After 12 hours of physical exertion, UT’s Fencing Club (UTFC) scored the winning point for their first tournament of the season. The team flooded the area of the match embracing, high-fiving and cheering — a feeling club president and senior government and economics major Julio Salinas described as pure catharsis. 

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“You make friends. You stab them … (that’s) one of our mottos,” journalism sophomore Francesca Quinata said. “It’s flashy, it’s fun, it’s competitive — it’s everything I wanted in a sport.” 

UTFC became overall champions at their first Southwest Intercollegiate Fencing Association tournament of the season on Oct. 15, battling against collegiate teams Texas A&M, UT Dallas and Texas state. Quinata said this win sets a good precedent for the season. 

There are three disciplines within fencing: sabre, épée and foil. He said the three disciplines feel like three separate sports because they involve different weapons and rules. 

Sabre involves a sword smaller and lighter than the other disciplines, with the goal of hitting the opponent with any part of the blade above the waist. In épée, any part of the body could make a target, but points must be scored by poking with the tip of the blade. Points are scored the same in foil with the target being the crotch and torso. 

UT fencing placed first in sabre and épée and second in foil, making them the overall champions of the competition. 

“That’s a crazy first win for us,” Quinata said. “We have tons of new beginners and the whole team was hyped. Even if you weren’t on the winning team, you won — we all won. We became the overall champions.” 

Salinas, who competes in foil, said in the five years he’s been at college, the fencing team never made it to finals in every weapon at a SWIFA tournament. 

“It was a hard fight to get to where we were in foil,” Salinas said. “There were very strong teams with Texas State, UT Dallas and A&M, who won first place in foil. We couldn’t surpass A&M this time, but we are hoping to do it at the next one.” 

Salinas said he feels fortunate in finding an accepting, safe space on UT campus.

“You see a sport such as fencing and you think ‘wow, these guys are going to be a bunch of elitists,’” Salinas said. “It seems like a very elitist sport, but it’s not. It’s a very open sport with a lot of people from very different backgrounds (and) very different personalities. We’re all very accepting of each other.” 

Computer science senior Dayou Ren learned sabre in elementary school in China but had to put down the blade to focus on high school. He said he joined UTFC his freshman year to pick back up where he left off. He said he encourages anyone curious about fencing to join one of their open practices. 

“UTFC has become a very significant part of my life at UT … I met a lot of my best friends in the club,” Ren said. “If you ever have the slightest idea of trying out fencing, don’t be afraid. We’re all friendly here.”

Looking forward, Salinas said the team relies on the strength of its beginners. The workouts and intensive drills will continue as the team works its way through the season and to nationals in 2023. 

“We can only become better, and we (can’t) stay complacent,” Salinas said. “We have to keep on moving forward in our training, and we have to keep our mentality as if we (are) behind all the time.”