Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
These guys have been wearing armor since the age of eight — impenetrable clothing, they can calculate moves in seconds, gallantly attack and defend themselves: they are fencers. This art has long since moved from combat to sports. It is a matter of honor for modern knights to become the first, to win in capital, Russian and international competitions. This is taught at the Sports School of the Olympic Reserve (SShOR) “Youth of Moscow” in fencing “Petrel”She turned 75 at the beginning of November.
mos.ru correspondents visited a training session at the school and learned how to enroll, why the young fencers’ suits are connected to an electrical device, and also the differences between a foil, an epee, and a sabre.
“Order” of Fencers
The Youth of Moscow Fencing School Burevestnik is located at the Iskra stadium near the Botanichesky Sad metro station. The light-grey building is hidden behind a fence, a football field and trees, like a medieval castle.
“The fencing department opened in 1949 at the Burevestnik stadium on Samarsky Lane in the Meshchansky district. The first and only fencing coach was frontline soldier Lev Matsukevich. Fencing was then considered a little-known sport in the USSR, but the director’s enthusiasm was enough to interest schoolchildren. One of his students was Mark Rakita, who later became a two-time Olympic champion. In the 1960s, Burevestnik was headed by senior coach, Honored Coach of the USSR Vladimir Ganson, who managed to create a team of like-minded people. In 1967, the school received the status of Olympic reserve, and our students repeatedly confirmed it with their victories. In 1977, construction of the Olympic sports complex began on the site of Burevestnik. Since then – and this is almost half a century – the Iskra stadium has been our home,” says Anna Ilyaskina, master of sports in fencing, honored coach of Russia, director of the sports school of the Olympic reserve “Youth of Moscow” in fencing “Burevestnik”.
The display case at the entrance to the building displays sports trophies: cups, mostly gold. There are also Olympic awards: at the 2008 Games in Beijing, Burevestnik alumnus Victoria Nikishina won gold in the foil team, and in 2012 in London, foil fencer Aida Shanaeva won silver in the team tournament. “Our senior coach Andrei Alshan does not recognize simple participation in competitions and any places other than first. In reality, there are many more cups, there is not enough room for them all!” the mos.ru interviewee smiles.
Guys of different ages run past us, smart, with their backs straight and their heads held high. They greet each other politely. Fencing also requires good manners. During the holidays, you can finally train in the morning, and not just in the evening after school. Some of the guys come here and stay, dedicating their lives to fencing. It is not just a hobby, but an honor, pride, the meaning of life, the desire to win all the competitions in the world.
“Today, about 60 percent of students are girls. Usually, people start coming to us at the age of eight. We only accept those who have passed the entrance exams. In addition, in order to stay, you have to pass the control and transfer standards every year, and starting from the third year of study, you have to annually fulfill or confirm your sports category,” the director explains.
To enter the initial training group, you need to pass sports standards: running a distance of 30 meters, bending forward from a standing position on a gymnastic bench, long jump, bending and unbending arms in a support position lying on the floor. Those who managed to pass this entrance test come to classes three times a week, from the second or third year of study – four to five times. One training session lasts an hour and a half, and at the stage of higher sports skills – four.
Cords, guard and one and a half feet
In the gym, a girl of about 12 is doing a concentrated warm-up before training: she does push-ups, bends over, touching her left and right toes with an outstretched hand. At the same time, she believes that there should be a certain number of exercises, and that attentiveness, discipline, and punctuality are the necessary qualities of a fencer.
“The competition season has started, the guys are preparing for tournaments, including the Moscow Cup in fencing and qualifying competitions,” explains Anna Ilyaskina.
The clanking of metal can be heard. The future participants of the competition are crossing weapons on the tracks. They are wearing non-slip sneakers, white breeches, golf socks, jackets and masks made of a small impenetrable metal mesh that covers the entire face, including the chin. “The clothes, although soft, cannot be pierced. They are made of a special fabric – Kevlar,” our interlocutor explains. This material resembles chain mail, but is very thin and weightless.
A cord runs under the fencers’ clothing. One end with a plug sticks out of the sleeve: the weapon is connected to it. The other end, from under the hem of the jacket, is connected to a cord that leads to a reel, and from the reel to a small device. As soon as a participant strikes an opponent, the device transmits a signal to the board – and a light comes on there.
“Why are the suits white? Because until the late 1950s there was no electrical device to record the injection. The tip of the weapon was dipped in special paint and this way they tracked the injection sites, which were clearly visible on light fabric,” says the school principal.
The location of the wires under the suits depends on the type of weapon the fencer uses: each has its own striking surface. So, with a rapier you need to stab precisely into the electric jacket, which looks like a vest, with a sword – all over the body, and with a sabre – chop in the area from the waist to the crown.
“This is not the only difference between the types of weapons. For example, a rapier has four edges, the blade is 90 centimeters long. It must be held in a bent arm, the elbow at the level of the protruding femur. In a rapier and a saber, there is tactical correctness: first the attacker pricks, then the defender. The judge decides who was right. The existing rules of the competition cannot be violated, otherwise the prick will not be counted,” says Marianna Dzakhova, a master of sports in rapier fencing.
The epee is the heaviest: it weighs 750 grams. Those who take it out on the track can stab each other at the same time, hiding their hand behind the guard – a small hemispherical shield above the handle. And the sabre is the lightest and the only type of weapon that not only stabs, but also chops with the entire surface of the blade. To wield it, you need a quick reaction. A second – and you are defeated.
What fencing has in common is the position of the feet. “You need to stand heel to heel and spread your toes. Then spread your feet one and a half feet apart and bend your knees. It is important to always remember this distance during movements, otherwise you will lose your balance and be vulnerable,” adds Marianna Dzakhova.
Olympic scope
There are 17 coaches working at Burevestnik. Nine of them are former pupils of the school.
“I received a higher education in sports and wanted to work here. But there were no vacancies at that time, so I got a job as an instructor-methodologist at the Olympic Reserve Sports School “Youth of Moscow” in luge. Only seven years later, when I was already the deputy director, the opportunity arose to return to my native school as a coach. Both my uncles are masters of sports in sabre and graduates of “Burevestnik”, they were the ones who brought me here as a girl,” says master of sports in epee coach Anna Salykova.
There are also graduates who do not work as coaches, but, having received the title of Master of Sports and even World Champion, still attend Burevestnik. Fencing is for life.
“I came to Burevestnik when I was 11, now I am 23. There is no opportunity to participate in the Olympics yet, but I am not giving up. The goal of probably all fencers is to win gold at the Olympic Games. And age is not an obstacle in this sport. For example, one world champion from Italy continues to participate and win competitions, although she is 40 years old,” says Darya Drozd, a master of sabre, bronze medalist of the world championship, winner of the European championship and member of the Moscow and Russian teams.
In anticipation of Olympic victories, master of sports in epee fencing Alexander Sobolev, multiple winner of the Russian championship and member of the capital and national teams, comes to the school for training. The young man, who is now 21, entered Burevestnik at the age of nine and practically never leaves the gym. “In the evening, I have to leave for competitions, and he is here. In the morning, fresh off the train, he runs to school and grabs his epee. Although athletes rest before and after competitions,” laughs Anna Ilyaskina.
Another young man, 23-year-old Magamed Khalimbekov, a master of sports in sabre, silver medalist of the world championship and winner of the European championship, national champion, moved to Moscow from Dagestan. “Wrestling is popular here, and my family was involved in this sport. And a fencer needs a sharp mind, quick reactions, strong legs. At first, I didn’t have anything like that,” he admits.
School pupil Victoria Yusova, an international master of sports in foil, bronze medalist of the world championship and member of the Russian national team, could have left fencing forever: at the international competition in Doha, she tore her Achilles tendon and underwent two operations. But the girl continued training and won silver at the Russian Fencing Cup and bronze twice at the Russian Championship as part of the Moscow team. Victoria Yusova also helps wheelchair Paralympians hone their skills. “There are no victories without defeats,” the athlete notes.
Sports for mature minds
However, according to Anna Ilyaskina, it is not necessary to dedicate your life only to fencing. Many manage to combine sports and higher education at a non-core university. For example, Ivan Tsypin, a master of sports in sabre and bronze medalist of the Russian championship, multiple winner of Russian championships, is a second-year student at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. “My father always said: “There can be several priorities, the main thing is to set them correctly,” the young man smiles.
Mikhail Kovalenko, a master of sports in sabre, winner of the Moscow and Russian championships, entered the economics department of the MISiS University of Science and Technology. “Sometimes I have to skip lectures for the sake of training, but the institute is understanding. Sport does not interfere with my studies, on the contrary, it helps. After all, an athlete is a person with a metal rod inside,” the young man notes.
By the way, Mikhail Kovalenko joined Burevestnik at the age of 13, broke his arm several times and missed important competitions. But nothing stopped him.
“In fact, fencing is a sport for mature minds. You need to think analytically, calculate moves, and not react to a hot head. The more mature you are, the better and more reliable it will be,” sums up senior sabre trainer Andrey Alshan, six-time world champion, Olympic silver medalist, and Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.
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You can enroll your child in the Youth of Moscow Sports School for Fencing “Burevestnik”, as well as in another sports school or section on the portal mos.ru.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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