Dear all, hope you are well as well can be these days. This is Ilya Lobanenkov, the head coach and founder of CFA. I decided to write a book. The idea of the book is to tell stories of real world people and events as lifelines of ideas. All the fencing material and personality aspects are to be sourced directly from the minds of famous people within our sport.
A plot vector I want to explore is the creation of an American style of epee fencing and merging mostly Eastern-European technique with American pedagogy and culture. Another vector is the drama of life in sport through immigration, love, fear, and becoming something to be proud of.
I'd love to talk and catch up with any of you. Olympian Jon Normile was the first to answer this call, but if you see this post and feel interested, please study the questions below and send a message. I'd love to talk to you.
Ilya V. L.
PS: A few people are not on this list, for example I totally lost touch with Jim Denton, a significant coach from the Seattle 1990s times. Can't find him on Facebook either. If you can help me get in touch with him, that would be great.
PPS: I just pasted the interview questions below as well for ease of use.
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IVL Fencing Book Questions
Personal
Describe the concept and or feel of epee fencing without referring to other activities.
First memory of a fencing bout.
Describe the moment you knew it was your sport.
Three most significant teachers: name, place, main idea.
Three most memorable moments in fencing.
Three favorite sayings/proverbs. Feel free to use native language.
Why do you fence/teach fencing?
Technical
Do schools of fencing exist? What is yours? The more details the better, feel free to point to existing literature. Please try to answer without using comparisons to other schools. Mold a beginner into your vision of basics or allow their personal tendencies to continue? Where is your personal margin of technique vs personality? Please be specific, would love examples from career. Do you look for a profile or work with everyone? Be honest, this will be anonymous. What kind of profile? Why? French? Pistol? Both? Why? Do you teach women different techniques than men? Why? Again, please be honest your answers can remain anonymous if you like. Have you invented something that you believe is truly new, personal and effective? What is it? Tactical/Strategic/Competitive Again, feel free to point to existing literature. Some of these questions will seem naive but I want this book to be readable by nine-year old. What are tactics? What is strategy? Why compete at all? Did you know any cheaters? How? What happened to them? What is an ideal competitive career path for you or your student? Imagine money is not an issue. Youth (Y14 and younger) Cadet/Junior College Senior How does today compare to when you fenced yourself?