IMasters Academy

02/20/2021

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2021 World Junior/Cadet Fencing Championships will be held in Cairo, Egypt between April 3-11 as planned! Absolute Fencing will be the official supplier for this competition. Thanks to Egyptian Fencing for all the hard work and preparations, we looking forward to see everyone at this long expected event!

12/03/2020

[At least two people who attended the Music City RYC/RJCC were COVID positive at the tournament : Fencing (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fencing/comments/k4u2v0/at_least_two_people_who_attended_the_music_city/)

Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. Get a constantly updating feed of breaking news, fun stories, pics, memes, and videos just for you. Passionate about something niche? Reddit has thousands of vibrant communities with people that share your interests. Alternatively, find out wha...

11/17/2020

Colorado Springs, Colo.) – USA Fencing is now accepting nominations for the 2020 United States Olympic & Paralympic Coach of the Year Awards. The USOPC Coach of the Year Program honors coaches and service providers who are making a significant impact in their sport and National Governing Body. T

11/15/2020

SIDE by SIDE proudly announcing the partnership with Global Fencing Masters: 🤜🤛
To Present the official Maiter D'Armes course 💪💪
details in the video and presentation 🤺🤺

11/07/2020

US Fencing Referee Development Committee presents a series of educational free online sessions on SIDE by SIDE, every Saturday, at Noon ET

Our Instructors, DEREK COTTON:

PROFILE
 Started fencing in 1983 with coach Ralph Faulkner.
 Co-founder of San Diego State University’s fencing team.
 Long-time student of Ed Richards, Hezaburo Okawa, and Cole Harkness.
 Lived and trained with Hungarian National Foil Coach Sandor Beliczay in Budapest Hungary for 13 months.

PROFESSIONAL/COACHING
 Manager of Talent Acquisition with Capital Group
 Previous experience with Farmers Insurance, Egon Zehnder International, Robert Half International, Merrill Lynch, and Lehman Brothers
 Passed the moniteur d’escrime level exam for all three weapons, 1997.
 Assistant National Coach for Cadet women’s foil, 1999.
 Coach of the third place Women’s Foil Team at US National Championships, 1999.

REFEREEING AND COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE
 Received US Fencing referee’s license in 1988.
 Refereed many national finals in all three weapons.
 Received International referee’s license in 1995.
 US referee to Pan American Games, World University Games, Jr. World Championships and Senior World Championships, 1998 – 2003.
 Only US referee selected to go to Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004 for the Olympic Games.
 Referee selected for the Paralympic Games in Atlanta, 1996.
 Internationally rated B referee in all three weapons.
 Member of the Fencing Officials Commission, 2001 to 2020 where:
1. Served as chair of Referee Development Committee.
2. Act as an observer and assigner at US selection tournaments.
3. Actively work to teach, train and mentor referees.
 Member of the Wheelchair Fencing Committee, 1999 – 2003.
 Member of the FIE Arbitrage Commission 2008 – 2012
 Vice Chairman of the Southern California Division, US Fencing, 2001 – 2004.
 Treasurer of US Fencing Association, 2004 – 2008
COMPETITIVE EXPERIENCE
 Three-time US National finalist.
 Member of the US Men’s Foil National Championship Team, 1995.
 Five-time member of US Olympic Festival Team, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995.
 Two-time winner of Pacific Coast Sabre Circuit, 1994 – 1995.

10/29/2020

Key updates have been made to the 2020-21 season, including mandating the wearing of masks at all tournaments for all participants.

National events also will begin in February with the Junior Olympics moving to Summer Nationals.

As the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve, USA Fencing will continue to revise and assess tournament protocol, format and structure for the season.

Full details ...

https://www.usafencing.org/news_article/show/1130356

https://www.usafencing.org/mask-faq

10/10/2020

SIDE by SIDE proudly presents, US Fencing Referee Development Committee, a series of educational free online sessions on SBS Channel every Saturday.

Our Instructors for this week's Session for "Penalty Chart and and preparing a referee to an event":

*Lisa Campi-Sapery



https://www.facebook.com/refdevcommittee/

USA Referee Session no. 12:

⭐Date: Saturday
⭐Attending session at 11:50am ET 🇺🇸 5:50 pm CLT 🇪🇬
⭐Session starting time: Noon ET 🇺🇸 06:00 PM Cairo Local time CLT.
⭐Join Virtual Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7402290651

Meeting ID: 740 229 0651
Password: sidebyside

And all the Clubs and Academies from allover the world are Welcome to Join 🙏







🤺 Absolute Fencing Gear Strategic Fencing Partner of

🖥 👨‍💻 Effvision Official Technology Partner of

10/06/2020

By USFENCING:
Looking for tips on the mental side of the return to training and tips on improving your mental game?

USA Fencing's Sports Medicine team worked with Team USA psychologists to put together guidance for your return to training and competition: http://bit.ly/COVID19-Mental-Health

10/02/2020

US Fencing Referee Development Committee presents a series of educational free online sessions on SIDE by SIDE, every Saturday.

Our Instructors for this week's Session for "Refereeing in the COVID/Post-COVID world":

*The President of the USA Fencing Association, Peter Burchard:
The newly elected and current President of USA Fencing, having just started his first term August 1st.

Mr. Burchard held an FIE B in Foil and Epée since 1989 until he aged out at the age of 60
His current referee ratings are: USA Fencing Foil 1, Epée 1, Sabre 4

His referee accomplishments include:
-FOC 1988 – till disbanded (it is now the RC)
-NCAA Finals ref 3 times
-CRI, CRO since 1980
-Referee evaluator FOIL since program inception.
-He started reffing before there were classifications or licenses and came up in the days of self-reffing in about 1972.

https://www.facebook.com/refdevcommittee/

USA Referee Session no. 10:

⭐Date: Saturday
⭐Attending session at 11:50am ET 🇺🇸 5:50 pm CLT 🇪🇬
⭐Session starting time: Noon ET 🇺🇸 06:00 PM Cairo Local time CLT.
⭐Join Virtual Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7402290651

Meeting ID: 740 229 0651
Password: sidebyside

And all the Clubs and Academies from allover the world are Welcome to Join 🙏

09/29/2020

By USAFENCING:
As practice and lessons resume at clubs round the country, USA Fencing's Sports Medicine Department has created guidelines and tips on how to safely return to training.

Check out the first of the three-part series which includes key information for athletes, coaches and parents: http://bit.ly/COVIDReturntoTraining..

09/23/2020

Coaching Tip from the USFCA: Optimal Sleep for Optimal Recovery

Each month, United States Fencing Coaches Association President Cody Mattern will provide a coaching tip for the USA Fencing Coaching Education E-Newsletter.

Below are a great list of simple tips we can all include today to get started on optimizing our sleep and recovery.

Go completely offline at least 60 minutes prior to going to bed. This will allow your brain to wind down and haelp you get to sleep faster.

Take a hot shower prior to going to bed. This will help reduce your core temperature and release melatonin.

Adjust the room temperature to between 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Studies show that deeper sleep is generally achieved in this temperature range.

Wear black our shades over your eyes and silicon earplugs (which are better than foam at reducing high and low noises). This helps stimulate melatonin and ensure deep uninterrupted sleep.

Drink tart cherry juice. This helps stimulate melatonin and studies have shown helps reduce inflammation and thus aids in recovery.

Listen to music sleep apps or sleep music prior to bed. This assists in getting to sleep quickly and may help reduce outside noises from waking you.

These tips above are from Dr. Randy Wilber, Senior Sports Physiologist at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and were presented in a recent webinar to Team USA Athlete and National Governing Body coaches and staff that I was asked to moderate for in my role as Vice-Chair of the Athlete Advisory Council.

The optimal amount of sleep for athletes is between 8-9 hours of rest, which can include and be achieved through time napping.

Just getting better quality and quantity of rest and recovery can result in between a 5-15% increase in speed, speed of reaction and decision making. These benefits will also assist our student-athletes in the classroom and similar studies have shown changing school start times by 1-2 hours later increased grade point averages without changing the content of the curriculum and as such attributed to students ability to sleep in later.

These benefits alone make it worth including and do not include the clear and obvious benefit of reducing your chance of injury. Proper recovery in the form of rest can reduce your odds of injury by over 60% a massive benefit all of its own.

We have all seen bouts come down to a single touch and athletes have to withdraw because their bodies reached their limits. Optimal rest for optimal recover is something any and all serious athletes should include to maximize the hard work they put into their lessons and training to maximize the time and effort they already dedicate to improving and become their best fencing self!