Brandeis, as we all know, has many longstanding and proud traditions. Believe it or not, sports are one of them. Now, we had the good sense to sack the football program long ago. No, I’m talking about a pillar of the student body of Brandeis: Fencing. There is perhaps no more Brandeisian sport than fencing (even I fence epee! If you’re on the team and reading this, hmu). I’m here to tell you that Brandeis had a couple meets recently– Jan. 22 and Jan. 30– and what you need to know about them.
Quick overview on fencing, for the uninitiated: there are three blades. Saber, Epee and Foil. Saber is all about reflexes and slashing—anywhere on the upper body and head is fair game. It’s the fastest of the blades, and the only one in which stabbing at someone usually isn’t a good idea. For the 1.5-ish years I fenced saber, half the time I didn’t know what hit me. Epee, on the other hand, is all about stamina (which we all have plenty of, thanks to the Raab steps). Stamina, and surprise, that is—though many claim it is the slowest blade, a quarter of a second can be the difference between a touch and a miss. Epee is also a stabbing sport. Another thing: anywhere is the target area. Head (ehh), chest (no), arm (good), wrist (better), foot (if you feel like being a jerk), crotch (if you want to get carded and thrown out). It’s also the blade I’ve fenced for around three years now, and I quite enjoy it. Foil, on the other hand, will have no part in the savagery of saber and decidedly uncivilized nature of epee. Foil is a blade that prizes being light on your feet and quick to flick your wrist to get a touch; but being accurate lest you hit off target area. It is also a stabbing weapon. The only target area is the torso, and there are about a million rules to go along with it. Most of them are pretty straightforward, but Foil is unique in its obscurities and nuances (which at least one person on the team has usually memorized). I’ve tried foil, but I’ve never been able to shake my saber-esque reflexes and therefore haven’t found much success.
The home meet on the 22nd was decidedly alright. The Judges fell to MIT at the start of the day, but the women’s foil squad performed heroics with a 7-2 win. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the women’s team—suffering a 12-13 loss—and the men were soundly shut down, 11-16. However, Brandeis men have a proud reputation of carrying on no matter what, and that’s exactly what they did against Brown, edging out a 14-13 win. Saber and Epee found 7-2 and 5-4 wins respectively. Unfortunately, the Brandeis Women’s team was beaten in a rough 22-5 loss against Brown. Brandeis Women found much more success against club teams from Dartmouth, beating 17-8, though an incomplete Dartmouth Saber roster did play a small role (not enough to influence the decision of the set). The Brandeis men, on the other hand, echoed the women’s performance from the previous round against Brown, suffering a frosty 22-5 loss. Eager to redeem themselves, the Brandeis Men’s team found some of that legendary Brandeis stamina to pull off a 21-6 win against Vassar. Unfortunately, the Women’s team ate a 16-11 loss. The Saber team, happy as ever to pull some more heroics, pulled out a notable 6-3 win. The Brandeis men, looking to end on a high note, soundly beat BC 16-11. The Epee squad had their day, winning 7-2. The Foil squad won 5-4. The Brandeis Women’s team, doing their best, suffered a 19-8 defeat. The heroes of the day were undoubtedly the 2 members of the Brandeis Women’s Saber team, fencing nonstop without a full team. Overall, the Brandeis men’s team went 4-1 and the women’s team 1-4.
The meet on the 30th against NYU was tough. TL;DR, we lost. Brandeis women lost their first set 15-12 and their second 19-8. The men lost 18-9 in their first set and were humbled by a 22-5 loss in their second set. As bleak as it sounds, and it is, some Brandeis spirit did show through: the women’s Saber team (that team, who were so heroic at the previous meet) won 6-3 in their second set. Women’s Epee won their second set 5-4, and the men took home their lone win of the day in the form of a 5-4 epee match.
Clearly, the Brandeis fencing team has met a couple of challenges in the form of these meets. That being said, they seem determined to put their best foot forward, and I have no doubt that they’re training hard for the Duke invitational on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13. If you ask me, every Brandeis squad has the potential to be brilliant. I’d advise you to keep an eye on Men’s Epee, and to keep especially close watch on Women’s Saber. We may be down, but we are far from out, and from my experience, a squad can be entirely transformed in the space of two weeks. Blink, and you’ll miss it (PSA: closing your eyes during a bout is generally not a good idea). When the Duke meet happens, we’ll be sure to let you know how this pillar of Brandeis culture is holding up against their foes.
