ISLE PROFILES
On guard! Thurlow among fencing's elite

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Josh Thurlow, 15, practices fencing four days a week at the Richards YWCA. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

He didn't even like getting those participation trophies that were handed out during his first T-ball tournament. A tournament in which his team lost badly.

"I lost," said the 15-year-old, without smiling. "I didn't deserve an award."

Anything Thurlow does, he does well, driven to become better than expectations, better than the competition.

It's no surprise, then, that in just two years of training in Hawai'i, Thurlow has become one of the top fencers in the state. And not just in his age division.

"He's tall and long and fast, and that's an unusual combination," said Tony Nishimura, longtime coach and veteran fencer, who has worked with the left-handed Thurlow for the past two years. "He's got a great deal of maturity. ... He's matured faster than most 15-year-olds. He's been able to put the pieces together faster. And it's not just unusual because of his age, but because he's only been at it for two years."

Fencing requires physical skill, stamina, control and patience. Unlike some mainstream sports, fencing demands unwavering focus and analytical thinking as opponents feint, lunge, parry and riposte until one scores the required number of hits to win.

It's a lot more complicated — and a lot less choreographed — than people think.

"The difficulty is controlling yourself in this sport," said Nishimura, who has been coaching fencing for 33 years, 22 in Hawai'i. "Really, on the surface, it seems like you're fencing your competitor, but in reality you're not. You are truly trying to control yourself and that's really hard when someone is coming at you with a sword."

The strategic thinking, physical demands and mental aspect of the sport is what attracted Thurlow seven years ago while he was growing up in Philadelphia.

His father, Robert, had tried to get him to play sports, signing him up for football, baseball, basketball, "anything but lacrosse," Thurlow said, before suggesting fencing. Thurlow immediately loved the sport.

"It's like physical chess," said Thurlow, who has been homeschooled since he was 10. "It was great."

And he excelled at it.

Since moving to Hawai'i, he has medaled in dozens of local and national competitions, including winning the gold medal in his age division in both the foil and épée at the 2002 Aloha State Games. He took home the silver medal in the open division in foil.

Thurlow's progress in the past two years is directly related to his dedication to improve and a strong work ethic, Nishimura said.

"I'm 100 percent better than I was when I first came here," Thurlow said.

He trains four days a week at the Richards Street YWCA, working on drills and bout situations for several hours.

"When he first came he was a mess," Nishimura said. "Everything was too loose, no focus, no development, no consistency. He didn't have a lunge that was a weapon. He worked hard at gaining real fundamentals."

Thurlow's technique, lunge and footwork have improved markedly, Nishimura said.

"He understands that there's no progress without practice," Nishimura said. "There is no such thing as a natural (in this sport)."

Fellow fencers comment on Thurlow's classic style and rapid progress, saying that if he keeps it up, the Olympics may not be a far-off possibility.

"He has all the tools," Nishimura said. "He just needs to get exposure on the Mainland."

Thurlow is one of only about 70 fencers in the state, though participation in the sport is growing. The Hawai'i Fencers Club, of which Thurlow is a member, hosts the state's largest fencing competition, the Hawai'i Open, in the spring. It draws competitors from the Mainland and Japan.

Fencing, only one of the four sports featured at every modern Olympic Games, evolved from an ancient form of combat. Over the decades, as dueling became less effective in settling disputes, fencing turned into more of a sport, with masks and protective clothing to ensure the safety of the competitors.

The three weapons used in fencing are foil, épée and sabre. Foil is a thrusting sword with a flexible rectangular blade, smaller than an épée, also a thrusting sword but heavier with a larger guard and a much stiffer blade. Sabre is the modern version of the slashing cavalry sword, similar in length and weight to the foil, but able to both cut with the blade and hit with the point.

Competitions are much more Star Wars than Errol Flynn, with fencers strategically striking their opponents for points, not pain.

The comparison of the sport to chess is common in the world of fencing; at national tournaments, competitors are known for playing chess in between bouts.

"The whole thought process (is similar)," Nishimura said. "You determine your opponent's defense, find weaknesses and strategies in tactics. Chess is an organized game of warfare. They really go hand-in-hand."

Fencing stresses discipline, and Nishimura has seen the sport change people's lives.

It has affected Thurlow, who appreciates the value of respect, responsibility and patience. When he's not practicing, he's working at McDonald's in Palolo and reading literary classics. He hopes to get a fencing scholarship to Duke or Stanford and study criminal justice with a minor in philosophy and creative writing.

"It's been a major factor in (young people's) growth and development," Nishimura said. "They learn to deal with and relate to people. It's a very, very powerful changer of people ... Josh has grown up in a hurry."