While the use of swords has been around for centuries, a more organized use for them began at the end of the 19th century. Fencing became an olympic sport in 1896 and grew quickly in popularity. Despite this, it’s one of the lesser known sports today.
Freshman Aiden Winter began fencing nine months ago and is still a bit new to the sport.
“Originally, my mom signed me up because a friend was doing it,” Winter said. “After I fenced for about a month, I started liking it and wanted to go back without my mom forcing me.”
Winter fences at the Omaha Fencing Club at the Montclair Community Center, spending his Wednesday and Friday nights attempting to improve.
“I wouldn’t say I’m good at fencing, but I’m learning it pretty quickly,” Winter said.
Winter practices hard and pays attention to the many rules involved with the sport.
“We usually do first to five touches, so it’s not that long,” Winter said. “For the type of fencing I do, which is foil fencing, you have to hit them in the torso.”
This form of fencing is considered an easier form to learn for beginners. A foil is one of three different weapons that are used in fencing. According to Fencing Insider, an organization dedicated to helping fencers on the up-and-coming learn more about the sport, the foil is a thrusting weapon only. The opponent’s torso, including their back, is the target during the bout, the word used to describe a fencing match.
“I can’t beat most people but I can usually get a few touches on them at least,” Winter said. “This guy from Lincoln came and I just got absolutely destroyed by him. He was moving his weapon in ways I didn’t know you could do, like bending it to hit my back.”
Although just getting started, Winter has his own moments to be proud of.
“I like it when people get annoyed by how long my arms are,” Winter said. “You can tell that when you’re doing stuff you shouldn’t be able to get away with, they get visibly upset. It’s kind of funny.”
The reactions that Winter gets when he tells people he fences differ from reactions a football player would get.
“I believe the stereotype for fencing is a bunch of nerds, pretty much,” Winter said. “Every time I’ve told someone at Westside that I do fencing, they look at me like I’m a psychopath and they don’t seem that interested.”
Winter doesn’t plan to stop fencing anytime soon, but hesitates to encourage Westside to adopt the sport of fencing.
“The only two fencing clubs are Omaha and Lincoln and no other high school has one,” Winter said. “I feel like if there was a Westside fencing club, it could work, but a team wouldn’t really fit well. Especially because the nearest tournaments are in places like Chicago.”
Senior Ava Brynn Carroll is Westside’s other fencer and has been fencing for seven years.
“My mom insisted that I needed to be doing a sport,” Carroll said. “I jokingly threw out fencing to my mom thinking she wouldn’t find anything and she found a fencing club.”
Carroll began with foil fencing and quickly fell in love with the sport.
“With sports in general, I lacked motivation,” Carroll said. “When you’re in a bout, it creates so much adrenaline. I feel like a whole new person when I’m fencing someone.”
Carroll was surprised by how well fencing kept her involved and excited about the sport.
“There’s different types of blades and all of them have different rules so if I get bored with one, I hop on another and start learning that one,” Carroll said. “There’s so much opportunity and excitement in this sport that makes it so easy for me to stay into it.”
Foil fencing has ‘right-of-way’, meaning the person who’s advancing or hitting the other person’s blade is the one whose hits will count. Carroll also works with the blade épée, but these bouts look very different as the entire body is a target.
“Usually I aim for under the arm but people will aim for things like toes,” Carroll said. “I’ve been at tournaments where I have lost because someone hit me in the toe everytime and I wasn’t ready for it.”
Carroll plans to continue fencing for as long as she possibly can, and has already been looking into the programs offered at colleges.
“I plan to continue fencing for as long as my body will let me,” Carroll said. “I actually have one college that’s a division one school so hopefully that works out for me.”
Carroll’s opinion on whether Westside should offer fencing differs from Winter’s.
“I’m biased in the fact that I would say yes but I totally understand why they don’t because it’s expensive to run,” Carroll said. “For someone to run fencing, that is definitely a big ask. Providing all the needed stuff would get expensive.”
Both Winter and Carroll agree that fencing is underrated and that more people should look into it.
“It’s a ton of fun and I have a lot of interesting and cool memories from the sport,” Carroll said. “It’s a very unique thing that more people should look into.”
