasional additional site: Wilson Farm Park in Chesterbrook. This link should bring up a browser window with a satellite picture centered on the location of the pavilion, with a street reference to Lee Road. We usually meet at the pavilion in the South-Eastern corner of the park, past the basketball and volleyball courts. When you get to the entrance to the park at the end of Lee Road: turn right, and follow the park road south past the large baseball field, east past the football field and basketball courts, and turn into the parking lot on the left.

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FALL SESSION PROGRAM:
6:30 PM to 9:30 PM

GOALS:

We continue to work toward the goal of TEAM

To develop and ingrain TEAM habit and dynamic to our fencing training, emphasizing mutual support and encouragement

Our secondary goal is for each member to understand:

TEAM development assists their personal development
Assisting others helps one's own understanding
More capable opponents generally results in more interesting fencing
More fencing is better

Activities which distract from the development of the group will be strongly discouraged

Goals I have defined for the personal improvement of each individual member are:

More efficient time management during fencing practice, which will result in more actual fencing
Greater general physical condition which will translate into better preparation and performance as a fencer
Greater precision of fencing actions, including footwork and bladework
. . . all of which should result in each fencer having more fun

Each member should also define for themselves their personal goals

PROGRAM:

Our new sessions generally begin the first Wednesday of any odd-numbered month.

The class schedule is set to accommodate the greatest number of class students and levels.

The first week of any session is usually group practice, and that first week all members may attend for the entire evening, or as long as they can stay, taking into consideration age and schoolwork. At the end of the first Thursday during a session, our Class schedule is finalized. From then through the remainder of the session, Class Members may attend only during their class time, plus designated warm-up and cool-down time.

Intermediate and Advanced fencers may fence - generally - between 8:00 PM and 9:30 PM.

Late Intermediate arrivals will work on their conditioning, bladework, and footwork drills before fencing. Our Intermediate members may participate in bouts after completion of the evening's defined activities.

Advanced members [these are primarily adults], may bout after warming up and stretching.

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TRAINING SCHEDULE FOR MAR/APR SESSION:


MEMBERS:	6:30	7:15	7:45	8:00	9:30\|
FOCUS: >	COMBINED		PRE-INT	INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED
COMBINED MODULE	CALISTHENICS & FOOTWORK	- TECHNICAL - BLADEWORK RETIRE @ 7:45 PM
PRE-INT MODULE	CALISTHENICS & FOOTWORK	1ST TECHNICAL	TECHNICAL PRE- INTs RETIRE @ 8:00 PM
INTERMEDIATE	CALISTHENICS & FOOTWORK	MORE FOOTWORK	DRILLS & FENCING > 9:15 PM		9:15PM CLEAN

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**MEMBERSHIP FEES**
MEMBERSHIP FEE ($)	LEVEL	MODULE	+MODULE FEE	= TOTAL
-ALL MEMBERS- -2 MONTHS @ $120- -DUE 1ST ATTENDANCE OF SESSION: SEP/OCT, NOV/DEC, JAN/FEB MAR/APR, MAY/JUN, JUL/AUG	BEGINNERS	+ CALISTHENICS >>>	+ $40	$160 / 2 MONTHS
	COMBINED or PRE-INTERMEDIATE	+ TECHNICAL BLADEWORK >>>	+ $80	$200 / 2 MONTHS
	INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED >>>	SELF-MOTIVATED TRAINING		$120 / 2 MONTHS

$25 LATE FEE AFTER:
MARCH 8, 2012
Drop In: **$25** upon arrival [For fencers who attend sporadically]

MEMBERSHIP:

The below parameters regarding due dates and late fees apply as well.

Membership is due the first attendance of the session, or the Thursday of the first week of the session.

A $25 late fee will apply to membership fees received on the member's second attendance of the session, IF that 2nd attendance occurs after the first Thursday of the session. The table above indicates those dates. Membership [and, if necessary, late] fees must be paid prior to participation on the 2nd attendance of the session.

NEW MEMBERS [see also our Program] section:

As we are looking for commitment from students, we do not prorate or give refunds.

We do not do trials. We prefer to await a commitment from our members rather than trials.

For beginners and those less experienced, we offer Instructional Modules from September through June. Two-month sessions generally begin the first Wednesday in any odd-numbered month of the year. Our classes meet generally on both Wednesday and Thursday; as many nights' attendance as possible is hoped for.

Students are expected to come prepared for exercise. We do not currently require all who participate in our activities to be members of the USFA, but after some administrative issues are resolved, that will be a requirement. This is a yearly fee of around $50. More information will be covered during sign-up.

When paid ahead, the below discounts apply to membership fees [but not individual lesson fees]:
Second Family member receives a 25% discount.
Third Family member receives a 50% discount.
Fourth Family member receives a 75% discount.

Lessons and lesson packages are available by arrangement, both at the club and on- site.
Please see coach Bullock for details.

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FALL / WINTER / SPRING
CLASS INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

Overview

Our Modular structured program consists of 5 successive sessions of approximately 8 weeks, from 'Beginner' to what we call our 'Intermediate' level. 'Intermediate' fencers may participate in supervised fencing bouts. Only 'Advanced' fencers may fence without direct supervision. Equipment is provided for the first two class sessions, about 4 months. There are about twelve 45 minute focus modules in each session, depending on holidays and church functions. Classes meet on both Wednesday and Thursday. After successful completion of our 'Intermediate' evaluation, we offer our regular 'Training' membership to our students. Instruction is not included in the 'Training' membership. Individual lessons may be arranged.

Details

Advancement to the next level is by Instructor evaluation. We accept students as young as 8 to ... whatever. Differently-abled students are welcome and encouraged to participate. After the second session, we must have our students on a path to purchasing their own equipment. By the fourth session, the fencer must have a complete kit [1 of each].

Our classes help a fencer develop a solid understanding of the fundamentals of Fencing. New material is presented each class, and is fairly fast-paced. The structure of our classes presumes, and an individual's progress depends on, practice at home of the material presented. Progress beyond the 'Intermediate' level comes from continued practice of the exercises and drills previously presented and actual fencing practice with other club members. Also at that time individual lessons become cost effective, and are available by arrangement. Individual lessons provide a fast-track to fencing excellence.

Course Outlines

Our Beginner class includes material from the very basic fundamentals of exercise. We cover nutrition, stretching, fencing footwork, and elementary tactics. By the end of the class, the student will understand the terms involved with the training and will have practiced basic positions, movements, and experienced a tactical game using a glove.

Our Beginner II class continues the above, and adds using the fencing blades and poking the instructor, and emphasizes proper footwork while becoming more comfortable with fencing movement.

Our Advanced Beginner I class continues to refine the basics from the above, and is concerned with achieving proper form. There are many drills and exercises which help develop the strength and technique required to fence well.

The focus of our Advanced Beginner II class is coordinating bladework with movement. The goal is to help the student feel the correct concepts and rhythms of fencing through practicing drills with the instructors as well as other class members.

We occasionally have a "Combined" group which can comprise Beginner IIs and the Advanced Beginners. Much of this material can be learned with these groups together if necessary. Expected performance differs between the groups, i.e., the ABIIs should be able to perform same actions significantly better than Beginner IIs, as they have had more practice.

Our Pre-Intermediate class prepares the student for the 'Intermediate' evaluation. We cover more basic fencing concepts and more bladework while emphasizing proper form. Structured practice with other class members is the norm.

Achieving the 'Intermediate' level gives the student the opportunity to fence with other club members in supervised bouts, and at this time, the fencer must have a complete set of equipment.

After passing the 'Intermediate' evaluation, Individual lessons give the student an opportunity to develop their fencing game as well as technique. By the end of the classes, in any group there will be a range of technique levels, and at this point lessons are the way to go. By this time filling out a fencer's repetoire and raising the level of precision needs to be done on an individual basis. The intense concentration achieved during lessons and the precision repetition improve the fencer, but needs can differ greatly by this time.

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CONTACT US

Please send an e-mail to:

info [and the " @ " symbol with no spaces, then > ] FAMainLine [and the "dot": . ] com

CLUB CELL NUMBER: six-one-zero.889.0300

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CALENDAR

Fencing Academy - Main Line

610.889.0300

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