CityView Magazine

“Sword-fighting, to an 11-year-old Top | Gerhard Guevarra, right, head coach at All-American, began with five students. Now, the school hosts tournaments and camps, in addition to classes. Above | Fencing may have a reputation as a sport for the elite, but its popularity has surged since the Summer Olympics when American fencers took home six medals. boy, sounds kind of fun.” Paul was one of Guevarra’s first students. The school has since flourished from humble beginnings at the Pine Forest Recreation Center to a stand- alone school on Donaldson Street in downtown Fayetteville. After starting with five students, the academy is now earning a reputation as one of the top fencing facilities in North Carolina, and the only one within easy driving distance of Fayetteville. Here students learn to use the foil, epee and saber. The foil is comprised of a pommel, grip, guard, thumb pad and blade. The epee is similar to a foil but has a stiffer, heavier blade that is V-shaped in the cross-section and has a larger bell guard. Classes with the saber weapon are also taught. With the saber, it is possible to score with the edge of the blade, making movements and attacks very fast. Fencing may have a reputation as a sport for the elite, but Guevarra works hard to keep costs low; he charges $10 62|April/May • 2009 to enter his tournaments. It may be one reason why a recent tournament drew students from Raleigh and Wilmington, where the Cape Fear Fencing Association has also seen a boost in attendance. Justin Jacobs drove down from Raleigh and took home an award in his division. “It is the most enjoyable, addictive thing I have ever done in my whole life!” he said. But fencing isn’t just for boys. Brianna Osinski, a junior at Terry Sanford High School, is one of several girls who study fencing at All-American. “We have about five girls here in class normally, but we do we have a lot more guys than girls,” she said. “We really use about the same kind of style.” Paul Hovey said much has changed at the school since he arrived eight years ago. “When I started, we had no equipment and very little space,” he said, “so obviously now that we’re running a full academy with 30 something people, we’re always growing and we have more than enough equipment. That tells you how popular fencing is.”CV

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