The Fencing Masters Program at San Jose State University held Winter
Examinations this past Saturday, December 13, 2008. Eleven candidates
presented themselves for examination for certification as Master,
Provost, or Instructor at Arms in classical Italian fencing theory
and pedagogy. The program, founded by Dr. William M. Gaugler in 1979,
employs the pedagogical methods of Italy's celebrated Scuola
Magistrale, the great military master's school of the 19th and early
20th centuries. Dr. Gaugler is a graduate of Italy's Accademia
Nazionale di Scherma, the school that succeeded the Scuola Magistrale.

I am pleased and proud to announce the results of those tests, naming
the candidates with their new titles:

R.E. "Puck" Curtis III, Master at Arms
Eric Myers, Master at Arms

Tony Barajas, Provost at Arms
David Borland, Provost at Arms
William Byrne, Provost at Arms
Kevin Murakoshi, Provost at Arms
Jeremy Tavan, Provost at Arms

David Coblentz, Instructor at Arms
David Cogley, Instructor at Arms
Dr. Sydney Thomson, Instructor at Arms
Ricardo Vargas, Instructor at Arms

In addition, three Provosts who had tested in prior exams completed
their final requirements and were awarded their Master's certifications:
Dr. Greg Hicks, Master at Arms
Gary Murray, Master at Arms
Daniel Williams, Master at Arms

The candidates have prepared for one year (instructor), two years
(provost) or three years (master) with masters who graduated from the
program, either at the San Jose program directly, or at the satellite
locations at Sonoma State University or at the University of Oregon.
Each level has as a prerequisite the prior level, so that the
candidate for the Master's certification has already taken and passed
the Instructor's and Provost's exams.

After passing their written exams, the 11 candidates submitted
themselves on December 13 to a board of five fencing masters for a
grueling all-day examination on fencing theory and practical
application of their skills. The parts of the exam consisted of oral
exams on fencing theory and practice, practical exams on the giving
and taking of group lessons and individual lessons, and finally to
stand before the board and teach any action or combination of actions
that board wished to see.

During this final portion of the exam the candidates were expected to
develop and execute a lesson plan for complex sets of actions that
they had not prepared beforehand, and to refine and perfect the plan
while undergoing questioning and scrutiny from the board. the
requirements become harder at each level. As an example, Provost (now
Maestro) Eric Myers was required to teach Provost (now Maestro) Gary
Murray at epee to execute a blade seizure in fourth, followed by
feint by glide with an advance and disengagement with a thrust to the
arm, followed by an arrest with a reassemblement and thrust to the
arm, followed by recovery backwards and retreat with parries of
second, counter of second, third, and counter of third, followed by
change of engagement to fourth and riposte by glide, countered by Mr.
Myer's parry -riposte and Mr. Murray's execution of second intention
indirect - a complex parry-riposte pattern used against an opponent
who habitually ripostes in the same line - with a final thrust. The
action was executed in time and with mobility, meaning that Mr. Myers
had to drive Mr. Murray back and forth on the fencing strip at high
speed, and press Mr. Murray to execute this complex chain of actions
at equally high speed. The final action was performed flawlessly
several times.

All candidates performed very well under this intense pressure, and
clearly demonstrated the requisite knowledge and skill of a
professional fencing teacher.

The board was comprised of five fencing masters, all graduates of the
SJSU program:

Ralph K. Sahm, Military Master at Arms - Director, SJSU Fencing
Masters Program
Janine Monteleone Sahm, Master at Arms - Assistant Director, SJSU
Fencing Masters Program
John P. Sullins, Military Master At Arms, Sonoma State University
Sean Hayes, Master at Arms, University of Oregon
Paul Scherman, Master at Arms - Faculty Member, SJSU Fencing Masters
Program

Please join me in congratulating the students on their accomplishment!


Sean Hayes
Maestro d'armi
Northwest Fencing Academy
www.fencingacademy.net




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