In New York City, a middle-aged man named Maximilian Suba visits a fencing class taught by Maestro Villard, and waits to speak with him. Villard prepares star pupils Jimmy Trebor and Hobbs for a competition to qualify for nationals, which will take place in forty-six days. After class, a young woman named Erin Clavelli approaches Villard in hopes of studying with him, and is accepted as a beginner to train with his apprentice, Danny Gallagher. Suba tells Villard he would like a job as a fencing teacher. However, when Villard tests his fencing stances, Suba is told he needs more training. Villard offers him a job as a locker room attendant, and Suba accepts. Later, while Suba moves into a run-down apartment, he unpacks newspaper clippings from Villard’s illustrious career, and experiences a flashback to a fencing duel. At the fencing salle, Suba sees a rapier in a case, and Villard tells him it belonged to his dead father. Erin arrives for her first day of class, meets the other students, and attracts the attention of Jimmy Trebor. In the fencing salle, Suba suffers flashbacks of a duel from his past. When he practices a stance, he falls to the ground. Coach Danny Gallagher offers to give him instructions, but Suba dismisses him. When Villard asks Suba where he learned his old-world style, Suba refuses to reveal anything about himself. Jimmy expresses his interest in Erin and tries to dispel her reservations about his playboy reputation. That night, Villard has a nightmare about watching his father being killed during a duel. Sometime later, Villard sees Suba give advice to Jimmy, and chastises him for interfering, even though his comments improved Jimmy’s lunge. Villard investigates Suba’s background and waits for the results of his inquiry. In time, Suba accepts Danny’s offer to coach him, but asks that they conduct their sessions at night. Meanwhile, Erin and Jimmy become lovers. Villard examines the registry from the salle that his father owned before him, and discovers that Suba was a student of his father’s thirty years earlier. Villard keeps the knowledge to himself, and focuses on training Jimmy Trebor outside the studio. The Maestro demands that Jimmy lose his compassion for others in order to win the upcoming competition. Meanwhile, Suba sees an attractive woman named Rachel at the grocery store, but is too afraid to speak to her. Later, she approaches him in the park and gives him her telephone number. Following Villard’s advice, Jimmy ends his relationship with Erin, calling her a distraction. Erin’s friend from class, Gigi Tanos, consoles her over the break-up. Suba practices with Danny after hours, and impresses his coach. Villard watches, then steps in to challenge Suba. The maestro is also impressed, and Suba proclaims that he gave up fencing because “there was no one left to beat.” Suba takes Rachel on a date and reveals that he was just released from prison after serving a twenty-year sentence for killing a man. Suba blames it on being young and stupid, and hopes that Rachel will give him a chance, as he is a changed man. She appreciates his honesty and agrees to stay for coffee. At the salle, Suba continues his janitorial duties, and is surprised when Villard asks him to practice with Jimmy Trebor. Afterward, Suba is angry that Villard used him to embarrass Jimmy. Maestro Villard asks Suba for his opinion on the students, and encourages him to start teaching. When Suba instructs the beginning class, he quickly proves to be more than just a janitor. After a successful day, Suba still believes that Villard is using him to embarrass the students. However, Villard denies the claims and is disappointed that Suba did not exceed his expectations. Suba’s memories of killing a man, with a young boy as witness, continue to haunt him, but he returns to the salle with a fresh approach to teaching. In time, students Jimmy and Hobbs face off to see who will go to nationals, and Jimmy severely wounds Hobbs, putting him out of contention. Maestro Villard is proud of Jimmy’s performance, but Erin chastises his new aggression. Villard asks Suba if he wonders what it would be like to put a sword into a man, and tells him he saw his father get killed by his protégé. Villard explains that the young student was jealous of his father’s success, even wanting his wife, and challenged him to a duel. Villard claims his father was merely good and not the best, or else he would not have been killed. Suba asks if Villard admires the man who killed his father, and the maestro admits to admiring the best. In time, Suba sleeps with Rachel, and their relationship becomes serious. Villard announces a tournament at which students of every level will compete with each other, with the winner going to the nationals. Sometime later, Villard receives information that Maximilian Suba died nine years before, and visits Suba at home to confront his deception. Villard suspects he is the man who killed his father, but is disappointed that Suba does not live up to his expectations as a champion fencer. Villard forbids Suba from returning to the salle. At the fencing tournament, the students ask about Suba, and Villard tells Erin not to expect him. When Suba arrives, Villard is not pleased. Erin is called to compete with Jimmy, but she wants to forfeit as he is far more advanced. Suba encourages her to use Jimmy’s weaknesses against him. When Erin earns a few points, Jimmy becomes aggressive and knocks her down. However, while she lies on the floor, Jimmy does not attack her, and Villard reprimands him for holding back. Suba calls Villard an animal, and challenges him to a duel, presenting Villard with his father’s rapier from the display case. Suba insists that using sharp rapiers and not practice weapons is the fight that Villard has always wanted. As the men duel, Suba reveals that Villard’s father challenged him when he was a protégé, and that as a young student he had “worshiped killing,” feeling no remorse when he killed his maestro. Their violent battle continues as the students look on, and both draw blood from the other. However, when Suba knocks Villard’s weapon from his hand, he chooses not to murder his opponent, and declares the fight over. Villard picks up the rapier and approaches Suba, but instead of striking, he breaks his own sword, and declares the lesson over. Suba salutes Maestro Villard with his sword, and Villard returns the gesture.