Bob Smith is an 82-year-old retiree who has just started fencing.

Allyx Pershing: To start off why did you get involved with fencing?

Bob Smith: I’m 82 years old and there are no fencers that age, but I have retired and I was starting to sit around wasting my time and I thought, “I think I’m going to have to try something.” My body is still pretty okay even though every thing is moving slowly, but I can still maneuver. I thought this would give me something. I box; I like aggression not hurting aggression but real aggression. But this, with all of the stretching and stuff, you’re pulling muscles and stuff that you never even knew you had, and that’s all coming together. I’ve still only had 5 or six lessons. I can only fence until I can protect myself. Even as kids you didn’t like someone poking at you with a stick. I’m not afraid of these or anything like that. You don’t want to be poked and you have got to get over that. I’ve read about 3 or 4 books now, and it gets really deep. It is truly unbelievable how much there is to this fencing thing.

A: How did you find this club?

B: Out of the paper.

A: This seems like a great way to stay in shape.

B: Well, luckily I was in fair shape to start with. What I was doing was working my upper body and this is more of the lower body. It’s kind of hard. The upper body and then working out with the strings, just to keep in shape.

A: Did you have any friends or family that have done fencing before?

B: No, I’m the first one. Most of them are too tired or watching TV. They’re not interested. People age differently, some of them start feeling the pains and stuff which makes it worse of course; but that’s the way they are. My brother reads all the time. They’re not active. They don’t run , they don’t exercise, I never exercised too.

A: From what you have seen is there a really substantial fencing culture in Eugene?

B: No. You never read about fencing, you never hear about it. It’s a closed deal. Probably growing, I don’t know if there are fencing clubs in every city.