Fencing good exercise for mind, body, say members of Highland High's new club

By Karen Maeshiro, Staff Writer

PALMDALE -- Clad in long-sleeved white jackets made of thick canvas-like material, the students whipped and thrust their thin fencing swords to the commands of "salute" and "en garde."

Members of Highland High School's year-old Fencing Club advanced and retreated, stepping back and forth in the classic fencing stance, one arm holding forward the foil, the other bent upward behind them.

"Once I joined, I realized it was healthy for me. I never really exercised before. It was a good way to get exercise," senior Brady Higa said. "It's pretty much full-body. For fencing, you have to have strong legs to move quickly and thrust. I enjoy bouting, the actual excitement of it. You have to have quick reactions but also smart reactions."

The club's adviser is Robin Mackey, a Spanish teacher who fenced in college. He said he came up with the idea to offer students an alternative form of recreation.

Club members get together on Fridays after school to practice wherever they can find space.

"It was something that they didn't have at school or anywhere else in the Antelope Valley," Mackey said.

"It seemed to provide an alternative to some of the team sports. It's more of an individual sport. It's a sport that you don't have to be born athletic in order to get some good out of it," Mackey said. "Anybody at any level can have fun and get in good shape."

Club President Jonathan Reinhard said he wanted to do something different.

"I didn't want to play basketball or football. I wanted to do something intellectual," said Reinhard, a senior. "This is a mental chess game. You have to think about where you are going to go, like chess."

Senior Scott Van Kampen, who helped Mackey and Reinhard start the club, said fencing is an enticing sport.

"Fencing, like many martial arts, demands strong independence of a person. You don't have teammates to rely on. This is a very contrasting sport," Van Kampen said. "It's a test to your own stamina."

Since the school club started, other fencing clubs have sprung up around the valley, interest no doubt fueled by the two U.S. women who won medals at the Athens Olympics, the first medals for U.S. fencing in 20 years.

"We had a couple of ladies who won in the Olympics in the saber competition. That has helped quite a bit. Our men did well, too," Mackey said.

The club held fundraisers to buy the fencing equipment. The student government also helped with a long-term loan, Mackey said. Club dues are $10 a year.

The club also has received guidance from Tigran Shaginian, a Russian champion who runs a fencing studio in Burbank, Mackey said.

Karen Maeshiro, (661) 267-5744 karen.maeshiro@dailynews.com