| Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 16, 2001 |
Feature: Master Sword-Forger's Dedication to China's Fencing Sport |
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While all the spectators in the fencing hall follow the movement of competing fencers attentively, the elderly gentleman sitting in a corner a few meters away from the strip focuses his attention to the swordsonly. From time to time, he'd take some notes on a writing pad.
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While all the spectators in the fencing hall follow the movement of competing fencers attentively, the elderly gentleman sitting in a corner a few meters away from the strip focuses his attention to the swordsonly. From time to time, he'd take some notes on a writing pad.
Many fencers would go up to him before entering their bouting position. He would check their swords carefully, then give his okay to them.
He is Hu Ahzhang, a master sword-maker in China who is well-known in the country's fencing community. He has come all the way from Shanghai to the southern Chinese city for fencing competitions of China's ongoing 9th National Games, which opened November 11. Instead of the results of each game, he is concerned about the quality of the swords.
Now 67 years old, Hu, intimately called Master Ahzhang by Chinese fencers, has manufactured numerous weapons for them over the past more than 40 years, and witnessed many of them to their national, world and Olympic success.
When Luan Jujie, now head coach of the Canadian women's national foil team, became the first Chinese and Asian woman to win an Olympic foil title at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, she didn't forget to make a long distance call to express her gratitude to Master Ahzhang.
That was one of the many pleasant memories the master cherishesin his over-40-year association with China's fencing community, Husaid. With a smile, he recalled that before the Los Angeles Games,he and Luan's coaches made meticulous studies to get a sword fit for Luan.
"She has rather unusually long arms," explained Hu. "We finallydecided to make the sword one centimeter shorter for her in the end."
When she got it, Luan told Master Ahzhang that the sword "feelsexcellent," Hu recalled. With that weapon, Luan beat all her foil rivals at the Los Angeles Olympics. At the current National Games, Hu once again saw China's top men's individual foil fencer Ye Chong defeat all his rivals and capture the gold. "Master Ahzhang's sword is very handy and smooth to use," Ye Chong from Shanghai told Xinhua, adding, "I prefer his sword to any other domestic makes."
Hu started his fence-making career in his early twenties, when he was working with Shanghai No.1 Factory of Sports Goods. Over the decades, his sword making skills and techniques have developed to near perfection. He knows every bit of the details inthe profession. He does not remember how many swords he has made for how many Chinese fencers, but enjoys those fencing stars' appreciation for his products.
Although he retired seven years ago, Hu's love for sword-makinghas never faded. In 1997, he set up his own sword company, named Shanghai Jiaying Sports Goods Company and registered "Z" as its trademark. "Z" stands for the first letter of Hu's given name "Zhang."
Acknowledging the established quality of Master Ahzhang's swords, the Chinese Fencing Association approved Hu's Z swords to be used at national competitions within six months after he submitted his application. In contrast, other applicants may wait for years before they get the approval.
Even with the approval, they still may not have the market Hu has attained, as "three fifths of the fencers are using Z swords to compete at the current National Games," he told Xinhua.
In addition, the Z swords produced by his company, now under the charge of his son, claim a domestic market share of 80 percent,used by as many as 150 national and local fencing clubs and teams. "I am concentrated on studying swords and trying to find a way to narrow the quality gap between our swords and foreign makes," Hu said, adding that China's sword forging is inferior to western countries in terms of techniques and materials used. "In Germany, space materials are applied to sword making, whilein China we can only use spring steel," he said.
Probably that is why his swords are used mostly for exercises and domestic competitions. At international championships, many Chinese fencers would use imported weapons. But an average imported sword costs around US$100, ten times more expensive than a domestic product, according to an insider. Years ago, fencers had to share the few swords available and affordable to them. Hu's swords have facilitated Chinese fencers in their pursuit of world glory. Now it is he who is trying to get his swords recognized in the world.
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