Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few days, you’ know that superheros aren’t just guys anymore. Wonder Woman has taken the world by storm, and with good reason.  It’s one of those rare movies that offers everything – a compelling story, incredible action, and a hero that we can all cheer for. Oh, and it’s the first comic book film to star AND be directed by a woman.

If you’ve been lucky enough to see the film already, then you no doubt know what we’re talking about. If you haven’t seen Wonder Woman yet, then grab some popcorn and a ticket! But don’t worry, you can read this article first. We promise – no spoilers.

Swordplay on a grand scale

The signature offensive weapon of Wonder Woman is her sword. She’s got her shield, her gauntlets, and her Lasso of Truth, but it’s the Sword of Athena that’s the big deal for her. It’s hard to overstate the importance of swordfighting in the film (something that you can see readily in the previews).

The fighting women of Themyscira train Diana, who will go on to become Wonder Woman, in the art of swordplay. There are LOTS of films with swords in them, but you’ve never seen anything like this. The women who played the roles of the Amazons weren’t your typical movie women. These were stuntwomen and fighters, athletes. When you see the film, you’ll see that these women don’t play around. Great chunks of the film focus on sword training, with women and girls picking up their swords. Again, if you’ve got a little girl who’s into fencing – this movie is a must see! Though the swordfighting in the film isn’t technically fencing, it’s nonetheless incredible to see it on film and on the big screen.

Wonder Woman’s sword helps her to fight off the weapons of war in the Great War – World War I. As the people of Europe are ravaged by new technologies that are almost beyond imagination, Wonder Woman steps in with her sword to save them.

Gal Gadot – a Wonder Woman we can all love

The actress who plays Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) in the film is a woman who knows her way around weapons. She was a trainer in the Israeli Defense Force during her mandatory two years of service. She trained tirelessly with fencing coaches to get ready for the movie, for nearly a year! Those incredible moves that are in the film stem from long, hard hours of work in the gym.

Fencing offered Gadot a finesse on the battlefield in the film. Unlike some of the other action films that are brute and strength, part of the appeal of Wonder Woman is that she’s got more control and focus than the men throwing their weight around. Gadot had a great deal of previous training in dance, and that certainly worked in conjunction with her fencing training to allow her to have the long, elegant but effective lines during her swordfighting scenes that makes them so stunning in the film.

Not only that, Gadot has fenced on film before. For a 2015 Gucci commercial. The image below gives you a look at what she looks like in full fencing gear! The strip is a bit shiny for our taste though.

Of course, Gadot debuted her Wonder Woman in the 2016 movie “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice”. In general, no one liked the film, but EVERYONE loved her. At the time, she spoke about how her training affected her.

The culture that Wonder Woman embodies is one that intrinsically believes that women are powerful. Not that men are obsolete, but that women are valued. Incidentally, the film is the first major comic book movie to be directed by and starring a woman. It had the biggest opening weekend of any female directed movie in history. Just as we know that having women coaches, women trainers, women refs, and women officials in fencing helps to support the development of women and to hold up their value.

“I do a lot of sword work and martial arts in Wonder Woman. I enjoy anything that gets my adrenaline going. In Israel I was a gym instructor in the army. Now that I’m a mother, I still enjoy it, but I like to make sure I’m safe.”

How fun I that? Don’t we all know that sense of adrenaline pumping when we pick up the sword, and how great it feels to take on an opponent. It’s also powerful to realize that Wonder Woman herself has children to consider as she makes her way through the world. Fencing is an incredibly safe sport, and one that women can access and feel confident in.

Wonder Woman beyond the film

There’s more to the story of Diana than what you see in the film. Wonder Woman has been around since the 1940’s, and the iterations of her story are wide and wild. She’s been reimagined as everything from a Dear Abby style columnist to a fashion designer. Even today, as the film seems to be everywhere, there’s another version of Wonder Woman currently playing out in the DC Super Hero Girls from Warner Bros. You’ll find the episodes online for free right on the Super Hero Girls YouTube Channel.  Cartoon Network will start airing a full fledged version of the show next year. They’re fun an engaging, targeted at kids, and they feature – you guessed it – FENCING!

In the show, Diana and her friend and fencing partner Tatsu have some incredible scenes with their swords. They practice their fighting skills and it’s lots of fun to watch! Check it out for sure, especially if you have kids. (Or as a guilty little pleasure if you don’t)

The other place that fencing REALLY comes into play for Wonder Woman is on the classic 1970’s TV  show starring Lynda Carter. In season 2, episode 1 of the Wonder Woman TV show titled “Return of th Wonder Woman”, our heroine picks up a fencing sword. She’s pretty awesome with it, and the battle that ensues is definitely fun to watch. In it, Wonder Woman is fencing a robot version of Doctor Solano, one of her nemesis.

Yes, you read that correctly – WONDER WOMAN FENCING A ROBOT.

Of course she wins the duel and saves the day by getting rid of the bomb that the robot is carrying (though you’ll want to check it out because it doesn’t go the way you think it might!). And we get to see one of the best fencing duels ever filmed. No really – it’s an actual duel. You’ll find a video of it here on YouTube (skip forward to about 2:15 to check it out). It’s just SO COOL!

Seeing a woman wielding a fencing sword is always awesome, and in the hands of Wonder Woman as she works to save the world is just downright incredible.

Fencing empowers women

What we all love so much about the Wonder Woman film is that it empowers women. It’s a shining example that the fierceness of battle isn’t for men alone, and that women don’t have to sacrifice who they are in order to be strong. That’s the same lesson that we believe fencing brings to women and girls – that they are stronger than they know and that the can be powerful. It’s not about winning a fight, it’s about building self confidence.

We see it every day in the club. If anything, the privilege is ours. As we watch girls and women pushing past boundaries and taking their development to the next level through fencing.

The culture that Wonder Woman embodies is one that intrinsically believes that women are powerful. Not that men are obsolete, but that women are valued. Incidentally, the film is the first major comic book movie to be directed by and starring a woman. It had the biggest opening weekend of any female directed movie in history. Just as we know that having women coaches, women trainers, women refs, and women officials in fencing helps to support the development of women and to hold up their value.

To leave you, here’s a quote from Gal Gadot herself.

“I truly feel privileged and grateful that I have the opportunity to portray confident women, like Wonder Woman. Women are just so amazing. We have to be the best workers, the best wives, and in order to be able to do everything, it takes a lot.”