Fencing has been offered as an accredited MSU class since the 1988 Spring semester. The class meets once each week for two hours, resulting in a 32-hour course. This means that MSU's fencing class is fundamentally a "crash course" that is intended to introduce swordplay, offer a taste of combat, and otherwise provide students with sufficient information to intelligently choose whether to pursue this exquisite sport. It is not at all an easy task to learn to fence under such time constraints.

Fencing is an incredibly enjoyable experience! It is difficult to convey the intense sensations most fencers feel on the strip when facing a strong adversary. However, fencing also requires training the body to become comfortable in immensely unnatural (and occasionally initially painful) positions. Furthermore, becoming proficient in fencing requires much more diligence than most other sports, as considerable time executing dreary drills must be spent before the real fun begins. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see students enroll in droves but soon drop in like manner. (This is an especially common phenomenon the semester immediately following the release of a popular movie featuring a great deal of swashbuckling sword-wielding.) This is terribly unfortunate, as it takes nothing more than desire, determination, and time to become a solid fencer.

The class was originally headed by Bill Stone, but it wasn't long before veteran fencer Tim Elder began his honorable watch as senior instructor. Elder served in this capacity until the fall of 1996, when he passed the torch to the current senior instructor, Jason M. Purcell.

Throughout his tenure, Elder allowed experienced club members who demonstrated a reasonable degree of proficiency in teaching to serve as assistant instructors. Purcell continued this valuable tradition by immediately enlisting the services of the capable Bobby Bellew. Sadly, Bobby left the area in a career move after two years in this role. His position was filled by the current assistant instructor, Greg Valentine.

Unlike Bobby, Greg has only been fencing a couple of years. However, like all excellent fencers, Greg has poured himself into the study of fencing theory and the development of his skills. He has become the most capable fencer in the club and stands both as an authoritative leader and an effective teacher.

The class meets on campus in MSU's Carr Health building, pictured here. Depending on the night's activites, the class may utilize a standard classroom, the gymnastics rooms, the building grounds, or any combination of these venues.

The Carr Health building is expected to undergo renovation in the near future. Yet — as you can see from this photo — the building is still in far better condition than our previous practice facility, even in its current state.

As stated in the syllabus:

Students will learn the basic skills necessary to compete in all three weapons (foil, sabre, and epee ), though most class time will be spent in foil instruction. Students will learn proper fencing etiquette, competitive rules, basic skills, and classic fighting techniques. In addition, students will learn to conduct themselves appropriately while bouting under tournament conditions.

However, a more broad objective is simply to introduce students to the world of fencing, which is not limited to the contemporary Western combat style described above. Fencing includes contemporary Eastern fencing (kendo), historical (period) fencing, and theatrical (stage) fencing. Each of this areas offers its own flavor of satisfaction and enjoyment, and therefore deserves class coverage.

The class can be broken down into the following components:

Lecture (15%)

consisting primarily of historical background, overviews of each modern fencing genre, and technical information concerning specific fencing actions

Instruction (20%)

including physical demonstration of fencing actions as well as both corporate and individual instruction

Practice (50%)

the essence of skillful fencing (or lack thereof)

Competition (10%)

the practical portion of the physical examination, replete with massive adrenaline rush

Examination (5%)

including both a written examination consisting entirely of essay questions and a physical examination requiring students to demonstrate specific fencing skills

For more information, contact senior instructor Jason M. Purcell at jpurcell@prefer.net or advance to our feedback form for additional contact options.