Blades touching, two white figures advance and retreat in apracticed set of ballet-like steps. If you see these maskedswordsmen in a De Anza quad, they are from the De Anza FencingTroupe.
Their sport is fencing, or swordsmanship using blunted weapons.Unlike dueling, which is often illegal and deadly, opponents treateach other more as dance partners than those who are trying tosettle a dispute.
The sword that fencers use is more of an instrument than aweapon. The foil, which is most commonly utilized by the club, hasa slender, flexible blade. Its purpose is simply to touch acombatant’s body, not to injure it.
Unruly sparing is not at all part of the sport. Instead, fencersbelieve in a code of etiquette. Opponents treat each other withpoliteness and friendliness and shake hands or salute after thebout.
Fencers learn to trust and respect their opponent, as well astheir equipment and weapon, and to fight free from aggressiveness,violence, or antagonism.
De Anza students with a variety of majors, backgrounds, goals,and cultures join together in this club, united by a common sport.Some fencers may also be joined by a common mindset.
“Fencing is an art, a sport, and possibly a philosophy,” saidclub officer Jeanne Fishback.
“Chivalry is still alive in fencing, or the idea of whatchivalry should have been,” added club president Nate Butler. Themembers agreed that there is an old-fashioned sense and a dimensionof fantasy and legend to their sport that brings some historicalattitudes to the present.
Fishback described fencing as “physical chess,” where, besidesendurance and flexibility, concentration and reaction timedetermine how successful you are. Their unofficial mascot is asquirrel, which represents the agility and quickness of a goodfencer.
It’s not a dangerous activity, as participants make safety apriority. The multiple pieces of protective equipment are moreimportant than the weapon, and the worst injuries are usually smallbruises.
While films like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The PrincessBride” bring good publicity to the sport, club officer Joey Kolbersaid: “very few movies have real life fencing.” Fishback and Butleradded that what we see in films is theatrical: dramatic, elaborate,flamboyant and entertaining. This creates a misconception thatsometimes disappoints new fencers when they realize it’s not allabout rescuing beautiful maidens or showing off their fancyskills.
Fishback, who is the most active female member of the club,realizes that swordplay doesn’t just have to be a man’s realm.Women who have become Olympic athletes in the sport are those whocan fence for themselves.
Club members emphasize that you don’t need to be an experiencedfencer in order to join; everyone is invited. In fact, the clubwelcomes novices.
“If you know absolutely nothing, we’ll teach you,” encouragedKolber. If you stop in on a club meeting one day, you can expectpatient explanations of the basics, whether it be how to balanceand center your weight, stand on guard or correctly space yourfeet.
Kolber said that their goal is “to get as many people interestedin the sport itself. The club is a doorway to the fencingcommunity.”
Through the Northern California Intercollegiate Fencing League,De Anza’s fencing troupe is the largest participating troupe from acommunity college in tournaments against schools such as Cal Poly,UCD, UCLA and UCSB.
The troupe members express their vitality by making an effort toparticipate in nearly every club activity. Whether they’reperforming in bathrobes, acting in costume as famous sword-wieldersfrom movies, singing silly songs, or, of course, fencing, aroundcampus the club tries to make De Anza more enjoyable.
“The fundamentals of the club are community, good sportsmanship,competition, making things entertaining, and of course, fun,” saidButler.
