Csaba Elthes in the 1950's

Csaba Elthes makes it out of Hungary during the 1956 Hungarian revolution, crossing the bridge at Andau. He arrives in the United States of America and is held in detention for 60 days while his release is sorted out. An unsure Csaba Elthes arrives at Salle Santelli, located at the time at 412 Avenue of the Americas. Giorgio Santelli becomes Elthes first employer in the USA.

1956: "I arrived and it was immediately obvious to me that I would not be able to make a living as a lawyer here. I went to several fencing competitions to see if I could contribute in fencing and make a living as a fencing master. I saw Danny Bukantz and Alby Axelfrod in foil and knew I could not better them, they were already fencing foil at the highest level, but I saw real opportunities in saber and epee and knew that would be my living."

Blum, Robert: Fencer, Attorney at law, and attorney to both Giorgio Santelli and Csaba Elthes.

1956: ". . . while Csaba had no peers as a fencing master, he sat at Giorgio's feet and worshipped him as a human being. For when Csaba came to the United States in January or February, having made it out of Hungary across the bridge at Andau during the 1956 revolution, he was held in detention for about 60 days before his release could be obtained. And guess who his first employer was in the Untied States? Giorgio, of course! In 1956, the strange, unsure-of-himself Magyar appeared one night in the then salle d'armes (by then 412 Avenue of the Americas -- a lease which I as lawyer had negotiated for Giorgio in 1954 or 1955); and Giorgio said, "Fence with him. He is very good."

Observations: "While both stressed balance and footwork as critical, Csaba's competitive game was far more subtle and two-directional than Giorgio's." "Csaba, however, believed in balance-forward, balance-back, "grip the strip with your knees, Mr. Sir, and watch your opponent"; slow feints into open spaces, avoid the opponent's blade, never balestre, and -- only when you had control over the space and time, move "slow-fast-fast!" "with Csaba, the sabre was held, wrist slightly broken, at a 45-degree angle across the adversary's body", "with Csaba, when one delivered the cut, his hand should always be waist-high, whatever the target. Distance to the target, for Csaba, was controlled as much by leaning the upper body toward the opponent at the last split-second, as by use of the feet."

" Both were intellectuals -- as comfortable in verbal debate as in competition on the fencing strip. Csaba delighted in political and social controversy, and played fine chess. He was by training a lawyer."

Csaba's lessons: Csaba's lessons sought more than perfection of balance and movement; and the exhilaration of the pupil was never one of his objects. Rather, he persistently challenged his pupils to move beyond what they deemed perfect, into new worlds of space-and-distance control -- into mastery of some new way of scoring touches. He would begin a lesson with very basic stuff -- a retreat (for example) with what he called "double-one-double" -- a double-cut to the head with the last inch of the blade, followed by a chest-cut and a double-remise to the flank -- done while retreating. All of this was to measure the pupil's blade- and hand- and distance-control. And when four or five such relatively simple exercises satisfied him that the pupil was balanced, relaxed and alert, the more complex passages of arms started. And in these, no commands were given to the pupil other than, perhaps, "advance!" From that point onward, Csaba gave the cues -- perhaps offering his chest or his wrist, perhaps stop-cutting into the advance, perhaps a feint-in-tempo, perhaps a retreat, perhaps a beat-cut -- leaving it to the pupil to adjust his arm, his blade, his distance, his defense and his speed to what was suddenly being presented. Every lesson was not only physically demanding; but every lesson was chess, unfolding, testing your training, your awareness, your instinct, your mental stamina! And if the pupil was discouraged at the lessons end, well and good: he must deliver six more perfect fleche attacks to whatever target Csaba chose to show.

Shaw, Andy: Andy Shaw is the official historian of the USFA and owner/maestro of the Fairfield Avenue

School of Fencing in Shreveport, Louisana. Link to Andy's Bio here.

1958: 8 year old Andy is introduced to Maestro Elthes by Olympic Fencer (and neighbor) Edward Vebel. Maestro Csaba is teaching at the Salle Santelli at the time and young Andy showed enough promise that Maestro Csaba agrees to take the young boy on as a regular student. Andy trains w/ him until 1964 when Elthes moves to the NY Fencers Club. At this point, 14 year old Andy joins the Santelli Fencing team and trains directly with Giorgio Santelli.

This photo is of 8 yr. old Andy Shaw w/older brother Ted (age 13) and Maestro Csaba in 1958. The Maestro is 47 at this time. Click on photo to see larger.