Hungary has been excelling in fencing for decades, and it has become a symbol of national pride. Hungarian fencers have been present at the first modern Olympic Games and have regularly stood on the top step of the podium ever since.
Fencers have won the most Olympic medals for Hungary in the history of the Olympics. Our legendary athletes, such as Aladár Gerevich, Rudolf Kárpáti, Pál Kovács or Áron Szilágyi, who is still active today, not only achieved success in the world of sport, but also became role models for future generations. Fencing is constantly evolving and adapting to the demands of modern sport.
"The ring is a lonely place, where there is no team but you and your opponent. So competitors have to overcome not only their opponent but also their own fears" - Béla Pákey
In the following interview, Béla Pákey, coach of the Nyíregyháza Sports Centre (NYSC), gives an insight into the world of Hungarian fencing, especially wheelchair fencing, making the beauty of this sport accessible to para-athletes. He talks about his career, the differences between the disciplines and his commitment to the sport.
The beginnings
I was born in Debrecen and started fencing at the age of 9. My grandfather took me and my cousin to Uncle Gyuszi's gym, which at that time was located in a cellar in the Gambrinus in Debrecen. It was a kind of theatre rehearsal room with a stage and a sounding hole. It was then that I first encountered fencing. I started in Debrecen, then I continued at Honvéd in Budapest and graduated as a fencing coach at the University of Physical Education. After that I worked in Germany for six years and then in England. But I wanted to return to Hungary because I was homesick. At that time I was contacted from Nyíregyháza, so we moved back to Hungary.
Results
At Honvéd I managed to reach the adult first division level and was also a junior national team player. We also managed to win a bronze medal at the Hungarian Championships with the junior sword team of Honvéd Budapest, which was a major achievement at the time. It gives me great pride to be able to give back to the sport as a coach.
Weapons
The three weapons differ in terms of hit surface, attack priority and style, although these differences are not always clear to the public. I could compare them a little to ball games: each requires a "ball", but each is very different from the other.
Challenges and successes
Wheelchair fencing is particularly important to me. I started working in Nyíregyháza in September 2012, and at the end of the year there was a demonstration with Pal Szekeres and his master Sándor Batizi, to which disabled people were invited. That's how I met István Tarjányi, who has been training with me regularly ever since. Amarilla Veres and I knew each other from before, as she started fencing with me as a child, so it was only natural that she joined. Now I work with two para-athletes, István and Bence Csépke, but I plan to expand the circle.
As a coach, it was a great success when we won the Hungarian Championship in 2016 with our rookie women's fencing team, the children with whom we started fencing in Nyíregyháza in 2012. My greatest experience in para-sport was Amarilla Veres' bronze medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. I have many successes and challenges with Pisti Tarjányi, as she started learning fencing with me as an adult, which is always harder than starting as a child. His first successes, then failures, his first Olympic qualification for Tokyo, then the qualification for Paris - all these are unforgettable. My fondest memory is of his World Cup victory in Eger, where he won the gold medal in front of a home crowd.
Disciples and everyday life
All three disciplines are represented in Nyíregyháza, with three different coaches. Training takes place at the Nyíregyháza Athletics Centre. I am a fencer, and we are strong in the junior section: we have about fifty students. We are in the top three of the provincial clubs. My coaching philosophy focuses on continuous improvement, I believe in personalised training methods and open communication. I try to pay attention not only to the technical - tactical but also to the mental side, because in competitive situations, psychological preparation is as important as physical fitness.
The future of fencing in Hungary
In Hungary, we are successful both at the intact and para-sporting level. Unfortunately, there are few clubs in the countryside, mainly in épée and sabre fencing, while there are several centres for parry. When I was competing in the countryside, there were so many associations that it was possible to qualify for the provincial championships through regional championships. From there you could qualify for the national championships. There are strong clubs in Budapest, but unfortunately the countryside is still lagging behind.
What does fencing give to young people?
Fencing not only requires physical fitness, but also develops independence and self-confidence. The ring is a lonely place, where there is no team but you and your opponent. So competitors must overcome their own fears as well as those of their opponents. The feedback is that young people who grow up here are successful in other areas of life: they achieve excellent results in their school-leaving exams and get into universities such as Corvinus or American universities, where fencing scholarships can get you into. There, fencing has a high prestige. It is important that fencing is not just a sport for them, but an experience. We organise camps and give them the opportunity to participate in international competitions. We also emphasise the social experience, as team spirit is important for the development of young people.
Hungarian fencing is world renowned and although it faces many challenges, the athletes and their coaches have a strong sense of community and commitment. Béla Pákey's passion for fencing is exemplary. The sport continues to evolve today and is becoming increasingly accessible to both able-bodied and disabled athletes.
