Kids Learn Quick Thinking and Fancy Footwork on Oakland's Fencing Club

You don't have to be a Renaissance enthusiast to appreciate the mental and physical benefits of fencing.

That's right, fencing — a sport that piqued the interest of student Paul Coutilish a few years ago during the Olympics.

Paul's mother, Theresa, came across a team at , and Paul started attending the team’s practices to learn the sport.

Soon, they found other kids with the same interest and formed their own club. Now the Honor Guard Fencing Club of Oakland meets every week at the Auburn Hills Community Center under the direction of D.C. Moons, who is also the coach for OU’s fencing team.

“Since we started we’ve had anywhere from four members to 30 members,” Therea Coutilish said. She helps run the club as the co-administrator.

Learning the sport

Fencing is a combat sport where opponents fight against one another with swords - foils, épées, or sabers.

The different types of swords are used depending on the specific game being played and experience level of the fencers. The Honor Guard Fencing Club of Oakland is one of the few area fencing clubs, and it accepts youth members of all ages, gender and skill levels.

According to Moons, fencing is a safe sport. Most of the members practice and bout (fight) with foils – the safest version of the fencing weapons. With the foils, points are only awarded when the tip of the weapon hits the torso of the other person.

“These kids get to get some aggression out and show off in a very safe forum,” Moons said of the sport. “It’s like a high speed game of chess; they have to be quick thinking.”

He also noted that quick thinking and good footwork were two of the most important qualities to have in a fencing bout. At practice, Moons said they spend the first half an hour warming up and working on footwork, then proceed to drills with the weapons. Another key quality Moons says is important is good sportsmanship – something that he stresses regularly in practices.

“I’m very strict with kids giving respects and saluting their opponents,” Moons said. “They also need to say touché and give credit to their opponent when they do something right.”

Being part of the club

Hunter Smith, 12, who attends , has been fencing with the club for about a year.

“I saw fencing on a TV special. I thought it looked really interesting and wanted to learn how to do it,” said Smith, of Rochester. “I really like this club.”

Ages of members have ranged from 7 to 16. One of the club’s youngest members, Emilia Fanelli, 9, of Clarkston has been practicing fencing with the club for two years now.

“Once she started she loved it,” Emilia’s mom, Kim, said. “The club is wonderful. It has a really great group of kids. They aren’t segregated and they all feel comfortable together.”

The details

• The Honor Guard Fencing Club of Oakland meets every Tuesday from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the Auburn Hills Community Center.
• Cost per participant is $40 per month.
• Though many people end up getting their own fencing equipment - basic weapon, jacket and mask - the club has extras for members to rent.The average cost for buying the equipment is about $120 total.
• If kids think it’s something they would like to try, the club offers two free courtesy visits before any decision needs to be made.
• For more information on the club, or to join, email honorguardfencing@yahoo.com.

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