The International épée Trainers’ Course held recently in Nicaragua under the aegis of the International Olympic Solidarity Commission, with funding provided by the FIE.
Highlights points of the course
- Dates of course: 26 to 30 October 2015.
- Instructor:Ramón Loyola Torriente, of Cuban nationality, born on 18 August 1965.
- Location of course: Nicaraguan Institute of Sport (IND) in Managua, Nicaragua.
- Training level: Level I.
- Regional course.
- Total participants:21, of which 9 were trainers, 7 physical education instructors, and 5 top-level athletes
- Language: Spanish. No interpreting services were required.
- The local expert William José Calderón Martínez, national trainer and vice-president of the Nicaraguan Fencing Federation, also took part in the event.
- Interest and general aptitude of participants:HIGH.
- Homogeneity of group: HIGH.
- Type of evaluation: ORAL and PRACTICAL.
- Logistic aspects of the course:high quality audience. Temperature-control: medium - warm
- Audiovisual system: excellent, overhead, computer and DVD player. Photocopies available immediately.
- Training room:medium. Very hot and stuffy.
- Accommodations: excellent hotel, excellent food. Local transport: punctual.
- Representatives present during course: the president of the federation, William Genet B. and the vice-president of the federation, William José Calderón Martínez, who were present for the duration of the course.
- Problems prior to, during and after the course: NONE. Everything went according to plan.
- General comments: positive atmosphere, very receptive participants. Federation authorities were very involved in ensuring the course was a success and in providing logistic support.
There were two sessions per day: from 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. and from 3.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. The instructor showed great willingness to provide technical support and to share knowledge with participants.
- Two events were held: the inauguration and the closing ceremony. Nicaraguan Olympic Committee (NOC) authorities were present at these.
- The NOC provided logistic support for the course, and with representatives and coordinators of the Olympic Solidarity Commission and the national federation.
Subjects and content covered in the course
The federation proposed a course programme, which was followed by the course's instructor.
Content covered is listed below:
- Review of the history of fencing. The épée and how it is used. Instructional exercises. Positions.
- Warm up
- Learning the touch
- Parries and ripostes
- Simple and combined attacks
- Battement
- The bind
- Taking the blade
- Footwork techniques. Basic movements. Exercises without weapons.
- Short fencing glossary
- Group instruction
- Acquisition and development of special and general skills
- Methods for developing skills for specific situations
- Individual instruction
- Creativity exercises and issues in instruction
- Training lessons
- Faults and penalties, the referee
- Feedback from participants on the quality of the course: Excellent (100%)
- Participants’ suggestions: Continue to support fencing in Nicaragua and Central America with a Level I foil course for trainers in 2016, and a Level I sabre course for trainers prior to the Central American Games to be held in Nicaragua in 2017.
William Genet B.
President of the Fencing Federation of Nicaragua