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Harry
Mr. Shamir is the Founder, G.M. and Head Coach of the SaEF Fencing Clubs. He has been
teaching the art since 1997, with the first student having been a young lady and the "salle" having been the sidewalk near
Plymouth's now closed Cranberry Museum. Actually Mr. Shamir came late into the sport, at the age of 42, and took courses
at the Boston Fencing Club. Early in the 21st Century he participated in summer Coaches' College courses given by the
USFA in Colorado Springs. Since 1997 Mr. Shamir taught on the average three courses per year at a variety of locations,
including Plymouth, Hingham, Kingston, and Duxbury, all on the Mass south shore. During this time frame, Mr Shamir (re)discovered
the willingness of young children to learn fencing, but also their drawbacks. As a result he developed the solution,
the approach he calls SabreK, designed to teach the art to 8-10 year olds. Attempts to teach 7 year olds failed through
no fault of their own - children that age and younger simply are (generally) not good candidates for the discipline and motor
control needed for the art. By the time they become 10 1/2 however, the children are (normally) ready!
By education Mr. Shamir is a Mechanical Engineer, Inventor/Problems-Solver with the R&DA
Co consulting firm (r_da@verizon.net).
By predilection Mr. Shamir dabbles in pre and ancient history and armchair archaeology, and has
written a book on the origins of the Israelites and the evolution of their culture in early times.
By noblesse-oblige Mr. Shamir serves on the Boards of a few civic organizations.
Mr Shamir also heads a small company with an interesting product. Please visit www.MarinairLtd.com .
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Ari From 1996 to 2000, Mr. Ari Levitt was a member
of the Berkshire Buccaneers Fencing Club, under Head Coach Bernie Desautelles (former Head Coach of Umass Amherst).
Mr Levitt bouted in many local tournaments, lost some, won others and was somewhere in the middle on occasion. Highlights
at this time included placing for, and fencing in the summer nationals in 1997, winning the Club Sabre Championships,
and gaining his "D" in the US national rating scale.
In 2001-2004 he was a member of the McGill
Varsity Fencing team under Coach John Harvey. In 2002, he became Team Captain, and became a coach for the JV team.
Mr Levitt taught fencing as coach for JV from 2002-2004. Highlights from this time period included bouting in many
Canadian national tournaments, and ultimately earning the MVP award for the 2003-2004 year. Coaching highlights
included leading McGill to a few first place victories on the local Quebec "AAA" tournament circuit.
He was also the delegate to the MISC sports council at McGill, expanded team membership, and increased its sponsorship.
In
2006-7 he joined the South Shore SaEF Fencing Club with Harry Shamir as Head Coach, where he coached Sabre and Sabre K.
He also very briefly coached at the Commonwealth School in Boston as the sabre coach.
Mr. Levitt is currently taking time off from
coaching to complete his MBA while working full time, but plans on coaching for a time in the summer.
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Holbrook Gracia
Mr Gracia had been fencing for several years before joining a beginners' class taught by Mr Shamir in Hingham
in the early part of the 21st Century. The innovations learned and resulting positive experience convinced him to try
his hand at teaching the art, which he has been doing with considerable success at the SaEF Club of Hingham. He
then studied Sabre under Mr Ari Levitt, and is now proficient at bouting and teaching both Foil and Sabre.
In his spare time Mr Gracia is also a musician and musical integrator.
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Our Missions:
The SaEF Fencing organization has two missions. First and foremost is to teach that fighting resulting in
pain and bloodshed, can be replaced by a sport providing the same elation in victory as the real thing, but in defeat
avoiding the pain and suffering of physical wounds and worse. Also, in the sport, from defeat one can learn and adapt
and overcome the problems that lead to losing, whereas the "real thing" rarely provides such option.
Additionally, we spread the good word that the sport of Fencing, having derived from a European Martial Art, is replete
with rules and discipline and honor filled good-manners. This is a marvelous base upon which a young citizen can build
contributory value to society. For adults, it is a fantastic exercise, and releases adrenalin flow with personal
safety. As a sport, Fencing can be practised from the age of 8 to 80 (at least), sharing this distinction only with
tennis for one-on-one non-contact sports.
The second mission is the eventual organization of a yearly international fencing summer camp, where people from
a variety of nations, can meet and perfect their fencing-athletic skills. As a byproduct, participants also become
open to the idea that people, even total strangers, usually have much in common regardless of differences.
As an aside, it has been reported* and it is our experience, that people with mild forms of ADD and ADHD and Asperger's
can actually be helped by Fencing. This experience is empirical only, as we did not perform any academic study to verify
it. Nor do we have proof that Fencing indeed improves IQ, but it seems to all of us that this is so.
* : Boston Sunday Globe, Jan. 21, 2007, "Climb" by Penelope Trunk.
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Our History:
The MA South Shore SaEF Fencing Clubs began in 1977 as the Plymouth Fencing Club (PFC). From its modest start with
one student on a sidewalk, the clubs expanded over the years, and has now found four-five homes, two in Hingham, and two-three
in Plymouth.
Initially the PFC met at the Plymouth Boys & Girls Club, but soon needed to expand and began meeting on Sundays at
the Baird Center gym, where we retain meeting privileges to this day. Upon demand, Sunday meetings there can be resumed.
Midweek we also began meeting at the Plymouth Fitness locale in the Industrial Park. For a couple of years now, the
PF locale has been replaced by the Plymouth North High School, where we hold Club meetings on Tuesday evenings.
Since Fall 2006, we have also been instructing courses Monday evenings at the Plymouth Community Center across the
Court House plaza.
For several years now, we have been instructing fencing in Hingham under the auspices of the Hingham Community
Ctr run by Ms Judy Volungis (Tel 781 749 9786), on Thursdays, several courses per year.
In 2006 we were fortunate in coming to an agreement with Hingham's Old Ship Church, and are now offering Club meets
and courses at the Parish House on 107 Main St., on Wednesdays. The Club meets from 7 to 9 PM, the Sabre group meets
with Assistant Coach Mr. Ari Levitt from 6:15 to 7:15, and from 5:15 to 6:15, SabreK and private courses are offered, instructed
by Mr. Levitt.
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SaEF Fencing * 37 Dwight Ave * Plymouth * MA * 02360 * (508) 747-5803
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