EN GARDE
Beginners position themselves to learn fencing

By DANIEL PIKE
STAFF WRITER

Published Sunday, January 22, 2006

Instructor Kevin Hughes describes fencing as "physical chess" - a combination of footwork, hand-eye coordination and cognitive skills.

It’s probably all of those, but 13 year-old Gantt Nicholson of Springfield attended Saturday's beginner fencing class at the Illinois State Police Academy for the combat.

"I've always kind of been interested in sword fighting," said Nicholson, who was joined at the class by his mother, Linda Kelley. "A friend of mine is taking fencing lessons, so I did it and really liked it."

Kelley, however, said she was participating mainly for recreation and exercise.

"I did it so I could do something fun with my 13-year-old son," she said. "And also to get into shape at the same time."

The closest Gantt and his classmates came to swashbuckling at Saturday's session - the first of four class meetings in the coming weekends - was a brief tutorial on holding and moving with the foil, which the fencing weapon is called.

Hughes spent most of the hour-long session introducing equipment and reviewing safety rules with the all-ages class. Subsequent classes will focus on lunging and attacking - with Hughes serving as a practice pincushion until students are ready to absorb blows.

Hughes, a master sergeant with the state police, began fencing in 1977 while he was a student at Northern Illinois University. This is the third series of beginner classes he has taught for the program, which is sponsored by the Springfield Ballet Company. The program began after Hughes was asked by the ballet company to choreograph sword fighting scenes for a recent production of "Romeo and Juliet."

Hughes also is a member of the Springfield Fencing Club, which split the academy gymnasium with the class Saturday.

"It's good for (the fencing club)," Hughes said. "Those who are really interested will stick around, and we'll be able to give them one-on-one training instead of being taught as a group."

Hughes said that in most cases, it won't be long before the beginners are ready to fence competitively. He said two graduates of a previous beginner class have worked with the fencing club and will enter a tournament in St. Louis in March.

Registration is closed for the current round of beginner classes, but Hughes said they will be offered again, possibly in mid- to late March. Hughes also teaches an intermediate class.

Springfield's Jim Dickinson said he's wanted to learn fencing for a while, so he jumped at the opportunity when a friend invited him to Hughes' class.

"The speed, the skill - I'm light on my feet, quick," said Dickinson, 56, who also is a runner. "So that's what's appealing about it."

"I'm getting older, so I wish I'd done it earlier."

Daniel Pike can be reached at 788-1532 or daniel.pike@sj-r.com.