Defense drives bond

One of America’s most popular sports, fencing is not. In fact,

fencing has endured a precipitous slide in popularity since the

1940s.

At that time, nearly everyone fenced. It was popular worldwide

too, counting itself as one of the original five Olympic sports.

But today, team sports such as basketball, baseball, and football

dominate the scene.

Fencing has been relegated to an obscure corner of the sporting

world, where the satiation of a childhood science-fiction fantasy is

often the only draw to neophytes.

Nevertheless, there are enough enthusiasts out there to fill

several fencing classes put on Saturdays at the West Newport

Community Center by the City of Newport Beach.

Ask kids why they signed up for the beginner class, and the words

“Star Wars” and “light saber” are likely to be some of the first

words out of their mouths.

Even the adults often sign up to indulge long-nagging desires.

“Ever since I was a kid watching Errol Flynn movies and ‘The Three

Musketeers,’ I’ve always had [fencing] in the back of my head,” Long

Beach resident and recent class enrollee Mike Day said.

Costa Mesa resident Jeff Mathews harked back to his childhood days

of playing Dungeons and Dragons and other role-playing games when he

first signed up for the class.

“I had wanted to take it for 10 years,” he said.

But this course exposes students to a harsh reality quickly --

fencing is not like the sword-fighting portrayed in the entertainment

industry.

“It’s not what you see in movies,” Costa Mesa resident and course

instructor Richmond West said. “There are very rigid rules. Very few

movies have ever captured the essence of fencing.”

But the students don’t quit. Rather, they are introduced to a

sport that is surprisingly easy to love.

“Once you’re hooked, you’re hooked,” Fullerton resident and

assistant instructor Paul Rosse said.

Day fell in love with the sport right from the start. His car now

boasts an “I love fencing” bumper sticker on the rear window.

“He just keeps coming back,” Rosse said.

Day has found that there are elements to the sport that make it

special to him.

“It’s the discipline, the exercise, the one-on-one competition,

and doing what people used to do to the death,” he said.

Mathews also found the historical aspects appealing.

“It carries the spirit of the old style of self defense,” he said.

“It’s very enjoyable.”

But fencing is more than just a history lesson. To succeed,

students must understand the greatly advanced strategic principles

that drive the combat.

“It’s physical chess,” West said. “We’re trying to get them into

mixing up their patterns.”

The teachers appear to be doing a good job of conveying this

concept of mental and physical aspects working together. Even the

kids who have just taken up the sport have sought to learn the

strategy.

“It’s not like you’re just aiming for someone’s head,” Newport

Beach resident Eric Shurter said. He and his brother Adam are

enrolled in the youth beginner class.

“It’s like a board game,” Adam added. “You can’t just poke people

in one place.”

The sport is still a niche activity, but this can lead to strong

bonds between fellow classmates and competitors. They all share a

common bond of having found this underrated little sport that brings

people together more than pitting them against one another.

West said camaraderie has developed between fencers because the

sport is civilized -- even though they’re going at each other with

weapons.

“We’re always saluting each other and always shaking hands,” West

said. “Friendships definitely do build up.”

Day, perhaps more than anyone else, senses this bond of mutual

respect that goes deeper than plain sportsmanship.

“The saluting makes me shiver,” he said.