May the swords be with you

Sophomore Silas Horn is quick on his feet and has amazing reaction speed. He mentions how he can think of strategies on the spot within a few short moments. (Courtesy of Silas Horn)

Sophomore Silas Horn does fencing outside of school, typically three to five days a week at the Salle Auriol Seattle Fencing Club.  He has been on and off with fencing for about three years and was first introduced to fencing because of his interest in “Star Wars.”

“I just loved ‘Star Wars,’ like, so much,” Horn said. “I think I had 25 toy lightsabers.” 

Horn would challenge his friends to lightsaber matches but that wasn’t enough for him. His mom decided to put his love for fighting to use and signed him up for fencing.  Horn now prefers to use sabers over epee or foil , as he enjoys the style of striking with the blade’s edge rather than thrusting. 

“I use saber, which, in my opinion, is the best one,” Horn said. “I like hitting people like that instead of poking them.”

Fencing is not without potential for injuries. Horn explains how he recently got a severe injury.    

“I have gotten injured so often,” Horn said. “[The] most recent was a concussion.”  

He had been hit in the head by someone’s shoulder about two weeks ago.  It happened right before the homecoming pep rally but Horn still went to the event, even though loud noises and crowds are the opposite of what a concussion needs to recover. Horn added that fencers can get injured in other ways too.

“I think it was a nerve that was being strained [in my leg] because I wasn’t warming up properly, “ Horn said.  “I had to go to physical therapy for a few months.”  

In another incident, Horn had lost his hearing for about 30 minutes when he got hit near his ear.

“It happens very rarely, but I think most fencers have it happen to them at least once,” Horn said.  

Horn looks up to the Korean fencer Oh Sanguk. “He’s South Korean, and he is just so speedy,” Horn said.  “[When] he lunges backwards, it’s wild.”

Sanguk’s style is Horn’s main inspiration for his own technique.  When he is injured and can’t fence, Horn watches Sanguk.  

When asked to describe himself in three words, after some thought, Horn replied with “jumping” as one of them.  

“Jumping is the first word because I am always just in the air,” Horn said. 

Horn finds jumping around to be a good strategy in fencing because it helps him dodge the aims from the other fencer. The second word Horn picked was “optimistic.” 

“I’m always looking for opportunities when fencing,” Horn said. “I’m never content with how I did.” 

As his final word, Horn chose “fast.” 

“I like to be pretty fast,” Horn said.  

Horn is quick on his feet and has amazing reaction speed.  He mentions how he can think of strategies on the spot within a few short moments.

Horn has not won any official awards but was once rewarded with ice cream after winning a tournament. “I got ice cream and pride,” Horn said.

Horn will continue fencing but will not pursue it as a career due to the sport being corrupt and not very popular.  

“I’m not going to pursue it as a career because it’s very corrupt,” Horn said. “It’s not very big, so it wouldn’t pay well as a career.” 

For Horn, he will continue fencing casually.