Donte comes to see fencing as more than simply a game. It is not entirely physical. It is also made up of strategy, which he learns while watching two members of the Middlefield Prep team spar. He thinks that “[f]encing isn’t just motion, it’s tactics. Mind games” (111). When he faces Alan, he uses the pain in his wrist to make Alan think that he is weak and an easy target. When Alan falls for his trap, Donte works it to his advantage and scores.

Eventually, Donte learns that skills from fencing can be used in everyday life. As he enters his hearing, Donte doesn’t understand why Coach tells him: “Heads up. Another strip. Another field. See everything. On guard, Donte. On guard” (137). However, it soon clicks. He sees the situation strategically and challenges the stereotypes the judge has about him as a Black teenage boy: “I see now…it’s a match. Like Coach said. The courtroom, another field” (141). Being able to analyze the situation allows Donte to respond decisively; he draws on his brother, father, and Coach to show that he is not likely to cause trouble.