En GardeORIGINAL STORY LINKINmagazine
Posted by: Danny Mogle in Live Healthy May 1, 2014 0 535 Views May/June 2014
Writer: DANNY MOGLE // Photographer: SARAH A MILLER All most of us know about fencing is the over-the-top swashbuckling antics of sword fights we see in the movies.
In the 1940 film “Mark of Zorro,” the masked Zorro and his foe, Capt. Esteban Pasquale, square off in a grandiose battle – fast and furiously clashing blades. In the popular “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, actors Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom engage in sword play that leaves audiences on the edge of their seats.
Entertaining, yes. Thrilling, absolutely. Realistic, not in the least.
Bryn Ralph, who has been practicing and teaching fencing for decades, says if combatants in a match swung their arms around wildly like in the movies, they’d meet defeat in a second. And if combatants would have tried to do that back when people settled disputes with a duel-to-the-death sword fight, they quickly would have met their doom.
LONG HISTORY In 16th century Europe, cut-and-thrust military swords were the weapon of choice for self-defense and dueling. Later, European noblemen popularized the long and thin rapiers, which emphasized striking with the tip.
By the 18th century, a shorter and lighter rapier encouraged subtlety of defensive action and thrusting attacks. To improve the safety of sword play, a foil with a flexible blade was developed and rules adopted. Most gentlemen received instruction on proper foil fencing.
Today, fencers score points by hitting the tip of the foil on the target area (primarily the trunk) of the opponent before being hit. An “attack” is made by extending the arm with the sword toward the target and then lunging in a quick thrust that forces the opponent to defend.
Opponents rapidly move forward and back in exchanges of attacks and counterattacks.
THRILL OF THE FIGHT Ralph says fencing is a sport of aggression, evasion and strategy.
“It’s speed and agility. You have to be able to move correctly and know when to step aside, when to lunge and when to step into the target.”
Ralph took up fencing while he was a student at Texas A&M University in the 1950s. Fencing was offered in the military sciences curriculum. He was attracted to the art and technical aspects of fencing and quickly mastered attacking and defense. He competed on Texas A&M’s fencing team and later became a certified instructor. He now teaches fencing as part of the continuing education program at Tyler Junior College.
“My students all tell me, ‘This is something I’ve always wanted to try,’” says Ralph.
Mark Crum, who works with Ralph at Estes, McClure & Associates, an engineering firm in Tyler, is one of Ralph’s students and competitors.
Crum likes the mental challenge of trying to outthink his opponent – to figure out whether the best strategy is to be aggressive or wait and then pounce.
“It’s like a human chess game,” says Crum of a spirited fencing bought.
Adds Ralph, “You have to know the techniques and then ask, ‘What kind of tactics do I need to employ with this particular fencer. …. Is this guy going to do something I’ve never seen before.’”
LIFELONG SPORT The website mycaloriesburned.com praises fencing as a “competitive sport where you need to push yourself to your physical limit to expose the weaknesses of your opponent.”
Fencing for one hour burns 350 to 550 calories, depending on one’s weight and intensity of competition, says the American College of Sports Medicine.
During a fencing match, “first your adrenaline kicks in, second your heart rate goes up and No. 3, you’re going to perspire,” says Ralph.
“But part of the appeal of fencing isn’t the calories burned, but the enjoyment of fencing itself,” notes mycaloriesburned.com. “And it is the competitive nature which will drive you to practice, get better and burn a lot of calories too.”
Ralph, who is 76, says fencing is one of the few sports that people can take part in all their life. Ralph is as competitive and enthusiastic about fencing today as he was in college. “And that’s why I continue to fence.”
Sources: fencing.net, USA Fencing, The British Academy of Fencing