| A little shameless tooting of my own horn here. I passed my Instructor at Arms exam at the Fencing Masters Program. It's why many of you haven't seen me for a while, why I didn't make it to 12th Night, and why I'll probably be a bit confused on what this rapier thing is in my hand is at May Crown.
Eric Myers and Puck Curtis should be familiar to many of you as well. They are both researchers and teachers at many WMA events.
Luciano
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The Fencing Masters Program at San Jose State University held Spring
Examinations this past Saturday, May 5, 2007. Six 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:
Daniel Williams, Master at Arms
R.E. "Puck" Curtis III, Provost at Arms
Eric Myers, Provost at Arms
David Borland, Instructor at Arms
Kevin Murakoshi, Instructor at Arms
Jeremy Tavan, Instructor 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.
These six candidates submitted themselves to a board of six fencing masters for a grueling nine hour 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. 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 six fencing masters, all graduates of the SJSU program:
Ralph K. Sahm, Master at Arms - Director, SJSU Fencing Masters Program
Janine Monteleone Sahm, Master at Arms - Assistant Director, SJSU Fencing Masters Program
John P. Sullins, 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
Jennifer Walton, 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 Academy of Arms
www.northwestacademyofarms.com |