i am poking you!

kids think it's so funny to jab each other repeatedly with their finger while repeating "i'm not poking you!" (adults do too, the facebook version). not to scoff, perhaps persons with such a penchant have gone on to world class olympic levels of...fencing. if students are rough housing in my classes, i like to tell them, "literature is not a contact sport". well, this one is. with a myriad of layers (chest guard, arm sleeve, jacket, helmet, outer jacket, cordage, swordage) you are ready for fencing 101. if you can see, that is. with my head swimming in new terms and my eyes peering out from behind the mesh with arms contorting in vain efforts to zip my jacket from behind, i tried it. amazingly fun sport. complex. (inigo montoya makes this look easy in princess bride, by the way, it's not! and zorro must have practiced...alot. newfound respect there.) within 45 minutes, you are actually out on the gym floor hooked into ceiling cords and competing (who am i and why did they give me this sharp thing?) it's not actually sharp, but rather electronic. and i was lucky enough to come on a monday when it's all about foiling (just at the chest). it seems other nights are epee (all body is fair game?!) especially if you're going more than one round, as we did, this is a very important word difference to know, my fine fencing friends. (repeat after me, "foiling" you want foiling!) i would have had someone take a picture to prove i had done it (since this item is afterall newly crossed off on my bucket list) but it took me over 10 minutes just to get out of my uniform and by then most of my class had gone home or were otherwise engaged in, yes, professionally poking one another. p.s. if you try this at home, use very dull things, like maybe wet noodles. trust me on this one or have a bandaid handy.