The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

TONE
We want to hear your voice!

Which school event do you most look forward to this year?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

En Guard

Jimmy has won second and third place in national competitions as well as competing in the Junior Olympics.

What got you interested in fencing?

It all started a long time ago when I was 3 or 4, I was really into dragons and knights I dressed up as robin hood and a knight in shinning armor for a bunch of Halloweens, so my parents took me to a renaissance fair when I was 4, and they had a booth where you could take a fencing lesson. I went at it, and tripped over all the way oversized equipment, but I still enjoyed it so I went back the next year and the years following until I was 9, then I started really fencing at Stanford.

What does a typical practice day consist of?

The Workouts vary, but the general format for a day of fencing is footwork practice for strengthening, and then we have a technical lesson consisting of blade work. Technical lessons are where you get more individual attention and more of a concentrated workout so you can fine-tune your skills. After working by yourself, then you work on fighting other student s around you.

Do you plan on going to a college where you can continue to fence?

Yes, I definitely am. I think it would be a lot of fun to be on a college team. I have gotten a few letters recruiting me, but they are not allowed to start actively recruiting until July. Fourth of July weekend is the biggest competition of the year and there will probably be scouts there if we are lucky and that is when they start to contact you.

Do you plan on fencing after college?

Professional fencing in the US does not exist. You can become a coach, but after the Olympics you cant go much farther. You can probably go for one Olympics, maybe two. Coaches make enough to live on, but not much more. It’s harder trying to run a fencing business especially because it isn’t terribly lucrative. I would love to fencing after college probably just for fun.

What kind of weapon is used in fencing?

There are three types of weapons: Foil, Saber, and epée. Foil developed in France in the court of King Louis. Up to not long before then, the rapier was the sword of choice. High courts fashions changed and people started wearing swords like the foils. Thinner, and wimpier looking, but they fit in more with the fashion. Foil is the sword that most people start out on. Epée developed in Italy. It’s a lot more like a rapier. There aren’t any rules when fencing with epée. It’s larger weapon, the whole body is a target from the tip of your toe to the top of your head. There is no rule except whomever hits first gets the point. Saber came from fighting on horseback, and when fighting saber, the point only counts if you hit from the waist up. Saber has the same rules as foil, except you can only hit with the flat part of your blade.

What’s the most common injury in fencing?

You get lots of bruises from getting stabbed with swords, but you always wear a protective mask and lots of padding underneath your fencing suit. Sometimes you can twist ankles if you move your feet incorrectly, or twist your wrists if your fencing with a heavy sword, but it isn’t common that you hear about anyone getting seriously injured

Have you heard of any deaths in fencing before?

Not modern fencing, but there were many deaths from fencing back when fencing wasn’t a sport, but when it was used as a method of battle.

Leave a Comment

Comments (0)

All The Paly Voice Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *