The Touch
By !!glenn!! !!capers!!
18 December 2007
There's a certain kind of a thrill that goes through the eyes and mind of a fencer all dressed in the proper attire for a bout.
Gloves, vest, tee-shirt, shirt, breast and groin cups, knickers, fencing shoes and head gear are all there to protect you from getting injured. Foil, epee and saber are the tools of expression in the art form.
Two opponents face each other on a strip. On both sides are four judges and a director. The match outcome happens only after five touches.
If you ever don the gear of a fencer, you will feel the exhilaration of a one-on-one sport that presses you to parry and reposte continually with different combinations of blade tempo and speed and body control as you try to out-think your opponent within many split seconds to score a point.
Watching a match at first is a bit like watching a tennis match for the average American. Watching any European fence takes the myth out of the old Hollywood movies of Zorro and the famous Errol Flynn swordplay in the movie Robin Hood with Basil Rathbone.
Basil Rathbone is considered the greatest swordsman in Hollywood history in the 'thirties and 'forties. Rathbone, born in South Africa also played in The Mark of Zorro. Funny, how some old Hollywood movies can inspire one to try fencing.
There you are with all this theme music going on in your head and without a doubt you know you're the good guy. Then you end up on the mat with people all around you. That gladiator feeling and rush hits you. If you're a little scared you might feel like the old Hollywood movies of being the Christian in the Roman arena.
In the end there is only one winner; both fencers drenched in sweat from the bout. Fencing brings forth the thoughts and emotions during a split second in the match, and at the end from the accumulated encounter to out-think and use your technique to out-maneuver your opponent while moving up and down feeling the pressure to win.
Unlike other sports, in fencing it's only you and the other person face to face with a sword. There is no coach to run to between a touch and get advice or assurance, no team member able to carry the ball for the score, no huddle, or water boy with Gator-Ade and no Mom or Dad you can look for.
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