By Quentin G. Love
Photos by Ryan Brady
Whenever I have the opportunity, I enjoy setting aside time to attend a live athletic/sporting event that is taking place relatively close to me. At times it’s something I have sought out, other occasions it’s something that came across my email as an invitation. Well, recently a meeting I attended a few months ago for a business purpose developed into more than expected. I met a young brother by the name of Bobby Smith. The introduction to Smith led me to a fencing class in an art studio last weekend where I was able to observe some young people learning the finer points of sportsmanship, control, balance, and cognitive enhancement among other things. Now, let me back up, fencing is not putting up chain-link or picket-type barriers along property lines as I was asked when inquired where I was on a rainy Saturday afternoon outside of Detroit. No, fencing is a sport where the object is to touch your opponent without being touched by using a sword as your weapon while navigating yourself along a narrow strip.
Smith, a New Jersey native, attended college on a full athletic fencing scholarship and went on to be a top ranked fencer in the NCAA. Upon graduating, he decided to start his own instructional and development fencing program. The aptly named program, En Garde! Detroit, specializes in developing onsite-fencing programs and has quickly been adopted by public and private schools in the area at multiple age levels. I observe the students as Smith explains how the program works. Thus far, most students have become a part of the program primarily through word of mouth, or a school has signed on to participate. Sessions last for an hour and typically average 7-10 students to allot for focused attention and instruction. I also meet Smith’s assistant, Amanda McLemore, a focused and intelligent young lady attending a school close by who Smith tells me, “is an up and coming fencer to look out for,” Her sister is already fencing at the college level.
Smith’s vision is to provide children from disadvantaged households an opportunity to participate in fencing while gaining the necessary skills to excel in and outside of the classroom. Smith tracks his students’ grades and performance in the classroom in addition to their progress as fencers, allowing En Garde! Detroit to provide a tangible component that parents, teachers and students are able to analyze and visibly see what the positive results are. Explaining that some students, who were having difficulty focusing in school and performing less than their potential, have now turned themselves into honor roll students.
“When these students have to focus for an hour on defense, developing a strategy and are provided an outlet to channel their energy positively, going back to a classroom… (and) understanding how to develop an approach to their goal is no problem,” Smith said.
I had to agree as I looked around and saw young girls and boys smiling, pairing up and having practices matches. Here it’s not about who can jump the highest, who’s the tallest or even fastest, it’s who is taking their skills, mental capacity and is motivated to achieve the best result possible.
I later learn after further discussions with Smith that he is planning to put on a large fencing tournament this summer with the aid of sponsors community leaders. If the studio that the students practiced in that day, which is shared by the bright and expressive works of art, gives any indication of the success of the tournament, then I expect the energy surrounding the event to be inspiring and beneficial.
As the kids take a break and sip on bottled water and munch on snacks, I see parents sprinkled around the room quietly observing. I contemplate the powerful impact of this program and others like it if it’s adopted on a wider basis throughout a city that many feel is quickly deflating and doomed like the cold rain pattering away outside that grey, cloudy day. I’m brought back to the moment as the laughing kids put their masks back on and pick up their lances. That down and out prophecy will have to wait if the inspired bright smiles that disappear under the masks have anything to say about it.
If you’re interested in learning more about En Garde! Detroit or would like to enroll a school/student in the program, their Web site is: www.engardedetroit.com/ and you may email them at: info@engardedetroit.com.
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