By Junior Levi Kassinove

In our pursuit of unearthing the hidden skills of our PVS students, we find Levi is a fencer. In fact, he is so enthusiastic about fencing, he’s spear-heading bringing a Fencing Club to campus. See if he entices you with his parrys, attacks, and counterattacks.

A little over a year ago, I didn’t even know that a fencing place existed in the desert. Now, I fence twice a week. Fencing is actually divided into three different weapons, each requiring a different style of sparring. There is the épée, the sabre, and the foil. I fence épée. I will break down each of them, along with the style associated with them and my own personal style. 

Foil

While it is the most commonly used weapon in competitions, it is the least popular weapon at the fencing studio I go to. I should stress that both fencers in sparring must use the same weapon. To score a point in foil fencing (and épée), one must stab their opponent’s torso such that the pressure plate at the tip of the blade is fully depressed. Fencers wear gear complete with a wire that connects to the blade in hand. The wire is retractable in order to allow the fencers free movement. With foil, the torso is the only legal target. Also, to score a point, the fencer must have priority, or right of way, which basically means that they’ve attacked first. If one counterattacks (meaning both fencers attack at the same time), the fencer who first started to attack wins the point. So, the only way for the defender to win a point is to parry and then riposte, or attack. 

Sabre

This is the weapon that my brother, Caleb, and my classmate Gil use. Instead of thrusting and stabbing your opponent, sabre fencers must hit their opponent to score a point. They slash instead of poke. They sword fight instead of joust. In sabre fencing, the entire upper body is the target, including the head. What aren’t parts of the target are the hands, legs, and feet. Instead of a pressure plate attached to the tip of the blade that signifies a scored point, sabre fencers use the entire weapon. They cut across (not literally) their opponents with the long side of the blade, which means that sabre fencers must wear an additional piece of gear called the lamé which goes off if someone gets hit (the lamé is electrified, and when the sabre hits the lamé, the circuit is complete–signifying a point earned). The right of way rule also applies to sabre, so it is the referee’s call as to who gets the point if they have a double touch. 

Épée

This is my personal favorite weapon, and the one I use. Contrary to all the restrictions of foil and sabre, there are barely any rules in épée. The whole body is the target with NO EXCEPTIONS, and there is no right of way. An opponent can counterattack, thus allowing both fencers to score a point if they hit at the same time. As a result, épée fencers are much more cautious in terms of attacking. In a given épée bout, fencers spend most of the time facing each other off and frantically analyzing their opponent. For the other weapons, fencers usually charge at each other as fast as possible because of right of way, but that’s a lot more dangerous in épée because the defender can counter attack and win the point. Parrys, because of the loose rules, are very important in épée fencing to guarantee that you don’t get touched. Disengages are almost as important, which are basically just maneuvers that free your épée from an incoming parry. Usually, a disengage maneuver is in the shape of a circle or semicircle.  

Fencing is a great way to relieve stress, at least for me. It forces you to focus solely on the battle, not leaving any room for thinking about an upcoming test or project. It grounds me in the moment, and it can get pretty hectic. Sometimes someone runs at their opponent with their sword extended, called the flèche attack, which usually results in someone getting hit. Sometimes people cross paths, getting behind each other’s back, which results in people flinging their swords behind their backs to try and win the point. Sometimes swords just snap as well. Overall, fencing is a great sport for people of all ages. My fencing coach’s oldest student is in his 90s! And, we are looking into starting a fencing club at the school. Show your support in the comments!