The East Hawaii Cultural Center is offering free fencing demonstrations at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday on the EHCC lanai.
The East Hawaii Cultural Center is offering free fencing demonstrations at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday on the EHCC lanai.
Fencing expert Frank Perry will give a brief historical overview of the sport, touching on the philosophy and context behind its creation. A show-and-tell segment will feature the 14th century arming sword, rapier, smallsword and dueling sabre, with an audience Q&A. The highlight will be a sparring demonstration, showcasing the 16-17th century Italian rapier, 17-18th century French smallsword and 19th century English dueling sabre.
Perry began fencing when he entered his sixties and realized he needed to get serious about getting and staying in shape. “I had a gym membership but found the repetition boring,” he said. After experimenting with Tai Chi, he realized he was best able to focus during physical activity when it involved something in his hand – and what could be more engaging than a sword? This started him on the path to learn how to wield a sabre.
EHCC is located at 141 Kalakaua Street in Hilo. For more information, visit www.ehcc.org or call 808-961-5711.
