The early history of fencing as a combat method can be traced back to ancient Egypt in the year 1190 Before Christ, as well as Greek fencing schools, which were located in Ancient Athens. In Germany and Italy, fencing as a technique evolved into a sport by the 14th or 15th century. 

“It’s kinda like physical chess because there’s always a counter to a specific move and there’s specific patterns to them,” Ross Vine ‘27 said of the nuanced technique.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, fencing became more popular, especially with the invention of the foil, which is similar to the previously used rapier, a thrusting sword, but without a blade or point. Vine said that most people start on foil and then choose between foil, saber and epee throughout their fencing careers. Generally, fencers stick to one preferred weapon when competing.

With foil, the objective is to strike an opponent’s torso with the tip of the blade. Fencers who compete in epee competitions aim to strike opponents’ bodies anywhere with the tip of the blade. Saber, the fastest of the three weapons, fencers aim to touch or slash their opponent in the head, torso or upper body parts. 

Kayla Turnof ’25, a member of the Brandeis fencing team, elaborated on the logistics of fencing in a conversation with The Justice. “There’s a lot of technical aspects of it, so you get to combine your athleticism and technique,” Turnoff said.

Hand-eye coordination is essential for fencers so they know where to hit opponents. In a fencing bout, the goal is to either score 15 points total or five points before one’s opponent does so. Each touch of the weapon within the target areas counts as a point. Individually, fencers set goals for the season based on rankings, physical metrics and specific moves to make in a bout. The full body sport requires agility, a strong core and powerful legs. 

Graduate assistant student coach, Maggie Shealy MA ’25 offers up her assessment of the sport:  “I just think that it's a sport that really anyone can do, because open use skill, where you develop your own game, you develop something that you are good at.”  She thinks the individuality that the sport cultivates is “really what makes this sport unique.” She explains that “we're all learning the same basic understanding of the game, and truly, when it's a one-on-one sport, that is the time for you to shine.” 

Similar to sports such as track and field and swimming, fencing is individually structured during meets. Vine fenced on his high school’s team, but in conversation, acknowledged that most people do not compete on a team until college. 

“When you get to college it becomes more of a team [sport], but you are fencing individually against your opponent,” Turnof said.

Brandeis fencers compete on a national level as well as in the National Collegiate Athletics Association. At Brandeis, the fencing team is Division III, but competes with Division I and II teams on the NCAA level. The team’s season lasts from November to March, when the NCAA Fencing Championships are held. 

The Judges boast some impressive feats on the national level: Lev BenAvram ’26 placed second in the Division I Men’s Sabre event in January 2024, held by USA Fencing. Shealy, who graduated from Brandeis as an undergraduate in 2023  won the 2024 NCAA Fencing Championships for saber. Shealy is currently pursuing a graduate degree at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, while also helping out as a graduate assistant coach for Brandeis and competing as part of the Boston Fencing Club in USA Fencing competitions. Focusing heavily on making a senior team for the United States, Shealy aims to attend more international competitions this upcoming year as she has transitioned to a professional athlete lifestyle. More specifically, she aims to break into the top of the professional rankings, gunning for fifth or sixth place in the nation this season.

Looking back on her five years of eligibility, Shealy shared that her favorite aspect of being a fencer is the social community. “I think I've met a very lovely group of people here, not just at Brandeis, but through my entire career up to date. You know, some of these girls are my best friends, and some of these people are also people that I could see myself having … a professional relationship with [when] working in public policy.”

Shealy described her new role as a coach to be a refreshing opportunity to see where the team moves next, despite the team going through coaching and culture changes. “I really just want to see them formulate and find their own identity …, with new team captains, as well as learning what it's like to be a new team.” Shealy noted that this will be Coach Elif Soyer Sachs’ second or third official year, so “it's going to be a very interesting period, just to see how …, they stand up and continue to strive forward. So I really just want to see them kind of come together as a team, bottom line,” she said.

Vine also noted that the team is going through changes with the addition of new members. With the classes of 2023 and 2024 graduating, and first years beginning their time at Brandeis, the fencing team has experienced bumps in the road. But, Turnof, Vine and Shealy all expressed confidence in the new team’s abilities to adapt and work well together. 

A team member talked about the first years’ experiences at the start of the season. “We kinda had to throw them into the fire at our first two meets this season, which are really tough. They were really good at handling the pressure and I think they are just really good at supporting each other as first years. I’m really proud of them,” Tony Escueta ’ 25 said.

In recruiting fencers for Brandeis, the coaches prioritize a different weapon squad every year. There were nine men’s fencing recruits and four women’s fencing recruits that began attending Brandeis in August 2024. Epee has the largest number of first years this season. Each weapon squad practices three times a week and team lift is scheduled on Fridays. In lifts, the team focuses on power and mobility for fencing specific purposes.

Along with the transition to having a younger team, Coach Sachs has led the team for a short period of time. The changes in coaching staff during the 2022-2023 season did result in some changes, including equipment renovations, fundraising and gaining invites to fencing tournaments. 

“Coach Elif was thrown into such a difficult position entering the role halfway through the season. She did such an incredible job of handling everything and simultaneously getting to know the team,” Escueta said. 

In conversation, Brandeis fencers said that they value a coach who is understanding, passionate and communicative in helping them understand how they can improve and respond well to opponents in bouts.

Escueta expanded further regarding the team’s leadership, “our Coach [Matt Zich]…is really good at tailoring his coaching to the different needs of each of us on his team.” Especially regarding balancing different fencers’ schedules with both the national and collegiate seasons, Escueta went on to say that the fencing coaches “really want you to succeed not just as an athlete, but as a person overall.” 

Invested in their athletes’ fencing careers and lives in general, the coaches secure invitations to tournaments by connecting with other coaches around the country. Coach Sachs’ ability to communicate well with other coaches and enter Brandeis into competitive competitions is a positive aspect of this current season. Recently, the team traveled and competed in California at the Western Invitational hosted by the University of California at San Diego. 

Shealy has a unique position as a student athlete turned coach and she understands that prioritizing team culture lends itself to supporting athletes' confidence and success. “Getting back up after things have knocked you down is always a really big challenge, because I feel like that's what makes or breaks champions,” Shealy said. “It's not easy to get back up after something stands in your way;  [just setting] the pace and setting the attitude to get back up and…, [realizing] who you are and [getting] back out on the field is not easy and I really do think that that's something that teams and all athletes struggle with as well,” Shealy reflected.

The Brandeis fencing team’s ability to adapt quickly in the past two to three years has defined it as a positive and warm environment. Coaches and team members work together to facilitate this environment and create a space for fencers to reach their goals.

“Sounds cliche, but we are kinda like a family,” Vine said. And of their coaches, Escueta joked that “if they were an Uber, I would give them five stars.”