Fourteen meters is all you get. When facing your opponent, sword in hand, your combat area is only the length of a semi-trailer truck with no castle walls, theater balconies, or chandeliers for you to swing from. Perhaps a bit cramped compared to a football pitch or tennis court, an Englishman and Scot at Stirling Bridge or Persian and Armenian at Avarayr would have relished 14 meters between themselves at the height of the battle to wield unencumbered swords.
When teaching, I have often likened the continuous action between two fencers of parry, riposte, counter-parry, and riposte as a conversation in steel: what matters is who gets the last word. Fencers can develop strong mental skills like concentration, focus, determination, analytical thinking, goal-setting, and the ability to remain calm and composed under pressure. Physically, fencing is a very well-rounded sport that develops quickness, flexibility, coordination, strength, and cardiovascular conditioning. Because the sport requires a fair amount of physical exertion, fencing is a great way to improve general fitness.
Fencers often refer to their sport as physical chess. As a fencer, you need to continually plan moves and counter-moves, anticipate your opponents' moves, induce them to make the moves you want them to, and adjust to changing circumstances at a fast pace — just like chess. Simply stated, you observe your opponent and develop a strategy to use their habits and quirks against them.
But chess is only part of the analogy. Really, fencing is one-part chess and one-part poker. Fencing is just as much about the element of surprise as it is strategy. The "battlefield" is where you combine physical and psychological warfare in much the same way your ancestors did when facing each other in combat. In fencing, the goal is to get into your opponent's head: make your opponent do what you want them to do.
There's a benefit of being on the receiving end of those head games too. A unique aspect of fencing is learning ‘grace under pressure.' To execute your actions you have to tame your adrenaline and organize your thoughts to think clearly. One of the biggest benefits of fencing is that it teaches resilience, which is very important for kids to learn today. You can face hits mentally and physically. You can be utterly devastated by a loss, and sooner or later you'll have to fence that person again.
Kids who stick with the sport gain the ability to read others' body language. They also learn how to remain calm under stressful situations and to continue to strategize even if they are outmatched or made mistakes. They are able to grow from the loss and only get better. The thought that goes into each bout and the athleticism that goes into putting a plan into action creates a unique balance of mind and body.
Fencing is really more than just a sport – it’s a passion! Why do we love it so much? Here are 15 serious reasons to love fencing:
The rich history of fencing is something that is a wonderful draw to the sport. Swordfighting has been around for thousands of years and the actual art that we practice dates back to 13th Century. We love that we’re a part of something that is not only old but is also constantly changing and renewing itself. For fencers, we are energized by the fact that we are continuing this tradition and that someday people will look back on the history of our own era and that we’ll be a part of that history of this sport.
Let’s just be real about it – fencing uniforms look cool. They do! While outward appearance isn’t the most important thing, it does affect us all on some level. The jacket, the mask, they make us feel like a fencer when we slip them on. There is just something magical about them, ask any fencer!
Speaking of gear, let’s talk about the swords. Whatever your weapon is – sabre, epee, foil – you’re holding an actual sword. Who gets to do that? Fencers and ninjas maybe? It’s incredible! It’s fun! It’s cool! And we develop a relationship with our weapons. They are a part of us. When you spend so many hours training it’s just something that happens. They grow to be an extension of our arm, a part of who we are.
Stepping onto the strip is always exciting. There is a rush of energy that comes from getting up and into a bout. Just stepping into the stance is energizing and puts us into that ultra sharp mindset that we all love being in.
Yes, we love competition! It has little to do with winning – so much more to do with challenging ourselves to be better people. We love that we’re faced with new opponents and that we learn new things. We also love that we get to travel and meet new people, to see how they fight and how we’re different, not to mention to discover how we’re alike.
We sweat together. We fight together. We grow together. Both at the club and on the road. It’s hard to overstate the bond that fencers form with their training group, friendships that last for years – for a lifetime! The intensity of fighting brings out the deepest part of us, and we then share it with each other during our intense training. We push each other to get better.
Coaches believe in us, even when we don’t believe in ourselves. They see our potential and nurture us. They call us out when we’re not giving our best. The guides of our lives on the strip, coaches teach us so much more than just technique – they teach us life skills and discipline. There is no way to thank them enough!
Opponents push us to get better, so we love them! That look of ferocity which is followed by a handshake and well wish is exceptional. We love our opponents for making us stronger and for allowing us to challenge our skill. We love them when they win because the spirit of sportsmanship shows us that we can take joy in their victory, only to go home and practice harder.
Any fencer who trains regularly will tell you that they love their club. Good clubs are like a family – they support everyone who steps through the door and work to help everyone succeed.
Fencing helps us to see our potential. Kids can see that they’re capable of great things. And yes, every fencer at some point dreams of Olympic glory or of becoming a knight. Even if those dreams don’t ever come true, there is tremendous value in them.
A fencing bout is a beautiful thing. The form that the bodies take in their stances. The sounds of the match, with clashing of metal and the shuffle of feet. The simplicity of it all – with everything stripped away to just two people, looking at each other and focused on a goal.
For a fencer who is in the moment, particularly during competition, the intensity of the bout is almost unmatched. Adrenaline flows, the mind becomes focused and the body responds. Even when fencing at the club there is a serious level of intensity with the mind and body focused on one goal.
Fencing doesn’t just teach us skills for the strip – it teaches us skills for life! Fencers learn physical fitness and mental resilience. How to support one another and how to be happy for an opponent. How to get knocked down but then to get back up again. These things translate into life and help fencers to be successful when times are tough and to persevere.
Let’s just be honest – there’s a warm feeling that we get from all of this. Fencing makes us happy, and that’s a reason to love it. We can break that happiness down into pieces and parts, but sometimes it’s nice not to analyze it and just to simmer in it.
Fencing builds confidence. For a child, handing them a sword (even a not sharp sword!) is giving them the trust of an adult, and they know that we believe in them. When you think about it, that’s a huge responsibility! Building confidence is one of the things that is best about the sport of fencing, and really everything else that we love about the sport comes together in this one piece.
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