26 March 2017 – The Jakarta Open Fencing Competition was held in the WTC Mangga Dua mall in North Jakarta. Athletes came from different states in Indonesia, including Situbondo East Java, Karawang West Java, Tangerang, and Solo Central, Java. The competition was not just about individual competitors but was also aimed at exposing the general public to the artistry and expertise of this wonderful sport.
Fencing is an ancient combat sport which doesn’t include hard body contact. In ancient times, people used a sword to protect themselves and this is the reason why fencing is also considered to be a martial art. Scores are attained by touches from the tip of the sword or from the blade itself. There are 3 disciplines in fencing; foil, epee, and sabre. Each of these weapons has different rules. In the foil, touches are scored with the tip of the blade and the target area is the torso. In the epee, touches are scored with the tip of the blade as well, but the target area is the whole body. In the sabre, touches are scored with the whole blade by cutting and slashing and the target area is anything above the waist.
Nicholas Wangsa, a IULI student said, “I joined the first competition in December, 2016 and I took home a bronze medal. In this 2017 competition, I brought home a gold medal in the junior’s division of men’s foil, after winning the final match against my brother, making him the silver medalist. I also brought home a bronze medal in the seniors’ division. It was an amazing moment especially for me to be able to fight against fencers from several states in Indonesia and I’m hoping in the future to represent IULI at the national level in order to achieve personal success and to publicize IULI’s name.”(NiW)
