Let’s get a few particulars out of
the way.
Do you like fighting? Do you feel like stabbing someone with a sharp object? Do you want to swing in from a chandelier to kill the bad guy? If so, fencing is not for you.
These are some of the most common misconceptions that people have about fencing, Oregon club fencing head coach Paul Csonka said.
Csonka, who has been fencing for 15 years and coaching the Oregon fencing team for five, said that a fair amount of people come out for the fencing team, but many are turned away when they find out what fencing is really about.
“Fencing isn’t directly applicable to dueling,” Csonka said. “This first turns a lot of people off.”
Fencing is a game of strategy, defensive tactics and point scoring, rather than slashing and bleeding.
Three weapons are used in the sport, two of which are used by the club. The two offered by club fencing are the foil, a flexible 35-inch rectangular blade, and the epee, (EPP-pay) which is similar in length, yet heavier with a larger hand guard and a much stiffer blade. The third weapon, which is not used by the club, is the sabre, which is the modern version of the cavalry sword.
Each weapon has a different space on the opponent’s body where a point can be scored with a touch. A point can be scored with the foil if contact is made with the opponent’s torso. The epee’s contact zone is the entire body, while the sabre’s zone is from the waist up. A bout in preliminary pool play
is over when a fencer reaches five points, while a bout in direct elimination play is over when a fencer reaches 15 points.

The club has 11 consistent members, Csonka said. Half of those come with little experience.
“Fifty percent (of fencing members) have had one or two fencing classes, or nothing at all,” Csonka said.
Those who rely on club funding for competition usually compete in two or three tournaments a year. Those who rely on their own funding usually compete in six or seven. The team practices twice a week. It costs nothing to practice with the team.
Freshman Robert Teel, who has been fencing for four years, said fencing involves more thought than fighting.
“The big misconception is that there’s a lot of slashing,” Teel said. “It’s a lot of strategic defense.”
Teel placed second individually at the Morgan Stanley Open in Portland and was on a team that placed first at the Eugene Fencer’s Club tournament in December.
Assistant coach Adam Lake, 23, was also on the team that placed first in the Eugene tournament and tied for third individually at the Portland tournament. Lake has been fencing for almost nine years, including four at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisc.
Csonka was the gold medal winner for the Foil Open event at the Oregon State Games in June.
Fifth-year senior Shannon Boettcher randomly decided to give fencing a try as a freshman in 1998, but decided to stick with it instead of quickly giving up.
“It just seemed like a cool thing to do,” Boettcher said.
As the years passed, fencing grew on Boettcher and he learned to appreciate it for what it is, a game of strategy. He can be used as an example to those who would like to give fencing a shot, but aren’t sure if they’ll like the sport.
“You have more people who stop early,” Csonka said. “But those who do stick with it generally do well.”
If you want fighting, sharp objects and chandelier swinging, go to the movies. If you want a sport that involves quick movements, strategy and defensive tactics, give club fencing a shot.
“It’s like physical chess,” Csonka said. “It involves so many tactics. It’s not for the faint of heart.”