Sabrina Fang turned curiosity about a new school club into gold.
Fang recently returned from the Canada Cup fencing competition in Quebec City with two gold medals. Only 12 years-old, she was one of the youngest competitors in the Women’s Under-15 foil and junior team women’s foil events.
Fang first picked up a foil three years ago when a new fencing club started at her school. The Coquitlam girl, who attends Meadowridge school in Maple Ridge, was curious about the sport.
“It is kinda weird to be picking up a sword and stabbing each other,” Fang said.
But as she started to practice the sport that dates back to the 12th century and was included in the first modern Olympics, Fang learned it wasn’t quite so simple. Fencing is as much about mental dexterity as physical ability.
“You’re trying to outwit your opponent,” Fang said.
And, she discovered, she was pretty good at it.
Fang won a club tournament, representing her school. She was also introduced to a coach, who told her about the Tri-City Fencing Academy in Port Coquitlam, the largest such club in British Columbia with about 180 registered and non-registered members, as well as six coaches.
Fang signed up and elevated her commitment to the sport, attending two-hour training sessions about four times a week.
“You work on your physical skills and your mental skills,” Fang said. “You talk about strategies. It’s different and unique.”
Israel Cando, the academy’s co-founder and technical manager, said the sport often appeals to young people who’ve been turned off by traditional team sports like soccer.
“They’re trying to look for something different,” Cando said. “There’s always tennis and martial arts, but it’s also the sword fighting, the idea of being able to hold a foil.”
Cando said Hollywood movies like the swashbuckling light sabre battles in Star Wars feed the sport’s romance.
Fang said since joining the academy two years ago, she’s been able to fine-tune her footwork, kick up her coordination. But learning when and how to deploy her skills against her opponents is an ongoing process.
“A good fencer is so smart,” Fang said.
In fact, Cando said the sport is like physical chess.
“You have to think of a strategy based on the situation in front of you,” Cando said. “You try to lead your opponent into thinking you’re doing one thing, and then try to do something else.”
Fang said she tries to scout her opponents’ matches at a tournament to size up their strategies, but she often finds herself falling behind early in a match as she gets their measure.
“It can be a bit of a risky strategy,” she said. “You have to observe your opponent really fast because otherwise it will take a lot of energy to come back.”
The strategy paid off in Quebec City, Fang said, adding she usually attends tournament in the United States, from Texas to California to Washington, D.C. because the deeper talent pool forces her up her game. And it will have to be at its very top when she travels to Baltimore, MD, in March to compete in the North American Cup.
• To learn more about the Tri-City Fencing Academy, go to www.tri-cityfencing.com
