Author: Chelsea Kellogg
The methodical clinking of fencing echoing from Lower Herrick can be attributed to the fencing club, which has channeled its momentum from last semester and restarted with renewed vigor.
The club now has more than 20 regular members and a rigorous training schedule which includes practices Saturday through Tuesday, as well as on Thursday.
Members are encouraged to come as much as possible to these open classes, with most students attending practice two to three times a week. Their training includes running, reaction time and leg strength exercises, as well as fencing-specific training like point control and distance from one’s opponent.
Although fencing is technically a one-on-one sport, there is a whole team structure behind each individual fencer. In a basic fencing team, one fencer will fence another; the first to reach ten points wins that match. Then the losing fencer will exit and a teammate will take his or her place and continue to fence the champion with one caveat: They are now competing to 20, with the previous score still remaining. Thus the lineup and prowess of the team is as important as an individual fencer’s skill.
According to Club President Brady Gillerlain (sophomore), fencing is intellectually challenging as well. “It’s like a physical chess match in a way,” he said. “The way you are moving up and down the strip and looking for an opening in your opponent’s defense . . . or just moving for the sake of moving so you can try and see some sort of hesitation or moment where you can come in and get the touch.” Add in the proper “rights of way” and the mental strategy associated with fencing becomes more complicated to practice and infinitely more difficult to teach, added Gillerlain.
Gillerlain and his new partner Cameron Westbury (first-year) are responsible for teaching the basics of fencing and the more advanced strategies necessary for competitions. Gillerlain has several years of experience teaching beginners and is primarily responsible for the beginner classes.
Westbury won last year’s Division II National Championship in fencing and still competes professionally. At Oxy, Westbury gives students a taste of more advanced technique and strategy. “Cameron coming in has been huge for us because he provides this whole other avenue of coaching and a much more professional focus,” Gillerlain said.
The level of commitment seen by Westbury and Gillerlain is unusual for a club, which has not yet achieved “club sport” status. Gillerlain has met with the athletic department about becoming a club sport, but those plans have stalled due to the budget constraints facing Oxy.
“Our biggest problem is that we lack funding,” Westbury said.
In fact, the club receives no funds whatsoever so long as it is not a club sport. With a sport that is as equipment- intensive as fencing, sparse funding could spell its demise. Gillerlain said, “We received $600 from ASOC last year, which we used to purchase masks and foils. However, we still don’t have jackets and gloves, which would be about $800.” Not to mention that the costs of entrance fees for competitions and transportation to other gyms to train will likely make the members dig into their own pockets.
The only National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competitive fencing teams on the west coast are Stanford and UC San Diego. The east coast has a litany of competitive liberal arts fencing teams. However, on the west coast, no liberal arts school has yet developed a competitive fencing program. Gillerlain wonders if Occidental is passing up an opportunity to pioneer an NCAA league for the west coast by not advancing fencing to the club or varsity sport level.
Both Gillerlain and Westbury say they would like to eventually take the fencing club to competitions and to a more advanced training club in Culver City. For now, however, the fencing club will continue dueling with the hope of competing before the end of the year.
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