Place of origin: Republic of Moldova
Ethnic identity: Romanian
Favorite food: pork with red wine sauce
Favorite reading genre: English humor
Favorite musical group: Led Zeppelin
Pastimes: fencing, Tai Chi, walking
Favorite place to be: 'Place is not important - people matter'.
Favorite spot in NL: Groningen
Best part about living in NL: to being able to choose freely how he spends his time
Worst part about living in NL: 'lack of sun'
Dorin Saban may have come to the Universiteit Twente as a PhD candidate on a Universal Mobile Telephone System project in the Stochastic Operational Research group of the Math department, but his academic responsibilities do not keep him from participating in a UT sports society. A fencing aficionado, he joined UT's DSV Gascogne shortly after his arrival in August 2000.
While studying Theoretical Physics at Moscow State Engineering and Physics Institute Technical University, Dorin practiced kendo, a classical Japanese sword art. Furthermore, he has always enjoyed watching fencing competitions on television. Joining the UT's fencing club was a natural fit. But he soon discovered that kendo differs greatly from European fencing to the extent that Dorin had to relearn nearly every attack. For the first month he had some difficulty finding willing partners because of his aggressive technique. In kendo he had learned to use hard hits versus the more controlled contact demonstrated in European fencing. A few bruised partners and broken foils later, Dorin could parry with his peers.
Fencing is not a casual sport; it requires discipline and complicated strategy. Technique is essential. To the untrained eye, two fencers appear to be nonchalantly parrying back and forth, but in truth each is deliberately preparing the moment of attack. Dorin likens the offensive lunges to 'a series of explosions in a very short time.' Physical conditioning and agility are important, but most of the work is done in the head. In fact, the sport has been described as 'chess with muscles.'
'DSV Gascogne is a member of the Royal Dutch Fencing Association (KNAS),' explains Jaap Brand, club chairman. 'Members can, and do, participate in both national and international tournaments about once a month. The level of competition varies from beginner to international, so members can find tournaments for which their fencing skills are sufficient. Besides these tournaments there is also a student league where the different Dutch student fencing clubs battle each other a couple times a year for the fun of it.'
Dorin does not speak Dutch fluently, but this poses few obstacles in fencing. As an individual sport played within a group, it caters to international students who have yet to learn Dutch. DSV Gascogne has a number of foreign members, often hailing from countries like Germany, Italy, or Hungary where fencing is far more popular than in the Netherlands. Jaap Brand is pleased with the contributions that international participants make to DSV Gascogne: 'Our foreign members bring a lot of enthusiasm for fencing and occasionally some excellent fencing skills and experience to the society. This inspires the Dutch members and motivates them to train hard. You can often hear three or four different languages in the fencing hall which gives a very special atmosphere.'
There are about twenty regular participants, comprised primarily of graduate students and a few loyal faculty members. 'Gascogne is for people who have too much energy,' Dorin jokes. 'It offers good company; it's a great way to meet people.' He adds that fencing offers a way to relax and forget the pressures associated with academic life.
The group meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 17:30 to 19:30. A teacher is on hand to instruct small groups organized according to their level and weapon (i.e. saber, foil, or epÚe). There is a nominal membership fee. Equipment is available through the club.
On Thursday, January 31 a new introduction course of six free lessons will start. Contact Jaap Brand at [email protected] for more information.
Kristin Zimmerman
Dorin Saban
