The Nexus

Tim Chu
Helen Tanubrata (9), left, practices her fencing at UCSD to improve her epee skills. She regularly participates in fencing competitions in Los Angeles.

The sword felt awkward in her hand. Even after playing endurance games for weeks to train for this moment, Helen Tanubrata (9) was unprepared for her first time wielding a sword.

In fact, she could barely hold the three-pound, three-foot long iron sword outstretched in front of her for more than a few seconds.

Tanubrata had long read about fencing, but like most things you only read about, she never expected to actually try it.

It wasn’t until her mom signed her up for fencing lessons that Tanubrata realized that this was something she wanted to do.

“My mom probably signed me up for fencing classes because she didn’t want me to sit around the house doing nothing,” Tanubrata said. “Then, I found out how much fun fencing was and really wanted to continue.”

Unlike in gymnastics and the other sports Tanubrata had tried in the past, fencing was different for Tanubrata.

She found that she fit in quite well with the other kids who came to her fencing class because she shared the same interests.

Even though there were only 15 to 20 people in her class and more guys than girls, Tanubrata felt like she belonged.

Tanubrata said that fencing is so much fun that she now dreams of one day fencing in the Olympics.

“[Fencing] was something I had never done before,” she said. “Also, [My friends and I] had fun fencing together.”

Tanubrata said she also enjoyed the fact that fencing primarily utilizes hand-eye coordination whereas most other sports are based on strength and flexibility.

Because of this, Tanubrata said that in fencing boys have equal chances of being beaten by girls.

However, in the fencing competitions Tanubrata attends in Los Angeles called the Southern California Scholastic Fencing League (SCSFL), opponents are the same gender, so she never competes against guys.

While she is at these competitions, Tanubrata participates in about 10 matches, or bouts. Each lasts up to five points.

Points are obtained when a player stabs his or her opponent with the sword. Depending on the type of fencing competition, fencers can only stab their opponent in certain areas to obtain points.

Tanubrata competes in the three main types of fencing: epee, foil and saber during these competitions against a wide variety of opponents.

After Tanubrata started fencing, she realized that being left- handed gave her a slight advantage because most of her opponents were unprepared to fight against left-handed people.

But this advantage doesn’t help her in situations where the ref calls a simultaneous, moments where two swords attack their opponents at the same time.

“The hardest part of fencing is when a simultaneous [occurs] and my opponent starts arguing because they want the point really badly,” Tanubrata said. “But it’s not about points; it’s more about having fun while doing the sport.”

Even though having fun is a major draw of fencing for Tanubrata, she also enjoys using it as a way to release her anger.

“I’m really aggressive [in fencing],” Tanubrata said. “But you don’t have to care because you can’t really hurt someone. All you get is a bunch of scratches [depending on the target area].”

Tanubrata said the suits fencers wear protect them from hurting each other. they consist of a few pieces that block their opponents blade and are only as heavy as thick jackets. Fencing has also helped Tanubrata with her focus, concentration and ability to strategize.

“Before, I would just attack people,” Tanubrata said. “Now, I think about strategies and how when I’m holding a sword, I don’t want to just stab somebody. I want to concentrate to find the best move possible.”

Tanubrata also takes into consideration different moves like deflecting her opponents’ blow, known as parries, and pretending to lunge one way and then doing the opposite, known as faints. She incorporates these moves into her fencing because she learned that if you only try to attack your opponent without thinking you won’t get very far in fencing.

Getting far in fencing is something Tanubrata wants to achieve. She plans on fencing all throughout high school, college and maybe even further.

“I just really want to go to the Olympics,” Tanubrata said. “It’s kind of crazy, but that’s my dream.”