SWORDPLAY MAKES A POINT FOR YOUNGSTERS

Two opponents face each other, tense, anticipating the moment when they will be locked in combat. Suddenly, they raise their swords, and the clash of steel on steel reverberates as they engage in a vigorous bout of swordplay.

Sound like a scene from "Pirates of the Caribbean" or "Robin Hood," right? Wrong.

Instead, this is happening at the Arthur M. Glick Jewish Community Center, where lessons and training sessions often occur in preparation for competitions in Indianapolis and around the world.

In the modern sport of fencing, people compete to become better athletes, not kill or harm each other. Today, fencers wear electronic sensors that automatically record points when one opponent touches another with a weapon.

During a recent Saturday tournament in Fishers, fencing enthusiasts Cat Bouwkamp, 10; Jenna El-Amin, 15; Tony Schlehuber, 16; Sam Hine, 13; and Emerson Woerner, 14, spoke about their sport. The group, all Indysabre Fencing Club members, are from Carmel, Indianapolis and Greenwood.

As the name implies, Indysabre members use the sabre, which is the French spelling of that type of sword. The typical sport sabre weighs about a pound. Other fencing weapons include the foil and the epee.

Fencing traces back to about 1190 B.C. in ancient Egypt. It also was a method of fighting in other ancient civilizations, including Greece and Rome and is most commonly associated with the Middle Ages.

Fencing appeared in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The most popular type of competitive fencing today is Olympic fencing, which is regulated by the International Fencing Federation, based in Switzerland.

Val Kizik coaches several of the fencing students we interviewed. He started fencing at age 9 in his native Ukraine, before winning several awards and becoming a Master of Sport in Fencing in 1980. He has been a coach for more than 20 years.

Kizik and other Indysabre instructors teach group and individual lessons, plus offer clinics, workshops, after-school programs and fencing camps for all skill levels and ages, from kindergarten to adult.

"To be a good fencer, first of all you have to be a courageous person, a person who is not afraid to take risks," said Kizik. "Speed, agility and the ability to think on your feet are very important roles."

Indysabre holds six local tournaments yearly in the Indianapolis area. One goal is to make fencing a more popular sport in the region, Kizik said.

Safety is important. Fencers wear jackets; underarm protectors, which are called plastrons; gloves; breeches, which are a pair of trousers; knee-length socks to cover the rest of the leg; masks; and plastic chest protectors, which are mandatory for female fencers. Chest protectors for males are optional but are becoming increasingly popular. Sabres are dulled in order to reduce the risk of injury.

Equipment frequently is provided for those enrolled in beginning classes, but as students advance, they often purchase their own supplies. Some of the equipment available for purchase via Indysabre include: electric mask, $125; electric sabre, $85; jacket, $60; glove, $15; knickers, $50; body cord, $20; and mask cord, $10.

Fencers compete for points. One point is scored when a sword hits a target area. The target areas vary for different types of weapons, but the target area for sabre fencing is anywhere from the waist up, excluding the hands.

In a sabre bout, a hit below the waist is invalid and does not register on the scoring machine. Fencers compete on 6-by-44-foot mats called strips. Leaving the mat results in a penalty.

During a competition, the fencers face each other in preliminary rounds, with bouts going to 5 points. Later, fencers compete in direct-elimination rounds, which eventually determine the winner of a tournament. These bouts go to 15 points.

Local kids said they discovered fencing through a variety of avenues. Sam and Emerson saw fencers in pop culture.

"I saw 'Lord of the Rings,' and I really wanted to swordfight," Sam said. Emerson, on the other hand, was hooked when he read about fencing in a sports book.

Others got a taste at clubs and camps and wanted more.

"I was introduced at summer camp, actually. I fenced there and liked it so much, when I came back I looked around into finding something," Tony said.

Jenna's parents told her she had to get involved in a sport, and she picked fencing, because she'd tried it once and was interested.

All of the young fencers enjoy the sport and cited a variety of reasons.

Some said that the sport is a positive way to express feelings of anger and stress.

"Fencing teaches people how to control their emotions, not to become violent," Kizik said.

"After a day of school, I might be really angry at someone . . . and fencing is an easy way to let out stress and have fun doing it," Tony said.

Cat added: "You get to just let yourself go."

The young fencers also like that they get to use their minds in fencing, not just their bodies. Some fencers say it is like physical chess.

"It's mostly a mental game; it's not just physical," Sam said. "You have to think about what you're going to do and what your opponent is doing."

It requires careful, split-second analysis of your opponent and a guess about his or her moves, a strong strategy, quick thinking and intense focus, fencers said.

Sam listed a few of the intellectual challenges: "Being able to concentrate on five bajillion things at once, where you are, where your opponent is, where your opponent's weight is and then having to figure out what you're going to do and do it."

For Emerson, the challenge is in determining a sound strategy. Jenna struggles to adjust to the different fencing styles.

"(Other fencers) might come from a whole different country, and they have this crazy fencing style you've never seen before," she said.

Tony found the toughest part of the sport to be its stop-and-go nature. For Cat, it was accepting the referees' calls, even when they seemed unfair.

Fencing is a serious sport that requires time and dedication. Most of these teens dedicate about eight hours a week to the sport.

Kizik recommends even greater time commitments of 15 to 20 hours a week in order for fencers to excel. But, he says, "It's not always enough."

If kids are truly committed, they can find the time to practice, he said.

"A lot of the kids disappear after they realize that they have to work," he said.

For a few of the fencers, this commitment can interfere with school.

Indysabre fencers have gone to camps and tournaments in places such as Atlanta, New York City, and even Odessa, Ukraine.

"Tournaments will start on the weekend, and I'll need to fly out there, so I'll miss like Friday at school or a Monday as I'm flying back," Tony said.

During a recent Indianapolis tournament, Emerson and Tony tied for third place in their event, Sam took eighth, and Jenna placed 13th. Cat competed in a different event and placed fifth.

Fencing has helped the young people make positive changes in various aspects of their lives. The students said they've learned discipline, organizational skills, and are in better physical condition.

"I used to be chubby, and I was not athletic at all," said Sam. "I just played (with a) computer all day. So, now I do better in gym class, and I can play basketball outside better and do other sports better."

Fencing isn't as well-known as other sports, but there are similarities.

"Fencing is a contact sport because you're using your blades to hit someone else or hit their blade," Sam said. "It's just as much a contact sport as football.

And just like football, injuries sometimes occur.

"I got stabbed in the neck one time," said Jenna. "I'm OK, obviously, but it was sudden, and my mom came, and I didn't even realize until she said, 'I'm so glad you're not dead.' "

The cut was cleaned and bandaged, and Jenna didn't have to go to the hospital, but she does have a battle scar to remember the incident.

Such incidents are rare: None of the other young fencers interviewed has been injured. As for the future, many of the teens plan on continuing in fencing in some capacity.

"To go to the Olympic fencing . . . would be a major goal for me," said Sam, who is also exploring a career as a fencing instructor. A shorter-term goal for Sam, though, is to take part in college fencing.

"I learned that most colleges have to spread their scholarships around, so the more scholarships they put up for basketball and football, they have to give some for fencing, too," he said.

So what about those looking to get involved in the sport?

These fencers have advice for beginners: Practice perseverance and dedication. You can't become a professional overnight.

"Stick with it," Tony said. "If you hold on and wait long enough, you finally figure out what you're doing, and it's a lot more fun."

Be bold and don't be afraid to get hit, added Sam.

And a final suggestion from Tony: "Fencing's a great sport; just try it out."

REPORTERS: Alexander Waddell, 11; Afton Waddell, 13; Becky Mangan, 11.

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There are opportunities for all ages to learn fencing

The Indysabre Fencing Club and the Indianapolis Fencing Club (in association with Alexander Fencing Academy) offer lessons and camps for fencing enthusiasts of all ages.

Indysabre offers group lessons at the Arthur M. Glick Jewish Community Center, 6701 Hoover Road, and other recreational locations citywide. Its summer camps are offered at various locations through Aug. 18. At the JCC, a beginning fencing class meets for two, one-hour sessions a week. The cost is $100 a month, and all equipment is provided.

The summer camps range from $200 to $325 a week, depending on student skill level.

For more information or to register, call (317) 374-0524, or visit www.indysabre.us.

The Alexander Fencing Academy offers classes at 6002 Sunnyside Road. Classes are offered at various times. All equipment is provided for the beginning classes.

Costs vary, depending upon instructor, but are typically $60 for four sessions. The center is open for classes and recreational fencing from 7 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

Visitors are welcome to drop in during that period, but should call first.

The academy's summer camps cost $250 a week. For more information or to register for a class, call (317) 626-5683 or visit www.alexandersfencing.com.

 

Copyright 2006 Y-Press