One fall Tuesday night--club night at the Wilk--I tagged along with Braden and his friend Nichole Hunt for their weekly fencing club excursion.
After selecting their gear, participating in group warm ups, and having a bit of instruction, the pair began to duel. And lest you think Braden has no gallantry--attacking a girl with a sword--I can assure you it was all about self defense.
In one match I watched, Braden jumped out to an early 3-1 lead, but Nichole came back to take the lead at 4-3. Then Braden tied it up at 4. The bout point was a long round of parries, thrusts, lunges, and retreats. Finally they both struck at the same moment, and the tie required a judgment call. The club president ruled that Nichole had the right of way and won the bout 5–4.
Here are a few short video clips (combined into one) of a different match they fought; I don't recall who won this time, and I could never tell who made points, so watching the video tells me nothing, I'm afraid. But it's fun to watch nonetheless. Almost as good as Princess Bride. In just a few club meetings, Braden and Nichole had learned enough parries, thrusts, and dancing moves to be rather impressive--especially with those cool masks.
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