The Lincoln Log

“They think that it’s easy and all you do is poke each other, but it’s more than that. It’s about your technique and footwork and stamina. It’s harder than it looks,” junior Janice Chen said.

There are many misconceptions about fencing. You may think that it is a brutal sport with swords with people just cutting each other up. The truth behind this is that it is really all about finesse; you have to be as graceful as a gazelle.

It’s all about “mental chess.” It’s all about reading your opponent’s next move and being ready to figure out a way to counter their attack.

Though Abraham Lincoln High School’s team lacks seniors, their best players are all juniors this year.

The girls were able to place first in All-City, in which Washington High School, Lowell High School, Balboa High School, Galileo High School, Wallenberg High School, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Stuart Hall, and University High School competed in as well.

Chen placed second in All-City and junior Melissa Low placed third. They were able to beat out all of the other schools after all of their hard work. However, in All State, Lincoln still shined as the best in SFUSD; Low placed third.

Their practices consisted of working on footwork and sparring against each other. The fencers practice with lunging drills at invisible opponents. This helps them better their footwork.

“Footwork looks easy, but it’s pain,” Junior William Lam said.

Some private schools also get the chance to face public schools in real matches. University High School, a private high school, Stuart Hall, an all boys’ school, and Convent of Sacred Hall (CSH), an all girls’ school, were all difficult competitors.

Lincoln’s fencing team’s biggest competition was University High School and Lowell High School. Although the season has ended, many of them are still training in the off-season.

Some will go off and work on footwork and lift weights, while others will go to camps to improve on all aspects of fencing. Chen will go off to camp; Lam will practice lunges and lift weights.

Fencing may be one of the more unknown sports out there, but junior Allen Chen disagrees, “As you might not know, fencing is the most ballin’ sport ever.”