EN GARDE: Fencing at Michigan State

by Matt Mikus

Want to Join? Here’s what you need to know: Practice every Mon-Thurs from 8-11 pm at the IM West. The group provides all equipment. No previous experience is necessary. To Travel with the team, you need to commit at least 2 days of practice a week. Cost is $50 a semester, covering equipment, floor and training fees. Bring comfy shoes

The sound of metal clashing rings through the air as two rivals duel for victory.  As the battle rages on, one fighter lunges for the finishing blow.  With quick reflexes, the defender blocks the attack and uses his enemy’s momentum to strike him in the chest.

Sounds like a scene from the Three Musketeers, but at the MSU Fencing club, the defeated suffer no fatal wounds. In fact, after the battle is over, the fighters salute each other and fight again.

The sport of Fencing originated from the practice of swordsmanship in the 16th century.  With the use of firearms, fencing developed into a sporting event.  Now a major Olympic sport, fencing is also a popular sport requiring stamina, mental strength and quick reflexes.

The basic rule of fencing is each competitor tries to defend their body while striking their opponent in the target area. Whoever has the most strikes wins the match.

Along with this basic idea, fencing consist of three different styles: foil, épée, and sabre.  Each style has its own unique style of play.

Foil uses a light, flexible weapon to thrust at the torso. If both strike each other at the same time, then the point for the match depends on who had the “right of way,” basically who approached the attack correctly.

Épée uses a less flexible sword that is also designed for thrusting.  Unlike foil, the whole body is a target, and whoever gets the strike first receives the point, no matter how the attacker approaches. The striker must also fix the point of his weapon on the target.

Sabre is the cutting style of fencing, considered the most aggressive of the three styles.  In sabre, any touch of the blade to the upper torso, arms or head is considered a point.  Sabre also uses a right of way rule, but is slightly different from foil.

The MSU Fencing club started back in 1939 as a varsity sport.  Since then, MSU has won two Big Ten Championships in 1963 and 1971.  Unfortunately, The Fencing team lost its position as a Varsity sport in 1997 and has been a student organization ever since.

The Fencing team continues to be a major competitor against club and varsity teams alike.  Last weekend, MSU competed at Northwestern against rivals such as Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Northwestern.  Next weekend, MSU travels to Notre Dame to compete in the Midwest Fencing Conference Championship.

Although the team is competitive, they encourage leisure fencers to come join.  It’s a fun way to meet new people and stay active.

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