-
Title
-
en
Why Women Should Fence
-
list of authors
-
Bertha Pollock
-
Date
-
May 14, 1905
-
page start
-
2
-
page end
-
2
-
content
-
en
Why Women Should Fence
By Bertha Pollock, Amateur Champion Fencer
Discarding all thoughts of gallantry, and for the time forgetting that his opponent with the foils was a maiden fair to look upon, a mere man, well skilled in swordsmanship, met Miss Bertha Pollock in a fencing contest for points – and lost. The fashionable company in the gymnasium of the Herrmann Institute, Philadelphia, cheered the modest young woman again and again.
It may be asked, Why did Miss Pollock fence with a man, instead of giving battle to one of the two score young women present, all of whom have figured in similar contests with credit, and one of whom, Miss Sailor, had that very afternoon won the Pollock prize against a dozen women? The answer is easy. Miss Pollock as a fencer completely outclasses all other women in Pennsylvania, and but very few women in the United States can even make a bout interesting to her.
The daughter of a millionaire clubman, a globe trotter, a linguist, a lover of horses and all outdoor recreations, Miss Pollock speaks with authority when she pronounces fencing “the best fun and the finest exercise for women.”
Erect, alert, and very strong, Miss Pollock is a living evidence of the fact that fencing is good exercise. Her skin is clear and of good color, her eyes fairly glisten as she talks, and unconsciously she moves about with a grace that makes her very step an animated picture. No big knots of overdeveloped muscles disfigure her arms, her hands are very small, and the ugly, heelless shoes she wears when fencing do not serve to hide the symmetry of her feet and ankles.
Miss Pollock was educated in France. Her father, James Pollock, is one of the Commissioners of Fairmount Park and one of the most celebrated wits in the country. His repartee has made the Five O’Clock Club world famous among dining clubs, and his residence is frequently the scene of lavish hospitality.
—
By Bertha Pollock,
Amateur Fencing Champion.
I did not want a single concession when I met Mr. Austin. I wanted to win on my merits, or I wanted to lose so signally as to admit of no dispute. I just love to fence with a person who can give me a real contest. The more severe the struggle the more delightful the victory. It is a pity that more women do not take up the sport. Fencing is not a fad; it is health and strength and confidence. I am not afraid. I do not want to say anything that would savor of boasting, but I want to say that fencing has given me confidence in myself.
You may call it “courage” or “bravery” or “confidence,” or what you will, but I repeat I am not afraid. Give me a cane, a long sharp stick or an umbrella, and I will not run from any man. I know what I can do, and fencing has given me the courage to try. Of course, I shall not go hunting for trouble, but I most sincerely advocate fencing as a cure for “nerves” and for that panicky feeling.
A skillful fencer must have quickness and strength. A weakling will soon acquire both with the foils. A good eye for distance, a sense of proportion and speed will then come. With these will come precision and decision, and I consider decision half the battle in anything. A fraction of a second marks the difference between success and failure in fencing. To decide is to act. The brain, the eyes, the arm, wrist and hand, the feet and all the muscles of the body act instantly and together, and a point is scored. To hesitate is to fail.
—
Training Valuable in a Panic.
The mode of attack, the plan of defense and all the tricks that experience has taught the fencer, loom up like lightning flashes, and action follows perforce. Caught in a panic, I should anticipate the real peril just as I now try to anticipate the attacks of my opponent, and, having decided what to do, should proceed to do it. I am quite as strong as most men, and I am sure that this strength would help somewhat in a rush.
I believe fencing to be a sovereign cure for hysteria, and as it requires little or no strength at the beginning I see no reason why any woman who values her health should not take it up. Believe me, fencing is rare sport.
As an exercise for women fencing has no equal. I have tried all sorts of exercises, and ought to be able to name the best for women. Fencing brings every muscle of the body into play without straining any one. It is entirely void of violence, and yet it is strenuous enough to produce a muscular frame and good lungs. It requires continued deep breathing and a chest motion that is especially desirable for possessed of weak lungs.
The masculine swing which basket-ball is prone to develop is entirely overcome by practice with the foil; the graceless, loping carriage which marks the persistent golf player is corrected, and to the woman who does not play tennis or follow any form of outside exercise it leads beauty to the lines of the form and adds grace to the motions of the body. The awkward woman becomes graceful, the timid woman becomes confident, the stiff woman supple and pliant, the woman who droops or carries herself carelessly soon acquires an erect bearing, and an air of refinement follows. It develops delicacy and firmness of touch, a keen eye, dexterity of fingers and wrist, a quick action and quicker thought.
Unlike rowing, foil play keeps hand small and shapely, and cultivates a suppleness and ease in the fingers that beautify even an ill-formed hand.
Mere strength plays but a small part in the art of fencing. Quickness of motion, pliancy of body, sureness of eye and a steady hand control the results. Any inherent weakness will provide a handicap at first. I say at first advisedly, because constant use of the foil under proper instruction will inevitably insure a uniform development and a strong body.
The costume worn in fencing is a help to grace in itself. It is cheap and easily provided. In addition, it is picturesque and becoming. Any defect in form or carriage is emphasized by the costume and correction soon follows. The short skirt, reaching barely to the knees, is a constant reminder that one has feet. The vulgar, sprawling position assumed by many women of refinement is one of the first faults noticed and corrected. No women in kilts will stand or sit “pigeon-toed.” The limbs, except in action, are always kept close together, the right heel in the hollow of the left foot. The weapon is at all times evenly supported.
—
Fencing corrects Faults of Carriage.
The body is erect, from the salute to the finale; the hand is always held high and well poised, and the eyes acquire the habit of attention and concentration. The position for a parry corrects that unlovely, hump-shouldered carriage so common among women and growing girls to-day, and the action of the lungs arrests the drawn, swayback appearance which mars many an otherwise attractive form. Bad cases of “hands” have been permanently cured by fencing.
Once attained, the correct pose of a fencer is so fraught with comfort and a half-conscious grace that a woman intuitively recognizes it as ordained by nature.
The outfit required by a girl taking up fencing costs about $15. This first cost may be increased by absurdities, just as the expense of any sport may be great or little as the individual elects. Lessons cost all the way from $10 to $100.
-
depicts
-
Photograph : "Low line time thrust"
-
Photograph : "Corps a Corps"
-
Photograph : "Miss Pollock resting"
-
Illustration : "At attention"
-
Photograph : "Engaged"
-
Illustration : "In readiness"
-
Photograph : "Miss Bertha Pollock"
