Ed mUrrAy / ThE sTAr-LEdGEr

“Fencers en garde. Ready? Fence!”I was still busy trying to align my feet correctly when my

opponent came barreling toward me and thrust her foil into my chest, knocking the wind out of me. What was I supposed to be doing again?

“Attack from the left arrives. Touch left. The score is one to zero.”

Right. Didn’t the instructor say you could block a hit with the hilt of your sword? Wait, that wasn’t right, either ... it was something about parrying with the bell guard of your foil. What did that even mean? Mulling over the vocabulary instead of focusing on actually fencing had cost me two more points before I even realized it. I raised my foil as high as I could and prepared myself for the next point.

I received a sound thrashing from my opponent during that first practice. I was in sixth grade, and I had signed up for a free clinic offered at the local high school. My mom had suggested it to me because I wanted to be like the twins in the movie The Parent Trap. About 20 kids had shown up—all new to fenc-ing, all expecting similar theatrics. The sport we were actually practicing in the smelly cafeteria had so many rules and was much more rigid in form than any fencing we had witnessed on television, and it was disillusioning for some kids. I never saw anyone from that first class again. But for me, the intricacy of the sport was alluring. I signed up to join my first fencing club later that day.

learning the basicsThe first year of fencing is by far the most challenging because there is so much to learn, starting with the very basics of the sport. A match in fencing is called a “bout,” and each point is called a “touch.” During a bout, fencers’ vests, called “lamés,” are wired to a machine that beeps and displays a light when a fencer scores a touch on her opponent.

There are three different types of fencing—foil, épée, and sabre—characterized by the weapon you use, the target area

considered valid for a touch to be scored, and other rules of play. In épée, the entire body is considered target; in sabre, only above the waist is target, and in foil, only the torso. Both foils and épées have a button on the tip of the blade, which you have to press to your opponent’s target to register the touch on the machine. Sabres, on the other hand, have no button on the end, and you can hit your opponent with any part of the blade to register a touch.

I started off with foil, as many fencers do, to develop good technique. I learned the proper en garde position, the stance fencers take when they begin their bouts. I learned to advance and lunge to launch myself toward my opponent for a touch, and to retreat as fast as I could when they attacked me. I learned to parry, to block my opponent’s blade using my own, and to riposte, to get the touch after my opponent missed. There was a lot to learn, and I loved it all.

under PressureWhile I enjoyed practice and fencing my club mates, I found that I hated competing. My first tournament was a disaster because I was unprepared for the unpredictability of the experi-ence. I had developed my skills, but I wasn’t able to apply them quickly and in response to my opponents’ attacks. I decided that I was content just to practice and had no intentions of competing in the future.

Then, in ninth grade, I joined my high school’s fencing team. Some of the kids from my club were on the team and loved it. I was excited—and terrified—when I earned a starting position on the team. The women’s fencing team at my high school had won 10 state titles since 1998, and everyone on the team was determined to win another that year. I was still pretty timid and did not hold up well under pressure, often dissolving into tears at the end of bouts I lost.

In the state championship tournament that year, we fenced our archrival in the semifinal round. The meet had come down to the very last bout with our teams tied at 13 wins each. I

Lessonsfencingby rachel Viqueira

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remember clearly the smears of school colors in the stands and the screaming crowd. Th e air was throbbing with the intensity of both the crowd and the fencers. At the end of that bout, the shrieks of joy were deafening, but they were not for us.

I had lost two bouts that night. If I had won one of them, would that have been enough to help us win? I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Th at night, I promised myself that I would become a fencer my team could depend on.

rising to the ChallengeTh e following year, I made the diffi cult decision to join a diff erent fencing club. My parents would drive me 40 minutes away so I could practice with girls my age who were all national-level fencers. I would get home at 10:00, exhausted, four nights a week—but it was completely worth it.

My coach at this club took the time to show me nuances in technical skill and in my own fenc-ing that no other coach had noticed before, and he made me realize that I needed to put in more eff ort if I were to become the fencer I wanted to be. I spent hours just practicing my footwork or point control, I did sit ups, I ran sprints. And I went to local tournaments at least twice a month to gain experience and to harden myself against stressful situations.

Most important, I improved my mentality. As a freshman, I felt each loss acutely and berated myself for each touch lost, which then made it nearly impossible to move forward and concentrate on the next bout. Th rough experience, I gradually learned to stay positive and forgive myself for mistakes. Th at alone greatly improved my fencing results.

In the U.S., fencers are rated from A (highest) to E (lowest). A fencer without a rating is given a U. You earn ratings by doing well in tournaments, which are weighted by the ratings of the fencers participating. Last year, when I earned a B rating at a meet with my club, I fi nally felt confi dent that I could help lead my high school team to a championship.

second ChanceTh e score is 11–12, and our team is down. I have to win this last bout if my team is to have even a shot at winning the title. My hands shake as I clip the reel cord to my lamé. Th e room feels too bright, and the noise from the crowd hurts my ears.

I walk up to the en garde line, trying to keep a stoic expression so my opponent won’t see how scared I am. I take a deep breath, then turn one last time to my teammates, whose faces are glowing with excite-ment and the hope that we can win. Four years ago, I might have crumbled under the pressure. Tonight, I turn back to the strip, my face set with determination.

“Fencers en garde. Ready? Fence!”In my head, the screaming goes silent. Th ere is

only me and my opponent. My leg muscles tighten from nervousness, but I move up and down the strip just the same, testing my opponent for weaknesses in her defense. I lunge. 

a shot at winning the title. My hands shake as I clip the reel cord to my lamé. Th e room feels too bright, and the noise from the crowd hurts my ears.

I walk up to the en garde line, trying to keep a stoic expression so my opponent won’t see how scared I am. I take a deep breath, then turn one last time to my teammates, whose faces are glowing with excite-ment and the hope that we can win. Four years ago, I might have crumbled under the pressure. Tonight, I turn back to the strip, my face set with determination.

“Fencers en garde. Ready? Fence!”“Fencers en garde. Ready? Fence!”In my head, the screaming goes silent. Th ere is

only me and my opponent. My leg muscles tighten from nervousness, but I move up and down the strip just the same, testing my opponent for strip just the same, testing my opponent for weaknesses in her defense. I lunge. 

“Halt! Attack is off -target.”I roll my shoulders back a couple times and exhale deeply. “Ready? Fence!”When my opponent lunges, I don’t react quickly enough, and her blade

strikes my arm. I wince; that will leave a nice bruise later. Lucky for me, though, there is no touch. Th e score is still 0–0.

“Shake it off , Rach!” someone yells, or maybe I just say it to myself. But no matter how much I prepare for the action, each attack I make lands off target. Before I know it, three minutes are up on the timer.

Th e score is still 0–0. If the score is tied aft er three minutes, the

fencer who scores fi rst in the next minute wins. If no fencer scores a touch in that minute, the fencer who won the coin toss at the beginning of the period gains the fi nal point. I had won the coin toss, so if neither of us scores, I win.

My teammates are cheering madly, scream-ing at the top of their lungs. I take another deep breath.

“Fence!”

My opponent charges like a bull. Panicking, I retreat as fast as I can, barely managing to stave her off , blocking her blade into my leg. When we begin again, my opponent is more cautious. But with time running out, I know I can’t continue to fence passively. I have to fence for the win, not fence to avoid losing. Be brave, I think, and then I lunge.

“Beat attack from the left is good! Touch left !”Th e stands explode with cheers and screams. My teammates rush the

strip, throwing themselves on top of me. Under the crush of my teammates, I can only smile. I hadn’t let them down. Th e championship was still within our grasp.

Later that night, when we were presented with the trophy, it was our team’s shrieks of happiness that fi lled the gym. I couldn’t put the trophy down the whole night, nor could I stop smiling or crying. I had never been

more proud of my team or my own accomplishments.

F encing has taught me that there’s nothing as rewarding as com-ing through for people who depend on me. It has taught me

to push myself farther than I think I can go, and that if I focus and work hard, I can accomplish anything. Th rough fencing, and with the support of my high school team, my club, my coach, and my family, I

have developed confi dence and courage I never would have gained otherwise. Now, as I begin fencing for the team at Johns Hopkins

University, I know all those lessons will stay with me.

cTy alumna Rachel Viqueiragraduated from columbia high school in new Jersey and is now a freshman at Johns hopkins, where she plans to major in public health. rachel wrote this article while completing an internship at

the neurogenetics and Behavior center at JhU. in her free time, rachel enjoys reading, cooking, and listening to music.

fencer who won the coin toss at the beginning of the period gains the fi nal point. I had won the coin toss, so if neither of us scores, I win.

My teammates are cheering madly, scream-ing at the top of their lungs. I take another deep breath.

“Fence!”

The Columbia High School Women’s Fencing Team after winning the 2012 New Jersey State Championship

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