In 2011 our Academy, founded in 1878, felt the need to enter the social sphere, with special Project
«Fencing Without Limits».
In 2011, after 133 years of activity, glory, prestige, victories and success, the Accademia d'Armi Musumeci Greco felt the need to give, instead of receive only, by approaching another sports area, the one which is related to disability, by working so hard in order to spice up the sports coexistence, in fencing discipline, between able-bodied and disabled.
From that moment on, the Academy has made every effort to strengthen its 360° diligence in fencing, from agonists to amateurs, from kids to elders, from theatre to cinema, musical, opera, historical re-enactments, fencing-entertainment events, and, above all, dedication to the social sphere. For all these reasons, and also thanks to "Terzo Pilastro - Internazionale" Foundation's support, as well as its President Emmanuele F. M. Emanuele's sensitivity, in 2011 the special project "Fencing Without Limits" was born, which is reserved to athletes with disabilities, in a wheelchair, with Down Syndrome, in the autistic spectre and so on, from 5 years onward, no age limit. Since the beginning, this initiative has gained a huge success, growing up year after year, until it culminated in the participation of an athlete of ours to 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and 2017 World Championship, and in the qualification (in three categories: Men's Épée, team & individual and Men's Sabre) of another athlete of ours in 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, athlete who placed 6th in Men's Individual Sabre category.
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Thanks to Terzo Pilastro - Internazionale Foundation, our Academy is also in collaboration with Orthopedic Trauma Center (CTO), Ostia Paraplegic Center, the non-profit organization "Amici di Simone", Agricultural Technical Institute "Emilio Sereni" and many other organizations/foundations. We have more than 100 kids who train, sword in hand, under the guidance of our teachers, everyone with great satisfaction, while getting great benefits in terms of inclusion, body coordination and mobility.
Because of the experience we gained in the previous years, we noticed that these benefits are huge, given that all athletes show a great sympathy between themselves, and also a remarkable inclination to integration. However, we must highlight that we saw, and keep on seeing, these benefits very clearly also because of the able-bodied participation: they work admirably by making themselves always available for the less fortunate, helping them both on their sports path and "life path". About the sports one, they actively take part in training, by sitting in front of athletes in a wheelchair, while gaining technical benefits for themselves, too; as to the life path, instead, we noticed a great variety of assistance and aid in every moment of the training session, from changing in the locker room to the most various needs.
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However, the dedication our Academy lavishes in order to expand the "Fencing Without Limits" project doesn't stop here: as regards the promotion area, we arranged very significant moments with our many editions of "A Fil di Spada" ("By the Edge of the Sword"), all happened in Rome's most beautiful squares, which has just seen as event protagonists our disabled athletes, as well as numerous other events. Every year we announce a number of "Open Days" in order to spread as far as possible the voice of our project, and to raise awareness in potential members or foundations/organizations. In 2018, during one of these special days, we introduced, for the first time in Italy, the usage of electric plastic sword as well as the respective piste, equipped with light-signalling. This caused a great enthusiasm between our disabled athletes, both autistic and affected with Down's syndrome. The success was huge, so much so that our members are growing, and we also received requests of fencing classes from other schools.
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In addition, in 2017 our initiative "FENCING & CULTURE" was born, and that's an absolute novelty in the social sphere. This consists in taking our disabled athletes to visit some of the most beautiful museums in Rome, in order to make them appreciate Arts and Culture, besides the discipline of fencing. After every visit, to highlight how Arts and Sport must be available to everyone, the students perform fencing assaults on strips positioned inside historical and artistic settings, just like the sixteenth-century courtyard of Palazzo Altemps or Michelangelo's cloister in Terme di Diocleziano's Museum. Accompanying the kids to the discovery of these secured masterpieces, there are the operators of Educational Service of Museo Nazionale Romano, specifically trained in order to host and work with guests with physical and mental disabilities.
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The purpose of this initiative is to promote and encourage inclusion; improve body and emotion control skills, body coordination, alertness, the ability of responding in unexpected situations. It also promotes values such as loyalty, competition without bullying, willingness to help your mates who aren't completely autonomous: these are all essential necessary principles, in order to fight bullying. Lastly, this initiative also promotes the values of Arts and Culture, other than sports, as basic elements for everyone's development.
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"Fencing & Culture" is an initiative intent on promoting especially an essential idea: Sports, just like Culture, has no limits, and it can -no, it must be truly accessible to all. Integration is another basic concept, and we sincerely hope that our members sense it, by feeling 100% involved in our events' sports and cultural activities. Sure enough, Sports and Culture are both synonymous of the will to extend one's perspectives, and the constant search to overcome their own limits, both physical and mental.
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The first "Fencing & Culture" appointment happened at Palazzo Altemps, in Rome, with the extraordinary partecipation of italian actor Carlo Verdone, who's also our "Fencing Without Limits" Ambassador. That event consisted of a museum tour and a fencing performance inside the beautiful courtyard of the palace, too. The second appointment was in Terme di Diocleziano's Museum, where over 100 kids proved their fencing skills in the inner four-sided portico and visited the museum with great interest; this second appointment was distinguished by the presence of trap singer Gemello. Furthermore, both these two days were conducted in the presence of the bigger daily newspapers and tv networks. The third stage of the initiative, initially planned for March 25th, 2020, at Palazzo Massimo alle Terme's museum, but cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic, was finally done in may 2023, with a special guest star, Italian actor Alessio Boni. On the occasione, Boni was named "Project Ambassador" of "Fencing Without Limits" (after Carlo Verdone) and honored with a plaque. The kids made a tour of the beautiful museum and had fun with fencing assaults in a special area prepared on the first floor of the palace.