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Group teaches Olympic fencing
By: Charity Corkey
02/21/2007
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Le Touché, a non-profit organization in Virginia, West Virginia and
Maryland, trains participants of all ages in Olympic fencing.

"We groom kids for regional events and we have had fencers
qualify for the Junior Olympics out in Colorado," said David
Copeland, head coach for Le Touché.

Kitty Crosby, assistant coach for Le Touché and resident of White
Post, says the organization currently trains students from Front
Royal to Frederick.

"We went non-profit three years ago in an attempt to raise more
funds to offer it to students that can't afford it," said Crosby. "It's
$350 a year to outfit one student for competition. We try to bring it to
the talented, not just those who have the money to compete."

Le Touché offers many students the chance to compete through
quarterly scholarships, which may cover tuition, gear, and
competition fees. The scholarships, which are awarded for a
12-week period, are open to students ages 10 to 18. At the end of
the period, students may reapply.

Recently, Le Touché became the sole North American distributor of
fencing Equipment from Duellist International, a London-based
organization owned by Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of the rock
group Iron Maiden. Through this development, Le Touché plans to
increase program financing and scholarships.

To locate a nearby class or request a scholarship, contact Le
Touché at 540-247-0195 or mail your requests to Le Touché, P.O.
Box 39, White Post, Va., 22633.

Contact the reporter at ccorkey@timespapers.com.

Friday, February 3, 2006

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Area Fencing Clubs Will Take Part in Tournament

By Val Van Meter
The Winchester Star

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Members of several local fencing clubs will cross rapiers from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at the War Memorial Building in Jim Barnett Park in
Winchester.

Instructor David Copeland of LeTouché Fencing Clubs said the tournament will be a warm-up for three members who expect to compete in the U.S.
Fencing Association Junior Olympics later this month.

Some 2,000 of the best under 20 and under-17 fencers are expected to compete in foil, epee, and saber at Hartford, Conn., Feb. 17 to 20.

Copeland runs two area fencing clubs. One, through the Winchester Parks and Recreation Department meets Wednesday afternoons and the
other on Wednesday night at the Frederick County Fairgrounds.

LeTouché also has clubs in Frederick Md., Front Royal, and Charles Town, W.Va.

Copeland said Shenandoah University also sponsors a fencing club.

Those going to the Junior Olympics from LeTouché include Cadets Paul Selove of Stephens City and Carl Anderson of Shepherdstown, W.Va. and
Junior Jake Arnold of Frederick, Md.

Copeland, who has been an instructor for LeTouché for 15 years, graduated from Warren County High School, and now lives in ClearbrookLiving >
KidsLiving

French lessons

Article Photos
Student Michael Cogswell, left, and David Copeland practice in their whites. The ends of practice swords are covered with a protective piece called
a button or “mouche” to prevent injury.

Fact Box
Want t o go?
What: Le Touche’ fencing classes
When: New sessions start every eight weeks
Where: Berkeley Heights Elementary School
Cost: $125 per eight-week session
For more information, call (540) 514-8419 or visit www.letouche.com
MARTINSBURG —Carl Thomas, a student from Spring Mills Middle School, takes a jab with his wooden stick as he listens to the Le Touche fencing
club’s instructor.

A newcomer to the group that meets on Wednesdays at Berkeley Heights Elementary School, Thomas wanted to learn to handle a real sword. But
that will have to wait.

During the class, Thomas learned all about the different weapons used, some of the terms and strategies, and how to use the weapon, but he
never actually got to hold one.

David Copeland, head coach and president of the Le Touche fencing club, said he likes to start students out using thin wooden sticks to teach them
the basics until he thinks they can handle a real sword.

“I start students with sticks because the sword comes second; the range is first,” he said. “You must learn how to move, finding ways to get in and
out of distance. Learning to move fast is the hard part. Once a student can move away from an attack and have enough speed and balance to
‘return fire’ they are ready for a weapon.”

Copeland, who has been fencing for more than 17 years and coaching for 14, said he likes fencing because it is different from a lot of other sports.

“It’s fast, it’s exciting and it’s a lot of mental strategy making your opponent do what you want them to do,” he said.

Le Touche’, which means “the touch,” has recently started giving fencing classes in Martinsburg. The club also gives classes in Charles Town,
Frederick, Md., and Winchester, Va.

Jefferson High School student Michael Cogswell has been fencing since May 2005, ever since his friends got him interested. “It’s something
different from most sports students are used to,” he said.

Cogswell said the most challenging aspect for him is the mental game. “The most important thing is to know where you are and what you are doing
relative to the other person,” he said.

Competitive fencing is nothing like the choreographed swordfight scenes from the movies. In a real match, the two opponents are outfitted with a
mask, gloves and other protective clothing that also acts as a scoring system. The suits worn are specially made so that when the sword touches it,
it electronically registers on a score box, making the referee’s job much easier, although it is still quite complicated.

“This is not your grandpa’s sport,” Copeland said. “Everything is electric, and scoring time on the machine is between two-thirds and a tenth of a
second.”

During the Feb. 6 class, Copeland and Cogswell put on a fencing demonstration for the students, getting them involved by challenging them to
name the calls the referee would make that decide who gets the points.

At the beginning, it was hard to see the lightning fast attacks made by the seasoned fencers, but the students caught on quickly, even though they
didn’t slow down the matches one bit. “The point of a fencing weapon is the second fastest moving thing in

the modern Olympic games, second only to a marksmen’s bullet,” Copeland said.

Although fencing may look dangerous with the swords flying everywhere, Copeland said it’s not as risky as it looks. “Every precaution is taken,” he
said. “Fencing, by all accounts, is safer than golf.”

—Kids Living staff writer Ashley Butler is a freshman at Martinsburg High School.