2008 Woodie Awards
Club fencing offers students unique experience
Alex Craw
Issue date: 10/19/06 Section: Sports
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By Alex Craw
Staff Reporter
The fencing club is now in full swing here at UTC. At first thought, fencing may remind you of sword-fighting in a Zorro film. However, there are many differences from what happens in the movies and what actually occurs in a fencing event.
Each bout, or individual game, consists of two fencers competing on a 6-by-40 foot strip.
Fencers usually have three options of weapon: the foil, the epée and the saber. All three are point-thrusting weapons, but the saber can also be used as a cutting weapon.
Each time a fencer scores a touch, he receives a point which is scored electrically. The object of the bout is to effectively score 15 points on your opponent before he scores that number on you. Speed and agility are vital in fencing because bouts consist of three periods lasting only three minutes each.
Senior Scott Carlisle, treasurer of the fencing team, said: "Expectations for the year are to recruit more members and try to become more known on campus. We would also like to have more people that would be able to go to tournaments."
Interested students should stop by practice on Tuesday nights on the indoor tennis courts at the Racquet Center from 7 to 9 p.m.
Junior Jessica Green said: "Fencing requires no experience at all. Instruction for beginners is held every Tuesday at 7. Once you've learned the basics, you will be able to fence with the rest of the club every night from 7:30 to 9."
Among the benefits of joining the team, according to Green, is a chance to wind down.
In contrast to Green, Carlisle said he enjoys, "The exhilarating rush that comes from the speed and thought used to try to score against your opponent."
The fencing team will next be in action at Vanderbilt on Oct. 28.
Staff Reporter
The fencing club is now in full swing here at UTC. At first thought, fencing may remind you of sword-fighting in a Zorro film. However, there are many differences from what happens in the movies and what actually occurs in a fencing event.
Each bout, or individual game, consists of two fencers competing on a 6-by-40 foot strip.
Fencers usually have three options of weapon: the foil, the epée and the saber. All three are point-thrusting weapons, but the saber can also be used as a cutting weapon.
Each time a fencer scores a touch, he receives a point which is scored electrically. The object of the bout is to effectively score 15 points on your opponent before he scores that number on you. Speed and agility are vital in fencing because bouts consist of three periods lasting only three minutes each.
Senior Scott Carlisle, treasurer of the fencing team, said: "Expectations for the year are to recruit more members and try to become more known on campus. We would also like to have more people that would be able to go to tournaments."
Interested students should stop by practice on Tuesday nights on the indoor tennis courts at the Racquet Center from 7 to 9 p.m.
Junior Jessica Green said: "Fencing requires no experience at all. Instruction for beginners is held every Tuesday at 7. Once you've learned the basics, you will be able to fence with the rest of the club every night from 7:30 to 9."
Among the benefits of joining the team, according to Green, is a chance to wind down.
In contrast to Green, Carlisle said he enjoys, "The exhilarating rush that comes from the speed and thought used to try to score against your opponent."
The fencing team will next be in action at Vanderbilt on Oct. 28.
