A NICE PLACE TO FENCE
The Long Island Swordsmen/Swordswomen is a fencing CLUB established by the membership. It is not a fencing school established by an owner. It serves as a place for fencers to get together for recreational fencing and friendly competitive fencing, at a convenient location on Long Island. Instruction is available.
Remember that once a week fencers are just that, "weak fencers". Take a lesson at one of the Fencing Schools on the weekend and practice it on Thursday 6:30PM-10PM (7:30-9:30 best time), before you forget, otherwise the full value of the lesson is lost.
Schedule 2006-2007
@ I.U. Willets: Sept – May
Sept: 3, 13, 21, 28Note well, that if we are closed out at one location we will frequently switch over to another. Look for a sign taped to the front door or ask the custodian at the school. As a club we are afforded these sites to fence at the largess of the School and there are some inconveniences. If you want to fence, always check the other two locations.
Contacts:
Ian Weitz @ work: 212-383-1701, @ home: 631-754-3296, cell: 917-335-4592
Charlie Oliver @ 516-354-1945, cell: 516-849-2637, CMTOGC@aol.com
Coach Dennis Daly
Maestro Tiberiu Sala
Fencing is at the following locations:
Willets Road School @ 455 I.U. Willets Rd., Roslyn Heights, NY 11577; 516:484-3570
North Side School @ 110 East Williston (Hillside – 25A) Ave., East Williston, NY 11596; 516: 877-2280
The Wheatley School @ 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568; 516: 876-4700
Temple Ohav Shalom @ 145 South Merrick Ave in Merrick
Directions to all these locations follow.
The Long Island Swordsman/Swordswoman is a CLUB, and is operated as a non-profit organization, which operates on a very limited budget, organized for the benefit of its membership. It was established, around 1954, by its membership as a convenient place to fence recreationally and upon occasion competitively, for those who had limited time to devote to fencing, but wished to continue fencing. It is a great place to start fencing (there is no pressure). It is not a fencing school, though lessons are provided. We meet once a week, year round, at various locations. It provides a friendly environment to fence and to learn fencing, for recreational or competitive fencers, beginners to experienced. Everyone fences with everyone and the more experience fencers are always willing to pass on some of their hard-earned fencing expertise; whether the other fencer wants to hear it or not.
Simply because you usually or also fence some where else should not prevent anyone from coming by once a week to fence here; especially if it is convenient to your home or work. The more persons you fence on a regular basis the better you will fence.
All fencers using these facilities must be members of the USFA, through which the club maintains its insurance; or sign a complicated legal document, the waiver. As a USFA member the Club’s Insurance automatically covers you, and you and your parent’s assets are protected.
Fencing lessons are provided for all levels of fencing and for all weapons.
The club can lend some equipment for lessons on a limited and temporary basis. Speak with Charlie Oliver. The lent equipment is not to be used for free fencing. This is due to the limitations of insurance. Start-up fencing kits are moderately priced. The club will order equipment for members and pass on what ever discounts the club receives. The club has a history of loosing money by this practice. We do it anyway. Speak with Charlie Oliver.
A single floor fee is $5. A single Club lesson is $10-$15, and includes the floor fee.
The time per club lesson varies depending on the number of persons showing. The time offered is sufficient to learn; but usually not sufficient to ingrain, and may not be sufficient to make the rapid progress a competitive fencer may desire. Additional lessons are available, from a number of successful coaches. Space is available to most coaches.
Club lessons are from Coach Daly or instructor Charlie Oliver (for beginners). Coach Daly teaches a modern competitive style based upon classical precepts that form a strong foundation for all fencing and is noted on LI for teaching Foil and Epee Champions.
Other instructors are available, and include Maestro Tiberiu Sala and Jason Koranokos. Individual arrangements should be made with these instructors ahead of time, as they are not always present. Fee arrangements are made with the instructor. The club floor fee remains $5.
Club officers are not salaried and receive no monetary compensation. The club does not turn a profit, and is intentionally run as such in order to keep the cost to the membership as low as possible. The collected fees do not cover all the club’s expenses.
DIRECTIONS TO L.I. SWORDSMAN/SWORDSWOMAN LOCATONS:
Willets Road School
@ 455 I.U. Willets Rd., Roslyn Heights, NY 11577; 516:484-3570
Located at the corner of IU Willets Road and the Northern State Parkway.
(1) LIE to exit 39S onto Glen Cove Road, south, and about 1 mile to IU Willets, and turn right (over the Northern State). The school is on the left, just past the entrances to the Northern State. The parking lot is on the side of the school.
(2) Northern State Parkway to exit 30, Glen Cove Rd. north, and make a left (north) coming off the exit ramp, and about 1/3 mile to IU Willets, and turn left.
(3)Hillside Ave or Jericho Tpk to Glen Cover Rd and go north about 2/3 of a mile to IU Willets.
Fencing is in the all-purpose room. Enter via the doors off the parking lot. Go straight past the first hallway on the left. Enter through the first doors on the left, and on occasion when the room is divided, enter through the second set of doors on the left.
North Side School
@ 110 East Williston (Hillside – 25A) Ave., East Williston, NY 11596; 516: 877-2280
Located on the corner of Hillside Ave – 25A/East Williston Ave and Wheatly/School Rd., on the south side, east of Glen Cove Rd and west of the LIRR tracks.
Use the directions above as a guide, noting that Hillside Ave is south of IU Willets Rd and intersects with Glen Cove Rd. From Hillside Avenue turn south onto Wheatly and make a left into the parking lot, which is in back of the school.
Fencing is in the 2nd floor all-purpose room. From the parking lot head north through a gate and enter the building on the right, and use the staircase by that door.
The Wheatley School
@ 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568; 516: 876-4700
Located on the corner of Hillside Ave and Bacon Rd, east of Glen Cove Rd, north of Hillside and south of IU Willets; and visible from Hillside Ave.
The parking lot is in front of the school.
Fencing is in the cafeteria. Use the front entrence to the building closest to Hillside Ave. Once inside, walk straight, towards the library, take the second right to the cafeteria.
If the front doors are locked, go right along the building until arriving at the next doors, these face Hillside Ave. and are near the cafeteria. Once there, bang loudly on the doors. Those in the cafeteria can usually hear the noise.
Temple Ohav Shalom
@ 145 South Merrick Ave in Merrick
Take the Meadowbrook Pkway south to Sunrise Highway, Route 27.
Sunrise Highway, R27, east to South Merrick Avenue south, make a right onto South Merrick Avenue.
South Merrick Avenue south to 145 S. Merrick Avenue
Note that if the Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway or the Wantagh Expressway is more convenient to you, they also work. The only difference is that at Sunrise Highway, R27; go west to get to South Merrick Avenue. South Merrick Avenue is on the opposite side of the Highway from the Merrick Long Island Rail Road Station. It you past that station, you went to far, go back. Once on South Merrick Ave, watch your left, go past a Church, and then a Temple (a different one) and the third house of worship on the left is Temple Ohav Shalom.
There is parking in the back. We use two entranceways. The entrance in the back and if that is not open there is another on the side. The back entrance is right in the back, up a flight of cement stairs. The side entrance is past while driving into the parking lot, and is to the right of the back parking lot on the side of the building. Take the stairway down into the basement. Go down a short hall. Make a right into an open space. Take the stairs up at the other end of that space to the main floor. Find a big room with fencers and fence.
Last Minute Changes/Switches of Location:
Note that we have these locations at the largess of the school district. The inconvenience is that the use of a location can change with little notice. Consequently, if fencing is scheduled and is not at the scheduled location, try another location. If fencing is cancelled I usually telephone each member. The typical situation is that fencing is scheduled for IU Willets and the change is to Northside. If we’re not at Northside, check Wheatly. No luck – go home and send me a nasty note. Can’t reach me, I’m most likely fencing in one of the parking lots and you missed me. The Club, in recent years, has been able to make space available for fencing more consistently then in the past because of the flexibility and dedication of the membership. Thanks.