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Title
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The Girl Fencers of the University Of California
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list of authors
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Ida L. Brooks
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Date
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May 26, 1907
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volume
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101
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issue
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177
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page start
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9
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page end
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9
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content
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The GIRL FENCERS of the UNIVERSITY of California
By Ida L. Brooks
WORD goes forth that, of a sudden, college women in Berkeley have evinced a very gripping interest in fencing; that on Mondays and on Wednesdays in Hearst hall at about the time when with the declining light from the windows above shadows begin to gather, you will hear the click of steel and see tense faces masked. It is the time when the skilled fencers have their bouts.
One has said – but he was a college wag – that the historical novel is what did it and, in fact, what almost undid it subsequently. Tales of ancient and honorable combat stirred the blood. Some one at Hearst hall suggested fencing for girls and the suggestion was eagerly carried out. But with the thrust and parry came too vividly the recollection that it was the knight who anciently and honorably did the fighting and the beautiful maiden who serenely stood back and allowed herself to be doughtily defended. The fairest whispered, “Why learn to fence?” Thereupon interest slackened.
Anen, reaction! For one who is broad shouldered, whose features are firm set and inscrutable, who is unafraid of the truth, declared with fervor that it would be foolish to desist. “For,” said she, “knighthood never more will flower. In these days we must know how to defend ourselves.”
So much for the wag. Naturally the fair defendants hasten to refute his statement. They protest that there is no more serious business in hand than perfecting muscular development and acquiring grace of movement.
But it is useless to become submerged in argument when there are unequivocal facts at one’s disposal.
It is Professor Walter E. Magee, physical director at the gymnasium, who is primarily responsible for the new athletic epidemic. Taking a lively interest in the sport, he has for the past several years tried to arouse a like interest among the girls of his classes. But enthusiasm has been spasmodic.
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Fencing is Difficult
Learning to fence is a somewhat exacting pastime. People seem rarely to be born with a gift for fencing. There is a struggle to make against all the muscles and nerves in order to attain anything like grace for even the most fundamental movements: skill comes only after long endeavor. Having got the muscles under control is but the beginning. Then follows the training of the wits. And they must be so quick, the wrist and fingers so well trained to instant response, that even to the average athletic zealot the goal seems very far off.
The realization of these things having come with more or less force to the minds of the great majority of would-be aspirants under Professor Magee’s direction, fencing classes during the past years have not had a great measure of success. One by one they have blazed into being, existed brilliantly for a week or two, then have burned low suddenly, and flickered out.
The long suffering fencing master of Hearst hall, grown accustomed to such extinguishment of zeal for the ancient art, saves himself the useless labor of teaching those who are plainly not seriously interested by making great exactions, from the start, both of their time and energies. In this way the matter has righted itself and the girls who have had a penchant for handling the foil have been given every opportunity for increasing their skill, the other having been dissuaded, and by absenting themselves have helped the cause.
Professor Magee frankly acknowledges that he does not wonder all the lack of interest that has been manifest in the past. On the contrary, the discovery of persevering interest and skill has been a matter of as much surprise as pleasure to him.
Things have taken a turned within the last year and he is willing to say that the prospects for the survival of fencing as a sport for the women of the university are, at least, fair.
The present display of enthusiasm is largely the outcome of Miss Reby R. Galvin’s efforts on behalf of fencing at the end of the last semester. It was she who proposed the organization of a fencing club and who was most energetic in the matter of consummating the plan.
Now fencing stands side by side with boating, tennis and basket ball.
Fencing having become a recognized factor in college life, the eoeds, if from no other motive, feel it incumbent upon them to keep the sport alive. Until the women in some sister college are wakened to similar enthusiasm, there will be no intercollegiate bouts. But before long there will be interclass tournaments in which the Berkeley college woman will prove her right to add another to the list of already mani-ad accomplishments.
The fencing club really came into history in the early part of December of last year with a membership of some 23 or 24 young women. Miss Galvin was chosen as manager, that being the most important position in any of the clubs under sports and pastimes. The latter society has a president with executive powers over all branches.
It goes without saying that fencing is not as yet included in the regular gymnasium curriculum. “But,” said Professor Magee a few days ago, “if interest continues at present it will be considered next term as an advanced course in athletics and will count as units in regular college work.”
This term exercises with single sticks are being given, which serve as a sort of preliminary work to the more difficult manipulation of foils. Thirty, 40, sometimes 50 girls use the sticks at once. After a few days practice the effect is very pretty, as it indeed all advanced class work in the gymnasium. The concerted movement of body and limb, becomingly attired in dark blue, freedom affording suits of serge, and bedecked with jaunty yellow silken sashes, knotted at the side, is a good sight to see. One cannot help wondering why and even regretting that Professor Magee alone, of all his sex, should be permitted to witness so charming a spectacle.
There are now two fencing classes regularly organized, which meet for practice on Mondays and Wednesdays, the days that bring Professor Magee to Hearst hall. In the mornings during an interim between classes, a group of about 20 girls don their masks, plastrons and gloves to master the fundamental essentials of the art. In the afternoon a class of about six or eight actually fence.
A year or so ago when this latter group of fencers were about to take their first lessons and Professor Magee was as usual all enthusiasm, one of them came to him, bright with interest, as he supposed for the fencing, and said “Don’t you think it would just lovely for us to all have white flannel suits?” She couldn’t hold her foil properly then.
The fencing master, after he tells that story as an illustration of how the minds of girls run, usually regrets doing so in view of the fact that the girl who wanted the white suits has developed into one of this best fencers. To offset this tells another of a young man once under his instruction who desired to know of a good firm from which to buy a pair of foils. He asked the young man if he intended to take up fencing. “Oh, no!” was the reply, “but I think they look so well hanging on the wall.”
Mastery of the fundamentals is all important, but not easily accomplished. Such commands as these come with the first lesson: attention, on guard, half bend, hand up, hand down, foil straight, foil pointed at opponent’s eye, recover backward, etc. And a tremendous amount of awkwardness has to be eliminated to arrive at any grace.
Some faces express grim death, and some nothing worse than murderous intent; some mildest unconcern, and some the hopelessness of the unattainable. Someone up in the gym the other day said fencing wasn’t any joke. It certainly doesn’t seem to be in the early stages.
The fun for pupils and teacher as well comes after the first two or three terms of drudgery. To explain points of play Professor Magee will advance and invite attack without attempting a defense. It reminds one of the padded wall arrangement in old French fencing schools. The similarity struck home one day when a fair one was thus indenting him and she burst out with, “I might as well be attacking a wall.”
When two girls assume the position of on guard, standing firmly on the rubber gymnasium mat, faces tense and dark behind the masks, it look very much as if something were going to happen. Then the combat.
For simplifying matters the lines of attack are known as high and low tierce, high and low quarte. So well have the fencers learned the various parries that many a thrust is made that goes wide of its mark and fails to score a “touch.” A slight turn of the wrist just at the right moment, and the feeble of her opponent’s foil having met the forte of her own goes far from the direction it sought and “touches” the air.
The two chief fundamentals rules of fencing are adhered to with great nicety: First – In making an attack the point of the foil should always be below the hand; second – when the attack is delivered the foil arm should be as straight as you can make it.
Also, the left arm never falls of opposed in combat the former display great magnanimity in counting, keeping the score aloud and observing all touches made, regardless of his having receiving most of them without as much as attempting to parry. After a little of this sort of thing, however, for practice, fencing goes on in earnest and the pupil must look well to her parries.
The girls say that fencing is indisputably the hardest exercise they have ever indulged in. Their flushed cheeks and quick breathing after 10 or 15 minutes’ practice bear them out.
“I approve fencing for girls fully as much as for men,” said Professor Magee, in discussing the sport. “It is not necessary to be exceedingly strong to be able to fence well. Mere physical skill counts little. It is an art of subtlety, not of muscular force
“If I were teaching fencing to a person not taking other general exercise I should teach left hand as well as right hand fencing. Otherwise deformity might result. Any tendency to curvature of the spine is always on the legs on both sides get equal development in fencing, but not so with the truck and arms.”
“Fencing is a maker of strength, a great developer of muscle. All the flexors and extensors are brought into play, and almost in equal measure; for every movement there is a counter movement. The muscles, the ankle, peroneus longue and peroaeus brevis, become wonderfully strengthen, especially when a low cut she is worn, the proper wear for fencing as well as for all other exercise. The tibialls anticus of the toe gets its share as well, and one of the good results of fencing is that the fencer learns how to walk with dignity of carriage and gracefulness, and not with his knees.
In fencing judgment sure and instantaneous is what counts,” said Professor Magee. “The sport is a sharpener of the wits. So, primarily, the fencer must be quick witted. He must also be magnanimous. No sport seems to call for more courteousness of manner.”
“I am very well satisfied with the progress now being made by the classes in fencing, especially the advanced class. Some of the members of the advanced class have had only one term’s work. That means about 20 lessons in all. And the lessons afford only a few minutes practice to each student. They have had to be carried in in the intervals between classes in regular gymnasium works. I am glade to say that fencing seems to be looking up at last.”
It is of course impossible to tell the future of fencing will be at Hearst hall, but one thing is certain, and that is that there never has been such an array of foils, gloves, plastrons and masks in Professor Magee’s office as at present.
