Team A Winners  – Dave, Henry and Claudia – being presented the trophy by Mark.

June’s report will be a quick affair!  There were only six fencers in attendance mainly due to the very hot weather, but as always, compounded by work issues and transport issues.  It was decided to run a quick fencing relay with two teams of three.  With Claudia deciding that she was teaming up with Dave and Henry (Team A), it was left to Steve, Peter and Mark (Team B) to rise to the challenge. 

Team A took a quick lead, with Henry moving them into pole position with a 5-2 win against Mark.  With Claudia and Dave following on, but narrowly losing their bouts 5-6, they managed to maintain their lead.  Peter, clearly not warmed up enough, had a shocker of a round against Henry, not managing to score at all.  Claudia was narrowly beaten 5-6 again; this time by Steve, but it was enough to keep Team A out in front.  Dave won a close fought battle against Mark, winning 5-3 and keeping Team A in front.  However, it was clearly Henry’s night because for the second time he managed to keep a clean sheet against Steve and, surely giving Team A an unassailable 35-23 lead overall. 

With Mark holding Claudia to a 5-5 draw and Peter losing by one hit to Dave, it meant that Team A came out as the emphatical winners on the night, with a 45-32 scoreline.  Well done to all for making it a fun evening and, just for making it to fencing in that heat!  A big congratulations to Team A for their victory.

I think that means we come to a pause, for the summer months, in the monthly club competition.  We look forward to seeing you all return, hopefully, much cooler for the next competition in September!  In the meantime, have a wonderful summer and get plenty of rest for the next one!

Winner, Tadek, receiving the trophy from Mark.

It has been an unusually busy time for the writer of these little ditties and, as such, this month’s competition seems to have passed me by with little memory of events! On top of that, with 15 fencers arriving and, all competing in the one-poule, one-hit knockout format for this competition, it was all the writer/scorer could do to keep on top of the barrage of information on the night; so my sincere condolences to Tadek, the winner of this month’s competition for the very light report! My condolences are amplified, especially as Tadek is still a junior and is more deserving having taken on and beaten so many of the esteemed stalwart adults of the club!

Overall Tadek, Ryan and Gully all managed 9 wins apiece, but with Tadek being a club member and not a guest, he was crowned the May champion. Although, I’m sure many of the other members will argue that he had an advantage as left-hander!

Claudia, Sofia and Henry were next in line with 8 wins apiece, but with Claudia and Sofia tying for the place above Henry on countback. So, with Tadek, Claudia and Sofia taking the top places, it just goes to show that our junior section is going from strength to strength and, that is despite them all being in the middle of their exams. Next up was Paul, followed by Dave and Rohan who tied in 8th. From then on we had Ellora, Peter, Mark, Steve, then Richard and finally, declaring he’d had the worst evening ever, was Phil.

Amazingly, given the numbers, we managed to complete the competition in one evening, although the scorer is glad to be having a few weeks respite.

A huge congratulations to Tadek for his win and best of luck to all of you for the next competition at the end of June.

On Sunday 11^th May 2025, Rob made his way to Manchester for the British Veterans Fencing National Finals.  There were 53 competitors, on the day, who ranged from Category 1 to Category 4.  Although all fencing against each other and medalling, Rob is in fact in Category 1.  Overall, there were eight poules, five poules of seven fencers and three poules of six fencers.  Rob found himself in poule five, which consisted of seven fencers and, most unusually he was the only right-handed fencer!  This, would prove a challenge, which we’re sure Rob could step up to.

His poule round was good, winning four bouts but losing two.  One of the losses was a 5-4 loss; a really close loss, whereas Rob’s wins were quite emphatic; he won one of the matches with no hits against, two had only two hits against and the last had only three hits against him, showing that he was in control for most of the poule matches.  Overall, this seeded him 21^st overall and the 7^th category 1 seed.

In the first round of the Direct Elimination, Rob’s efforts from the poules meant that he was granted a bye.  Next up he won emphatically, 10-3, against the number 26 seed.  The next two matches in the DE were slightly closer, only just winning 10-9 in each match, against the number 10 and the number 2 seeds.  The semi-final match saw Rob back to his best, easily overcoming the 3 seed by 10 hits to six, to reach the final, against the number 1 seed.

The name of the number one seed is well known against some of our more seasoned club members and, they knew that it was going to be a hard task for Rob to overcome.  However, despite the loss in the final, Rob managed to land three hits against his opponent, proving that he can fence with the best of them!

Overall, Rob took home the silver medal, proudly flying the flag for both himself and Gravesham Fencing Club.  Very well done, Rob.  I guess it’s harder than we all think to win the club monthly competition AND an external one in the same week!  Congratulations Rob. 

Rob – The April Monthly Club Competition Winner (no trophy because Mark was absent through illness – sorry Rob)

On an unfamiliarly warm Tuesday, April night, eleven fencers were in attendance for the club monthly competition.  Following a standard format of poules (three-minute matches with the first to five hits taking the win); followed by Direct Elimination (‘DE’ – each match of two by three-minute rounds, with the first to ten hits to win, apart from the final which is three by three-minute rounds, with the first to fifteen to win), Rob finally had something to cheer about!

The poule of five raced through their matches with Ben, Rob and Henry taking the spoils, each with a 75% match win rate and, only their indicator scores separating them.  Peter and Steve were on the receiving end of the three with Peter only managing one win and, Steve receiving the wooden spoon of the poule. 

Poule two had an extra fencer (six in total) and were much more evenly spread, with many of the fights going the whole-time distance.  Here, Paul took the spoils with four out of five wins and one draw.  Dave and Phil were equal second, winning three matches each and being separated by their indicator, with Richard closely following with two wins, Sofia next with one victory and Mark taking the wooden spoon in his poule. 

With time on our side, it was deemed possible to get the DE section of the competition, if not completed, then at least started.  With eleven fencers in total; Paul, Dave, Henry, Rob and Ben all revelled in byes and some extra rest in the heat of the hall.  Steve put up the fight of the night, but just lost out to Peter, 9-10, whereas Phil versus Mark twinned with Sofia versus Richard and saw Phil and Sofia reach the top eight with 10-6 winning scorelines.  After short breaks for some fresh air and liquid sustenance (not alcohol, although some may argue they might fight better!), the quarter finals were underway.  Here, Ben beat Sofia 10-4, Rob, still warming up, managed to overcome Phil, 10-6; Dave could not overcome his nemesis, Henry, losing, uncharacteristically quickly, 10-3 and, Paul beat an uncommitted Peter (he didn’t want to fence Henry in the next round either!) 10-3.

Now though, with time quickly running away from us, we just about managed to complete the semifinals before the end of the session.  Paul gave a distracted Henry (he’s getting married soon, you know!) a masterclass, beating him 10-5, whereas Rob showed his prowess in this format, beating Ben 10-6, to take on Paul in the final.  However, with the heat and time against us, the final, much to a tired and hot Paul’s relief, would have to wait until the following Tuesday.  Would Paul come back refreshed and ready to take on a Rob, who regularly tells us that this format is his forte?  Would Rob, who is a self-confessed 15-point master be able to overcome all the tricks and techniques that Paul has acquired in his extra years of fencing?  Who is your money on?

After a week’s break and with much cooler weather, Paul and Rob warmed up on a relatively small turnout for a Tuesday night.  Not wishing to wait around they quickly got down to the business of duelling for the title of April Monthly Club Competition Winner.  Rob took an early 3-0 lead, but Paul was having none of it and quickly equalled the score at 3-3.  Rob went ahead again, but Paul was quick to equal his opponent’s hits and equalled the score at 4-4.  However, after the first three-minute session, Rob had found his mojo and was 7-5 ahead, despite, according to Sandy, “the best hit of the night” coming from Paul.  After the first break the first hit was a double, keeping Rob in an 8-6 lead.  From here on in is where Rob triumphs and, before we knew it, he’d taken a 12-6 lead.  Paul managed another hit, but was unable to keep that form going and, once Rob tasted the lead and, a victory, there was no going back.  Two minutes and four seconds into the second three-minute round, Rob pounced and won the match with a 15-7 scoreline.  As the self-proclaimed ‘master of the fifteen-point match’, I think we’re finally having to give Rob his due and bow to his greatness…well, for the month of April anyway!  Well done, Rob, the April Monthly Club Competition Victor. 

Rob – “Paul scored seven points from me?  Me?  Are you absolutely sure? That’s my record ruined.”

Rob – “So, I was ahead on hits anyway and I got a little cheeky because I knew it was in the bag; so I said to Paul, ‘go on, there I am, see if you can just get one more hit’…and he only did!  Best hit of the night according to Sandy… but what does he know about fencing?”

2025 Once again saw two competitors from Gravesham Fencing Club power through to the British Youth Championships in Sheffield.  With Claudia deciding to remain at home due to upcoming exams, it was left to Sofia to fly the flag for Gravesham at this prestigious fencing event.  With 36 fencers in attendance, in Sofia’s age, there were six poules of six fencers in the initial round of the format.  Sofia found herself in poule two against five unfamiliar fencers from across the country.  A slow start meant that Sofia won one of her matches, but she did manage to score in the remaining four duels, giving her half a chance at a much better seeding. 

Finding herself in 29^th position, she was unfortunate not to receive a bye in the first round of DE, not that this mattered, because she easily overcame her opponent with a 15-9 victory.  The win, and lack of rest, didn’t go in her favour, as she now up against the number four seed.  Having done some background work on the opponent’s style, despite walking away, having lost 15-6, Sofia was happy that she’d exceeded her expectations for the match, scoring well against a formidable opponent and, finishing 29^th overall and in 8^th place for the South East region. 

A huge congratulations, Sofia, for representing Gravesham extremely well at the highest junior level in the country.  We’re incredibly proud of the amazing performance that you put in, in a very busy year for you – keep up the good work!

Dave and Steve at the Kent Open

Sofia and Steve with the trophy table at the Kent Open

On a quiet Sunday morning in April, fencers from across Kent, made their way to Canterbury for the Kent Senior Fencing Championships.  Gravesham Fencing had three competitors, competing in three events. 

In the men’s senior epee there were 35 competitors, with many familiar faces and names amongst those competing.  Following the usual format, there were poules followed by Direct Elimination (DE). With a nice, even five poules of seven fencer, there was plenty of fencing to be done.  Steve found himself in poule 2 fencing some familiar and formidable opponents and, securing two wins out of six, he managed to score in three of the remaining four duels.  His only nemesis was Raymond Miles, however, this was of no surprise given that the opponent won all of his poule fights and, managed to keep clean sheets in three of them and only getting hit once in two of the other remaining match ups – quite the feat for any fencer.

Dave found himself in poule number 4 and fared slightly better winning three of his six duels and scoring well in his other three, which still gave him a +4 indicator, despite only a 50% match win rate. 

Following the poules, Dave found himself seeded 19^th and was given a bye in the first round of DE and, Steve was seeded 26^th, also claiming a bye.  The longer break didn’t fare well for Dave and he found himself knocked out of the final 32 by the 14^th seed in a 15-9 scoreline.  Steve, on the other hand, took full advantage of the extra rest and was up against 7^th seed, Henry Fazakerley.  In a very tight fought match Henry just about managed a one hit lead and Steve was eventually gazumped 15-14 by the indomitable double hit.  The final result saw Dave finish 22^nd and Steve in 26^th place.

Later in the day and, some would argue ‘a glutton for punishment’, Steve also took on the foil competition.  With 22 fencers present, there were two poules of 5 fencers and two poules of 6 fencers. With one win from four fights, but with good scoring on the remainder of his matches, Steve found himself as the 16^th seed.  Despite missing a bye in the first round of DE, Steve managed a strong 15-4 victory, taking him through to the final sixteen.  However, this paired him against the number one seed, to whom he succumbed 15-2 to be knocked out of the competition.  The final placings saw Steve move up to 15^th overall.

In the women’s epee, Sofia was the sole Gravesham representation on the day.  There were twelve fencers, giving two poules of 6.  Sofia was in poule 2 against some old foes. Despite a rusty beginning in the poules, which saw her win only one of the duels, she pulled it together to win a very good match against the number 11 seed, with a thrilling 15-14 scoreline.  This match placed her against the 3^rd seed in the next DE round.  The close scoreline of the previous match had, unfortunately, taken its toll and she lost the quarter final 15-7.  Overall, this placed Sofia in a very credible 8^th spot. 

A very well done to our fencers, at what was a very tough local competition.  There was some great fencing by all of our competitors and now we must make sure that consistency is key.  Well done to all – a great showing for what our club can achieve.

Mark presenting the trophy and hot cross buns to winners Henry, Will and Sofia

With the February competition taking the record, for the longest running club competition to date, it was decided to delay the March competition until the first week, and day, of April.  With twelve fencers in attendance, it was agreed that we would run a team competition, with none of those competing wishing to be declared the ‘April Fools’ at the end.  With a little help from Sandy, the teams were allocated as follows:

Team A – Paul, Peter, Sandy

Team B – Gully, Mark, Steve

Team C – Joe, Richard, Dave

Team D – Will, Sofia, Henry

First up, we saw Team A take on Team B.  Sandy took an early lead against Mark, but Gully just as quickly took control, and Team B, into a 6 v 3 lead.  Paul versus Steve was ‘even Stephens,’ keeping Team B with a three-point lead at 9 v 6.   Peter then took on Mark.  Having not had time earlier, to warm up against Gully’s onslaught, Peter took control this time putting Team A into a two-point lead.  Sandy continued Team A’s winning ways, beating Steve 3 v 2 and maintaining a three-point advantage for Team A. Gully, clearly on form, showed Paul how it was done, scoring six hits to Paul’s two and, surging Team B back into a one-point lead.  Steve versus Peter was even, maintaining Team B’s one point advantage, with two matches left to play.  With the big hitters coming up last, Paul took back the advantage for Team A, against Mark.  With a two-point lead, could Sandy withhold an on-form Gully?  The answer was ‘just’.  With the final scores tied at 27 v 27, it was time for the fencing equivalent of the ‘golden goal’, which, on this occasion went to Gully and saw Team B heading for the final showdown. 

In the second heat of the evening, the first duel was not to be missed.  Joe versus Henry was a tight affair, with Joe just edging it by one hit.  Second up saw Will take on Richard and bring Team D into a one-point lead.  Next, Dave regained the lead, this time by two points, for Team C, against Sofia.  Henry took on Richard and despite a very thrilling and well fought march, Henry couldn’t reclaim the lead for Team D, but he did bring them back into contention, being only 1 point in arrears at 11 v 12.  Next up, Sofia fenced Joe and did an outstanding job of losing by only one hit, which kept Team D in contention at only 15 v 13 down.  Will’s earlier efforts saw him slow down against Dave, which saw the older master take control, and Team C, back into a commanding 18 v 14 lead, with only three duels remaining.  In their last match of the heats, Richard took on his arch enemy Sofia.  Not to be outdone, by the soon to be birthday girl, he showed her who was boss, winning the match 3 v 1 and surely taking Team C to the final, with an unassailable 6-point lead.  The last two duels of Dave v Henry and Joe v Will looked to be a cracking, but tightly fought finale to the heats and, surely no-one could overcome Team C’s six-point lead?  Up next was Henry versus Dave.  High on the euphoria of his wedding preparations, Henry was a man not to be underestimated.  Like a male Mary Poppins, he swept in on an East Wind and gave a taste of a spoonful of sugar and brought the score back to a commendable 22 v 24 in Team D’s favour.  It was now Will’s to lose.  Up against Joe, both men fought a tight knit round, levelled at 3 v 3, but Henry’s lead from the previous round was enough to see Team D through to the final. 

With time not on our side, each match was reduced to two minutes for the both the third-place play-off and the final, with both matches being fought simultaneously. 

The third place play off was a tightly fought affair.  The score went to and fro between the two teams (Team A and Team C), with the third match between Sandy and Richard so tightly fought that they were timed out at 7 v 7.  Joe then took on Peter to regain the lead at 12 v 8; a lead which was quickly regained by Paul, in the next match, but just as swiftly overturned again by Sandy, putting Team A back to winning ways.  Peter then came across a very determined Richard to see the lead swing back to Team C at 19 v 21.  This match saw the tide turning more than a blustery day down at Margate!  If we had had a club ‘swing-o-meter’ even Peter Snow would have had trouble controlling it on this match!  It did make for a very happy Sandy, who was over the moon and justified at his team selections!  However, with only two matches to fence, it seemed that Richard’s determination filtered down through the team and, both Dave and Joe held on in their matches to give Team C, of Richard, Joe and Dave, the third-place position, while Team A, of Sandy, Peter and Paul were awarded the wooden spoons on this occasion. 

The final knockout saw Team D, of Sofia, Will and Henry, take on Team B, of Steve, Gully and Mark.  Team B took an early lead, which they managed to maintain for almost half of the relay legs.  Going into the fifth duel, Henry v Mark, Team D found themselves starting with a 9 v 12 deficit.  Riding high on the ecstasy of his forthcoming nuptials (I’m milking this joyous event for as long as I can Henry!), Henry put on a blistering performance, bringing Team D back into a 15 v 13 lead, and leaving Mark, Henry’s opponent, wondering if Rocky had made a comeback and sucker punched him into submission!  From that point on the momentum remained with Team D, with Will beating Steve 3 v 1, Sofia levelling her match with Mark, Henry only just defeating Steve at 3 v 2, leaving Will to bring home the bacon (or, on this occasion the Waitrose Lemon and White Chocolate Hot Cross Buns) against Gully; which he did with a masterclass of hits, beating Gully 3 v 2 and leading Team D to the title of Champions for the March 2025 Monthly Club Competition and relegating Team B to runners-up. 

As always, at this time of year, the winners were awarded the trophy and, in homage to the upcoming Easter holiday, a packet of the aforementioned White Chocolate Chip and Lemon Hot Cross Buns from Waitrose – delicious!

Well done to everybody who competed and a huge thank you to all those who helped to referee the matches.  There were some amazing twists and turns and hits and, a lot of fun.  A very special well done to our March 2025 Monthly Club Competition Winners; Will, Sofia and Henry. 

Mark presenting the trophy to the Team Winners

Richard, subserviently, handing out the Easter hot cross buns to the relay winners of Henry, Will and Sofia, while Mark ponders snatching a pack and making a run for it!