Every Friday after school, a group gathers in the NAI cafeteria, ready to dress in white and fasten the helmets that will officially signal the start of the match.
North Allegheny’s Fencing Club–in place since 2019, but inactive for a year due to COVID–is turning more and more North Allegheny students into fencers.
The club is led by Coach Iana Dakova, a previous National Bulgarian fencer who is now the owner and head coach of Pittsburgh Fencers’ Club downtown.
NASH senior Wynn Musselman serves as the president and helps manage the team as well. As a senior, she leads quite a busy life but says that she enjoys her role as captain.
“It can be a lot of responsibility at times but being able to make new friends, attend competitions with my team, and help lead make it worth it,” said Musselman.
The club fences in the same style that Dakova is well-versed in, which is with a foil, or a flexible sword. Fencers must hit their opponent so that the foil bends.
NA Fencing meetings last for around two hours every Friday. The extensive practice prepares students well for upcoming competitions with other local high schools. A scrimmage with Aquinas Academy is also held every year so participants can get experience fencing with students from other schools.
A typical club meeting consists of drills for about an hour, including practicing the fencing stance (fencers have to stay low, with one-foot perpendicular to the other). Then, fencers practice lunges. Posture and form are tremendously important for fencing, as bad posture can lead to poor movement. Proper lunges are stressed as well. Much time is spent perfecting this form as well as improving endurance, which participants strengthen by running for warm-ups, stretches, and drills where one has to pretend as if they are advancing (in Fencing posture) towards an opponent.
After basic drills, the meeting transitions into members getting dressed in the fencing equipment and practicing defense/attack techniques with partners. For example, participants learn the different types of parrying–a counterattack to defend oneself against an opponent. The goal of this activity is also to get comfortable with fencing rules and terminology, which participants will have to use when partaking in bouts.
Bouts mark the conclusion of the club meetings. After learning various attacks and counterattacks, members are divided into groups known as “strips.” Within each fencing strip, there is at least one bout with two members fencing off against one another. Two other members are chosen to be the referees, one being the main judge and the other a side judge, there to verify the claims of the main judge. The main judge’s responsibility is to manage the scoring system–restarting when a fencer hits off-target or when a fencer scores a point. They center the fencers in the middle and only at their signal does the bout start.
Bouts within the club offer members to fence against many different fencers all of whom have different strategies to win. Exposure to these strategies is beneficial for formulating effective counter-attacks, and that is one of the important skills to solidify. Since the maximum number of points needed to win a game is only 5, a fencer needs as many as they can get to be the first one to win this fast-paced race.
Fencers who feel that they have reached a point to transcend the practice bouts within the club eventually move on to competitions starting in January, where NA fences against Fox Chapel, Shadyside Academy, Aquinas, Allderdice, and more.
“I’m excited for the competition season and to continue fencing and learning,” Musselman said.
Other than introducing North Allegheny to the art of fencing, many members cherish the life skills and friendships that they acquired from being involved with the club. Lily Nguyen, a NASH senior and Fencing Club member for more than two years, is grateful for all of the memories that have come with being a North Allegheny fencer.
“The NA fencing club has such a special place in my heart,” Nguyen said. “It has introduced me to so many amazing people and has taught me so much about problem-solving and confidence. I think, most of all, this sport has taught me to improve, whether that be my actual fencing skills or myself as a person.”
Others seniors have a bittersweet feeling as the year progresses.
“I feel happier about being in the club this year, but I get sad thinking about how I won’t be here next year,” Iris Yan said.
North Allegheny Fencing continues to produce more fencers each year, as students from middle school to high school are encouraged to join. Members leave every meeting with a greater understanding of fencing as the signal “en garde!” echoes in their minds.
