AJ stands for Andrew Jackson, our 7th president. His reputation for toughness earned him the nickname "Old Hickory." A hero of the War of 1812, Jackson has appeared on the $20 bill since 1928.

This is fencing as I know it!Fence. As soon as this word leaves the referee’s mouth, I lunge forward with all my might. I’m straining to reach my rapidly retreating opponent while at the same time madly circling my blade around his to avoid the block.

Then, I feel the touch. Just as my front foot reaches the ground, the tip of my blade lands squarely in the middle of my opponent’s chest—a fraction of a second before time expires.

I throw off my mask in exhilaration and shake hands with my opponent before returning to the high fives and pats on the back from my teammates. This is fencing as I know it.

Swashbuckling?

The more I learn about fencing, the more I like the action.When many people think of fencing they think of swashbuckling pirates, or the Three Musketeers, fighting to the death with mustachioed villains. Before I started fencing I always thought of fencing as the acrobatic stunts performed by the hero in one of my favorite movies, "The Mask of Zorro." In fact, fencing today is a fun and safe sport that is gaining popularity across the country.Action



Here I am trying to reach around my head to hit my opponent.

He's too close for me to make a normal point.
CloseI started fencing at a club in New York City. I was at first attracted to the sport because I had recently seen Zorro and liked the idea of playing with swords.My Favorite Movie Scene

My favorite sword fighting scene from any movie is the fight between James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) and Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens) in "Die Another Day." Close

I like this scene because it starts as an actual modern fencing match, then escalates into a huge chase/battle scene. This way it is fun to watch, but has some basis in reality.

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I soon realized that there was much more to fencing than I thought, and the more I learned about it, the more I liked it.

Today

I have continued to fence (even after moving to a different state), and now I often compete in local, regional, and national tournaments.

I fence for eight to twelve hours a week practicing footwork, bladework, agility, and reflex drills. Fencing requires a lot of strategy and tactics, so I also have to train my mind. Train My Mind

Salute

Like with most sports, the majority of training is physical, but my coach often instructs my teammates and me on strategy and tactics.

We do drills without weapons in which my coach describes a situation and we quickly have to tell her how we would respond.

Also, for use at competitions, my coach, other competitive fencers, and I have a code and signals to give tips on strategy in the middle of a match. It’s just like how the third base coach gives signals to the batter and runners in a baseball game.

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After high school, I plan on fencing in college, possibly at an NCAA Division III school.  Whatever happens, I plan on continuing to work hard at fencing to improve my skills and ability.

There are three types of modern fencing...

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