The FINANCIAL — The Tbilisi Fencing Academy at Georgian American University, 17a Chavchavadze Avenue, is offering fencing lessons to children and adults aged eight and over from March 2008.
Academy Director Teona Nishnianidze is an international champion-prize winner of the Soviet Union University Competition SPARTAKIADA, recipient of the Soviet Master of Sports Award, and several times Georgian champion.
“Fencing lessons cost GEL 80 a month for three lessons a week. Right now we have only three students. It’s open not only for GAU students, but anyone older than 8 years of age. No previous experience is necessary,” said Teona Nishnianidze, Director of Tbilisi Fencing Academy at GAU, to The FINANCIAL.
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There are 400 business students [BBA, MBA, PhD] and 400 law students [LLB, LLM, JD] at Georgian American University.
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There are 747 students – 644 Bachelor and 103 Master degrees – in total at Georgian American University.
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At Georgian American University, prices are as follows: Master of Business administration – GEL 4,000, LLM – GEL 5,000, LLB/BBA – GEL 3,750, and PHD – GEL 5,250.
According to Vice President for Academic Affairs at Georgian American University Peter Chiaramonte, for September 2008 the BBA/LLB will cost GEL 4,500.
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“Fencing is growing more popular in many countries around the world each year,” Chiaramonte says. “Although the sport can be traced back to ancient times, fencing is one of only four sports that have been featured at every modern Olympic Games since 1896.”
“In fact, the earliest evidence of fencing as a sport comes from a carving in ancient Egypt dating back to 1200 BC, which shows a fencing match complete with protective equipment, swords, masks, and judges.”
“Universities throughout the world are generally organized in to highly focused divisions and departments geared to training specialists in various disciplines,” Chiaramonte says. “True leaders in business and law, however, must learn to become generalists with professional expertise that goes beyond their specialist realms of knowledge.”
“I've only had seven lessons but I can actually fence, already!” said Chiaramonte.
“For example, in one of my lessons with Teona, she showed me how it’s best not to hold back and defend, but rather to attack and take chances. The future, in my opinion, will belong to those who dare to take the initiative, rather than be shy or reticent or defensive. You must be aggressive, but you mustn’t lose your cool, fencing teaches these things in a fundamental way,” Chiaramonte said.
“It takes courage, cunning, nerves of steel… It takes athleticism but also intellectualism. As professors claim, fencing teaches you respect for your opponent’s skill. You mustn’t overpower your opponent. It’s no way to fence. It’s not about winning, it’s more like a dance. It’s about confronting, that is to say standing together front to front to challenge yourself, you compete with your opponent, not against them.”
“Not everything we teach at Georgian American University is geared towards entry-level jobs and responsibilities. At first, of course, the task of acquiring the basic literacies of a profession take centre stage; but powerful syntheses that involve blending various frameworks and concepts that go well beyond the basics are necessary to prepare our students for ever-changing business and legal environments,” stated Chiaramonte.
“Sometimes we need to stand back and reflect on the processes of affecting and sustaining planned change before moving ahead with ever-greater leadership responsibilities. That’s what degrees and certificates in higher education are meant to reflect,” added Chiaramonte.
According to Chiaramonte, the breadth of knowledge developed from a lifelong pursuit of professional education is often acquired from both inside and outside the boundaries of one’s company or homeland. Furthermore, the process of becoming more effective at what we do in our professional lives is a holistic process that has no significant meaning until we learn to apply it to rapidly changing circumstances in a global environment. Not every aspect of law and management education should be directed toward immediate application.
Learning is a lifetime occupation. Therefore the professional relationships we learn to build at university help to create the strength and confidence that will empower and support ongoing leadership initiatives throughout one’s career.
“Very specific rules govern the behaviour of fencers while competing. For example, to begin a bout, the referee stands at the side of the piste and the fencers walk on to the piste fully dressed, aside from their masks.”
“First they plug their body wires into the spools connected to the electronic scoring apparatus and test their weapons against each other to make sure everything is functioning properly. Then they retreat to their on-guard lines.”
“Prior to starting a bout, the fencers must salute each other first, then the referee. They may also choose to salute the audience when one is present.”
Fencing bouts are timed. The clock is started every time the referee calls “Fence!” and stopped every time he or she calls “Halt!” The bout must stop after three minutes of fencing (or eight touches in sabre). In 15-point bouts, a one-minute break occurs in between the three-minute intervals.
If nine minutes of fencing elapses in a 15-touch bout, or three minutes in a five touch bout, the bout is over and the current scores are taken as final.
If the score is tied when time runs out, then the fencers go into extra time, before which the referee randomly assigns an advantage to one or the other of the fencers. The first touch within the extra minute wins the fight. If neither fencer makes a touch during the extra minute, the winner is the fencer who had the advantage.
The target area is restricted to the torso. Hits can be scored only by hitting the valid target surface with the point of the weapon in such a manner as would have caused a puncture wound, had the weapon been sharp. If you hit your opponent with any part of the foil other than the tip, it does not count.
In modern competitive fencing, the foils have push buttons on the point of the blade, which allows hits to be registered by the electronic scoring apparatus. In order to register, the button must be depressed with a force of at least 500 grams for at least 15 milliseconds.
Competitive fencers must also wear conductive jackets covering their target area, which
allows the electronic scoring apparatus to differentiate between on- and off-target hits.
At its most basic level, fencing revolves around various lines of attack and defence. In order for one fencer to land a hit, their opponent must make a mistake and leave an opening.
Fencing tactics rely on a mixture of opportunism and deliberate set-ups-where the attacker feigns his or her intentions, and then strikes with a surprise thrust to another point on their opponent’s torso.
A great deal of fencing depends on being in the right place at the right time. In general, fencing puts a premium on balance, speed, strategy, and athleticism.
Footwork, hand-eye coordination, and tactics are essential in competitive fencing. You really have to use your head. This is one of the reasons it is such a great sport for young and old alike.
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