I must say, watching Michael Garguilo’s training video yesterday was truly inspirational. Did you see how he flawlessly cleared that hobbyhorse, mop bucket and succession of foot-high orange cones in a single sprint? Did you notice his focus and concentration, his look of grim determination, as he conquered the self-imposed obstacles stretching out in front him? I saw the awakening of Michael’s inner Olympian, the beginnings of a high hurdle knee-tuck and a metronomic rhythm in his step only the most highly-trained athletes have mastered.
It was so inspiring, that I began my training for fencing by going online and finding a competitive fencing video. Don’t ever do that if you’re considering the sport and, are, shall we say, “mature”. Olympic-caliber fencers are blindingly fast, with lightning reflexes and the agility of a ballet dancer. The bouts seem to generally end in the blink of an eye, and in that blink the viewer has missed whatever it was that caused one fencer to rip off his protective mask and issue a victory howl, while the other collapses in abject defeat.
However, despite that dose of reality, I intend to press on, remember all the cool moves I made as d’Artagnan at age eight with a wooden sword, lard on some actual instruction, and become very dangerous. En garde!
Good Luck Chuck!
I am so happy to see that fencing is getting some of the publicity it deserves. Although I am sure you have many researchers available to you I want you to be aware that there is more of an audience for this than you might think. New Jersey has the largest high school program in the US with around 50 schools that have teams. My son’s high school has had over 100 students try out different years; more than football. There are also around 30 private clubs in NJ with students fencing year round. I’ll be waiting to see what type you choose; epee, saber or foil, and also what club you practice at. It’s a wonderful sport and something you can do for the rest of your life. Have fun. If we can answer any questions for you, feel free to ask and we will try to help.
Chuck
I’m not quite as “mature” as you, although I am 56, and would like to know if you need a contemporary bout partner.
I do have an advantage. I have been sabre fencing for 8 years.
Jim
Chuck — When I started fencing, the hardest thing to learn was how the bouts are scored. It’s so hard to tell who is getting the point! You should have someone in editing slow down this video for you. Really, really slow it down. That way you can learn how the scoring works.
Good luck and have fun!
Chuck,
I caught a glimpse of the news this evening, and heard about you trying out fencing, so I checked our your website. I’ve been fencing for 10 years, and I currently compete at the National Level and coach a local high school on Long Island (Great Neck South HS). I think fencing is one of the most amazing sports, and hope the US continues to promote it and see great growth. Arnold Schwarzenegger even hosts the Arnold Fencing Classic which encourages kids to get involved in fencing. I do wish more fencing was shown on TV in the U.S. as it is in Europe. I hope you enjoy trying it out!