In this corner of the Sportsman’s Paradise, the opportunities to develop skills in a new sport are endless. Horseback riding, hunting, fishing, skeet shooting, archery, gymnastics, dance, along with the plethora of traditional team sports — football, basketball, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, wrestling, swimming, bowling, etc. are taken up by hundreds of new participants each year. There is one, however, somewhat unassuming, sport in our area with a small, yet loyal following: Fencing.
Commonly associated with pirates and the Olympic Games in popular culture, fencing combines ballet-like movement and balance with simultaneous offense and defense at a breakneck pace. There are three weapons that one can choose from, each with its own set of rules: Épée, Foil, and Sabre. After the referee instructs the fencers, “En Garde, Ready, Fence,” the fencing action only last a few seconds before a touch is made and the fencers return to their positions at the “En Garde” lines (this is similar to football in that the participants reset before the start of a new action).
Sharron Settlemire was the first to establish the sport in Shreveport-Bossier City as the fencing coach of Caddo Magnet High School. In May of 1999, during his 12-year tenure as the top-ranked fencing referee in the United States, Andy Shaw arrived to referee a fencing tournament hosted by Settlemire’s team at the school. Fate intervened in December of that year, and Shaw relocated to Shreveport. Considering the young base with interest and enthusiasm for the sport, he opened Fairfield Avenue School of Fencing in January of 2002. In doing so, he expanded the opportunity for people to learn and practice fencing outside of the high school arena.
Shaw estimates that there are currently 500-600 active fencers in the SBC area. Their age range spans at least six decades and they come from a variety of backgrounds. Most are elementary, middle, and high school kids, but approximately a quarter are made up of doctors, including a cardiothoracic surgeon, dentists, Air Force officers, a medley of white collar business people, college students, hairstylists, ranchers, carpenters, ministers, and retirees.
Shaw works diligently to make fencing accessible to everyone. The club’s fencing equipment is always free to use, open bouting night welcomes the novice and seasoned veteran alike, there are no membership fees, and when it comes to the topic of private lessons, the first one is always free. Andy makes it clear that fencing is not a sport only for the 1 percent. Fencing is for anyone of any age who wants to learn or hone their self-discipline, self-control, and self-respect.
Andy is also the chairman of the Museum of American Fencing and the US Fencing Hall of Fame, both of which are housed in the fencing school at 1413 Fairfield Avenue in Shreveport. More information about these magnificent repositories of fencing history can be found at fencingonfairfield.com, or by calling (318) 227-7575. The museum also has a YouTube channel; search for Museum of American Fencing.