ERROLS, ZORROS AND XENAS; FANTASY HEROES MOVE MANY TO TAKE UP SPORT OF FENCING.

Byline: Jenifer Hanrahan Daily News Staff Writer

As a child, Pat Cherry stared up at the big screen, watching reverently, his heroes saving beautiful damsels and slaying villains with the slice of a sword.

Zorro. The Three Musketeers. Cyrano de Bergerac.

Those images of chivalrous men finally led Cherry to emulate their art through fencing.

``It looked romantic and fun,'' said the 39-year-old Temple City man, who practices at Salle Swords, a fencing studio that opened last year in Burbank. ``They always looked so confident, and besides, they always got the girl.''

But those on-screen swashbucklers who so inspired Cherry wouldn't stand a chance in a duel with him nowadays.

Their grand, sweeping movements, the endless clank-clank of rapiers slamming into each other, bears about as much resemblance to real sword fighting as Antonio Banderas does to a typical felon.

Fencers equate their sport to ``physical chess,'' in which outfoxing the opponent with quick, small jabs like a boxer determines who lives to fight another day.

``In staged or theatrical combat, the idea is to make movements the audience can follow,'' said Andy Shaw, manager of Westside Fencing Center in Culver City, where a roster of more than 400 members makes it the largest of a handful of fencing studios in the Los Angeles area. ``The movements go on and on, so people can feel the buildup of the drama. In fencing, the idea is to make actions that someone can't follow, because you don't want someone to parry it or block it. You make movements that are intricate and efficient. The better the fencer, the smaller the movement.''

Getting to the point

On a recent weeknight, Pat Cherry and Michele Chimienti, 25, of Norwalk faced off with their feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.

Wearing full fencing gear - white hooded mask, gloves, knickers and jacket - they lunged at each other with their epees.

An epee, which weighs about 1 pound and is a yard long, is one of three weapons used in fencing competitions, including the Olympics.

Every time one made contact with the other's suit - the contact is called a ``touch'' - a pressure sensor in the tip of the weapon sent an electronic signal through a wire running from the hand, through the suit, to a machine on a wall. The signal caused a light to go off that indicated who scored the point.

In epee, every part of the body is fair game, even the feet, and Chimienti kept Cherry jumping.

``Fencing is a mind game,'' she said later. ``Even though men are stronger and faster, women can win.''

While the adults dueled, children's instructor Loy Hopkins, 44, of Lake View Terrace, did her best to bring some structure to her class of youngsters only too eager to run around hitting sticks together.

But like a soccer coach trying to explain defense to 6-year-olds, the kids seemed to be more intent on having fun with their foam rubber swords than learning about lunges and retreats.

After a half hour of drills, Gavin Quan, 6, rushed over to his dad and tore off his face mask.

Like so many soccer and baseball dads, Gavin Quan's dad had something to say about his son's technique.

``You have to lunge forward, like this,'' said his father, Glenn, grabbing a sword.

``Dad, you go take my place,'' the plucky 6-year-old replied.

As a matter of fact, Glenn Quan said he planned to sign up next month. He's contemplated it ever since seeing Luke Skywalker's glowing, magical sword two decades ago.

Taking a stab at it

Even though theatrical fencing is phony in the eyes of real-life fencers, most fencers won't lash out at their choreographed counterparts.

As much as Errol Flynn helped the fencers of old, today's movies and television shows, such as ``Xena: Warrior Princess'' and even the animated ``Mulan'' are attracting new fencers to the sport, said Kerry Logan, director of SwordPlay, a fencing studio that opened six years ago in Burbank.

The United States Fencing Association reports nearly 14,000 people belong to certified fencing studios in the United States. The number has been growing steadily since 1995, when membership was less than 10,000.

SwordPlay even offers classes in specialty weapons such as the quarterstaff, a stick that is held in both hands, and cloak and dagger, in which the cape is used as a shield.

Most students working with specialty weapons are actors getting ready for a part, although ``Braveheart'' sparked an interest among the general public in learning the broadsword.

Even Michelle Pfieffer came in to learn how to hit a target with a bull whip in ``Batman Returns.''

``In the last few years in particular, fencing has become much more of a popular sport,'' Logan said. ``We've been trying to catch the wave of popularity by performing at fairs and festivals and parties.''

Students from Salle Swords fencing studio performed in front of Burbank movie theaters during the opening of ``Zorro.''

Fencing, which is considered a martial art, is also getting a boost from an increase in popularity of other martial arts, such as kickboxing, Logan said.

A long history

But the sport of fencing was well-established throughout the world centuries before anyone ever dreamed of the silver screen. Popular since the 16th century, fencing is one of the world's oldest sports. When guns that could actually be aimed rendered armor of little use to soldiers, fencing was transformed into a gentleman's game, mostly practiced by the upper class, said Shaw, historian for the U.S. Fencing Association.

There were fencing clubs in the United States as early as the mid-1700s. The first national championships for men were held in 1888; women's came later, in 1912.

It's the sense of tradition, a harkening back to days of chivalry and romance, that drew Hopkins.

``Once you put that mask on, you're not that person's friend. You're their enemy,'' she said. ``At that moment, you're so much into the heat of the battle, you don't hear anything, see anything or feel anything but that person in front of you.''

Fencers say that the sport is a wonderful way to relieve stress. The concentration required to outmaneuver a probing, thrusting rapier, and the physical stamina required to endure a half-hour of lunging and side-stepping in a thick suit, makes it impossible to think about anything else.

For children, fencing can help develop hand-eye coordination and confidence.

Even as fencers unleash aggression on their opponents, there is little chance of injury. The tips of the weapons are dulled, and the uniforms are made with thick materials that withstand punctures.

``It's a terrific sport for a lifetime,'' said Carl Borack, who retired two years ago as the longtime captain of the U.S. Olympic Fencing Team. ``At 24 you might be aggressive; at 54 you may be a very calculating son of a gun who outsmarts his opponents.''

Choose your weapon

There are several places in the Los Angeles area that offer beginning and advanced fencing lessons. Here are a few to check out:

Conejo Community Center, 1300 Hendrix Ave., Thousand Oaks. [phone]. Cost: $35 for eight weeks of Saturday morning group classes.

Everywoman's Village, 5650 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys. [phone]. Six-week session for children and adults begins Sept. 25. Cost: $70 plus an additional $20 equipment rental fee.

Salle Swords, 132 S. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank. [phone]. Cost: $40 a month for eight group lessons and equipment use.

SwordPlay, 64 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. [phone]. Cost: $50 a month for eight group lessons and equipment use.

Westside Fencing Center, 8737 Washington Blvd., Culver City. [phone]. Cost: First class is free; $25 for a private lesson, including equipment rental.

CAPTION(S):

7 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) EN GARDE!

Serious sport of fencing has no room for Zorro

(2) Gavin Quan, 6, left, spars with cousin Daniel Quan, 11, under the watchful eye of instructor Loy Hopkins at Salle Swords in Burbank.

(3) Fencers' suits are wired to a machine that records each touch made by the yardlong, dulled weapons.

(4) Pat Cherry, 39, of Temple City, who works out at Salle Swords, says big-screen heroes inspired him to take up fencing.

Phil McCarten/Daily News

(5) no caption (Errol Flynn)

(6) no caption (Zorro)

(7) no caption (Xena

Box: Choose your weapon (See Text)