Fencing for the Blind in Italy

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  vincent, July 2, 2010 @ 7:12 pm

  They should make the fencers each wear a speaker on their hip, and attach another one to the guard.
  make sure that the frequencies of each speaker are unique (think, low pitch for the body, high pitch for the guard). thereby allowing the other to know how far they are from each other.
  Fencing is very much a spatial sport, and the thing is that we cannot think of translating what we see into touch (such as moving the blade), but must speak the language of the sightless, which for them, is sound. sound would allow them to know how far they are from each other.
  a better way would be to have the body speaker wirelessly linked to the end of the piste, thus, the volume can be artificially changed to further make clear the difference in distance between the fencers (ie, turn the volume down when they are further apart and turn it up when they get closer). This would be akin to bolded text. the principle message is the same, yet it is made clearer. the software for this would have to be standarized, or they would not be able to fence well.
  but great to see that the sport which I love can be shared with others.
  keep up the great work!
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  vincent, July 2, 2010 @ 3:12 pm

  They should make the fencers each wear a speaker on their hip, and attach another one to the guard.
  make sure that the frequencies of each speaker are unique (think, low pitch for the body, high pitch for the guard). thereby allowing the other to know how far they are from each other.
  Fencing is very much a spatial sport, and the thing is that we cannot think of translating what we see into touch (such as moving the blade), but must speak the language of the sightless, which for them, is sound. sound would allow them to know how far they are from each other.
  a better way would be to have the body speaker wirelessly linked to the end of the piste, thus, the volume can be artificially changed to further make clear the difference in distance between the fencers (ie, turn the volume down when they are further apart and turn it up when they get closer). This would be akin to bolded text. the principle message is the same, yet it is made clearer. the software for this would have to be standarized, or they would not be able to fence well.
  but great to see that the sport which I love can be shared with others.
  keep up the great work!
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  Walter G. Green III, July 3, 2010 @ 11:12 am

  This is hardly a new concept, but it is heartening to see it get attention. Fencing was taught to blinded soldiers as a rehabilitative sport in World War I. There have been a number of initiatives in the United States at the local level dating back at least into the 1960s to teach fencing to the blind. I would welcome blind students in my program. Unfortunately, my experience is that it is very difficult to reach individuals who would be interested in learning because the organizations that serve disability communities have a vested interest in the programs they already offer and are not necessarily welcoming of efforts to expand opportunities.

  Fencing without vision is an interetsing experience for sighted fencers, and a valuable one. In my salle we do a lot of exercises eyes closed, and we have fought bouts with vision obscured. You learn a lot about just how good your other senses are (or are not) and about how to integrate them into your fencing.
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  Walter G. Green III, July 3, 2010 @ 7:12 am

  This is hardly a new concept, but it is heartening to see it get attention. Fencing was taught to blinded soldiers as a rehabilitative sport in World War I. There have been a number of initiatives in the United States at the local level dating back at least into the 1960s to teach fencing to the blind. I would welcome blind students in my program. Unfortunately, my experience is that it is very difficult to reach individuals who would be interested in learning because the organizations that serve disability communities have a vested interest in the programs they already offer and are not necessarily welcoming of efforts to expand opportunities.

  Fencing without vision is an interetsing experience for sighted fencers, and a valuable one. In my salle we do a lot of exercises eyes closed, and we have fought bouts with vision obscured. You learn a lot about just how good your other senses are (or are not) and about how to integrate them into your fencing.
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  Mike Elder, July 3, 2010 @ 6:32 pm

  Outstanding! Excellent! No one should be denied the opportunity to participate in fencing.
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  Mike Elder, July 3, 2010 @ 2:32 pm

  Outstanding! Excellent! No one should be denied the opportunity to participate in fencing.
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  June L., September 5, 2010 @ 4:29 pm

  I took fencing lessons back in 1944 in New York City from a professional teacher who also taught blind students. He had a picture of his top blind students on the balcony at the top of the Empire State building with foils crossed.

  I found this site while searching for his name. Anyone know it?
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  June L., September 5, 2010 @ 12:29 pm

  I took fencing lessons back in 1944 in New York City from a professional teacher who also taught blind students. He had a picture of his top blind students on the balcony at the top of the Empire State building with foils crossed.

  I found this site while searching for his name. Anyone know it?
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  Touche Prod, August 27, 2011 @ 5:48 pm

  An avid fencer myself, I am
  currently in pre-production on my latest documentary, Touché: A Blind
  Fencer’s Story.  I read about a
  blind fencing tournament taking place in Boston so I contacted the coach there and asked if I
  could shoot a documentary about his class and his students.  As fate would have it, one of winners of the
  tournament lives here in Oklahoma City where I live. 
  One sunny afternoon, I literally “bumped” into the young woman at a
  local post office and introduced myself.  Read more about it  http://www.touchemovie.com
• 

  Touche Prod, August 27, 2011 @ 5:48 pm

  An avid fencer myself, I am
  currently in pre-production on my latest documentary, Touché: A Blind
  Fencer’s Story.  I read about a
  blind fencing tournament taking place in Boston so I contacted the coach there and asked if I
  could shoot a documentary about his class and his students.  As fate would have it, one of winners of the
  tournament lives here in Oklahoma City where I live. 
  One sunny afternoon, I literally “bumped” into the young woman at a
  local post office and introduced myself.  Read more about it  http://www.touchemovie.com

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