Student Experience

UVA Fencing Club Is ‘En Garde’ and on the Rise

Cavman isn’t the only Hoo known to carry a saber. In fact, there’s a whole club.

The curved sword, historically used by cavalry, has been part of the University of Virginia’s logo since 1994, when the iconic weapon held by the Cavaliers’ mascot was adopted in the University’s official “V-Sabres” emblem.

But the mascot isn’t alone with his sword. Members of the Fencing Club at UVA wield actual sabers, plus foils and épées, on a weekly basis.

The club initially co-existed with the varsity program, according to Marianne Padgett, who was a fencing captain in 1980. But after the University discontinued fencing as a varsity sport in the 1980s, just the club remained. Now the club practices three times a week and competes throughout the Southeast. This weekend, 22 members will travel to State College, Pennsylvania, for the United States Association of Collegiate Fencing Club Championships.

Portrait of Zoe Edelman in her fencing gear

Growing up as a competitive swimmer, fourth-year student Zoe Edelman came to Grounds wanting to try something new. Now Club Fencing’s leader, she is leaving the organization better than she found it. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)

Zoe Edelman, a fourth-year computer science and studio art major from Dover, Delaware, leads the organization. Although she grew up swimming competitively, she never fenced prior to her first semester at UVA.

“I’m not from an area where (fencing) was an option, and I knew that when I came to UVA, I wanted to try a new sport – something I couldn’t get at home,” she said.

Since Edelman joined, the club has expanded to more than 40 members and practices three times a week in UVA’s Slaughter Recreation Center. They don’t have an official coach but help each other improve their strategic thinking and quick reflexes.

"We all kind of teach each other," Edelman said.

Fencing demands physical prowess and mental agility. Fencers need to figure out their opponent, predict the opponent’s moves and how to counter them and then make their decisions very quickly.

Fencers use three different types of weapons, each with different rules and target areas. Sabers have shorter, more flexible blades with a target area above the waist. Épées sport a triangular shaped blade that is more rigid, with the entire body as a target area – head, limbs and torso. Foils have a rectangular blade, and the target area is just the torso.

Each type of weapon requires a different type of protective garb, the cost of which can create a high barrier to entry.

Jooyoung Kim, a first-year student in the School of Engineering, joined last semester after searching for an athletic club. When he realized that the club provides all the equipment, he was sold.

“This club really does help to lower the barrier to entry by funding all of this,” Kim said, “so I’m really grateful for that.”

The national championship tournament this weekend will see some newer fencers, like Kim, and other returning members, including women’s team captain Siwen Liao, a second-year student majoring in statistics and physics.

Liao said she enjoys the logic behind fencing, as well as the history she shares with it.

“I enjoy that process of being confident in your abilities, while also trying to read the other person,” Liao said. “It’s just been such a big part of my life. A lot of my community has come from fencing.”

Competing in the women’s foil alongside Edelman is Abigail Alton, a second-year student in the School of Architecture from Winchester.

Club Fencing reduces financial barriers by providing all necessary equipment – weapons, protective gear and scoring systems – to members. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)

“Last year, we did pretty well. I think we got 10th for women’s foil, but this year we’re going to do even better,” Alton said. “With college fencing, you have people who age out and people who age in, so we’ll have some new fencers that I’ve never seen before.”

As Edelman prepares to graduate, her legacy will be measured not just in tournament results, but in the strong foundation of the club she helped build.

“I’ve put so much of my heart and soul into this club,” she said. “I want to make sure I’m leaving this club better than I found it. I think my potential successor is going to take the club and keep running with it.”