Order from the Chaos

All the posts

The Halberstadt Scrapbooks, Book One

by Doug Nichols | May 13, 2019 | Blog Post, Coaches, Coaches F - J, Coaches K - O, Coaches P - T, Craus, Polly, Domolky, George, Faulkner, Ralph, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Fencers K - O, Fencers P - T, Funke, Erich, Halberstadt, Hans, Magay, Daniel, Mayer, Helene, Nadi, Aldo, Orley, Piller, George, Shurtz, Skip

As many times as I’ve mentioned the Halberstadt Scrapbooks on this website over the years, I was shocked to realize that I have not, until now, written a defining story about what they are and (to me, at least) their significance.

Achievements of a Goal-Oriented Individual

by Doug Nichols | May 6, 2019 | Blog Post, Borack, Carl, Coaches, Coaches A - E, D'Asaro, Michael, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Fencers K - O, Marx, Michael, Northern California, San Jose State University, Schools/Clubs

Carl Borack was something of an enigma to me when I first encountered him in 1979. By that time, he had traveled the world, won the US Nationals (foil), been on an Olympic team and produced his first feature film in Hollywood.

Daniel Magay, Part 2

by Doug Nichols | Apr 29, 2019 | Alpar, Julius Palffy-, Baker, Jack, Biagini, Gerard, Blog Post, Coaches, Coaches A - E, Coaches K - O, Coaches P - T, D'Asaro, Michael, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Fencers K - O, King, Harriet, Magay, Daniel, Marki, Ferenc, Northern California, Orley, Piller, George, Richards, Ed, Schools/Clubs, Stanford, UC Berkeley

As a member of the Hall of Fame committee for USA Fencing, I get a chance to participate in the annual ritual of determining, in the fairest way possible, who is to be considered for inclusion into that prestigious body. But in the long run, just like every member of USA Fencing, I only get one vote.

Alpar Comes to San Francisco

by Doug Nichols | Apr 22, 2019 | Alpar, Julius Palffy-, Biagini, Gerard, Blog Post, Coaches, Coaches A - E, Coaches K - O, Coaches P - T, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Fencers K - O, Magay, Daniel, McDougall, John, Northern California, Nottingham, Jack, Schools/Clubs, Selberg, Charles, UC Berkeley

Some months ago, I paid a visit to UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library to look at a collection of scrapbooks donated to the library upon the passing of long-time Cal fencing master Julius Palffy-Alpar. Harold Hayes of the Pacific Fencing Club had told me of their existence and agreed to meet me there to get a look at the books.

Connections

by Doug Nichols | Apr 15, 2019 | Blog Post, Boyd, Andrew, Coaches, Coaches U - Z, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Uyttenhove, Henri

Andrew Boyd is a fencer I have wanted to know more about for quite some time now. His name appears regularly in tournament results dating back to the early 1930s and continued until the early 1960s.

Never Enough Aldo Nadi

by Doug Nichols | Apr 8, 2019 | Blog Post, Borack, Carl, Coaches, Coaches K - O, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Nadi, Aldo

I can’t seem to get more than two or three entries along on this site before Aldo Nadi’s name pops up. Keeps happening.