- As I'm standing here,
I think I forgot to wear deodorant.
- Great, so we're all gonna have a good time.
Oh Chantie.
- [Narrator] It's time for sports.
(hard rock music)
- Nope.
(laughing)
(mandolin music)
- Today we are exploring one of Jen's favorite pastimes.
- Fencing. - We're fencing.
- She's a fencer. - Who knew?
- Hey everybody welcome to this.
Ladylike, we try to do all different types of things,
so I wanted to share one of my favorite former hobbies
with all of my friends.
I fenced for like seven years from the age 11 until like 18
and yeah, competed in high school.
I competed all around like the Midwest
and it was a lot of fun.
- We're gonna go to Silverlake Fencing
and we're gonna meet coach Karolyn
who's gonna teach us the trick of the trade.
- [Devin] And we're gonna be fencing foil,
so hopefully we'll find out what that means.
- Yes, and if we're good enough
then maybe we'll have a little competition.
- Because I've fenced before, I'm gonna try and
A, participate in lessons
but also serve a little bit as a mentor type figure
with the other girls as much as I can.
No one's gonna be an amazing fencer after just two lessons.
But can you imagine how funny it's gonna be
to see us fence against each other?
- Yeah, I'm excited.
- Yeah, I have no athletic ability.
- Hey guys, welcome.
Welcome to beginner foil fencing.
(cheering)
Today we are going to learn the 101 basics of fencing
and hopefully we'll get you guys
all the way through footwork
so that you guys will be able to duel each other.
Hi everyone, I'm Karolyn Szot.
I am the founder and head coach at Silverlake Fencing.
All my life I've trained for 18 years in foil fencing.
So foil is the on foot dueling weapons
derived from the on foot dueling weapon
where it's torso only and with the point.
Every fencer, no matter what weapon you're fencing,
needs to know the proper footwork,
and everything is derived from the ready position,
which you might hear shouted in movies.
En Garde!
Who here is right-handed?
All right Jen, there's always one oddball out.
You're the lefty so we're all going to lead
with our right foot
and you're gonna lead with your left foot.
Now if you've never fence before,
I go over the 101 basics,
where we start with learning the En Garde position,
the basic footwork, the advance, the retreat, the lunge,
and then we put all the footwork together
and do a few exercises to help with form.
Now if I lunge, Jenn's not gonna like matrix backwards.
She's just gonna do a normal retreat just like so.
And when I recover, Jenn's gonna lunge.
She's gonna go arm first and then feet.
Perfect, and then she recovers.
And then we'll start with blade drills
and learn a little bit about the rules and right-of-way,
because right-of-way can be very confusing to people
who just start.
Back in the olden days we used to smack people with a glove
to challenge them to a duel, right?
We're gonna smack our partner if they get too close.
You're gonna try to get away from your partner
but you're gonna still try to keep your form.
What I love about the sport of fencing
is you don't have to be a specific body type shape or size
in order to be good at the sport.
Fencing is half mental and half physical.
If you're physically athletic you'll do well in fencing
but it's also half mental so you have to have a healthy mind
in order to be strategic.
(laughing)
And then, when we end we go "all right, good job!"
You shake hands with your opposite hand,
your non dominant hand.
I'm really excited today, because we're gonna have
a one big room of badass women, that are gonna learn
how to fence.
So next what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna hand you
guys all a blade.
Just be aware, as I tell my kids, don't lift up
and be like "this is cool" and then hit your
friend in the face.
- This is so cool, oh Kristin!
(laughing)
- The rules, Kristin, the rules!
- So, you need right of way in order to get the point
in fencing.
Let's say I'm advancing and Kristin's retreating,
and we both hit each other.
Who do you think gets the point?
I do, 'cause I'm advancing, I'm establishing
the attack, because I'm moving forward.
Why we take the blade is so we can get right of way.
So, if Kristin taps it, and then comes and hits me,
she'd get the right of way.
All right, you guys ready to suit up?
- Yes!
(energetic instrumental music)
- This has been really fun, it's been good to
get back into fencing.
It's kinda weird after like, five years
of not doing it, but everyone seems to be enjoying
themselves, right Chantel?
- Yeah, this has been great!
- All right, so you guys ready to duel?
- Yes!
- All right, we're gonna start with the salute.
So, when you salute someone, you're gonna bring your
blade, you're gonna watch out and not hit
anyone please.
You're gonna bring it up to your face like this,
and swish it down.
Swish and flick.
And you can make a little fun (blade slices through air)
noises.
Do, you're gonna salute each other,
and then after your bow, when we go "all right,
you're done," you're gonna shake hands with your
non-gloved hand.
You guys ready?
- [Group] Yes!
- I definitely feel like a Three Musketeer.
I'm very excited, I wanna drink some red wine after this,
and talk about battles that I've won.
- [Jen] This is good!
It's sad how much I've forgotten,
but I like it.
How are we doing, Karolyn, by the way?
[Kristin] You're still doing good.
You're the best.
[Karolyn] Good.
- We're doin' good!
You heard it here first, we're doin' good.
(scream)
- [Kristin] I scored a point on Devin!
- [Devin] That was so good!
- [Chantel] Now I'm gonna write a fencing
love story, where two fencers try to
kiss with their masks on.
- Remember, fencing, half physical, half mental,
so it's all about your mental state.
So, if you come in really frustrated, chances are
you might not do so well in a tournament.
- [Together] Duel!
- I challenge you, internet, to a duel.
- Today we're gonna do a mini fencing tournament
with each other.
I didn't go home and practice any of my footwork,
or any technique, so I'm coming in fresh.
- I'm excited.
I'm also a little nervous, 'cause I'm a little
sore in my arms today.
But whatever, we're gonna have a god time!
Once I've participated in this tournament, in this duel,
I'll feel more comfortable challenging other people
to a duel in my daily life.
- I'm very excited to have the stuff back on,
and actually fence for the first time in like, six years.
The fact that it might look fun is nothing compared
to how much fun it actually is.
So, if you think this looked cool, you should try it.
'Cause fencing's dope.
Everybody just like stretch, and get yourself situated.
- I'm really excited to duel with the other ladies.
This is something that's very different than anything
we've ever done before.
I have a tendency to stand a little bit too wide, and
so then when I lunge, I kinda fall over.
I also have a tendency to scream.
(screaming)
We'll kinda see how this goes.
Fred seems to be playin' a game of intimidation,
not even stretching with us.
- Oh (laughing).
- [Chantel] What sort of mind game is this?
- You don't get points for that.
I am ready
to poke some butt.
You know, it's hard.
Obviously we're not, none of us are good at this.
Which is actually the best way to do this tournament.
Just have a bunch of people who have no idea what
they're doing safely have a little bit of a slap fight.
Devin!
- What?
- I challenge you to a duel!
- Today I'm so exited.
All the girls are gonna be fencing off against each other
on the electric strip.
Typically you fence to five points, but today we're gonna
fence to three points.
And we're gonna see who the winner is.
(dramatic music)
They've only had one lesson, and so they pretty
much only know the basic footwork, and how to perry and
repose, but with all the knowledge they learned
yesterday, they're gonna be able to fence off.
All right, Fencers, salute.
En Garde!
Ready, fence!
(dramatic music)
Halt.
Holy Moly, one green light.
Point,
one oh.
En Garde.
So, you did take the blade, that's good, but
it just didn't press in.
- [Devin] So what happens?
- [Karolyn] Kristin gets a point.
En Garde.
Ready, hey!
- [Kristin] I keep thinking "en garde" is "go"!
- [Karolyn] En Garde.
Ready, fence.
Halt!
Very nice, perry your repose, to my left.
One, one.
Ready,
fence!
Halt.
Parry your repose, to my left, two, one.
Halt!
Parry your oppose to my left, three one.
Fencers, take off your masks, shake hands.
Very good, good bout, you say "good bout."
- Good bout.
- [Chantel] Devin, you won, yay!
(cheering)
- [Karolyn] All right, Fencers, salute!
Now we have Chantel versus Freddie.
Fencers en garde, ready,
fence!
Halt.
So, Chantel came forward, but Freddie took the blade
and scored the point, and got the repose.
Point to my right.
Fence!
Halt.
Beat attack.
Freddie took the blade and scored.
Two.
Ready, fence!
Halt.
Ah, you had it, but you're pointing her.
Test just to make sure it's working.
Yeah, you went, you missed, it didn't register,
didn't hit correctly, so the counterattack lands Freddie.
Bout.
Shake hands with your left hand, very good.
- Good bout, Chanti.
- Yes, thank you.
- [Karolyn] Very nice, good bout.
- I'm about to fence Freddie.
In the final dual before we fence Jen.
So, the second to final dual.
- I mean, Devin has long limbs, she has a lot of reach
so, this is gonna be a challenge, but I'm ready.
- Freddie's tiny, though, she's hard to like pinpoint.
So, I'm gonna have to like be,
what do I have to have?
Good point control.
Oh, I learned something.
- [Karolyn] Fencers, salute each other.
All right, fencers, en garde.
Ready, fence!
(dramatic music)
Halt.
Touch to my left.
Parry your repose, one to zero.
Fence!
Halt.
- [Devin] I feel like I got your vagina!
Did I get your vagina?
- [Freddie] You got my leg.
- [Karolyn] Ready, fence!
Halt.
Hmm.
Devin took the parry, it was little bit slow, the repose,
but you made it.
I think you got the point.
Fence!
Halt, parry your repose lands to my left.
Touch Devin.
- Good bout.
- [Karolyn] All right, very good.
- I feel a little gassy, a little nervous.
Jen's pretty good, she's a lefty, so I'm
prepared to lose quickly.
- Devin won the tournament, which means I'm gonna fence her.
I haven't fenced in a really long time, so I feel like
it's probably close to fair, and it's gonna be really fun.
So yeah.
- [Devin] How is this fair?
- It's fine!
- It's not fair!
- You'll be fine.
We're gonna have a great time.
- All right, our last bout is between Devin and Jen.
So, here we go, fencers salute.
En garde.
Oop, okay.
(laughing)
- Thanks, Homes.
- Okay, you're welcome.
- [Devin] If I Fart During This Bout I'm sorry,
I'm really gassy.
- [Karolyn] En garde!
Ready,
fence!
Halt!
Attack lands to my left.
- [Devin] She's so quick!
- Fencers, en garde.
Ready, fence!
- [Devin] She's so casual! - [Karolyn] Halt!
Touch lands to my left, two oh.
Ready, fence!
Halt.
Parry your repose lands.
- [Devin] I didn't even feel it.
That's how good she is, I didn't even feel it.
- Great, well that was really fun.
- [Devin] That was really fun.
- Thanks, Karolyn.
So wow, we just had a little mini fencing tournament.
How'd that go ladies?
- It was fun.
- It was so fun!
- It was pretty intense.
- Oh my god, Jen was incredible.
Jen, it was really cool to see you doing this kind of stuff.
- Yeah, it was fun!
- Even though we only had two days, I think we picked up
on understanding a lot of the technique.
- I didn't think we were gonna be out like, actually
fighting each other after two days.
- I know, I know.
- I was like "uh, I feel like the tournament part's
not gonna happen," and then we did!
- I think we all walked in like, "okay, we're gonna warm up,
go over the steps," but Jen was just like "nope,
we're duellin'.
- Nope, time to fight!
- We gotta go, we gotta go!
We wanna issue a big thank you to our coach Karolyn.
- [Group] Yay!
(applause)
- You guys did so good.
I hope you all learned something new.
The 101 basics of fencing, and then all the way to
your tournament, so very good job.
- [Group] Thank you!
- Biggest advice is just get to your local fencing club,
pick out a blade, and give it a try, because
you never know until you start it.
- Ladylike tries fencing.
- Lady tested.
- [Group] Lady En Garde!
- [Freddie And Chantel] We've got merch!
- Click here to buy it!
- Spoons!