The reason why I'm updating at 2:49 am (thereabouts) is due to the 24 hour fencing camp yesterday and the day before... Came back and slept from 8 till now... now can't sleep, shall update, do some maths and sleep again.

So what better topic to update on then an end-of-year post for fencing. N yea, sihui is gonna complain to me again that I'm gonna write a post no one will understand... but oh well



Its only slightly more than a year ago that I started out as a foilist, losing 15-6 to Sean of FM through a woeful lack of bladework (but not enthusiasm heheh). Fencing opened up a whole new world for me... But to me, competitions and such were so far away. I never knew it would eventually turn out to be as much of a time committment as St. John was.

So it was on the 16th of Decemberlast year, descending Mount Kinabalu amidst the rain and the mud, when my old Nokia 2100 buzzed with a message from my father stating "Congrats! You've got a place in "VJ Science"!" for PAE was just over and postings were out. And the added incentive was that through Coach Jeff I knew that VJ had a new and upcoming fencing club which held a number of talented fencers.

Albeit they only did epee, that (I used to think) "heavy, highly inelegant and boring weapon" compared to foil... heheh. Watching their demos during open house and subsequently during orientation did not allay my fears, since no one lunged or fleched... bleah... haha...

Although the temptations to follow other friends was strong, to join other sports (I was especially interested to join hockey or air rifle, the latter of which was my little-known temporary ECA, [not CCA] in AHS), I still decided to give it a shot.

Of the fencing club, my feelings were mixed... For many of us it was a novelty in this new sport, but it wasn't a happy club, since no one was feeling particularly loved by the school. When the application for exco came through, I decided to give it a shot. I was shocked when I got a post though, given that Maurice and Daniel seemed like much more impressive characters to me. I was also shocked when the Vice-Captain, Victoria, was also from AHS... its funny how students of such a cheena school as AHS were leading an ang-moh sport.

They asked during the interview "What do you aim to do with the club in the next year?" In the last year, I think we brought fencing out into the open. Cultural Fiesta and the Kebab Incident, Open House this year, and of course, Daniel winning his U-17 medal, the only one of us three to take out his ITE counterpart, while Maurice and I fell to their blades.

But most importantly, it was of the people and the friends made in the course of Fencing.

Coach Jeff Lopez is a tall and friendly person with a great sense of humour and more, often than not, a sarcastic wit.. haha.. He's ambidextrous, and so able to give lessons on both right and left handers... Scary... He also can do all 3 weapons, and has competed in all 3 in the SEA games before! But at the end of the day, he's patient and willing to repair blades, replacing shattered blades (cos it pays his rent) etcetc as well as to tell us bits of history of fencing, or give techniques on everything from binding an opponent's blade to chasing a girl or getting a job =D

Maurice and Daniel are the other 2 teammates of the 'A' Team which will go for the team event during Novices. Both skilled fencers (and since all 3 of us take private lessons) and both are down-to-earth characters, and never have anything to hide, criticizing or praising fencing, or leadership as they see it, which I appreciate. Both tower over me at 179 and 181 cm respectively, and they have a lot of fun about that at my expense... heheh... all 3 of us know each other's fencing skills intimately well, and if we fence each other on an on-form day then whooo....

Victoria, Charlene and Eileen Yap make up the 'A' Team for the Ladies' Event. They're decent fencers I suppose, although they give a lot of priority to their studies, which I understand too... Its what makes people get more than AADE. But if not in fencing, then in support in club matters, they can be relied on to organize things like Cultural Fiesta, farewell etc. Oh, did I mention that Victoria's mum is a great cook n baker!! =)

Mark Ortega and Jonathan Boon, the smartest Year 1 and the only guy IP respectively, also started private lessons recently, maybe not so much to show up much in the coming novices, but they both learn and are willing to. They ask us many questions, and they also care to observe other's fencing. Especially mine, since, like me, they are not from VS and are not tall either... haha... Its really encouraging to see them learn.

Jomaine, Shakura, Eileen Soon and Dhevy are the remaining IPs. They're really busy and so cannot come down at night to fence that much, but they also help out, not the least being their production of our fencing shirt that has been the envy of many a rival club.. heheh... Given their 3 more years in fencing, I think by Year 2, the Novices should be theirs.

Hong Mun, Eldon and Jun Rong, our 3 most enthu seniors, who set up the club, kept it alive for one year and also coming to support us during our comps.

So just to name these few for now. But yes, through all the oft-complained about lack of support from the school, it is these people who make life livable as a VJ fencer.

Of course, there are many other friends from elsewhere that have given advice or help, or more simply, friendship...

From FM: Su San, Brenda, Kuhara, Matt Lopez etc
CJC: Cephas, Cynthia, Cheryl, Gaya, Jeraldine, JunJie etc
RJC: Jonathan Tay, Wei Yang, Yong Liang, Candice, Maryann etc
ITE: Sun, Zixian, JunQing, MengShyan, Kimie etc

Amazing how your social circle increases in fencing life. But then again, for a CCA, this should be how it is.

Its been a great year for us all, although it may have not been easy, but we've definitely progressed since we first started, not only as epeeists and foilists, but as friends, and we've learnt so much more about ourselves and each other, performaing under intense stress, and through aiming for the highest goals. For, as Mark Ortega said, "fencing is like looking into someone's soul as he moves". Maybe not during the bout, but through the competitons and camp, etc, yes this is true. This chess with muscles, this impromptuly choreographed dance. It really has given us much and will do so in the next year.

Hopefully, it brings a gold medal or two with it!

Quote of the year:

Situation: against the national team at pesta sukan
Me: Ok lets play this calmly. Aim for a double digit number for our score. Just fence your best.
Maurice:Aiyar! Who cares! We can win! Come, who supports me?

We lost 45-7 =) but yes, all of us, especially Maurice, gave them a fight to remember

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