Beyond the typical high school sports of tennis, volleyball, and basketball, 8th graders Jaishnaa Rajagopal and Kensie Lim compete in fencing, the combat sport of offense and defense.
Fencing is a sport about timing and strategizing, trying to predict what an opponent will do for one’s advantage, whilst doing different parries and constantly adapting paces. Competitive fencing starts off in “pools,” where three fencers in a team face off against each other, with a fourth alternate. Depending on how well a competitor fares in the pools, they can advance to direct eliminations.
Though Lim started fencing at six years old, she took a break due to the pandemic. When she was 10, she resumed her sport at the Orange County Fencing Center (OCFC) club. Currently, she is a D-rated fencer (on a scale of A-U) and is 60th at the USA Y-14 level.
“Me and my sister would be sword fighting all the time. [When] we were looking for a sport for my sister, we were like ‘why don’t we do fencing for her?’ Then I ended up trying [fencing] too, and I liked it!” Lim said.
Over time, fencing has become one of Lim’s favorite pastimes, as she’s been able to travel to different states and countries for competitions.
“When I was really young, I went to France to fence,” Lim said. “I [also] went to Milwaukee, Arizona, and most of the West Coast. Then, I tried doing most local tournaments, [and] you can see a lot of fun people there. I saw Lee Kiefer, and I actually got a signature.”
Rajagopal began her fencing journey last January, inspired by her mom. Practicing at West Coast Fencing Academy in Tustin, she currently does sport fencing and is on track to be competitive, using the saber, one of the three types of fencing swords.
“My favorite part of fencing is definitely the moments after a bout, [which is] a match, where we can chat with our opponent,” Rajagopal said.
Fencing hasn’t come without its challenges, though; different positions like footwork or walking require different strategies, adjusting arm strengths or parries in short bursts over time.
“The lack of practice individually since it is a partner sport [is a challenge] and it can’t really be practiced with your friends,” Rajagopal said.
Despite this, fencing has been a favorite hobby for both students. Throughout high school, they hope to continue growing in fencing. Rajagopal even plans on joining her college’s fencing team eventually, and Lim hopes to continue pursuing it as a hobby and way to make memories, encouraging others to try it out.
“It’s a really fun sport,” Lim said. “It’s more like a welcomed society where you will learn a lot more about being able to do the right move at the right time [and have] a better reaction.”
