By Jason M. and Jessica M.
For most Germantown Academy students, going home after school means putting on headphones and picking up a pencil to do homework. However, for Nick Lieu ‘28, it means suiting up in a mask and picking up a blade to step on a long, narrow mat where movements happen faster than the eye can follow.
Lieu has been fencing for seven years. Starting at age nine, he discovered the sport after his grandparents saw that an organization called the Fencing Academy of Philadelphia was near their house, yet soon after an unexpected hurdle arrived.
“I started about when I was nine, but that was right around the start of the pandemic,” Lieu said. “I did go for it for a little while, but I really started to take it more seriously and put in more time and effort around age 12.”
Lieu competes in sabre fencing: one of the three major weapons used in today’s Olympics, and the only one that allows for cuts in addition to thrusts. The electronic scoring system connects to their uniforms, and in sabre, only counts hits that land on the torso up. As the most aggressive discipline compared to its counterparts, it is built as much on instinct as it is on precision and technique.
However, balancing school with the intense training needed to build up this touch is not easy. Lieu’s average schedule consists of two hours of practice every Tuesday, Thursday and occasionally Friday. When paired with tournament weekends, it’s easy for the sport to get overwhelming. So for Lieu, time management is critical.
“I usually go to tournaments once or twice a month. If they’re smaller tournaments, it might take one and a half to two hours, but if it’s a large tournament, it’d likely be two hours plus” Lieu said. “I usually get home from fencing around nine o’clock, but before and after that, I can do homework.”
This year, Lieu has competed in a total of nine tournaments, notably the Miles Chamley-Watson Cup, the Capital Clash and the Nittany Lion Cup. Over the past two years, Lieu has qualified for summer nationals, and by 2024, Lieu earned an E rating.
However, the most valuable lessons the sport has given him have nothing to do with awards or score, but rather, the ability to maintain focus and a strong mindset. Although it takes up a large part of his life, Lieu doesn’t mind the time it takes, as fencing has helped him grow in not only speed and agility, but also mentality.
“Once you get hit a couple times, you can hesitate,” Lieu said. “And then if you hesitate, you kind of get trapped in a loop… you get down on yourself, and it’s a self-repeating cycle. You get hit, and you keep getting worse and worse until you can’t win at all.”
Lieu approaches these challenges as a problem to solve. Critical thinking and learning to reset between touches has played a crucial role in such an intense, fast-paced sport.
“Not getting down on myself is probably the biggest skill I’ve grown,” Lieu said. “I also try to look at what a problem is asking me to do, and in fencing, figure out what my opponent is doing and then make a plan based on that.”
Overall, while it requires dedication and time, fencing has been rewarding for Lieu. Looking forward, he hopes to continue his passion, strengthen his skills and continue to compete in local tournaments to rise in the rankings.
“I enjoy fencing and just knowing that I’m getting better,” Lieu said. “While I’m not specifically trying to go to college for fencing, I think it would be really nice if I could fence while in college.”
For Lieu, fencing is more than just a hobby or competition–it’s a matter of growth, discipline and learning.