Le Grande Semaine
Item
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Title
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Le Grande Semaine
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Date
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October 1941
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volume
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6
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issue
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4
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page start
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10
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page end
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10
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list of authors
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Robert H. Grasson
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content
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en
Le Grande Semaine
By ROBERT H. GRASSON
La Grande Semaine which originated in France and has been adopted in the United States for the last few years seems to have become a permanent fixture in this country.
It has many advantages. The outstanding one is that those who are really interested in fencing have an opportunity, regardless of where they live, to put aside a good week of vacation and take part in all our national team and individual events, men and women, as a competitor or spectator.
As a professional I see enough fencing during the season to be ready to run away from it when the Nationals roll around. From the small number of professionals that I saw there I fear that that is just what many of them did. How wrong they were. There is a pleasure and excitement in watching these star amateurs in action that repays the professional for his hard season's work in trying to create a new crop of fencers for the future championships. I have missed the Nationals in the past but I am resolved now never to miss another if I can in any way make my way to them. They are a treat for anyone who loves the sport.
The women's fencing was extremely interesting with our great star, Helene Mayer, participating. Those of you who are anxious to become stars yourselves, please notice how Helene is always conscious of her good form. Or is she? Perhaps it was drilled into her so well by her first master that she now performs in good form unconsciously. Marion Lloyd Vince, Maria Cerra and Helena Mroczkowska also deserve to be complimented on their good form and execution.
Do fencers need a nurse to remind them to watch their form? Please have a heart for the spectators. Some come from quite a distance to watch you fence. We are all interested in you. We want you to fence well first and win next, but since you cannot all win at least let us go away saying that you all fenced well, for that is something that you owe the spectators. Just look at Leo Nunes. He fences as well now as he did twenty-five years ago. Why? Because he takes pleasure in executing his actions well. Watch any national, international or Olympic champion win his bouts or succeed in any other sport. It is always the same. He wins on form or technique or perfect coordination, whatever you want to call it. It happens to be more noticeable in fencing because fencing is a learned and not a natural sport. Therefore those who have not learned the rudiments letter perfect stand out as awkward and grotesque.
Dean Cetrulo, the new champion, deserves to be complimented for his first National Senior title. He won against several good experienced fencers who did not fence as correctly as Cetrulo did.
It is not what you do in fencing but how you do it, which is most important in our sport.
John Huffman, there was a time when you gained the admiration of all the spectators for your form and perfect execution. Where is the fine style you used to have? Have you ever seen any Olympic champion standing on guard with his head pushed as far forward or his foil held as high as yours? There is only one proper way to stand on guard or to lunge in any school in the world.
Warren Dow, we were sorry to see you eliminated by that close margin in the foil semi-finals. You deserve plenty of credit for your devotion to fencing, your tenacity and will power. Try not to lose your balance when you attack so that you can pick up the riposte. Show us some fast parries and ripostes. Make better use of your shortage in reach. What about those low line attacks and riposte? And Warren, for the love of Mike, smile. Smile and the judges smile with you.
Dernell Every, the defending champion, did not have the stamina he had in abundance last year. He is still the popular fencer with the spectators, because, although he likes to win, he seems to be concerned in doing so in a pleasant and humorous way. Without Dernell the Nationals would lose their flavor.
I did not witness the epee and never will until the one touch epee comes back. Although epee has always been my favorite weapon I have lost interest in the longer bouts fought today. Present epee fencing is for the type of fencer who is not agile, alert or fast enough for foil fencing. He finds expression in the current slow moving epee sport. Make epee for one touch again and he disappears because he cannot find himself. One touch epee calls for the highly nervous type as in foil fencing.
I was well rewarded for hanging around for the sabre finals. I have never seen a champion so self-confident as Armitage. He was cool, determined and had a perfect idea of what he was going to do. There was no luck in his winning. He was only lucky in finding Huffman half asleep in their bout together. John lacked his usual fire at the proper time.
Dr. Tibor Nyilas represented the typical Hungarian star. His style is smooth, elegant, terribly fast at times and disappointing to those who expect to see a fencer swing a sabre like a cavalry sabre and hit hard enough to break a bone or two. You have to be an artist to hit as fast and gently with full control as Dr. Nyilas. Fine work.
Our friend Worth, another product of this great Hungarian school, performs beautifully too. This famous Hungarian school was started years ago by George Santelli’s father who is still at the head of all those famous world champions.
Warren Dow and Miguel de Capriles deserve to be complimented for their efficient way in directing bouts. It is a pleasure to watch them. The sport is fortunate at the present time in having several very capable amateurs for its juries. Let us hope that this will continue. It will encourage fencers to stay out for the game.
The Salle Santelli was a great improvement for holding most of these important events. There is plenty of room there for the fencers and the spectators.
The last and not the least treat was to meet all our friends from the Middle West and West, among whom were Bela de Tuscan and Alva Hermanson, the two professionals who are always present at the important events. We were also pleased to see Prof. Tucker Jones, coach of the College of William and Mary.
