Ludus Fencing Studio Features Blind Fencing at Saturnalia Games

Our Inclusion Partner, Ludus Fencing Studio, continues to develop their inclusive environment!

LUDUS FENCING STUDIO is proud to promote the development of Blind Fencing in the Greater Rochester region. In a bold, innovative – and inclusive! – move, Ludus Fencing Studio hosted their Annual Saturnalia Fencing Tournament in December and the event included two Rochester blind athletes who competed in the epee portion of the tournament against fencers who are not blind but wore blindfolds to compete.

Ludus Fencing Studio is an Inclusion Partner with Rochester Accessible Adventures and has continued to develop and promote inclusive stand-up and wheelchair fencing instruction. Ensuring athletes have a continuum from practice to competition is key to sports development, and Ludus’ owner/coach, Semion Kiriakidi, is committed to finding ways to make this happen in an inclusive manner.

“I’ve been working with two students who are blind or have low-vision at our studio, and it only makes sense to provide equitable access to tournament play,” says Kiriakidi. “While there are not yet very many fencing programs that are training blind fencers, I wanted to find a way to have our own tournament be more inclusive. I don’t know if this has ever happened at other tournaments, but this is the right timing for us to do it.”

Every December, Ludus Fencing Studio hosts an unofficial fun team tournament named The Saturnalia Games. It is a three weapon tournament. Team foil event was held on 12/21, team sabre and team epee on 12/22. This time, by an agreement with the participating epee teams, the two Ludus epee teams will have a blind fencer each, so blind fencing will be a part of the event. Every fencer on the opposing teams used a blindfold (goggles, provided) when fencing a blind fencer.

“Semion and Ludus Fencing Studio are creating something very exciting!” says Rochester Accessible Adventures’ Executive Director, Anita O’Brien. “When inclusion of people with disabilities becomes part of everyday business — and competition — we truly have the opportunity to level the playing field!

We are grateful to the reporters and photographers who contacted us about the tournament and who shared information with the community prior to and afterwards, so that we can continue to spread the word and extend the invitation to people with and without disabilities to take a stab at fencing!

Special thanks to:

WXXI, Beth Adams, on air Friday and Saturday prior to the Games.

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