Almost four years ago, we interviewed rising star in epee Yuval Freilich, who at the time had just won his first Gold medal at the European Championships. At the time, we wrote that it would not be the last time you would hear from him, and that we predicted he would be a force in the world of epee over the next several years.
Flash forward to Doha, Qatar, earlier this month and the 2024 Grand Prix and Yuval once again took the top of the podium. This Gold medal finish takes him one step closer to the Paris Olympics this summer, which are coming up faster than we can imagine.
We talked with him about his training regimen in this Olympic year, the challenges of preparing for high-level competitions given the pressures of everything pushing on athletes right now, and what he sees next for himself and for fencing in general.
Igor
Chirashnya: This
victory was played out in the news all over the world, for many reasons that
have nothing to do with fencing. How did it feel when you returned home from
Doha?
Yuval Freilich:
The night
after the competition, I was already on the plane back to Israel. The truth is,
I’ve completely disconnected from the media, from the press, and from the news,
so I don’t know what was written and what was said. For me, the competition was
a regular competition. I’m not blind to reality, I understand perfectly the
significance of this competition apart from the sporting aspect. We had
security guards with us there, and we had our own little special room that they
put us in during the competition, but I approached it as normal competition.
Before kids are even born, we’re bombarded with the idea that everything has to be measured. How long is the baby during each sonogram? How many times did they kick in the last 24 hours? Are they on time for their due date? Once they get here, we’re told to monitor their height and weight percentile, count how many teeth they’ve lost, list the words that they know. How do they compare to the norm? From academic milestones to physical changes to social interactions, we are constantly measuring how much our children are doing as compared to other kids their age. Society conditions us to constantly evaluate our children’s progress and compare them to their peers.
This measuring mentality extends to the world of youth fencing, where parents often find themselves caught up in a web of constant calculations and comparisons. Are they doing as well as other kids in the Y8 age category? They started fencing at the same beginner fencing camp as another child who just earned a new rating, are they measuring up?
All of this measuring misses the point, and more importantly it can even be detrimental. We must understand that nurturing our children’s unique abilities and focusing on their individual growth is much more relevant to their overall happiness than any measure that we might have against other kids. Embracing individual progress is much more important than pitting kids against each other, even if it’s done with the best intentions.
It’s hard to believe that exactly ten years ago, on this very day, we embarked on the journey of creating the AFM Blog. Back then, we had little more than a vague idea of what it would become. It felt like stepping into the unknown, with only the first step known to us, while the direction and duration remained shrouded in mystery. But, oh, the lessons we’ve learned along the way!
Writing the blog for ten years is hard. It’s impossible to understand the determination that would be required when you just start. To do something, anything actually, no matter how hard it is, for a short period of time is easy. I didn’t know that it would be hard when I started. The first number of blogs were easy. The difficult part is to write every week, rain or shine, whether I travel or not, whether I have a well-developed concept or a very initial idea. So, in the last ten years, I learned what it means to have a goal and what it takes to develop grit and discipline.
Yet, amid the challenges, we’ve discovered the immense reward of having a dedicated audience, people who value our work, provide feedback, and simply say a kind word. For that – a huge thank you!
Our initial motivation for starting this blog was simple: we wanted to connect with our local fencing community, particularly parents, and assist them in navigating the intricacies of the sport. However, it soon transcended our expectations. What began as a modest blog has grown into a widely cited source on all things fencing. It has not only crossed geographical boundaries but has also connected us with diverse audiences, sparking meaningful conversations. One of the most rewarding aspects has been its role in introducing countless new parents to the world of fencing. We’ve often heard newcomers say, “I discovered fencing through your blog.” There’s no greater satisfaction than knowing our efforts have contributed to the growth of the fencing community.
The true power of words lies in their ability to connect people, and it’s exhilarating to see how the AFM Blog has achieved this over the past decade.
Education has been at the heart of our mission from the very beginning. Whether it’s guiding novice fencers in selecting the right weapon, explaining rule changes to seasoned practitioners, or sharing tips on maintaining fencing gear, it’s the educational component that has made the most significant impact on our readers. Supporting our fencing community through knowledge sharing has been a fundamental goal, and it continues to be a cornerstone of our work.
In the course of a decade, we’ve established some cherished traditions here at the AFM Blog. Among them, our April Fool’s posts are my favorites. Yet, every April, I find myself questioning whether my sense of humor is on par with our readers’ tastes. It remains a delightful puzzle.
We are always open to suggestions and ideas from our readers. If there’s something that has resonated with you or a topic you’d like us to explore, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us through this platform or on our social media channels. What we share with the world matters to us deeply. We aspire to bring more people into the fencing through education and information, and, on occasion, provoke change. This blog has served as a platform for discussing opportunities for growth within the sport and addressing broader issues that affect everyone, both inside and outside the fencing community. We take this responsibility seriously and are immensely grateful for our readers’ willingness to engage with our thoughts.
However, all these accomplishments pale in comparison to the heart of this blog – the fencing community!
Parents and fencers, not only across our nation but from around the world, have turned to us for information and insights. We view this blog as a repository of fencing knowledge, a place where new fencing families can seek guidance and where experienced fencers and their families can find motivation and support. To fulfill this role, we continue to be learners ourselves. We understand that we can’t provide more if we don’t keep seeking new ideas, constantly striving to understand the ever-evolving world of fencing. While the art of swordsmanship has ancient roots, it continually adapts to new techniques, technologies, rules, sensibilities, and the needs of both youth and adult athletes. Writing this blog has allowed us to stay sharp and open-minded. As we often say, competing in fencing forces you to grow, and for us, writing this blog forces us to remain open and engaged.
In essence, the power of blogging lies in its ability to bridge gaps, create communities, and inspire change. It stands as a testament to the profound impact words can have in influencing, educating, and connecting us. What we contribute to the world holds immense significance, and we are grateful to have you, our readers, along for this incredible journey.
As we raise a virtual toast to the start of our second decade at the AFM blog, we reflect not only on what we’ve accomplished thus far but also on the limitless potential for what we can achieve together.
Thank you for being a part of this remarkable journey and for reading our blog!
I recently came across an inspiring news story about self-defense that underscores the remarkable skills and courage honed by a former Italian National Fencing Team coach, Attilio Fini, who is now 93 years old. Just a month ago, he found himself in a perilous situation that required quick thinking and action.
As he was returning home one evening in Milan’s Piazza De Agostini, Fini noticed a shadow drawing too close for comfort. He soon realized that the approaching figure was pointing a gun directly at him. In that critical moment, he relied on the reflexes and instincts instilled in him during his fencing days.
Fini’s fencing background proved to be invaluable. Without hesitation, he disarmed the armed robber, striking his hand and causing the weapon to fall to the ground. He didn’t stop there; with a swift push and punch, he further incapacitated the assailant, sending him tumbling amidst parked scooters. Two brave bystanders joined in, helping to immobilize the attacker until the police arrived.
The assailant, as it turns out, was wanted for murder in Algeria, his home country, and faced charges for multiple robberies. Fini’s remarkable response to this dangerous encounter can be attributed to the fearless mindset and quick reflexes fostered by his fencing training.
While fencing is not typically associated with self-defense, it undeniably played a pivotal role in Fini’s ability to respond effectively to a life-threatening situation. His story serves as a powerful reminder of the transferable skills and attributes developed through sports, which can unexpectedly prove crucial in real-life scenarios. But also, it raises an interesting question – can fencing be used for self-defense?
Fencing is a combat sport. Much like karate or ju-jitsu, fencing is the act of facing an opponent and coming into physical contact with them in order to gain the advantage. That connection to the combat sports arena gives a lot of people the idea that maybe fencing teaches self-defense skills.
So it’s a good question! We’re going to explore this idea, but we want to start off by being very, very clear: sport fencing is not meant for self-defense. That is not what we’re training for. We are training to get points against our opponent in a controlled situation. Period.
With that as our foundational point, we can start to explore how fencing has a legacy of self-defense and the ways that fencing could help in a combat situation. Though every kind of physical fitness activity would be beneficial for someone facing a dangerous situation, fencing does is a special case.
Recently, I immersed myself in the pages of Rafael Nadal’s captivating memoir, “Rafa,” where one of the all-time greatest tennis players invites readers into the inner workings of his journey to the pinnacle of the sport. It’s a literary gem that offers profound insights into the mindset and determination required to achieve greatness in any field. In this post, I want to delve deeper into a particular passage from Nadal’s book, a passage that holds universal significance:
“During a match, you are in a permanent battle to fight back your everyday vulnerabilities, bottle up your human feelings. The more bottled up they are, the greater your chances of winning, so long as you’ve trained as hard as you play and the gap in talent is not too wide between you and your rival. The gap in talent with Federer existed, but it was not impossibly wide. It was narrow enough, even on his favorite surface in the tournament he played best, for me to know that if I silenced the doubts and fears, and exaggerated hopes, inside my head better than he did, I could beat him. You have to cage yourself in protective armor, turn yourself into a bloodless warrior. It’s a kind of self-hypnosis, a game you play, with deadly seriousness, to disguise your own weaknesses from yourself, as well as from your rival.”
Nadal’s words resonate far beyond the tennis court. They transcend sports, touching on the universal struggle we all face – the battle against our doubts and fears, and the need to rise above vulnerability. It’s a battle that extends to countless domains, including the world of fencing.
In my own club, I recently witnessed a situation that vividly reminded me of the profound importance of what Rafa articulates. As many of you know, Sergey Bida trains with us. In our competitive class, he regularly engages in spirited bouts with our competitive fencers. During one training match, a promising fencer managed to secure a significant lead early on. However, what transpired next was intriguing. Instead of capitalizing on his advantage, the fencer abruptly shifted to a defensive stance, ceding control of the bout to Sergey. While Sergey eventually emerged victorious, he couldn’t help but question his opponent’s decision. Why had the fencer retreated and opted for a defensive strategy when victory seemed within reach?
The answer provided valuable insight into the mental aspect of competition: “I was afraid to lose my advantage, and I thought that by adopting a defensive tactic, you wouldn’t find it easy to score against me.”
While tactical discussions could analyze the pros and cons of this approach, and are beyond the scope of this post, it’s the underlying mental state of the fencer that intrigues me. In a way, it mirrors the essence of what Rafa described in his book – the need to silence doubts, transform into a bloodless warrior, and conceal one’s vulnerabilities, not just from the opponent but also from oneself.
But what does this mean beyond the world of sports? How can we apply these principles to our own lives and endeavors? The answer lies in recognizing that the battles we face on the field, the court, or the strip are mere reflections of the internal battles we wage within ourselves. We all grapple with doubts, fear, and vulnerability. It’s the ability to channel these emotions, to turn them into fuel rather than stumbling blocks, that sets champions apart.
In the end, whether we’re striving for victory on the sports field, in our careers, or in personal challenges, Rafael Nadal’s wisdom offers a timeless lesson: to become a relentless competitor, we must first conquer the doubts and fears that reside within us. It’s not just about the sport we play; it’s about the battles we face within ourselves and how we choose to confront them. In doing so, we become warriors not just in our chosen arenas but in the game of life itself.
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