As Seen in the

Aaron Gruber, a freshman at Waccamaw High School in Pawleys Island,recently proved to himself and others that he can fence with the best of them. He competed against all adults in a U.S. Fencing Association (USFA) Tournament in Wilmington, N.C., and came in third while earning a ranking of "E" by beating his opponents. "It is just a fun sport that you can take to the level you want to go,"Gruber said. "But, if you really want to get into fencing, you’ve got to be committed to it." A student under Mark Scott with Coastal Carolina Fencing Association(CCFA), Gruber started two years ago not knowing much about fencing. He finally feels that he is a contender in this sport that has been described as "chess on feet." CCFA meets every Tuesday and Wednesday night from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Grand Strand Family YMCA on 67th Avenue North in Myrtle Beach. For a fee of $15 plus YMCA fees, this club is open to males and females of all ages. The next local tournament, called "Blades at the Beach," will be held at the YMCA in Myrtle Beach on June 10, starting at 9 a.m. This is the second tournament hosted by CCFA and it is free for anyone who would like to come and watch. Participants must be registered members of the USFA.

Aaron Gruber took Third Place and earned an "E" rating at the April Fool's Tournament hosted by the Cape Fear Fencing Association in Wilmington, NC.

Scott, a former University of North Carolina fencing star and team captain, started CCFA in 2004 and is hoping to expand the club in the future, offering a location in Pawleys Island or Litchfield. He now offers free demonstrations with a message to schools and churches. "We usually tie a spiritual message to the demonstrations, but we can do them without a message also," Scott said. "There is a spiritual aspect to this sport." He adds that fencing is a fast and physically challenging sport, while at the same time a competition of the mind. It is an "open sport," as opposed to shot put or the high jump which are "closed sports."

Aaron Gruber, left, scores on a lunge.

"Doing the movements properly and perfecting the techniques are not always enough," Scott said. "Input coming from your opponent dictates what you do and how you do it."

During a fencing bout, the main object is to effectively score 15 points(in direct elimination play) or five points (in preliminary pool play) on your opponent before he scores that number on you. Each time a fencer scores a "touch" (to the torso of the opponent), he or she receives a point. Direct elimination matches consist of three three-minute periods.

Participants in the sport wear a mesh face mask and tightly woven denim clothing and pads to prevent injuries. The weapons used, called "foils" are not sharp at the end, but if they are broken during a bout, they can be dangerous.

Ranking, from "E" up to "A" (which is the highest — usually Olympic level fencers), is achieved by consistently beating opponents with that ranking. Those who have no ranking are considered "U" for unclassified. Each ranking is well earned, and must be defended in order to retain it. Scott currently holds a USFA "C" ranking.

Bill Woodward, a club member and photographer, got involved with CCFA two years ago after seeing an ad in the newspaper. He says although it is a fun sport to watch, first-time spectators of a tournament are many times confused as to exactly what is occurring.

"There is usually so much happening with several bouts going on at one time and there is no one making announcements," Woodward said. "Cheers rarely come from the audience and all that can be heard is the clash of blades and yells of triumph or frustration."

He recommends, however, that anyone interested in the sport of fencing attend a tournament as a spectator. CCFA welcomes new members also.

"We have all kinds of people of all ages in the club," Woodward said. "People won’t know if they are capable or not until they give it a try."

For more information about CCFA, visit their website at www.coastalcarolinafencing.com, or call Mark Scott at (843) 997-0573.

(Article courtesy of Clayton Stairs of the Georgetown Times. Photos by Bill Woodward.)