The Lesson I Learned Behind the Mask: What Fencing Taught Me About Life
Growing up in Cambodia, I attended a school in a rural area where access to sports was very limited, so I mostly focused on academics and helped with my family’s small business. One of the most popular sports in Cambodia is football, which is known as soccer here. When I came to the U.S. to continue my studies a few years ago, I came across a sport on social media where people use swords to attack opponents, and they have to wear masks and thick protective uniforms. These things were very fascinating to me, but at that time, I didn’t have time to try that sport. I also had no idea what the sport was called since I had never seen it before. It seemed strange to me. So I decided that if I had the time to try, I wanted to try this strange sport, fencing.
Later on, I had a chance to try it. I tried very hard to make time for the sport and went to the club near campus to try it out and see how it worked. It was so awesome. The thing I enjoy about fencing is that it is a very fast-paced sport. There are 3 minutes per bout, so you need to think fast because your opponent can hit you at any time. Additionally, fencing also allowed me to make new friends and meet new people of different ages.
One of the lessons that fencing teaches me is that growth begins where I am willing to be comfortable in a place where I feel uncomfortable. I used to be a very shy person who liked to think on my own. Going to the fencing club for the first time made me scared and intimidated. I still remember how, before we bout or began learning new strategies, we needed to do a workout session. I used to hate workout sessions the most because I did them very slowly compared to the others, but I was encouraged by a few people who also started at the same level as me. I learned it just takes some time to adapt.
To me, what made fencing special was not just the sport itself, but the feeling it gave me. In the middle of a very busy academic life, fencing has become a space where I can challenge myself differently. It gave me a break from stress, helped me stay active, and reminded me that growth doesn’t only happen in the classroom, but everywhere.
Fencing taught me to be patient. I used to always expect to see improvement quickly, as fast as I could, but fencing taught me that progress requires repetition, failure, and consistency. I lost many, many bouts, much more than I expected, before I found some strategies that work for me and began to see some wins. I learned that I do not become better in just one day, but improve by practicing.
Fencing taught me to stay calm under pressure; a 3-minute bout moves much quicker than you’d think, and every second is very important, but you know that you have the skills and strategies to think quickly and adjust whenever needed.
Fencing taught me that it is okay to lose. Any time I lost a bout to my opponent, I always learned something new. New skills, new strategies, new techniques, and ultimately, why I lost. I learned that I lose nothing and always gain knowledge.
Behind the mask, I slowly see myself become more confident in what I am doing, more courageous than ever before, and more willing to try new things. Fencing helped me realize that confidence doesn’t come from already being good at something, but from the consistency of doing what you are not good at.
While I don’t plan to become a professional athlete, I hope fencing continues to be part of my life as I work toward a future in medicine. Fencing has taught me many life lessons that I will carry with me beyond the strip, from self-discipline to staying calm under pressure. Looking back, I can see that fencing became more than a sport to me; it became a space to learn to be comfortable when I feel uncomfortable, to be patient with myself and others, and to be consistent in showing up. Behind the mask, I have not only found a new sport, but another version of myself.
