February of 1990 saw a rare review in a Houston newspaper of a production by the Texas Opera Theatre, the touring arm of the Houston Grand Opera. Because it was, after all, the touring wing, Houston critics were rarely around to review their work. This time, however, the Texas Opera Theatre mounted Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore and Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet at Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House, only about fifty miles away. The critic, Ann Holmes, who lightly panned the Gilbert & Sullivan piece for ignoring the fact that opera is also theatre, particularly praised the Gounod piece, singling out, "the excellent sword work, directed by Claude Caux," in a list of high points that otherwise dwelt on the music. Maitre Caux had scored once again in a milieu of theatre, romance and fencing.

The same month, back in Houston, audiences could also view Maitre Caux’ fencing choreography in the ballet version of Romeo and Juliet. The Houston Ballet remounted the Ben Stevenson ballet, which had first been presented at the gala opening of the Wortham Theatre Center in 1987.

Far from Claude Caux and Houston, in the pine forests of East Texas, a young man named David Burns was being introduced to fencing at Kilgore Junior College. It was the beginning of a lifelong love which would put Burns on a long, a very winding, road. His next stop would take him into the Gulf Coast Division.

In 1990 the Internet was still very new or unknown to most people. Yet, in what might seem an appropriately anachronistic fact, the Society for Creative Anachronisms already had an Internet newsgroup. In April, one member, going by Taran, posted the results of a survey he had made into fencing or lack thereof, in the various kingdoms. He noted that in Ansteorra (Texas/Oklahoma), Outlands (New Mexico/Colorado), East (Mid-Atlantic/New England/parts of Canada), Atlantia (Virginia and the Carolinas), An Tir (northwest U.S./western Canada) and Trimaris (Florida) fencing was well established with set rules for rapier combat and a kingdom officer charged with promoting fencing. He further noted that, "The Rules for Rapier Combat in these kingdoms vary widely. The variations come in such areas as permitted weapons, authorized styles, target area, and armor standards. All seem to protect the fencer fairly well."

Taran wrote that fencing was under a prohibition at SCA events in four kingdoms: Midrealm or Middle Kingdom (northern Mid-West), West (northern California, Nevada, Alaska), Calontir (Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska) and Meridies (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana). "There is some variation in the reasons for this, however the consistent reason is that these kingdoms feel that fencing is unsafe, and that there is no way to make it safe."

In Atenveldt (Arizona) and Caid (southern California, Hawaii, Las Vegas), he found that they, "do not have a particular officer or set of rules for Rapier Combat, nor, however do they outlaw it. Instead both kingdoms classify rapier combat in the category of 'light weapons', which in both kingdoms seems to be primarily shinai. Both kingdoms inform me that rapier combat is allowed but is not practiced much."

The researcher closed with; "The SCA corporate level neither encourages or actively discourages period rapier combat. Guiding and police decision #5 allows period rapier combat provided that the kingdom permits it, that the Marshallate of the Kingdom has a set of rules in place governing it, and that those rules have been approved by the Society Marshall. The decision does further state, however, that since period fencing was not a part of formal tournament combat in the Middle Ages, rapier combat may not be a part of formal tournament lists for royal rank or armigerous titles."

Meanwhile Richard Alvarez, the one-time pupil of Maitre Caux, was following a lifestyle far closer in many ways to that of a medieval knight than most in the SCA would dream of. Alvarez was now the general partner of International Action Theatre, d.b.a. Hanlon-Lees Action Theatre. He was also all over the map. "By 1990, we were doing six major festivals a year, with three touring troupes of performers. (Up from two shows and one troupe when I took over)."

Aspiring knights sought out men like Alvarez. One young man was Bryan Beard. Beard had been patronizing renaissance faires since he was 18. He took time to earn a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and decided to make a career of his passion in 1990. He served as squire and later knight under the tutelage of joust masters Richard Alvarez of the International Action Theater, Kent Shelton of the Hanlon-Lees, and Tino Brana of Medieval Times.

Another pupil of Claude Caux, August Skopik, had his own issues to deal with. "I blew out my knee first in 1985 and then 1990. In 1985 I heard the doctor tell me that I probably would not be able to walk again. I regained elite status, but tore the ACL in the finals of the De Galle [sic] in 1990."

Other fencers in the Gulf Coast Division had become quite involved in the activities of the Southwest Section during the 1989-1990 season. While Spindletop Cavaliers co-founder Glenn Weathington was the Chair of the Gulf Coast Division and, thus, had a voice in Section affairs, the post of Section Chair was held by Mike Kowalski of Sugarland and Ann Marie Walters of College Station served as Section Secretary.

On March 10-11 Rice University, as always, served as the site of the Harold Van Buskirk Memorial Tournament. Of the top eight finishers in epee, one fencer years later, said, "In 1990 I could have told you the whole bunch. Right now I can only give you three names. Bob Hurley finished 1st, Bart Weathington finished 6th, and Bill Mangus finished 8th."

A flier for the event stated, "Bob and Tracey Hurley have given a special invitation to you to spend Saturday night at heir house enjoying their new hot tub and deck. Fencing will be over early enough for everyone to attend."

The Southwest Sectional Championships were held in New Orleans on April 28-29, 1990.

The men’s foil event drew 35 competitors. Of the fencers from the Gulf Coast Division, Conor Power of the Spindletop Cavaliers fared best, finishing in 9^th place. Texas A&M fencers Kelly Fergason and Ben Hill were right behind him in 10^th and 11^th places, respectively. Another Spindletop foilist, Frank Parigi came in 16^th. He was immediately followed by Robert Murphy from Texas A&M, the Houston Fencers’ Club foilist Doug Dibble, and Spindletop’s Bill Mangus in 17^th-19^th places. Norm Hecht from A&M finished in 24^th place. Anthony Potoczniak of Rice University came in at 26^th. Bart Weathington of the Spindletop Cavaliers and Alistair Isaac of the Houston Fencers’ Club placed 29^th and 33^rd, respectively.

Power did better in the under-19 men’s foil event, taking first place from a field of 12, while Alistair Isaac finished in 8^th place.

Women’s foil drew 17 fencer and Texas A&M University’s Ann-Marie Walters took first place. Rebecca Hickling of Rice University finished in ninth place. A&M’s Melissa Evans and Alicia Harris finished 10^th and 11^th, respectively.

The under-19 women’s foil event drew seven competitors. Rice’s Rebecca Hickling and Joyce Florence and Jennifer Ryan, both from A&M, finished in fourth through sixth places, respectively.

The men’s epee event had 31 entrants. Among the Gulf Coast contingent, Rice University’s Al Peters fared best, finishing in third place. The next best of any Gulf Coast entrant was Bill Mangus, who finished in 16^th place. His colleague from the Spindletop Cavaliers, Bart Weathigton, finished two behind him in 18^th place. The 20^th-24^th place finishers were all from the Gulf Coast Division and were, in order, Doug Dibble of the Houston Fencers’ Club, Carl Brown from Texas A&M, Anthony Potoczniak from Rice University, Frank Parigi from the Spindletop Cavaliers and Todd Vogt, another A&M fencer. Glenn Weathington from the Spindletop Cavaliers finished 31^st.

Bart Weathington was the lone Gulf Coast fencer among five competitors for under-19 men’s epee, but he captured first place.

Women’s epee fielded nine competitors. The sole Gulf Coast Division competitors, Suzanne Simpson, who was fencing unattached, took third place. None of the three competitors for under-19 women'’ epee came from the Gulf Cast Division.

Men’s sabre drew 21 competitors. Greg Dilworth of Texas A&M, one of only three Gulf Coast Division entrants, finished in ninth place. The other two, A&M’s Scott Stevens and Rice’s Dennis Wilson, finished 17^th and 18, respectively.

In the under-19 men’s sabre event, Bart Weathington was, again, the lone Gulf Coast entrant, finishing fifth in a field of seven.

A competition in women’s sabre was held with six fencers, four of them coming from the Gulf Coast Division. Suzanne Simpson took second place. Donna Miller of the Houston Fencers’ Club, Alicia Harris of Texas A&M and Rebecca Hickling of Rice finished third, fourth and sixth, respectively. There was no under-19 women’s sabre event.

Back at the University of Houston, the founder of the new fencing club got a bit distracted, however, by wedding bells. That May he remarried. One inevitable result was that his involvement with the University of Houston Fencing Club slowed down. Membership began to drop off. For a time, it looked like the new club might not last.

Al Peters, at Rice University, on the other hand, expanded his fencing commitments. Taking a page out of Claude Caux’ successful book, he accepted a post as fencing consultant to the Houston Ballet for their 1990-1991 season.

On February 28, 1991, John P. "Jack" Baird died in Galveston. Only Clement D’Albergo, who passed away a decade earlier, had done as much to build fencing south of Houston.

The 1991 Harold Van Buskirk Memorial was held on the weekend of March 23-24 in the Autry Gym on the Rice University campus. In addition to the usual fine level of fencing, it was noteworthy for an emotional incident involving one Jack Randall "Randy" Sims III.

Suzanne Simpson recalled him as, "that saber kid, Randall Sims that took lessons from Claude [Caux]. I know he tried his hand at the other weapons too. I remember his dad trying to fence too - boy was he brutal."

Years later Steve Lewis, the director of the bout in question, recalled it thus, "[T]here was an incident at the van buskirk in '91 where Jack Sims (Randall's father) inappropriately contested (punched a judge) a call in one of Randall's bouts, this was back when saber was still judged visually, which resulted in both he and Randall being ejected. [N]ot sure what happened to them after that, I think Randall may have graduated that spring and gone on to college, Mr. Skopik may have more knowledge there. [I]t was truly a shame, Randall had just come into his own as a fencer and in all probability would have won."

Lewis added, "[T]he sorry affair at Van Buskirk was largely forgotten, except for the pleasure it brings old timers (like Suzanne here) to tease the aforementioned judge about getting tagged by some old bald guy, which ironically enough, is a pretty good description of himself these days."

As August Skopik put it, "I think Steve remembers the incident well, and had a very front row seat in the action. Actually Randall had an offer to live in the New York area and work with "real" sabre fencers after he got 17th in the U17 world championships. I think he went and the family did not surface after the Van Buskirk incident. The parents would not acknowledge a mistake, (which the judge had forgiven very gracefully), and everyone became very suspicious after that. That's when there were real people and not lights for sabre."

In June 1991, it was apparent that fencing was still growing within the Society for Creative Anachronisms and fencers from Texas were playing a part in it. One member from the northern Mid-West, Mike Schneider, posted on the SCA newsgroup the results, thus far, of some fencing missionary work going on in that region. "It seems that those of us who are pro-rapier in the Mid Kingdom have finally gotten someone's attention. Yes, Christian there is fencing in wonderland. Although the Middle Kingdom is one of the last bastions of purist rattanism, there are those… who have been bold enough… to garner an audience with the powers that be… And as it stands now the King is pro, the Prince is still to be convinced and the Earl Marshall is outspokenly against it."

"So as of this writing, there are a few individuals in the Chicago area who are fencing at this time (on the QT, so far) and Baron Alfred of Chester from the Province of Tre-Girt-Sea is one of them and he does produce a newsletter on the subject at hand. A few of those individuals I am told, are from Ansteorra."

In July a series of posts appeared on the SCA newsgroup illustrating the fencing controversies in various regions. One author wrote, "The Trimaris [Florida] fencing rules accept only modern epee and saber. The consensus of opinion, from those qualified to opine on this subject, was that the modern foil causes enough problems for the mundane [sport] fencing authorities for Trimaris not to consider its use. Somewhere in my rat’s nest of a home are figures on the comparison of the number of deaths per year caused by each weapon style in recognized fencing competitions. Apparently the foil numbers "foiled" its acceptance by those writing the original kingdom fencing rules"

Another writer parried; "It’s almost funny how safety in fencing is regarded in the Society. Almost every weapon form is banned in some kingdom, on the grounds that it is unsafe (except maybe epee -- has anyone banned epee?). The East doesn't allow anything heavier than an epee (excepting special circumstances). Several kingdoms don't allow anything lighter than epee. If I'm remembering right, at least one kingdom only uses very heavy weapons, and one only uses very light ones. And all of this is always justified in the name of safety -- the banned weapons are invariably deemed ‘clearly dangerous.’ If they're light, then they ‘whip’ too much; if they're heavy, they could break bones; and whatever their weight, they could break nastily and kill someone. And yet, each of these forms is being used somewhere, apparently without major problems."

Another, Edward Wright, viewing how things were done in Texas, wrote, "Well, epee is not banned in Ansteorra, but it is a nonstandard weapon, which means that you can use it only if your opponent agrees. The standard weapon is the number five French foil." He added, "I recently heard this discussed by one of our local Dons [Robin of Gilwell/Jay Rudin]. His explanation was that you can either make the weapons as realistic as possible, in which case the blows cannot be realistic, or you can make the blows as realistic as possible, in which case the weapons cannot be. Both approaches, he said, have merit, but Ansteorra has always been the Kingdom that's tended most toward the latter."

Dana Groff, a USFA fencer and former USFA officer took up the earlier issue of deaths in the sport fencing community. Groff was among a growing number of competitive fencers who were also SCA members. Groff’s Society persona was Danulf Donaldson, titled "Captain of the Carolingian Rapier Company," "Don of Fence – East," and "Carolingian Marshal of Fence." Groff wrote, "There is no history of deaths in the United States in modern fencing, no matter what the weapon form. Any deaths due to broken blades have been overseas. There are no published statistics of deaths per weapon form worldwide. The number of deaths by broken weapons in modern fencing is less than 10 over the past decade. Few statistics are kept since the injuries through broken weapons are rare. As such, the above supposition of the Trimaris "reasoning" must not be fully informed. I worked with some of the fencers who started the Trimaris program. Basically, they preferred the light hit of foil and sabre. Further, the individual who can take much of the responsibility for those early days in Trimaris is trained in modern sabre and knows how to use that weapon safely. I don't try to explain their reasoning -- this was simply my observation of their preferences and history. Unfortunately, many kingdoms restrict fencing or various blade use because of rumor, hearsay, and inaccurate information. In some cases, badly trained or fencers with no training discredited the use of a blade through their mishandling of the blade."

Another writer noted, "Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the sad fact is that whoever is around and in power when the rules get written tends to have their bias written into law. The biases I have seen are almost invariably a religious issue having to do with how you are raised… Those who were raised on foil tend to evince a predilection for foil, ditto epee, sabre, etc. Here in the Outlands, the fencing tradition, before legislation, was epee and sabre. When the rules began to be written, they were strongly influenced by Ansteorran tradition… and the sabres were dropped. The result being that the epee is the standard weapon in the Outlands. I guess this a long winded way of saying that I disagree with Danulf’s statement that weapons are restricted out of rumor, etc. I would tend to say that, when regulation is in fact created, it is generally a codification of custom and reflection of the bias of the originators. On a related subject, the safety issue occasionally crops up as an argument against allowing fencing in various Kingdoms, that, on the other hand, is almost invariably a result of rumor. So, in some sense, I guess that Danulf is correct--rumors have banned the use of all weapons in some Kingdoms (although, this may also be a rumor.)"

Obviously the "Ansteorran" influence with regard to fencing was felt in many corners of the SCA. Much of that influence could be traced back to Chris Zakes and Jay Rudin, the two former Rice University fencers who dated back from the first days of Claude Caux’ time in Houston. July 1991 found Rudin far to the north, in the Chicago area, trying to advance the cause of swashbuckling in the Middle Kingdom.

One SCA member wrote, "It seems that some individuals [have] been motivating to get fencing started within the Middle Kingdom. It also appears that this individual (or individuals) [has] an opponent. Not that the opponent opposes the implementation of fencing as a whole, but that Ansteorran rules are the issue, and that some other or variant thereof should be used instead of the Ansteorran rules themselves."

"At the Nordskogen Warlord tourney, Baron Don Robin of Gilwell of Ansteorra [Rudin] was invited to perform before the Middle Kingdom Earl Marshal as evidence of the safety of Fencing as a sport. Having done so, many are of the impression that his Grace, Duke Sir Palymar of the Two Baronies was pleased enough to consider the issue. Only time will tell. Simple Day (Indianapolis, IN) is this weekend, and a demo is scheduled for the benefit of the Crown."

Richard Alvarez, on the other hand, was living a pursuit that the average SCA member could only dream of. He, in fact, was earning a living as a knight in armor with the International Action Theatre. He was also busy training new knights. Like Bryan Beard, Michael Beaman was also serving as a squire under Alvarez. In time, Beard would have his own company and Beaman would be among his knights. In 1991, however, Beaman had just "earned his spurs."

For Houston fencers, 1991 brought some welcome exposure. As a result of the popularity of the film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner, the Houston Chronicle ran a summer feature article on local archers and fencers. The July 11^th piece played to a public looking for swashbucklers. The article interviewed local members of the fencing and archery fraternities and provided basic information on both activities, as currently practiced. It stated there were two major fencing organizations in Houston: the Rice University Fencing Club, with Al Peters as coach and faculty advisor; and the Houston Fencers Club with August Skopik as president and Steven Farid as an instructor. The article also displayed graphics of the weapons and targets of the three weapons, an illustration of a modern, electric piste, and a photograph of Al Peters and Robert Baum fencing at Rice University’s Autry Court.

The article stressed the time required and training involved in acquiring fencing skills. It also mentioned that professional instruction was available at both clubs and that some fencers belonged to both. Al Peters was quoted saying, " In my class, in 14 weeks working very hard, we just begin to grasp the basic moves."

The article also mentioned that the Houston Fencers Club was in a summer time limbo. After many years at one location, the club would be moving in the fall, but the new location had yet to be determined. August Skopik’s telephone number was printed for contact purposes.

On the whole, the local fencing community was shown in a positive and romantic, yet still accurate, light. That marriage of theatre, romance and fencing continued on Sunday, July 21, 1991 with the marriage of Claude Caux’ son. Patrice Yves Caux, an instructor in French at the University of Houston, married another Rebecca, Rebecca Harrell one day short of exactly 12 years after his first marriage.

Attendees included local actress Mary Avey Chovanetz, August Skopik and Dr. Sidney Berger of the University’s Drama Department and founder of the Houston Shakespeare Festival. Surrounded by numerous attendees from the performing arts, Skopik would later recall, "You know, I was the only fencer that attended his son Patrice's wedding."

The very next day, Dr. Berger met with Maitre Caux to discuss the upcoming Shakespeare Festival. M. Caux was to be at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Herman Park that evening, to rehearse the actors’ duelling scenes. In production were The Merchant of Venice and The Merry Wives of Windsor.

First, however, Claude Caux taught his regular fencing class. Like so many of his fencing classes in the past, first option to sign up had gone to theatre students. Those pursuing fencing for fencing’s sake got in when and if there were any slots left open. Among this second group of students was Nicole Dickson, taking her very first fencing course. Among those who would stop by from time to time this semester, to benefit from M. Caux' drills, had been Michael Mergens, Patrice Caux and August Skopik.

Patrice Caux was, of course, away on his honeymoon. Skopik was also away, on vacation. Years later, Skopik said, "Sandi and I went to Lake Tahoe with Lance, (10 months), and I come back after a week and have about 100 calls. I am talking to people and have no idea what they are talking about."

Claude Caux dismissed his class early that day, a step so uncharacteristic that Nicole Dickson considered asking if he was all right. She did not. She never got another chance to ask.

That afternoon, a little after 2:00 PM, Claude Caux met Mary Chovanetz in Memorial Park. The two had known each other for 14 years. The 45-year old actress had been one of his students and a member of the University of Houston Festival Mime Company he had founded. An argument ensued. The two struggled in front of Chovanetz’ car before M. Caux produced a French-made switchblade knife with a four-inch blade.

He stabbed Chovanetz.

Witnesses saw an unidentified man jump from his car. The man, described only as Hispanic and in his 20s, struck at Caux’ shoulders and head with a stick, halting the attack. Passers-by rushed to Chovanetz. Witnesses stated Caux walked around shouting to them to leave him alone. Caux then stabbed himself and reportedly told onlookers, "Please let us die."

Within minutes the Houston Police Department arrived and placed Caux under arrest. The Samaritan had disappeared. Chovanetz, suffering from fifteen separate wounds, did not survive. Claude Caux was charged with murder and admitted to Ben Taub Hospital in critical condition. Before going into surgery, Claude Caux confessed to police and told them the knife they found at the scene was, indeed, the murder weapon. He left the police with no doubts to his guilt or to the solution of the case, but he gave no answers to the question of motive. Ultimately, investigators were left with two possible motives: a love affair gone bad or unrequited love.

Maitre Caux remained as the sphinx.

Houston’s theatre and fencing communities were stunned. John Middents, production manager for the Houston Shakespeare Festival summed up the reactions of many friends of Maitre Caux, "He doesn’t fly off the handle. When he is upset, you know he is upset, but he is by no means a violent person." Chris Wilson, the much-respected head of the Actors Theatre of Houston, said of Caux that he, "was an absolute, kind gentleman. He was another consummate professional. His work was a celebration of life."

The next day, at the fencing class, Dr. Sidney Berger addressed Nicole Dickson and the other students about the incident. When one voice was heard to opine that the class would be cancelled, Dr. Berger shot back, "Who said that?" The classes would continue. The show would go on.

Several members of the U of H counseling staff spoke with some of Claude Caux’ students. An instructor was borrowed from the University of St. Thomas, but his background was strictly in stage combat. It may have proved satisfactory for the acting students in the class, but not to those more interested in fencing in and of itself.

At the end of that summer semester, Nicole Dickson sought out Patrice Caux, asking if he could recommend a fencing club for further instruction. Patrice referred her to Michael Mergens and the University of Houston Fencing Club. There she encountered other fencers like Craig King, Keith Jurgens and James Ousley. The group was frequently shuttled from one point on campus to another, with no particular place to call their own. In her first meeting with the U of H Fencing Club, she found herself and the other members in the University Center underground, waiting for a Tai Kwan Do class to finish so they could get the space.

By July 30, Claude Caux was out of the hospital and out on bond. He retained noted attorney Dick DeGuerin, for his defense. He would, however, never teach a fencing class, again.

Despite the media attention to the Claude Caux story, other local fencers were involved in more traditional, if less reported events. On August 1-4 the sixth annual Pepsi Games of Texas were held. The event was in Dallas and, for the first time, included fencing. Fencers from the Gulf Coast Division did not win medals in the women’s competitions or the under-17 men’s events. As well, they went, characteristically, without medals in men’s sabre. Gulf Coast fencers were, however, able to give a respectable accounting of themselves in two of the men’s events.

While Sean McClain of the Round Rock Fencing Club in the powerful South Texas Division did take first place in men’s foil, out of 46 entries, the Spindletop Cavalier’s Conor Power captured second place.

Men’s epee sported only about 25 entries, but Mark Stout and August Skopik, both claiming Rice University affiliations, captured first and third places, respectively. Left-hander Mark Stout, however, was frustrated in his goal to acquire a "B" rating from his epee win because the two top-ranked entrants, John Wahren, formerly of the old Salle Sebastiani, and Bob Hurley, a Rice fencer, failed to make to the final round. For Skopik, however, who had been out all of the previous season due to injuries, his third place win was simply all the more impressive.

At the other end of the experience level, on Sunday, October 6, 1991 a novice foil tournament was held at Rice University. Two fencers from Texas A & M had captured the first and second places, but the University of Houston Fencing Club’s Craig King captured third. Two other fencers from the still very new and small U of H club, James Ousley and Keith Jurgens placed fifth and sixth. Said Craig King, "It was kind of surprising how well we did on our first tournament. After all, we broke three out of our five fencers." Keith Jurgens, who was the current club president, was quoted by the University of Houston’s campus newspaper, said, "We’re hoping eventually to be organized into a UH team…not just a club. Now we’re looking for anybody who’s ever had an interest in fencing to come and join."

About few weeks later, members of the University of Houston Fencing Club participated in the Round Rock Novice Foil Tournament on Saturday, October 26^th. Due to the number of fencers competing, the tournament was divided into two groups. In one group, UH fencers Anton Pal Montano and Craig King placed second and fifth, respectively. In the other group two more UH fencer, James Ousley and Charles Chandler came in fifth and eighth.

Back at the University of Houston, a newly arrived Chuck Hudson assumed the post of Professor of Movement for the Actor and Mime at the University of Houston. During this same period he took over Claude Caux’ Festivals Mime Company. Continuing the Caux legacy, he began what would become a two-year stint as Movement / Combat Director for several productions in the 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 Alley Theatre seasons.

A 1985 graduate of the University of Houston’s Drama Department, Hudson had initially studied fencing at the Paris School of Theatrical Fencing from 1985-1987. There he received an honorary diploma from the French Academy of Arms and then continued training privately under various fencing masters. He was also one of the few Americans to have ever received a diploma from the Marcel Marceau’s L’Ecole Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris. In fact, in 1988, while in Paris, he created an original stage work titled, The History of Fencing by Charles Darwin.

Not to say that the University of Houston held the monopoly on fencers with a theatrical bent, Diana Rae McKinney was an active competitor with the Texas A & M Fencing Club. From 1991-1992 she also served as the club treasurer. An English major with a minor in British History and an interest in dance, she would, over the next few years, also gravitate more and more toward seasonal performances at the Texas Renaissance Festival.

The mainstream media back in Houston, however, covered none of this. The next time fencing won a notable mention in a local newspaper was to report that Claude Caux had been rushed back to a hospital. On October 7, the day after the UH club went to their first tournament, Maitre Claude Caux had made a second attempt at suicide, stabbing himself in the abdomen with an ice pick. He would survive, again, but his teaching days were over. At the University of Houston, that task had already fallen to his son, Patrice.

If things were fairly serious and grim for University of Houston fencers in October of 1991, things were very different at Texas A & M. That month, among other things, the student fencers had a Hallowe’en party. The event proceeded with the usual qualities one might expect at a college party.

One female participant related the following. "I went to a Halloween party. I trust you're all with me so far? Well, it was a Halloween party thrown by and for the Texas A&M fencing club, of which I am as of yet not officially a part, though there is a campaign among many fencers to change that fact. A few words of Wisdom (and a blanket generalization): Fencers are WEIRD. Trust me on this, they're f*cking STRANGE. And you can triple the emphasis on that statement for DRUNK fencers. Forgive the language, please, but strong language conveys a strong message, no? I'll wash my mouth out later. I actually had a lot of fun, after the first hour or so."

The only mention of any type of fencing in either of Houston’s two daily newspapers during the fall, was a notice that the SCA would "stage sword fights," at the Texas Bavarian Festival in Pasadena, November 1-3.

On January 10, 1992, with his trial for the murder of Mary Ann Chovanetz only one week away, Claude Caux succeeded in taking his own life…by hanging. His wife, Rose Marie, and his son, Patrice, found him in his southwest Houston condominium. It was a sad conclusion to a life and career that had touched and inspired so many.

University of Houston theatre department chair Sidney Berger was quoted as saying, "It is terribly sad to add a second tragedy to the one that had happened in July." Even with all that had gone before, Caux was to direct a mime show that was to open on campus on January 31^st. The production was cancelled. No consideration was given to finding a new director. The show would not go on. There would be no answers.

One of his many students, R. Matthew Emerson, put it this way, "I was associated with him from about 1986 to 1990. I was in three CTF productions and several mime shows. Numbers I remember well include, Where Is The Sun, which was done in collaboration with Bob Nelson… The Magritte sketch was also memorable (I think Nelson wrote the music for that, too), as was our little Commedia dell'arte act.

"I learned foil fencing from him; I now fence sabre casually.

"His death saddened me greatly, and still does whenever I think about it. I never really performed again after he died."

Another fencing master passed away in 1992. Russell Karl Wieder, who had coached fencing for 30 years, 15 of them at Texas A & M University and who had been a charter member of the United States Fencing Coaches Association died in Waco, Texas on May 9^th. A classical fencer of the Italian School, an American fencer who had matched his epee against a Japanese kendo master’s shinai on the eve of World War II, his career had produced eight national champions who had advanced to Olympic competition. Still, it was his connection to Texas A & M University’s fencers which was closest to him at the end. His widow requested that mourners make memorial contributions to the club.

Wayne Hughes, a pupil of Wieder’s from 1977-1980 wrote, "Master Wieder died in 1992. He and his wife moved from Lufkin to another town near College Station. Master Wieder detested Lufkin. His daughter Anne is an actress."

Indeed, Anne Marie Wieder Anna received BFA and MA degrees, with honors, in Theater from Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches. She also studied at the Lee Strasbourg Institute in New York City from 1980-82. She could later be seen in small roles in a number of films such as Outrageous Fortune (1987), Hello Again (1987), Troop Beverly Hills (1989), Mortal Thoughts (1991), Ransom (1996) and Six Ways to Sunday (1997). She also did stunt work in the 1986 comedy, The Money Pit.

Another former Wieder pupil, Bryn Ralph, made the following observation of Anna Marie’s fencing capabilities. "Obviously, some American males have never had the privilege of fencing Ms Anna Marie Wieder, actress and fencer. If one could view her form, technique and speed -- then comments implying women fencers as ‘boring’ would cease."

The year 1992 also saw the departure of a local fencing club, the Houston Fencer’s Club. August Skopik was calling it quits and the club dissipated. "It closed about 1992, because I was a driving force behind it."

As Houston Fencer’s Club member Suzanne Simpson remembered, "We joined forces [with] the Bayou City Blades at Duschene Academy. Claude [and] Steve gave lessons [and] Claude ran footwork drills. After Claude's downfall, we were no longer welcome at Duschene, so we moved to Rice. Steve came for a while to give lessons, but the drive to that part of town (at that time of day) proved more than he could handle. He stopped coming [and] resumed giving lessons at the Y. I stayed at Rice… "

"I wondered if the Claude episode caused the nuns to really not trust us (even more than they had). We moved to Rice, but most of our members eventually stopped coming (either moved or stopped fencing for a while)."

If the curtain was closing, it did so to music. Claude Caux’ time at the University of Houston produced many friendships and many collaborations. One of these was with composer Christopher Theofanidis. In 1992 Theofanidis, who held degrees from Yale, the Eastman School of Music and the University of Houston, composed Statues.

Theofanidis wrote in the notes, "Statues (1992) is a set of five miniatures for piano which grew out of improvisations. On my mind at the time was the idea that a statue contains some kind of frozen energy-an expression or a motion, which, while static, is somehow alive. Each movement has a single, non-developmental motif, which is pregnant with an energy but cannot transcend its initial effect or state. This work was written in tribute to Claude Caux, a family friend who tragically took his own life in 1992. The first movement, ‘Partial Symmetries,’ is built on a bell-like sonority, which creates open and suspended resonances. The openness of pitch space creates three distinct registers and establishes the work’s solemn mood. The second movement, ‘Eros,’ is built on a virtuosic, cross-handed gesture, which is circular in sound. It has a running quality, which continues unabated until the movement’s end, at which point the gesture is isolated in a kind of stasis. The third, ‘Unstruck Sound,’ is very terse. The right hand holds a chord and adds and subtracts notes from that chord as the left-hand plays spiky, registrally extreme gestures around it. The fourth movement, ‘Visigoth,’ is utterly barbaric in its physicality and force, and its central gesture, though hammer-like in character, has at its core a bright harmony, creating a conflict of intent between a more sweet harmonic palette and more jarring rhythmic base. This tension reaches a crisis, which remains unresolved. The fifth movement, ‘Bard,’ has a lyrical and noble melody, which borrows the bell-like rhythm from the first movement. This tune is set against a dreamy, drone-like accompaniment in the left hand, rocking away gently into nothingness."

In March, former Claude Caux pupil Katie Kowalski, now senior captain on Penn States women’s foil team captured second team NCAA honors.

Another Caux alumni, Richard Alvarez was encountering difficulties with the limited partners in International Action Theatre/Hanlon-Lees Action Theatre. "In 1992, I paid the partners in full, and they freaked out, cutting deals behind my back with fair owners." It was the beginning of the end.

College Station, the home of Texas A & M University, could count a noted actor among their fencing community. Henry Thomas, who had actually attended Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, was best-known for his earlier roles as a child actor in Valmont and E. T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Now an adult, Thomas continued to pursue acting roles and, in April of 1992, was in Houston filming a made-for-cable film, Seven On/Seven Off. While being interviewed for a local newspaper, Thomas mentioned that he still enjoyed fencing in his spare time.

As with any other year, the U.S. Fencing National competitions were held in the summer of 1992. The stronger South Texas and North Texas Divisions made a more pronounced showing, but a few fencers from the Gulf Coast Division did attend.

In the prestigious Division-I men’s foil competition there were 90 competitors. The sole Gulf Coast entrant, University of Houston fencer Steven G. Vern placed 83^rd. The men’s Division-II foil fielded 123 adversaries. Gulf Coast foilists who competed were Greg Dilworth (84^th place) from Texas A & M University, Steve Vern (88^th), and Donald J. Layne (105^th place). Women’s foil was another matter. The Division-I competitions, with a field of 81 fencers, and the Division-II race, with 103 competitors, included none from the Gulf Coast Division.

Rice University’s Al Peters was the Gulf Coast’s lone representative in the Division-I men’s epee event, placing 58^th out of 93. The Division-II men’s epee, with a field of 144, contained two Gulf Coast fencers, Texas A & M’s William L. Ashe and Robby L. Coke, who tied each other for 126^th place. Interestingly, the Louisiana native who came in at the 144^th place, Christian A. Darce, would later move to Houston and become involved in an entirely different side of fencing, in a group called HACA. The women’s Division-I epee was a mirror of the women’s foil with no Gulf Coast contenders out of a field of 78. In the women’s Division-II epee, however, Chesley Harper from Texas A & M came in 63^rd out of 87.

The men’s Division-I sabre competition saw Gulf Coast fencer Dennis Wilson tie for 46^th place and Jack Randall Sims III tie for 58^th place out of 74 combatants. Sims also placed 37^th and Wilson 57^th in the men’s Division-II sabre event. Another local fencer, Edward Willis placed 59^th. Additionally, Sims captured 7^th place in men’s under-19 sabre from a field of 42. No women’s Division-I sabre event was held. In the Division-II event, there were 35 fencers, but none from the Gulf Coast clubs.

One thing that did set a lot of the fencers from the Gulf Coast Division apart from some other divisions was how very many of them were involved in the sciences and engineering. Texas A&M, the University of Houston and Rice University produced a steady stream of fencers who were quite technologically literate. By 1992, many of them had long since embraced the Internet, well before the general populace. One of them had an idea. Newsgroups were just beginning to really proliferate, but, so far, none address an interest in fencing.

On September 23, 1992, Suman Palit, a fairly new member of the University of Houston Fencing Club, posted an announcement, titled, "RFD: rec.fencing" on four already existing newsgroups (news.announce.newsgroups; news.groups; rec.martial-arts; and rec.org.sca).

The announcement read, "TO ALL FENCERS, SWORDSMEN, AND LOVERS OF SWORDFIGHTING…Hi, This is the first RFD for a new newsgroup which we propose to call rec.fencing. WHY: Fencing is an ancient and time-honored method of self-defense, and one of the earliest martial arts, western or oriental. There is an incredible variety of various swordfighting styles all over the world. Much of fencing discussion takes place in rec.martial-arts and rec.org.sca, and is otherwise scattered all over. I propose the creation of a newsgroup dedicated to the discussion of fencing with the following tentative charter:

Discussion of:

1. History of Fencing and Duelling;
2. History of Oriental fencing styles, Kendo, etc.;
3. USFA Fencing;
4. SCA Fencing;
5. Announcement of Tournaments, etc.;
6. Comparative discussions about different kinds of fencing."

On September 29^th, Palit posted a second RFD, "in order to find some kind of consensus regarding the creation of a fencing newsgroup." It seemed a division of opinion had occurred among those responding to Palit’s proposal. Some liked his title of rec.fencing, but others preferred rec.sport.fencing, which fit into an already established rec.sport "hierarchy" of newsgroups. Palit hit the nail on the head regarding this division, "The problem, I think, lies in the way people look at fencing…some see it as a sport, some as a martial-art, some purely out of historical curiosity. It was my original intention to be able to include every aspect of fencing in the proposed newsgroup, hoping that there would be enough traffic to justify the creation of other related newsgroups. Now that may or may not be feasible, but hey, I’m trying my best not to be divisive…"

That the idea was taking hold among Gulf Coast fencers could be seen, on-line, there very next day. On September 30^th Greg Dilworth, a fencer at Texas A & M University and an officer of the Gulf Coast Division, made posted a message on the rec.sport.misc. board which stated, "I figured I would inform everyone in the Southwest Section of the USFA that I have set up a mail server so that we can exchange information about upcoming tournaments, gripes, comments, compliments, or whatever. I hope it turns out to be useful. In order to get some limited information about it…Incidentally, I do not intend for this, in any way, to be a replacement for the Fencing Newsgroup that we have been discussing. I just think that it might be handy to have a more limited forum for discussing local things."

Suman Palit had made a point to cross-post his RFDs to rec.org.sca and had included the SCA’s style of fencing in his initial list of fencing related topics his proposed newsgroup would cover. To be sure, there were always some sport fencers who crossed over and fenced both styles. Most of these tended to fence in the rapier or swashbuckling lists that used foils and epees. Fewer crossed to the chivalric or heavy combat format that involved some type of armor and employed rattan swords.

The difference in the two SCA forms was indicative of the medieval to renaissance division that was sometimes noticeable within the organization. Some members, like Robert Lyle, would fence both chivalric and swashbuckling styles at different times. Some chose to specialize. The division was not only among the SCA’s fencers. As members chose personas and pursued their own interests, the differences between those with an interest in the Renaissance and those interested in the High Middle Ages could become pronounced. It was a wide stretch of history to take in.

From time to time, some proposed changing the historical "cut-off" date for SCA events, activities and pursuits from 1600 to 1400, effectively removing the Renaissance. This, of course, would eliminate a number of rapier-based fencing styles and motifs. While hardly an organization wide controversy, it caused some to express concern. One Internet post from mid-1992 read:

"Yet, just a few months back, some people on the Rialto were advocating moving the SCA's cutoff period back from 1600 to 1400 or earlier for the purpose of giving the Society a more early-period flavor (and, specifically, to get rid of fencers).

"However, in the past, I have seen many others on the Rialto citing ‘the need to keep fencers out of the SCA’ as a reason to get rid of Renaissance personas. I also note that I have never heard late-period enthusiasts making similar calls to rid the SCA of early-period persona (not even to get rid of the heavy fighters)."

This provoked the following. "As one of the people making comments about moving the end of period back a little, I am curious about why you think the objective was to get rid of fencers. Can you quote anything anyone actually posted that is evidence of that? I can't remember anything, although that hardly proves it is not there. My arguments, such as they are, have generally had to do with avoiding Renaissance political institutions and just-barely-in-period-maybe foods." Clearly there were concerns and confusion among SCA fencers in some quarters.

Another exchange from the summer of 1992, this time from a martial arts newsgroup, illustrated the difference, in a civil manner, in outlook between sport fencers and SCA fencers. A sport fencer posted, "Here's the thing; I guess I most want to know how training in SCA works. How do you find a reputable coach? How do you know he/she is reputable? Is there a governing board of any kind (and I know that governing boards aren't by any means the best fall back position, given that they are most often political institutions, which in my mind seriously dilutes their effectiveness)? Ok, so I'm basically a fencing snob, because that's where I'm from, and I wonder about whether what SCA folks are doing is really to be considered anything more than good clean fun, for the sake of dressing up and getting together with friends and having a good time."

An SCA fencer responded, "Training is entirely up to the individual, and it can be hard to find a good coach. The best way is to contact the local SCA group, talk to the people who do duello and ask their opinions. Many SCA groups run fight practices, which aren't as regimented (or effective) as seeing a coach, but they are free. The rules for duello vary from place to place."

He added, "What's wrong with good clean fun. Different people in the SCA do it for different reasons. Some just like to socialize, others are interested in medieval history, but some are serious about developing martial skills. I'm not trying to attack fencing. I know several people who participate in fencing and SCA duello and enjoy both. I do think that it is a shame that I've seen fencers watch some SCA duello for about 5 minutes and decide that its not "real" fencing and thus not worth doing. To really understand duello's strengths and weaknesses it deserves more attention than that. I would suggest you try it for a while before dismissing it, you may surprise yourself and like it)."

Apparently a fair number of people did like it, at least around the Gulf Coast region of Texas. The extant SCA groups in this region in 1992 included:

Stargate (Houston);

Bordermarch (Beaumont-Port Arthur-Orange area);

Torre de los Brazos (around Lake Jackson in Brazoria County);

Loch Soillier (Clear Lake area);

Isle of the Golden Pheonix (Cleveland);

Shadowlands (Texas A & M University and the Bryan and College Station area);

Bois D’Argent (Conroe);

Seawinds (Corpus Christi);

Dun Bruadair (a separate group within Houston);

Twr Gath (University of Houston); and,

Raven’s Fort (Huntsville).

The Barony of Stargate in Houston chose their name because of the NASA space center (following the lead of the Astros baseball team and the Astrodome). The name of the Shadowlands, a shire, occurred because it was surrounded by larger baronies such as the Steppes (Dallas), Stargate (Houston), and Bjornsborg (San Antonio). On SCA maps, cities dubbed "baronies" were depicted with the image of two towers and shires with only one. They felt "overshadowed" by all those baronial towers. This same year a satellite group (a canton) was formed on the western edge of Stargate, near Spring, Texas. It was called, aptly enough, Gate’s Edge

These exchanges from newsgroups also illustrate how the Internet was impacting all of the fencing milieus, as fencers from various corners of the world and a variety of styles and forms could instantly converse, argue and attempt to persuade each other. Some chose multiple avenues. Kevin Thompson was, in the early 1990s, a member of the fencing club at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. He was also a member of the school’s archery club and had developed a character with which he was able to acquire employment at various renaissance faires in Texas, including the nearby Texas Renaissance Festival, from 1979 well past the mid-1990s.

On October 7, 1992, Houston’s Society for the Performing Arts sponsored a performance by M. Caux’ long-time friend and mentor Marcel Marceau in Jones Hall. Among the many pieces performed were several which were vehicles for Marceau’s Chaplinesque character, "Bip." Houston Post theatre critic, William Albright gave the show high marks, but took Marceau to task for the inclusion of a piece titled, "Bip Commits Suicide." Albright admitted it was, "an irresistibly merry piece with a happy, life-affirming ending," but thought it, "in highly dubious taste." M. Caux’ widow was in the audience.

It had been a long, tragic series of events and it took a toll on the city’s fencers and performers. Caux had taught fencing and mime for 17 years in Houston. His students, ex-students and colleagues were legion. Theatre productions continued. Fencing tournaments were held. The media continued to review plays, but, save for the UH campus newspaper, there would be no mention of local fencing in Houston’s print media from July of 1991 until nearly Halowe’en of 1992, that was not a part of the Othello-like tragedy.

By October 15^th, the novice U of H fencer Suman Palit was posting on various newsgroups his final call for a vote for or against rec.sport.fencing (this final titled being the result, as he later put it, of "the polite but firm arm-twisting of USENET administrators.") The results would prove that, among those voting, the "ayes" had it.

Meanwhile, there was actual fencing to be done. The University of Houston Fencing Club hosted the Cougar Open, its first tournament of the scholastic year on October 24, 1992 in the Melcher Gym. Participants included competitors from four Southwest Conference Schools: the University of Houston; Rice University; Texas A&M University; and Southern Methodist University. Steve Vern from U of H took first in mixed foil with Steve Lewis and John Kincher, both of Rice, taking second and third, respectively. August Skopik from Houston took first place in mixed epee. John Warren of Rice University came in second and Jim Sheffield of U of H took third place. In mixed sabre, Rob Coke took first place and Chesley Harper took second. Both were from Texas A&M.

The very brief coverage of this event by the Houston Post, which did not run the item until their October 29^th issue, was the first mention of local fencing in the city’s print media for a year and a half which was not coverage of the Claude Caux story…directly. In many ways this was the coda. After listing the placements for each event, there was the notice that the University of Houston Fencing Club would hold the Caux Memorial Tournament on November 21-22.

The November 19, 1992 issue of the Houston Post ran a notice that the University of Houston Fencing Club would host its inaugural "Turkey Schtick" tournament on November 21-22. A hasty new name had been attached to the tournament. Obviously, not all the wounds had healed. Michael Mergens recalled years later, "As for the Caux Memorial, yes, U of H, especially Patrice Caux, balked at the name, so we changed it to the Turkey Schtick. For the other tournament, That was the year we had a A event for epee, and I took sixth for my E."

Also on November 19, Palit posted the results of the voting on his proposed newsgroup. Of 211 votes received, 190 were "for" a rec.sport.fencing newsgroup. Among those who voted "for" was Dana Groff, the USFA and SCA fencer mentioned earlier.

On November 30, 1992, Suman Palit’s project came to life and rec.sport.fencing took its place among the newsgroups, where it remains today. His initial posting was the charter, so little changed from its rough draft.

"Fencing is an ancient and time-honored method of self-defense, and one of the earliest martial-arts, western or oriental. There is an incredible variety of various sword-fighting styles all over the world. Fencing has shaped our language, entertained us, and is part of the martial and literary tradition of virtually every culture and civilization. Keeping all this in mind, we propose the following charter of the newsgroup rec.sport.fencing.

"This newsgroup is dedicated to the discussion and promotion of the study of the fine art of fencing, both in its modern and ancient forms, Oriental and Occidental. To be specific, it is dedicated to the discussion of:

1. History of Fencing and Duelling in the West.
2. History of Oriental fencing styles, kendo, etc…
3. USFA/Olympic Fencing.
4. SCA Fencing.
5. Chinese Swordfighting, kendo, etc., and comparative studies of them with Western fencing styles.
6. Announcement of Tournaments, etc.
7. Influence of fencing/swordfighting in various cultures.
8. Discussion of collectible weapons and accessories."

On the whole, it was not a bad feat (and certainly a long-lived accomplishment) for a beginning fencer, still in his first year with a small, college-based club.

At about this same time, Palit described the University of Houston Fencing Club as, "pretty much a ragtag bunch of beginners with a few experienced fencers keeping things together. There’s a 11 year old kid and a 45 year old schoolteacher who hadn’t fenced since grade school, so there’s a pretty wide range out there…" "I fence foil and epee. Sabre is still non-electric and electric equipment for sabre could set you back $350. Kind of put me off a little. I'd love to learn it though." With a likely reference to Michael Mergens, Palit remarked, "Our coach, to keep interest high, often indulges in unconventional techniques. For example, our normal routine is a 20-min warm-up, 30 min footwork drills, and then double-line drills/free fencing, with/without the box. Sometimes he’ll skip the drills, give personal lessons to those lagging behind, early introduction (very controlled, of course) to electric fencing, lots of history lessons, etc…"

Palit also noted, "If you start learning foil, then a starter kit from most suppliers will cost in the range $90-130. It typically includes a mask, jacket, glove and a French grip non-electric foil. A pair of fencing knickers would cost you an additional $40-50. Personally, I find my $10 baseball knickers an excellent substitute…I fence foil and epee. Sabre is still non-electric and electric equipment for sabre could set you back $350.00. Kind of put me off a little. I'd love to learn it though."

Of course, Palit also observed, "When I used to get on strip, (and even now 'tis the sad case) I often land up looking at the box, at the end of a particularly messy phrase. Quite a few times, I've given up cheap touches, when my opponent blundered at me when my back was TURNED to look at the box. My coach kind of cured me of that habit, though. After a practice bout when I turned my head once too often, he walked up and slammed his foil on my mask with his tip whipping around and catching me on the back of my head (and oh, he likes to flick too.) that completely cured me for a few weeks."

In the midst of all the turmoil of 1992, Houston lost yet another fencing instructor. Al Peters, former prevot at Salle Sebastiani, Rice University’s fencing instructor since 1983, and, briefly, fencing consultant to the Houston Ballet, followed Sebastiani’s path to the Ivy Leagues and accepted a position as an assistant of both the men's and women's fencing programs at Princeton.

The Houston Ballet had lost two fencing consultants in as many years. Chuck Hudson briefly stepped in as fight director for the 1992 production of Romeo and Juliet. He stayed on to teach stage movement at the college and theatrical fencing at the ballet, only to leave in 1993.

He taught fencing for nearly two decades through the theatre department at the University of Houston. His colleagues in this country included Gerard Poujardieu, Michel Sebastiani and Daniel Nevot. An accomplished mime, he was a friend and pupil of Marcel Marceau to whom he, in turn, taught stage combat. He also founded the University of Houston Festival Mime Troup, which continues to this day. The fencers he taught included August Skopik, Richard Alvarez, Michael Mergens, Michael Monks and many others. The performers he taught were legion.

A rare film set in a contemporary salle, it starred Eric Roberts (left). Brett Cullen (right) portrayed fencing coach "Danny Gallagher." Cullen had been a theatre student at the University of Houston in the late 1970s, a student of Claude Caux and, briefly, a competitive fencer. The film, released in 1993 is about fencers, murder and atonement.

Chuck Hudson, a student of Marcel Marceau, took over stage combat and stage movement instruction at the University of Houston after Claude Caux. He also served as fight choreographer for the Houston Ballet. The scene at right is from their production of Romeo and Juliet. He moved on after 1993.

He studied fencing under Claude Caux, Michel Sebastiani and Pierre La Caze, among others. In the 1970s he fenced competitively with the University of Houston club. He attended the American Fencing Institute at Cornell under Jean-Jacques Gillet and taught at Salle Sebastiani. A member of the Society of American Fight Directors, he spent the post-Salle Sebastiani years teaching and performing period combat for film and Renaissance Faires around the country.

(Photo courtesy of Richard Alvarez)

(Left-Right, Standing) Keith Jurgens; Suman Palit; Craig King; and Michael Mergens. (Front row) James Ousley; Anton Montano; and Nicole Dickson. A year later Mergens and Dickson would become founding members of the Clear Lake Fencing Club.

(Photo courtesy of Nicole Trojanowski.)