Durga Kurupath Week #15: To Wield or Yield a Sword

Even though I still technically do fencing as a sport, I've put a pause on it to fully focus on junior year. Still, it brings up a lot of my pat memories of all my favorite milestones and achievements. It marked my first real love for a sport, first friendship in a trashy summer camp, my BEST friend (my coach), and the thrill of competitions. 

When my coach called me this weekend to tell me he missed me a lot, it took me down memory lane. This man is 87 years old and can sprint 6 miles and do cartwheels; but most scary of all, he's Russian. He was always so cold in the beginning and shut off himself from anyone and everyone, and he ALWAYS wore sunglasses inside. Many of the students would crap their pants because they could see the disappointment through his shielded gaze. However, when getting to know him and truly talking to him, I gave it my all and I became the first person he turned to.

Even though I managed to gain his affection, that didn't excuse me from his endless scoldings when I made countless mistakes left and right. However, with his tiring drills and expertise, I was able to qualify for regionals and nationals. Just writing this brings me back to the adrenaline I'd experience stepping up onto the strips and getting into an en garde position: Masks covering the opponent, not knowing what they're thinking; the squeaking of fencing shoes on top of the metal lining. Fencing is about speed, agility, and strategy. The minute the referee signals "go" is the moment where fencers lunge at the speed of light to the point where even the audience can't tell what's happening.

For me, fencing elicits many memories because it was a way of life. It had its ups and downs. I absolutely hated drills and practices because the repetitive footwork and touches seemed mundane to me (even though it is useful), but the last minutes of practices when matching others immediately flushed out all my prior feelings. It tested me psychologically and physically and even gave me a chance to foster real connections and relationships with people who are supposed to be my "enemies." 

Comments

  1. SabiKatApril 30, 2025 at 8:11 PM

    Hi Durga! It's so cool you do fencing as a sport--it's pretty rare and definitely sounds fun to try out. It seems the exigence of your blog is you coach's recent contact with you. It's so great that you get to have a good relationship and mentor in your Coach. He seems cool, especially as you spoke about his 87 year old age and sunglasses. I think it's very important to have someone like that in your life: an adult figure you can trust that stays apart from traditional family. It seems you really love fancing--you describe it beautifully and with great detail even when you have not done it in a while. I hope you return to your sport after this school year's over!

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  2. Hariharan SenthilkumarApril 30, 2025 at 8:17 PM

    Hi Durga! First of all, it is so, so cool that you do fencing! I honestly cannot think of a more fantastical sport, and I always low-key wanted to try fencing myself. I relate so deeply to you leaving fencing in order to focus completely on junior year because I think all of us have had to sacrifice things that we love to do to commit fully. I also love your description of your outwardly strict but really well-meaning teacher; I used to attend the Russian School of Math (RSM) since first grade, and almost all the teachers I had were the stereotypical strict Russian teacher, but they were also some of the most caring and best teachers I ever had. I still am in contact with some of my RSM teachers from when I was younger because of how impactful they were to my education and life. I am so impressed that you qualified for nationals in fencing! That must have taken a lot of effort on your part. I also love your personal descriptions of fencing and what it means to you. Overall, I really loved your post this week and look forward to reading more!

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  3. Nichelle RodriguezApril 30, 2025 at 9:31 PM

    Hi Durga! I think you mentioned that you fenced once before, but I was not aware of the extent to which you had done the sport. I have always found that the friendships made through sport as always very enduring, and potent with pure joy in each other's company. I think it so wonderful that you were able to break the hard shell of your coach and develop a close friendship to him. I am not surprised at all that you were able to commit such a feat, as your honey-sweet personality and extraverted nature allows you to bring anyone out of their shell. Thank you so much for sharing!

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