But she ended up all the better-she recently placed seventh at the NCAA Fencing Championships and received All-American honors for her talents, the first woman at BC to do so. She doesn’t like boasting about her accomplishments, partially because of the kids that didn’t understand the sport. “ And I didn’t really appreciate that, so with fencing, I could still be an athlete but rely a lot on my own ability.”īut even though Bichette picked up fencing instead of basketball, a sport she never took a liking to, the preteen angst and cattiness of others caught up to her.Īt school, Bichette says she would get made fun of all the time because of fencing.
“It’s who’s the most popular kid on the team, and that’s who we’re going to give the most time to,” Bichette said. And part of the reason that she didn’t develop a liking for team sports was because people only ever picked their friends for teams. Fencing consists of matches between two people, called bouts, so unless you are in a team event where all bout scores are compiled for a total result, you’re on your own. What drew her to fencing as a 7-year-old wasn’t a movie, but the individual nature of the sport. Bichette’s coach runs a private club, at which she was the only girl. Fencing in Florida is nothing like your standard Little League baseball or football camps, and there are no high school teams to play on.
#Fencing touche vs foil movie
In a place like Orlando, most kids start fencing because they watch a movie with sword-fighting, like Pirates of the Caribbean, and their moms search for fencing programs nearby. People don’t get drawn into it because of local interest, but rather because of random piques. Its popularity lies abroad and in metropolitan areas like New York and Texas. Her mom thought Bichette would be interested-and like moms usually are, she was right.įencing, however, isn’t very popular or widely known in Florida. The only reason she got into the sport was because of her mom, who worked out at the ESPN Wide World of Sports, a sports and recreational complex located in Disney World, and noticed a fencing tournament there. In competitions, you can thrust and cut your opponent, and the target area is everywhere above the waist (including the head and armpits).Īs the sabre discipline has a large range of movements, and demands quick and strong attacks, the fencers' footwork and responses to strategy changes are key to winning.When you think of Orlando, Fla., you may think of warm temperatures, palm trees, and Disney World.įencing might not be the first thing that comes to mind.īoston College junior Renee Bichette didn’t first think of fencing, either. The sabre is also known as the soldier's sword. As the fencers shift back-and-forth between attack and defence, the épée match has the slowest pace among the three disciplines. Defence is essential – as the whole body is a valid target area, fencers need to be highly skilled to fend off their opponents' attacks. In competitions, only stabs, not slashes, are allowed.
The fencer scores a touché when the weapon tip or blade touches the opponent's head, limbs or torso. The major difference between foil and épée is that the épée is heavier and has a larger target area. As the foil is lighter and has fewer targets than both épée and sabre, it demands better techniques and strategies. A foil fencer scores only by hitting the opponent's torso with the blade tip. The foil, which weighs about 500g, is the lightest among the three weapons, and the weapon of choice for most beginners.
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