Sports: UP Juniors Fencing Team: The Three Musketeers of UPIS
Perception. Power. Execution.
Fencing is unlike many sports because it is more a game of the mind. With 90% of the fight focused on managing footwork and maintaining zero body contact, this sport is really about the mental skills and toughness of each fencer. It’s a sport that few have chosen to venture into but has given so much to its members. It’s not something you take up lightly and three fencers from UPIS, Enzo Bautista, Rad Pascual, and Ramon Creencia, know this well.
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THE THREE MUSKETEERS. Rad Pascual, Enzo Bautista, and Raymund
Creencia (L-R) represent UPIS as the Junior Maroon Fencers in the last UAAP
Season 79 Fencing Competition. Photo
Credit: Jem Torrecampo
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Fencing was a new experience for all three of them when they started back in 2014. It was after all, only after a fencing summer class when team captain Bautista discovered his talents and skills in epee and foil. Now, he leads the unofficial juniors team of UP. “Kasi, for some reason talagang I feel alive kapag naglalaro. Ano siya, parang perfect mix ng mental, physical [aspects], grace,” he shared when asked why he chose fencing over other more popular sports.
“It’s just your interest in the sport. It’s exciting when you’re over there kasi it looks nice to do. It’s very stressful, but once you play, it’s real,” added foil fencer Pascual when asked why he joined the team. Epee fencer Creencia shared the same sentiments.
But just like other student-athletes, fencing is not just fencing for them. It plays a significant role in their lives. For Enzo, it could be his ticket to enter UP for college while for Rad and Raymund, it’s what makes them happy and proud. “It’s one of the things that I do indeed like to do... It’s given me a lot of confidence so it’s confidence and something I want to put more time into,” Rad shared.
Weeks ago, Season 79 of the UAAP Fencing Tournament took place and these three fencers represented the Juniors team for UP.
“I felt like I fell short of what I could do talaga kasi in training sobrang lakas na ganun but nung UAAP medyo nag-struggle ako for some reason,” described Enzo as he almost entered the semis this season. But according to him, their team has the potential but simply lacks experience.
Rad, on the other hand, thinks that the whole experience wasn’t something he could easily put into words. He shared that as an individual fencer, it was fun, but while fencing as a team, Rad felt more pressure which led him to the realization that fencing was something he needed to devote more time to.
Despite this, the team is still happy about their progress in Season 79. “Mas okay naman last UAAP. Nakapalag naman ako kahit papaano sa mga kalaban,” Raymund said. It was a better season for them as they laid down their all and took home new lessons for next season.
Now, these junior fencers are even keener to do well in their sport. Aside from the UAAP tournament, they also compete in monthly national opens and in competitions from private sponsors. It is still their target to improve their bladework and footwork in their thrice-weekly trainings through bouts with other team members. Being quicker with their next move and sustaining a faster reaction time are also some of their goals.
They also look forward to joining more competitions to learn different playing styles and to further develop new techniques which they can use in future competitions.
But since the school doesn’t recognize them as a team with only three members, they are currently training under the UP Maroon Fencers. According to them it is a privilege to train together with the seniors. “It’s an honor sa totoo lang… they give us a lot of opportunities kasi siyempre magkaiba talaga ang HS at college pero yung line na yun sa fencing di masyadong defined,” Captain Enzo said.
Despite the overwhelming support they have from the fencing seniors, the team still expressed their disappointment at not being recognized as a Juniors team of UPIS.
“Buti nga eh sinusuportahan kami ng college; they’re very kind people,” Raymund expressed about not being recognized. Thus, they are requesting for support from the UPIS community. “It can go a long way para lumaki yung team,” he adds.
In spite of the challenges they face, the three musketeers of UPIS don the colors of green and maroon with honor, excellence, and pride. They break their limits and make every possible effort in each match. Let’s show our support to them because just like other athletes, they play for our school more than they play for themselves.
The UP Juniors Fencing Team trains every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 5-9 pm at the UP Gym. //by Hannah Manalo and Carlos Laderas
