MUFG, SJ, Z,

Sunday April 17 was a C Epee at SJC, St. Johns College in Annapolis
Maryland on the island with the Naval Academy. There were 23 entries
making a group C1 event. I was 5 - 0 in my seeding round with 25 - 8 =
+17 indicators, 5/0 5/0 5/2 5/2 5/4. I was seeded #2 going into the
final. The #1 seed was Daniel Sheller, who we have seen many times at
the CFC, foil E/C double header events. He had a tougher path to the
final than I did and did not make it. Not that my path was all easy
sailing. I got a by in the round of 32. My first opponent was my 5/4
from the pool round and he was difficult again. We were tied or he was
one ahead till 13-13 then I pulled ahead to win. My round of eight
opponent was Terry Doom, who we know used to fence with Kane when
Black Diamond used to meet in a High school Gym. That was a good bout,
I was able to stay in control. The quarterfinal opponent was a young
man named O'Brian. He was very athletic and used wide fast actions to
invite attacks. He seemed to be in control for most of the bout, as
long as I was attacking. Then he started attacking and that gave me
the comeback. I was counter attacking with side step. He did not catch
on to it. Then I started retaliating but he did not adjust the
distance and I had a strong finish. In the final it was another foil
fencer and I. It was a shoddy end to a long day of Epee, as we clashed
and there was no Epee fencing in sight. He countered my long attacks
by closing-in. It turned into in-fighting or simultaneous attacks. He
had a plan and I did not have a response for it. Second place, after
all that work is more painful because of my deep sense of stylistic
snobbery. I go to fencing competitions with a purpose, to show them
something beautiful. The final should have been an example of good
fencing or an example of good fencing overcoming scrappy fencing. I
failed in my obligation to prevent people from getting their (C05)
rating that do not case about the weapon.

Watch for the White Rose event in York!

Cheers!
CLF