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NB youths say 'en garde'

By John Behling
In a four-day camp there isnít much time to mess around. Monday, July 7, at North Branch Middle School, 15 students ages 8 and up gathered for a fencing camp, sponsored by Community Education. On the first day, after 15 minutes, instructor Gerald Benford had drawn a tight line of kids and parents into fencing stance: feet in an L-shape, knees bent, arms raised, awaiting for instruction.
ìPrÍt?î Benford boomed.
ìOiu!î The class returned.
ìAllez!î Benford yelled and the class lurched forward, shuffling across the gym. Not long after, they were clad in vests, helmets and armed with foils. Ready to ìget it onî as Benford often said.
Gerald Benford and his son Jared represent Minnesota Sword Play, an organization based in St. Paul, Minn., which holds simular camps at schools, fitness centers and birthday parties across the state.
ìDonít forget to mention that we were on TV,î Benford said. He referred to an episode of elimiDATE, where he taught saber fencing to a couple at the Mall of America.
Benford has taught the three weapons of Olympic Fencingñfoil, epee and saberñ for over 20 years.
His aggressive teaching style engaged 12 students along with a few parents who were caught off-guard by his attempts to get everyone to participate.
Class began with stretching and then moved to line drills designed to hone footwork. Next, the students suited-up for more drills and learned the lunge and the parry-reposte.
Benford armed the students with foils and grouped them in pairs. He designated one side to strike and the other to be ìpin cushions.î
As a contrast to the violent nature of the sport, Benford instructed on etiquette. Besides learning the cadence: Ready? Yes. Go! (PrÍt, Oiu, Allez), the youths learned how to formally begin a match.
In a bout, fencers meet and salute their judges with a tip of the sword. Then they salute each other. One then asks if the other is ready. Then the judge instructs them to begin. At a boutís conclusion, they unmask and shake with their ungloved left hands.
Fencing has a complicated right-of-way system to decide who scores a point when two strikes land simultaneously. Benford assigned students to be judges so they could learn the complexities of the system.
In foil fencing, the target area is the torso, typically in a bout there would be an electronic scoring system that would decide when a blow has arrived.
For the purpose of the camp, bouts were ìdry,î or without electronic scoring.
After a period of dueling. The class united for a final game.
ìHas anyone seen the Princess Bride?î Benford asked. ìIn the movies when they fence do they follow proper French etiquette?î The group shook their heads tentatively.
ìNo, they donít,î He said. Then he instructed the students to play a game that reflects the movie world of fencing. The group divided into two teams, at opposite ends of a ìshaky bridgeîñmarked between two lines on the gym floor.
The two teams then stormed towards each other in a free-for-all, stopping after each awarded blow to eliminate the fallen fencers.
At the end of the hour-long session, Benford lined up his pupils and had them repeat with foils raised, ìTo God; To my opponent; I salute you!î and the class dipped their blades in a show of respect for those who have gone before them.
Another fencing camp will be held July 21-24. Call 674-1025 before noon July 17 to register.
If interest for fencing in the North Branch area grows, Benford will organize a team that could compete overseas.

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