UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS:

College of the Desert, End-of-Season 3-weapon open, Saturday, May 19.  Close of check-in 9:00 a.m. saber, 10:00 a.m. foil, 12 noon epee.  Please pre-register on AskFred.net.  Trophies will be awarded.

NEWSY DFA NEWS:

Sam Signorelli, H.O.M. Fencing Supply, will be at DFA on Saturday, May 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  If you’re looking to purchase some fencing gear, or need something repaired, Sam’s your man!  Cash, checks and credit cards accepted!

COMPETITION NEWS:

Summer Nationals will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, June 29-July 8, 2012.  Those who qualified may register on-line by going to www.usfencing.org, click Events, click Championships, follow and read everyting.

Also at Summer Nationals is the July North American Cup where the Under 16 and Under 19 events are being held.  U16 and U19 events are “opens”, one does not need to qualify to go.  If your fencer would like to compete in the U16 or U19 events, go to the USFA website, click Events, click North American Cups, click on 2012 July NAC in Anaheim.  Follow and read everything.  Deadline is may 7!!!

DFA CLUB NEWS:

DFA congratulates two of its fencers who became Eagle Scouts in April — Ellis DeVoe and Nick Richardson!!

Congratulations also go out to the following DFA fencers graduating in 2012:

Linden Ballen, Air Force Academy, Second Lieutenant, Astronautical Engineering

Hanna Frimtzis, accepted to Vassar and the fencing team

Olivia Wong, accepted to Stanford and the fencing team

Madison Callihan, accepted to the University of Pennsylvania

Wishing everyone a great May, and to all you mom’s HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

Leslie, the Fencing Coach

Our last point tournament of the season will be the Haake-und-Slasche tournament, Saturday, April 28, 2012 at Victor Valley High School.  We usually have a large turnout for this tournament so you are asked to pre-register on AskFred.net.  Close of check-in times will be posted on AskFred.

May 19, 2012, College of the Desert, End-of-Season 3-weapon open. Close of check-in 9:00 a.m., saber, 10:00 a.m. foil, 12 noon epee.  Please pre-register on AskFred.net.  Trophies will be awarded.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALEX OKAMOTO, who took 1st place in the Men’s Epee qualifier, qualified for Div 2/3 and earned his E2012 rating in epee!

Also qualifying were:  In Men’s Epee, Glenn King, Div 2/3 and Veterans, Ryan King, Div 3, Danny King, Div 3, Costa Nichols, Veteran’s, Tony Barton, Veteran’s.

In Women’s Epee, Leslie Taft, Div 2/3 and Veteran’s

In Men’s Saber:  Costa Nichols, Div 2 and Veteran’s, John Phillips, Div 3.

In Women’s Saber:  Leslie Taft, Div 2/3 and Veteran’s, Claudia Bueermann, Div 2/3

In Y-14 Saber:  Chandler Pollett and Claudia Bueermann

DFA will be closed on Friday, April 6, but open for fencing on Saturday, April 7.

As a reminder, if you need to cancel your lesson please call at least one hour prior to your lesson time.

Wishing everyone a happy and blessed Passover and Easter!

Leslie, The Fencing Coach

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS:

March 24, 2012, Division Qualifier at Hemet High School for Summer Nationals.  Schedule will be posted to AskFred.net.  Please pre-register.

April 28, 2012, Haake und Slasche at Victor Valley High School.  Schedule will be posted on AskFred.net.  Please pre-register.

NEWSY DFA NEWS:

The History Channel is starting a new series called “10 Things You Don’t Know About” on their H2 channel.  On April 30, a program will air on General George S. Patton, who competed in the 1912 Olympics in the Pentathlon event.  Watch the segment on fencing, you may know the two fencers, even though masked, it’s Max Barber and me!

COMPETITION NEWS:

Our Division Qualifier for Summer Nationals will be held at Hemet High School on Saturday, March 24, 2012.  Summer Nationals will be held in Anaheim this year!  More information can be found at www.usfencing.org.  I suggest that if your fencer would be interested in competing in a national championship, here’s the chance in our own backyard!  Come to the qualifier at Hemet, qualify and then head to Nationals!  It is such a wonderful experience and so rarely held in an area close to us.  Summer Nationals will be June 29-July 8, 2012, at the Anaheim Convention Center.

DFA CLUB NEWS:

Well, our 2012 Junior Olympians are back home from Salt Lake City.  Claudia Bueermann and Emily Goldstone both competed in Cadet Women’s Saber.  Alec Steele competed in Cadet Men’s Saber.  Alex Okamoto competed in Cadet Men’s Epee.  Alex won his very first bout, made the 80% cut and had his first direct elimination (D.E.) bout!  When you’re at the club and see our Junior Olympians, congratulate them on a fencing job well done!

Have a wonderful March and blissful fencing.

Leslie Taft

The Fencing Coach

It’s official….we have moved to our new home!  The DFA/My Gym move was successfully accomplished during the holiday break.  We are in a brand new building in a brand new space!  We are north of Walmart and right at the Monterey freeway on and off ramps.  We are on Dinah Shore Drive, bounded by Monterey and Portola.

Our address is 73-760 Dinah Shore Drive, Suite 103D, Palm Desert, CA, 92211.  You can’t miss it, the big, blue My Gym sign is right above our entry door and, yes, DFA now has it’s very own front door!

We’ll have a few items to shake out, but that will all happen as we start to settle into our new space.  It is much more streamlined and modern and we have lots of windows!

DFA will re-open on Tuesday, January 3.  I’m looking forward to welcoming our fencers, and parents, to our new club home.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS:

January 7, 2012, 3-weapon tournament at Hemet High School.  Close of check-in 9:00 a.m. saber, 10:00 a.m. foil and 12 noon epee.  Please pre-register on AskFred.net.

February 4, 2012, 3-weapon tournament at College of the Desert.  Same schedule as above.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year, and blissful fencing.

Leslie Taft,

The Fencing Coach

NEWSY DFA NEWS:

Well, we’re all moved in to our new location.  Spent the Christmas vacation moving and just settling in.  First folks to come and have a look were Claudia Bueermann and her mom, Laura.  First student to get a lesson in the new place, Lorenzo Servitje.  First student to forget we moved and drive to the “old” location was Seth Howell.  Too much fun!!

COMPETITION NEWS:

Our division qualifier for Summer Nationals will be held at Hemet High School on Saturday, March 24, 2012.  Summer Nationals will be held in Anaheim this year!  More information can be found at www.usfencing.org.  I suggest that if your fencer would be interested in competing in a national championship, here’s the chance in our own backyard!  Come to the qualifier at Hemet, qualify and then head to Nationals!  It is such a wonderful experience and so rarely held in an area close to us.  Summer Nationals will be June 29-July 8, 2012, at the Anaheim Convention Center.

DFA CLUB NEWS:

GOLLY AND WOW…DFA celebrates its 9th anniversary this February!  Wow, 9 years in business teaching fencing!  Wow!  Thank you for making it possible!  Come by on Saturday, February 25, from noon to 2:00 p.m., cake, refreshments, reminisce, fencing.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS:

February 4, 2012, 3-weapon tournament at College of the Desert.  Close of check-in 9:00 a.m. saber, 10:00 a.m. foil and 12 noon epee.  Please pre-register on AskFred.net.

March 24, 2012, Division qualifier at Hemet High School for Summer Nationals.  Schedule will be posted to AskFred.net.  Please pre-register.

Have a great February, wonderful Valentine’s Day and as always, blissful fencing.

Leslie Taft

The Fencing Coach

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS:

December 3, 2011, 3-weapon tournament at College of the Desert.  Close of check-in 9:00 a.m. sabre, 10:00 a.m. foil and 12 noon epee.  Please pre-register on AskFred.net.

January 7, 2012, 3-weapon tournament at Hemet High School.  Same schedule as above.

NEWSY NEWS:

We have had an international flavor at the club this month.  We have Aaron Villasenor, member of the Mexican National Team, currently in residence with us, fencing saber, foil and epee.  He is presently pursuing his U.S. immigration status.

We also had Donna Vakalis, member of the Canadian Pentathlon Team, working out with our epee fencers.  What great fun for our fencers to have such good visiting fencers to work out with!

DFA HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:

Regular fencing schedule December 1-23.  DFA will close Saturday, December 24 and re-open Monday, January 2.

Wishing everyone a happy and blessed Hanukkah and Christmas and, as always, blissful fencing.

Leslie Taft

The Fencing Coach