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Okay, this is the post about fencing and gender that I've been thinking about for a while. Because I think about fencing literally every day, haha.
Today in particular I was talking to another coach at a competition. We were from the only two schools that had brought sabre that day, and we were bemoaning that. A couple other schools had promised to bring sabre, but had dropped out at the last second because they didn't have enough people. Sabre is generally the smallest event at any fencing event, but it can be especially rough at the high school level. Well, sure, I said. After all, it's only in the last generation (my generation) that you have women who grew up fencing sabre and can pass it on/coach/act as role models for the next generation of fencers. There wasn't an American national championship for women's sabre until 1988, and that only came after huge efforts by the amazing Ruby Watson. We didn't get a world championship until 1999, or an Olympic event until 2004. Two thousand and fucking four.
"What," said the other coach. "Are you blaming this on the fencing patriarchy?"
( Yes. )
Today in particular I was talking to another coach at a competition. We were from the only two schools that had brought sabre that day, and we were bemoaning that. A couple other schools had promised to bring sabre, but had dropped out at the last second because they didn't have enough people. Sabre is generally the smallest event at any fencing event, but it can be especially rough at the high school level. Well, sure, I said. After all, it's only in the last generation (my generation) that you have women who grew up fencing sabre and can pass it on/coach/act as role models for the next generation of fencers. There wasn't an American national championship for women's sabre until 1988, and that only came after huge efforts by the amazing Ruby Watson. We didn't get a world championship until 1999, or an Olympic event until 2004. Two thousand and fucking four.
"What," said the other coach. "Are you blaming this on the fencing patriarchy?"
( Yes. )
