Two weeks ago, I felt like Orlando Bloom’s character Legolas from Lord of the Rings as I tried my hands at archery. Last week, I felt like another one of this British heartthrob’s characters again, but this time as Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean. 

I was trying out fencing at one of Singapore’s top fencing clubs, Blade Club Fencing. Started in 2005 by former Singapore number one Henry Koh, the club is home to a host of top fencers in Singapore.
While at its Bukit Timah home last Thurs, I had the opportunity to rub shoulders with top fencers such as former Kazakhstan number one Olga Antipova and SEA games gold medallist from 2001-2007, Nontapat Panchan of Thailand. Even the president of the club Henry — and my instructor for the day — is a top fencer.

There are three variations to fencing, namely foil, epée and sabre. Significant disparities include varying scoring systems and different target areas. I was introduced to the most basic form, foil fencing, in my first session.

Contrary to popular belief, the sport has got nothing to do with violent stabbing or dangerous sword fighting. It is a form of art.

The sheer intensity of the warm up exercise caught me by surprise. The stretching exercises were akin to yoga moves. Had I not been an active sportsman (or so I would like to think), I’d probably not last even ten minutes into the warm up. I realised the full importance of the warm up after suffering from very nasty muscle aches the next day.

As with most other sports, it is extremely important that you get a good grasp of the fundamentals from the start. Henry stressed that I follow his instructions attentively and not attempt to skip any one of the steps. As he would put it, “There are certain fundamental moves in fencing that even world class players follow.”

It was crucial for me to understand the basic moves of the sport. The positioning of the feet (see picture below) is key to launching an attack or parry (block shot).
After getting my footwork right, I was taught to attack with the fencing foil. It was a challenge as my legs were pretty numb (and wobbly) by then, but I soldiered on. With a punching bag, I practiced my moves in preparation for my first fencing match.
After a much needed break for a sip of water, it was showdown time. With my opponent all ready for the kill, I geared up for my friendly match. After an exchange of the customary formalities, the battle began!

I got whacked really badly in the opening seconds (not to mention minutes) of the match. Henry realised that I was no match at all and decided to give me a lifeline. My opponent was not allowed to parry (block) my shot! From then on, I was able to recover from my demoralising start and score a couple of points.

In order to make any headway in fencing; you have got to be able to plan your moves well. Instead of making rash or random attacks, you must pick your target and wait for an opportunity to strike. Somehow, this simple principle could not sink into my head. I lost the one sided affair with my opponent. 

I exchanged one final round of greetings with my opponent before I ended my first fencing tryout. I am still incredibly far off from achieving decent headway in the sport. But frankly I do want to carry on practising it if my wallet permits. Beginner foil and epée fencing classes start from $120 for four lessons.
Thinking about picking up a sport that is both mentally and physically challenging? Fencing fits the bill perfectly. That said, it is also a sport that requires plenty of commitment and hard work. M

Interested in picking up fencing? Blade Club Fencing offers group classes and one to one classes for beginners. Coaches at the club are all ex or current national fencers. Log on to www.bladeclub.com.sg for more information. 

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matthew[a]youth.sg

Matthew is mad about football, loves to shop and is always guilty of overeating

THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF Aug 3-Aug 9 :: The Local Issue