Training – operational process and adherence to safety practices
The Club’s COVID-19 Safety Requirements are to be carried out in the strict adherence to practices and conditions that would help safeguard the health and safety of participants as well as the general community.      

As required by UTS Sport, UTS Fencing will ask all our members and visitors adhere to all rules whilst training at at any UTS Fencing training session to ensure a safe environment with minimal risk of COVID-19 transmission. Please carefully read through the main principles below which will apply for all participants.  

Before you attend training

• Ensure your 2021 UTS Fencing Club membership/visitor fee has been paid
• Complete the online registrations system with the club for each training session by the specified time.
• It is Strongly Recommended that before coming to the Club you GET DRESSED FOR TRAINING AT HOME and be ready to train on arrival
• Bringing and use of hand sanitizers is recommended and you should always have your own with you to use
• Anyone with flu-like symptoms should NOT come to training
• Don’t attend training if:
  – you have been close to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 
  – you have arrived from overseas in the past two weeks
  – you have visit any locations visited by a confirmed COVID-19 case for 14 days since you were last at the venue or location

At the Training Venue

• Fencers are not to enter the venue before their allocated training time.
• All fencers will need to sign in on their mobile phones by scanning the QR code in the venue and showing the UTS Sport staff member. This must be done EVERY session.
• Filling out the club’s attendance register when you arrive and then when you leave the venue is mandatory.
• On arrival, wash your hands and use hand sanitiser between bouts /lessons regularly.
• Following the ‘Get in, train, get out’ principle for all sessions.
• Strictly follow training times and leave the venue before the end of the training session time so the venue can be cleaned for the next club booking. This includes members getting changed (if needed) and all packing up.
• Where possible, maintain social distance of 1.5m from one another.
• If you must use the changeroom, please note it is limited to 10 people at SBHG.   You are encouraged to change quickly and move out of the changerooms. Showers are NOT to be used at this stage.
• Wipe common equipment (remotes, reel cable clips, box controls) between bouts with the sanitary wipes.
• No sharing of equipment
• There WILL BE NO BORROWING/USING OF CLUB’S EQUIPMENT (including fencing mask, jacket, breeches foil/epee/sabre, glove etc).
• You must sanitise FENCING EQUIPMENT you are using with sanitiser spray or wipes before and after you use it (wash your uniform with sanitary wash, spray masks and gloves with antiseptic, clean weapons and wires with antiseptic wipes)
• It is your responsibility to have an effective sanitiser with you to clean your equipment
• ONLY ATHLETES and Coaches are permitted in the Gym. All others, including parents and visitors must stay outside.

On Leaving the Training Venue

• As soon as you have finished training/competing please leave SBHG.
• Note on the Club Register of your departure time.
• Wash your hands again.
• At home please wash your clothing and sanitise equipment.

Online Pre-Registration for training session

Each week, the club will send out the registration information to our members and visitors.    Please note all fencers participating in UTS Fencing’s training session will need to be registered for each session with the club beforehand, and to formally sign in and out at the training venue every session.   All fencers will need to have current (2021) club membership and visitors’ status.   Payment for 2021 UTS Club membership/visitor fee is paid via https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=713773&

Unfortunately, the club will have to turn away participants who do not meet their club memberships/visitors’ obligations (they will not be accepted in the training session registration process and will not be able to sign in to train at the venue).  

Athlete Profile

Name	Rita Tsiamoulis
Weapon	Foil
Hand	Right
Year started	2013

1. Favourite non-fencing sport?

Kung-fu. Sometimes you need to resort to fists when you lose your weapon.

2. Which Marvel or DC superhero/villain are you?

Rogue from the X-Men. She is hardcore, and her ability to suck the life force out of people
ensures that she has a back-up when her fencing bouts don’t go her way! 🙂

3. What was your most difficult moment in fencing and why?

Learning to lunge further without losing my balance and falling over. Still a work in progress.

4. If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?

Bring back the extinct megafauna of the planet. It is sad to know we live in a world without a
moa, argentavis, glyptodon or procoptodon:-(

5. Favourite food for fencing

Bananas. They are easy to store, quick to eat, and ensure you’re full of energy for the next
bout.

This week we have a dual video interview(s) from our two ‘art house’ fencing cinema directors and producers Naresh and Peter – shot on-location at Sydney’s beautiful Opera House. Enjoy! 🙂

The Interview

Athlete Profiles

Name	Juanita Koschier
Weapon	Epée
Hand	Right
Age	19

1. When did you start fencing?

Since the age of 12, I have trained at the UTS Fencing Club, I began learning foil for four years until I switched discipline in 2016 and transferred to ​Epée.

2. What was your most difficult moment in fencing and why?

My most difficult moment in Fencing was when I was first starting out as a foilist, after four years of training I was not enjoying foil as much as I thought I would. It wasn’t until I made a spur of the moment decision in 2016 and transferred to ​Épée ​that I started to train more regularly.

3. What was your proudest fencing moment and why?

My most memorable experience from fencing would be from three years ago. For many years I dreamt of winning a gold medal, however year after year, my ranks were quite low, nevertheless I promised to myself to continue training. It wasn’t until the day that I came first in New Caledonia that I realised my success was a group effort, my teammates and coaches supported us during competitions which helped us reach our goals and achieve a team Bronze medal for Australia.

4. Favourite fencing food

My favourite fencing food is snacking on small pieces of 70% Cocoa Lind dark chocolate during competitions.

5. How do you keep yourself motivated

As a full time student juggling work commitments, it is important that I manage my time effectively so that I can harness my full potential.

Today we have two new productions from our merry epeeists Peter and Naresh… Enjoy! 🙂

The Chase (Part 1)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F_GOgGSlIeM

The Chase (Part 2)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GNrhaA9d6mQ

Athlete Profiles:

Name	Dominic Au-Yeung
Weapon	Sabre
Hand	Left
Age	21

1.    When did you start fencing?

I started fencing when I was 9-years old and joined UTS Fencing Club’s Musketeers Program for Junior fencers. The first time I saw fencing was on TV for an advertisement and I think it was the all-white outfit and mask that really got me curious.

2.    What was your most difficult moment in fencing and why?

I didn’t know it back then, but I think losing the drive and purpose to fence when I was around 15-16. I was doing foil at the time and I wasn’t very good at it which didn’t really help. I was very casual in my former years so to pick up the discipline for it later on was quite difficult.

After starting university at UTS and going to O’Day I saw that fencing was still going and I decided to go back and give it another go. Best decision I’ve made in a long time!! 😉

3.    What was your proudest fencing moment and why?

I think coming back and really putting in the work to become successful in the sport. Especially after starting a new weapon, not retaining a lot of my previous ability and competing with athletes who have been doing this since they were young too, it was hard for me to find my feet in the beginning. Luckily for me, with the guidance of both the Club President, Melissa and my coach, Min I was able to compete on a very high level within 2 years of my return. My best National result so far is earning a Bronze Medal at the men’s U23 Sabre Championships and seeded first after pools.

I’m also happy to have put fencing on the map at UTS Sport, after winning the individual and team sabre events at the Unisport Nationals Div 1 (Unigames). UTS Sport has supported many of our fencing athletes and I’m proud to have earned the 2020 Elite Athlete Program Scholarship as well as joining the U23 Australia Fencing Team.

I’m still finding new challenges every day and always setting new goals to achieve for the year. A lot of those goals have been put on hold due to COVID-19 but I’m keen to continue to pursue them during late 2020 and 2021. My next big competition I’m hoping to compete in is the U23 Asian Fencing Championships in Taipei. Fingers Crossed!!

4.    Favourite fencing food?

I almost always pack gummy bears, bananas or any other low GI carb so that I can quickly eat and gain energy throughout a long competition day. It’s important eat and stay hydrated throughout a competition because most fencers won’t realise how much energy or sweat, they’ve lost after a few bouts.

5.    How do you keep yourself motivated?

It’s important for me to breakdown my larger goals into smaller goals that can be frequently achieved. When I came back to fencing in 2018, one of my main goals was to win a medal at a competition. At the time it was a very big objective as I haven’t won any individual medal at state or national level yet. I broke this down to more achievable goals such as frequently coming to training and going to competitions to gain experience. When things are done enough times, it becomes a habit. Prior to COVID-19 I spent at least 3-5 days fencing and 2 days at the gym. Seeing the results of my hard work turning into accomplishments keeps me motivated to do more.

This week we have two new links for you – firstly, a comprehensive fencing fitness piece by a strength and conditioning coach who works with fencers on the US National team, and secondly a series of agility exercises perfect for kids (and others!)

Strength and Conditioning for Fencing

https://www.stack.com/a/8-keys-to-a-successful-fencing-training-program

Agility fencing exercises for kids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1evKP3reCnA​

Below are two short video segments from Min Du showing simple footwork/strength building sequences

Video 1:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kAIjnV-20bSkt6hShZ3Ys_S8zoiIFErq

Video 2:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_DOztEFjgi9FvPGqetsoNFT845jrL7FN

Welcome to the first of our profile pieces on club members – a light-hearted way to get to know a bit more about your fellow club members through a series of short questions-and-answer sessions- either text or video.

And so without further ado, we present.: Julia Lyaschenko!:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=16xZB46sgjeNou0WXpZ2dcDBb9b7Srumz

We have some varied experiences for you today !
First – on the local front – two video productions from our dynamic duo of Peter Busboom and Naresh Sakhra, followed by two long training and exercise videos, one from the States, one from Italy

1) “When Club Training is not Available Part 1”
https://youtu.be/7PH86GNFueY

2) “When Club Training is not Available Part 2”
https://youtu.be/e2qKJ466Cp8

3) Fencing footwork/strength exercises you can practise in a small space:
https://youtu.be/Zc616s3HdmA

4) A full 42 minutes of fairly old school Italian Fencing team workouts – varying degrees of difficulty – look out for the one at 32:15 !! Maybe don’t try all these at home 🙂
https://youtu.be/tApwgPsaa7s