The 15 to 20 fencing enthusiasts who meet at Emmanuel Baptist Church every Tuesday and Thursday didn’t play the sport more than a year ago. It’s likely half of them had never even heard of it.
“We started the class back in January,” said Coach Daniel Johnson, who hails from the Columbia Fencing Club. “They were interested in learning a little bit about fencing, and I had worked with USC’s fencing club. I came out in early October or November of last year.”
Johnson and team mom, Shea Failmezger, decided on a two-month tryout with the class.
“There are a lot of sports, where if you haven’t played since you were 3 years old, you can’t ever really be good at it,” Failmezger said. “That’s one of the great things about fencing. You can really start it at any time, and if you put in the practice, you can get really good at it.”
Failmezger said that the cost is not prohibitive either.
“The gear really isn’t as expensive as you think it would be,” she said. “You can get all the equipment for about $150. When it comes to entering a sport, that’s really about right there in line with any other one around here.”
Johnson didn’t start fencing himself until he was in college. He continued working “and at some point stopped being terrible,” he joked.
“In ab out six years, I went from knowing nothing, to twice representing our state in the nationals and qualifying for some larger events, along with working with USC,” said Johnson.
Fencing encompasses three separate categories that stem from Renaissance sword-fighting - epee, foil and sabre. These are the same categories contested in the Olympics.
“We work here primarily in epee, which is more about strategy than aggression,” said Johnson. “Epee uses a point weapon, and you have to hit with the tip of the weapon.”
A button on the end of the sword connects to a body cord and an electronic scoring machine, Johnson noted.
“When you hit your opponent, that registers through the system,” he said.
The target area in epee is essentially the entire body, Johnson added.
“Anywhere from the tip of the toe to the back side of the head and anywhere in between is fair game,” said Johnson.
If both players hit one another simultaneously, they both score.
“Epee, therefore, tends to be a less immediately aggressive sport and is instead very strategic,” he said.
Foil and sabre are governed by a rule known as “priority.”
“So, in those, if both players hit at the same time, there’s a system of rules for the director, who is like a referee, to figure out whose action deserved to hit,” Johnson said.
Foil uses a point weapon like epee, but fencers may only target the torso, groin and throat of their opponents. Sabre involves a cutting weapon that can strike anywhere above the hips.
“Without all of the aggression in epee, it’s much more straightforward for our students to learn and there’s a lot of strategic depth to it,” said Johnson. “We focus on footwork a lot in practice, for example. A lot of the greatest fencers, the ones you see win at the Olympics and World Championships, they win because of their footwork.”
Failmezger said that the Clarendon group currently has students from ages 6 through 17. While she calls the group the Clarendon Fencing Club, the youngsters refer to themselves as the Clarendon “CatCudas.”
“It’s a mixture of a catfish and a barracuda,” said Failmezger. “They’re really attached to that name, but it’s not official.”
And while the club has only been together roughly a year, several players have already entered tournaments and placed well.
“Some have competed in senior level events, including the Tiger Open, which is a large annual event that Clemson University holds,” Johnson said.
In October, the group competed in the Pirate Olympics in Charleston. The Youth 14 event was sponsored by the America Fencing Club of Charleston Ben Beard placed first, while Emmeline Failmezger and Sarah Madeline Beard placed second and third, respectively.
In the Pre-Turkey Open Youth 14 event hosted in November by the Foothills Fencing Academy of Greenville, Emmeline Failmezger this time came out on top, winning first place. She has also qualified to represent South Carolina in the Junior Olympics this February in Memphis Tennessee.
“This is a great competitive sport,” said Failmezger. “There’s a lot of fun to it, and it’s something you an do your entire life.”
Failmezger said anyone interested in joining the club may contact her through Facebook. Search “Shea Failmezger” when on the social media site.
