by Doug Nichols | Nov 18, 2019 | Blog Post, Coaches, Coaches K - O, McDougall, John |
I have to face the fact that there is, for me, a certain romance in the imagery associated with fencing. This has been true for me as far back as I can remember. I don’t know what it is. Perhaps an atavistic memory engraved on my dna from the whisper of past...
by Doug Nichols | Nov 11, 2019 | Baker, Jack, Biagini, Gerard, Blog Post, Coaches, Coaches F - J, Coaches K - O, Coaches P - T, Coaches U - Z, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Fencers K - O, Halberstadt, Hans, King, Harriet, Marki, Ferenc, McDougall, John, Mori, Torao, Nadi, Aldo, Piller, George, Visconti, Edward |
There is nothing in the world quite like Jerry Biagini’s greeting to me when I visited him about two weeks ago. Me: “Mr. Biagini, how are you?” Jerry: “I’m 90 years old and cranky!” As it turned out, he wasn’t so cranky as...
by Doug Nichols | Nov 4, 2019 | Blog Post, Bradford, Vinnie, Clark Skillman, Laurel, Coaches, Coaches A - E, Coaches F - J, D'Asaro, Gay, D'Asaro, Michael, Ellingson,Joy, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Fencers K - O, Halberstadt, Hans, Johnson, Stacey, King, Harriet, Northern California, San Jose State University, Schools/Clubs, Stanford |
The last article I wrote, which featured Michael D’Asaro’s time in San Antonio and the Army, got me thinking about one of the reasons I decided to attend San Jose State to train with him. That reason was the awesome strength of his Women’s foil...
by Doug Nichols | Oct 21, 2019 | Blog Post, Brownlee, Laurance, Coaches, Coaches A - E, Coaches P - T, D'Asaro, Michael, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Northern California, San Jose State University, Schools/Clubs, Selberg, Charles |
It’s like fate or an inexorable draw. Or karma. That might be too strong. But if you’re named Michael D’Asaro, you eventually move to Texas. Maybe it’s the bbq. That would be the last entry on the ‘go’ side of my go/no go...
by Doug Nichols | Oct 14, 2019 | Angell, Tommy, Baker, Jack, Blog Post, Brownlee, Laurance, Coaches, Coaches A - E, Coaches F - J, Coaches P - T, D'Asaro, Michael, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Fencers K - O, Halberstadt, Hans, Mitchell, Maxine, Northern California, Pannonia Athletic Club, Piller, George, Schools/Clubs |
It’s so much fun to have your expectations and assumptions blown to bits. That happened to me this week when I had the great fortune to meet the daughter of long-time Letterman fencer Colonel Laurance Brownlee. Colonel Brownlee was a fixture of West Coast...
by Doug Nichols | Oct 7, 2019 | Blog Post, Brownlee, Laurance, Coaches, Coaches F - J, Coaches K - O, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Funke, Erich, Halberstadt, Hans, O'Brien, William |
The founder and long-time fencing master at The Letterman Fencers Club was Dr. William O’Brien. The club’s home was a gymnasium in San Francisco’s Presidio, a windy patch of green near the southern foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. In a very real...
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