We want to thank all of our AFM family from the bottom of our hearts for a truly fantastic 2014. It’s been quite a year. We finished our first season as a club and jumped headfirst into our second. In true AFM fashion, we had high hopes for the year, but together we...
Academy of Fencing Masters Blog
Art of Fencing, Art of Life
Month: December 2014
When are Stenciled Names Really Required for Fencing Uniforms?: A sad story of not knowing the rules
We ran into some confusion last month at a Men’s Junior Olympic Qualifier that resulted in red cards and damage to fencers’ uniforms, and it was all due to an inaccurate rule enforcement! The rules in fencing are often very strict because of the sport’s noble...
17 Medals in One RYC: A great weekend for AFM Fencers and Coaches
What a great way to finish a year! We can all head into the holiday season with smiles and pride. We are ecstatic to report our results from this past weekend’s Northern California RYC at Treasure Island in San Francisco. Our fencers took home 17 (!) medals - in 7 out...
Give the Gift of Fencing Lessons: A Unique Holiday Gift for Friends of Any Age
If you haven’t finished your holiday shopping, you can knock a couple items off your holiday gift list simply by heading to our website and ordering AFM Gifts Certificates that can be used to sign up for classes. You can order by email or mail delivery, so you could...
4 Steps to Goal-setting with Beginner Fencers to Help Your Children Cope with Sport Loss
No one likes to lose, but it happens. It's important to face this reality head on when it comes to parenting an athlete. Your child winning their first fencing competition is not impossible, but it's very unlikely. As a matter of fact, your child may not win a bout...
Helping Your Children Cope with Sports Loss: With a focus on fencing parents
Nothing is harder than the first time you see your child really upset over something you can’t control. It’s one thing to deal with tantrums over broken toys or bedtime, but when it’s something they are more invested in, it can be heartbreaking. When you watch your...
The New USFA July Challenge: What is it and what does it mean for me?
This post is for fencers who currently compete in the Division 1, Junior, and Cadet age groups, or plan to at the 2015 Fencing Summer Nationals. Those of us in Northern California have been getting excited about having Summer Nationals so close to home in 2015. For...