A sharp “BEEEEEP” puts an end to a blur of blades. Two men lower their weapons, eyeing each other, knowing that the match comes down to this point. They start again, feet moving, swords crossing, as they try to defend against the blades whipping towards them at over one hundred miles per hour. They continue their battle, attacking, parrying, counterattacking, until the beep sounds again. The duelists swivel their heads to look at the source of the sound, a box with a single red light. The bout is over.
This is fencing, an Olympic sport since the founding of the modern Olympic Games, and a Jesuit tradition for over ten years. Anyone who has walked through the Terry Center after school might have seen the fencing team practicing, dressed in white jackets and masks. To these spectators, fencing may seem easy; after all it just looks like swinging around an aluminum blade. However, looks can be deceiving, as fencing takes skill and hours of practice. Luckily for the fencers at Jesuit, the team is ably coached by Mohamed Elsakhawy. Coach Elsakhawy fenced from age 13 to 23, and made the national team at age 17, stopping only because of a knee injury. He started coaching in 1996, and has “truly enjoyed coaching.” Elsakhawy is now a coach at Gold Blade Fencing Club in Southlake. His students have been on the national team and have won medals at national tournaments, such as Jared Petrol ’18. “It is a great feeling,” Elsakhawy says, to see his students competing and being successful on such a level.
To become a good fencer, Elsakhawy says someone needs “dedication, as well as love and passion for the sport.” This passion for fencing is easy to come by, as Elsakhawy helps fencers become more confident, and according to the team, fencing is extremely fun.
The fencing team practices two out of three weapons in fencing: the epee and the saber. The goal of epee is to wait for the opponent, looking for an opening in their defenses, and once found, stab at them with the tip of the blade. Captain William Chu ’16 has been fencing for four years now, and has learned that in epee one needs to be “quick, accurate, and durable” to win.
Saber takes a different approach, instead of patience and defense, saber focuses on attacking. The goal is to strike first and strike fast, evidenced by saber’s use of the entire blade to register a hit. Harrison Ward ’17, who has been fencing since he was six, says that “being able to make snap decisions,” as well as having “high levels of dexterity and stamina” is essential to fencing saber.
Chu is excited for this year of fencing, noting that “there are more people who are familiar with fencing than previous years,” and he is ready to see what they know. The team starts the year out by going over the basics, that way the sophomores, juniors, and seniors are refreshed on the technique and freshmen can learn, but the team hopes that they will be able to get into fencing earlier this year due to the prior experience of the freshmen.
Although fencing may be hard to master, its benefits are well worth the effort. It gives one an opportunity to exercise their body and their mind simultaneously, as fencing is “physical chess,” requiring fencers to use their entire body to move and react, as well as use their mind to formulate strategies and try to predict their opponent’s next move. “Fencing is a fantastic sport…it is a good way to stay healthy,” Coach Elsakhawy says; plus “it looks great on resumes to college,” and many of his students have gone on to get fencing scholarships to colleges. Not to mention, it is incredibly fun; opportunities to hit someone with a sword don’t come around often. Elsakhawy encourages all to try the great sport of fencing, as “it can be rewarding in many ways.”
The fencing team has practice from the end of school until 5:00 PM on Monday through Thursday in the Terry Center foyer, and all are welcome. Anyone who is interested in this amazing sport can stop by or contact Captain William Chu (16050@jcpstudents.org).
