Fencing team readies itself to a sharp point

By Bruce Tran
Daily Bruin Contributor

The western half of the room seems almost like a dance class.
The walls are mirrors and six students wait anxiously in a straight
line for instructions.

“Advance, advance, parry, retreat!” the
choreographer shouts in rhythmic beat, and the six individuals
obey.

Those are the beginners.

The other half of the room is anything but a beautiful ballet.
The clash and clang of swords and the occasional swish pierce the
room in disruptive and discordant bursts. The students emerge from
behind their masks, red-faced and sweating profusely, gasping for
air.

These two starkly different sides are actually one and the same
““ they are UCLA fencers, vigorously preparing for the 2001
UCLA Fencing Tournament to be held on Nov. 18 at the Wooden Center,
back after a one-year hiatus.

“The tournament is a wonderful opportunity for the
beginners,” second-year coach Greg Schiller said. “But
it’s an opportunity for everyone. Hosting a tournament here
gives UCLA students a chance to see what fencing is really like.
It’ll hopefully renew interest.”

UCLA fencing has always had trouble getting noticed, primarily
because it is a club team and Schiller does not have the ability to
recruit like an NCAA team.

Still, last year, Schiller was able to field three third-place
teams in the Intercollegiate Fencing Conference of Southern
California, which contains three NCAA teams. And that was a
rebuilding year.

“We lost some good fencers from last year and the year
before, but we’ve got enough returning people that
we’re better and more experienced now,” second-year
epee fencer Matt Ho said.

Part of that experience plays a role in learning the mental
facets of fencing. As Schiller likes to put it, “Fencing is
chess at high speeds.”

During a bout, fencers execute a pre-planned strategy while
reacting to unexpected counterattacks ““ all usually within
the space of a few seconds.

For some, the lure of fencing comes from its rich tradition and
history. From the linguistics (“En garde!” signifies
the beginning of a bout and “Touché!” is an
admission of defeat) to the etiquette (before a bout, a fencer is
to take off his mask and salute his opponent and the director),
fencing certainly has its romantic and charismatic features.

“People used to fight each other to the death, and then
there’s the perception that’s been gained from the
movies. Fencing has evolved into its own modern system,” Ho
said. “Fencing is the closest we’ll ever get to
swordfighting without getting killed.”

The 2001 UCLA Fencing Tournament will feature only club teams,
which include USC, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara. On the same
weekend that the UCLA football team will be looking to overcome
USC, the fencing team will have similar aspirations.

“We just want to beat the Trojans,” sabre fencer
Michelle Demps said. “That’s our goal.”

As the clock approaches half past five, the fencers begin to
wind down. Schiller, however, is just warming up. He picks up a
foil and waves it about nonchalantly.

Suddenly, Schiller lunges, for a moment, almost flying through
the air, much like in a ballet. He lands the touch perfectly in the
upper torso.

The victim looks grimly at Schiller.

“Touché.”