Down in Room 1211 in Carmichael Gymnasium, N.C. State’s fencing club is going through its motions. Practicing twice a week, on Monday and Wednesday nights, the team starts off with some running and stretching.
Then the sword-play starts. But don’t be fooled. Fencing is much more than just a little sword fighting.
“A lot of people who show up in the beginning, once they realize it’s not just, ‘Oh my God, sword-fighting,’ they stop coming,” said Jess Lunsford, a junior in microbiology. “You do have to hone some skills. A lot of people on their first try quit because we’re running drills and working on our footwork and not even picking up weapons.”
Club Vice President Abby Esterly, a sophomore in history, said having no experience is not a reason to avoid trying.
“If you have no experience, we’ll teach you,” Esterly said. “It starts with footwork and legwork. We like to get people to hold a blade by at least their second night. At least get it in front of a mirror and get used to it. We have a lot of fun in here. When you come in, we’ll teach you all the basics. As you advance, you’ll form your own style.”
President Chris Moncsko, a sophomore in aerospace engineering, leads the club. Esterly is the vice president. Moncsko doubles as the sabre coach; Michael Glapion, a junior in criminology, is the epee coach, and Isaac Smith, a junior in biomedical engineering, is the foil coach.
Foil, epee and sabre are the different blades used.
The foil is narrow and smaller, Esterly said, and it has a smaller bell guard. The bell guard is the hand guard just above the handle of the blade. The sabre has a flat blade and knuckle guard. It’s used for cutting and thrusting actions.
“Epee and foil are both stabbing weapons,” Esterly said. “The only way you can get points is if you stab with those two. The target area for the foil is the entire torso. For the epee, the entire body is the target. You can hit anything and score points.”
For newcomers, Esterly said the first night will start with footwork drills.
“A member with experience will show you how to advance, retreat and get in your en garde,” Esterly said. “After that, you move to lunges. Once you get those, you can hold a blade. You have to get those under control first, but we try to get a blade in your hands by the second night.”
Smith said some kind of dedication to learning the intricacies of the sport is necessary.
“There has to be a willingness to put some effort into it,” Smith said. “A lot of the groundwork becomes instinctive once you spend enough time on it. We do these drills to develop a strong basis.”
Lunsford said fencing is not as aggressive as it looks.
“It’s very calculated, and it’s as much an intellectual sport as it is a physical sport,” she said. “It’s a lot like choreography. You train yourself to do certain things over and over, and when you’re in a bouting situation, it comes more naturally.”
Lunsford said the hardest part about fencing is not getting aggravated.
“You really do need to keep a cool head,” she said. “If you’re facing a more experienced fencer, it’s really easy to get frustrated if the other person keeps getting points on you. The more flustered you get, the less you perform. It takes a lot of self control.”
When it comes time to compete, the club goes to tournaments.
Smith said the Raleigh Fencing Club hosts a lot of tournaments in which the Wolfpack club takes part.
“We go out of state, too,” he said. “[Three weeks] ago, we went to Pennsylvania. There was a big tournament at Temple. That’s generally where the season begins.”
Lunsford said tournaments can be a very interesting experience for newcomers to the sport.
“Tournaments are interesting because you’ve been fencing the same people in the club,” she said. “You know all of their tricks and how they attack. Then you go to a tournament and you’re fencing someone you don’t know. You don’t know their tricks and attacks. You learn a lot at tournaments, though, and you pick up tricks of your own.”
Lunsford said fencing is relatively easy to pick up, but some patience is required.
“You won’t be good at it immediately, but there’s a steep learning curve,” she said. “For the first month, I was kind of running around, flailing like a chicken with its head cut off, but after the second month, things just kind of slide into place. You get your head right and you realize, ‘Oh, this is how it works.'”
Esterly said students interested in joining the club can stop by Room 1211 in Carmichael Gymnasium when the team is practicing.
“It’s very casual,” she said. “Just walk in and say hello. All you have to do is pay $20 dues per semester and you’re in.”