open bouting in Baltimore

When is it okay to let your kid quit music lessons?

When is it okay to quit music lessons.jpg — At Coach Chris’ house: When you leave for college! After all, it builds character!

If you’re ready to kick the kids out of the house and lock up the violins or oboes that have been making life an acoustic hell for the past 2 weeks of CORVID19 “social isolation,” I have bad news for you:

Looks like schools won’t reopen for another month, making another 4 weeks of “Bah-Bah Black Sheep” scratched out on a tiny violin inevitable.

That also means BMFA will be closed until further notice from our gracious hosts at Loyola Blakefield. Please check in at this page and at our FB pages for notices!

March 26, 2020 0

3/13/20: Last Fencing before the Rona Vacation: See you at Knott Hall!

Our gracious host, Loyola-Blakefiled, will go into corona-shutdown mode on 3/15. That means until April 3, 2020, none of our carefully developed safety policies will be necessary, as the venue will be closed:

No fencing classes or lessons until April!

We will alert our members if we decide to organize properly social-isolation open-air work-out meets at a different location. After all, Coach Chris has been ordered to stay out of the office until April 6, and as of next Monday probably won’t know what to do with all the free time.

So stay tuned to this website and our Facebook groups!

Meanwhile, see you at Knott Hall’s performance gym tonight!

The catholic schools in the region are closing for 2 weeks starting Monday and we are awaiting instruction from our hosts at Loyola-Blakefield as to the availability of our venue.

Since fencing is not a contact sport and the amicable handshake at the end of the bout has been officially suspended by US Fencing, Coaches Larbi and Chris will be implementing reasonable precautions for as long as we are able to use the room.

Youth fencers will be placing their bags in the hallway, wash their hands before, during and after class, and use their own gear at all times.
Parents are encouraged to “socially isolate” (i.e., spend class hunting for toilet paper and hand sanitizer at local retail establishments.)
Veteran fencers, if you’re old and feeble, stay home! (No, Coach Chris, you still have to show up!) If you’re spry and healthy, please come!
Open bouting follows all of the above. Please pay your floor fees in crisp, uncirculated bills!
No iPhones or other devices that entice sticking heads together to view inspirational Coach Chris memes or Internet videos are permitted. (See above for an example of those viral, inspirational Coach Chris memes that are all the rage among young people these days!)
We will be thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing all club equipment.
Learn-to-fence and beginners using club equipment will be permitted to take their entire gear home to limit use to only one fencer and, yes, you wear it, you wash it!
There will be Clorox wipes to wipe down masks, gear, and remotes.
If you’re sick, stay home.