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What is fencing?
What are the rules? Isn't it dangerous? Does it hurt? Other martial arts have black belts, what kind of rating system does fencing have? When/where does the club meet?
What should I expect at my first fencing
class? Where can I purchase fencing equipment?
What about competitions?
Have other questions? Please let me know!
What is fencing? Fencing is the martial art of fighting with a sword. At the highest levels of competition, it is an extremely athletic endeavor that requires quickness, skill, strength and agility. The speed of the action necessitates electronic scoring and it is the fastest of all martial arts (and you thought Bruce Lee was quick :-) Fencing is an Olympic sport in the summer games, medals are awarded in all three weapons: foil, epee and sabre. For more details, check out the United States Fencing Association web site. What are the rules?Competitive Olympic fencing provides for the use of three different weapons which each have their own distinct rules, however the basic movements and skills for the three weapons are similar. Foil fencing is a point thrusting weapon with a target area limited to the upper torso, not including arms and head. It also has rules to enforce right-of-way which helps to simulate the conditions in an sword fight with sharpened weapons and no protective gear. Epee is also a point thrusting weapon, but the entire body, from the top of the head to the bottom of the foot is valid target area. There are minimal rules or conventions...the first to hit scores the point. Sabre allows both point thrusts as well as slashes (or "cuts.") The target area is the entire upper torso and rules for right-of-way are enforced. Again, the USFA web site has a wealth of information and you can learn more at our classes. Isn't it dangerous? Does it hurt? This answer is from the rec.sport.fencing newsgroup FAQ "Not if done properly. Although executed with appreciable energy, a good, clean fencing attack hurts no more than a tap on the shoulder. The force of the blow is normally absorbed by the flex of the blade. Reckless and overly aggressive fencers can occasionally deliver painful blows, however. Fencing *is* a martial art, so you should expect minor bruises and welts every now and again. They are rarely intentional. The most painful blows tend to come from inexperienced fencers who have not yet acquired the feel of the weapon. The primary source of injury in fencing is from strained muscles and joints. Proper warm-up and stretching before fencing will minimize these occurences. There is a risk of being injured by broken weapons. The shards of a snapped blade can be very sharp and cause serious injury, especially if the fencer doesn't immediately realize his blade is broken, and continues fencing. Always wear proper protective gear to reduce this risk. FIE homologated jackets, pants, and masks are ideal, as they are made with puncture-resistant fabrics such as ballistic nylon. If you cannot afford good fencing wear, at least use a plastron (half-jacket worn beneath the regular fencing jacket), and avoid old and rusty masks. Always wear a glove that covers the cuff, to prevent blades from running up the sleeve. Fencing is often said to be safer than golf. Whether or not this is true, it is an extraordinarily safe sport considering its heritage and nature." Other martial arts have black belts, what kind of rating system does fencing have?Fencing does not have colored belts as is common in eastern martial arts to designate levels of accomplishment. Instead, fencing classification is very much based on competitive performances in sanctioned tournaments. Competitive fencers earn letters from E to A based on their placement in tournaments. Everyone starts out as a 'U', which is unclassified. Winning a small local tournament against other beginners will usually earn a fencer an 'E' classification. To get an 'A' a fencer must win a major tournament defeating a number of other 'A's in the process. In addition, these rankings expire after three years, so a fencer must continue to earn his or her ranking and ensure that their skills stay tuned. That said, within the Virdare fencing club, we understand that there are also fencers who may not want to enter tournaments but would still like to have a way to recognize their advancement. As such, we have established a 'noncompetitive ranking' system consisting of Commons (U), Page (E), Squire (D), Knight (C), Knight-Banner (B) and Knight-Baron (A). Each of these levels roughtly corresponds to the skills necessary to attain the corresponding competitive ranking. In order to gain these noncompetitive rankings, a fencer must demonstrate skill development in five areas: chivalry (personal conduct), footwork, swordskill, knowledge and leadership (teaching and directing). See the Manual fo the Virdare Fencer for more information. When/where does the club meet?We are currently fencing Tuesday nights at Schooley Mill Park Activity Room. How do I get there? Take Rte. 108 (west) to Rte. 216; make a left. Follow Rte. 216 to Hall Shop Road; make a right. The park will be on the left. What ages do you teach? Currently, we have classes is for boys and girls ages 8 - 13. In addition, we have an adult club-style fencing class for students age 14 and up. What if I am an adult and would like to learn? You're in luck. We have just introduced an adult club-style fencing class for students ages 14 and up. In addition, this class is appropriate for more advanced fencers of any age. Let us know! What if I have previous fencing experience, can I join the club? Our adult club-style fencing class is appropriate for any students ages 14 and up and for our more advanced fencers, whatever their age. This class will provide significant amounts of bouting time as well as some formal instruction to improve your skills. How do I sign up? Contact the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks online, or call 410-313-1694. What should I expect at my first fencing class? Our classes are based on a Manual of the Virdare Fencer curriculum developed by Duane Burchick. Our classes generally follow a standard pattern. We will start each class with warm up and stretching. The basic fencing positions and movement skills will then be taughtand practiced along with instruction in the history and rules of fencing. We then will move on to sword skills and blade work coupled with instruction into tactical application. As the fencers gain skill with the weapons and movement, we will begin drilling and some bouting. Finally (time permitting) we will finish up with a fencing-themed game. What should I wear? Fencing requires quick athletic movements, so you want to wear clothing that allows freeedom of movement. No shorts! Also, try to avoid baggy clothes as these have a tendency to snag blade tips. Some good athletic shoes are a must. Tennis shoes and cross trainers usually work well. What do I need to bring? Your smile. Be ready to have some fun. We will provide a mask, sword and jacket for protection. You will need to acquire a fencing glove. Basically, you want something that covers the hand, provide a bit of padding and has a long cuff that goes over the sleeve of the jacket to stop blades from snaking up the arm. You probably can't find gloves at any local stores (I haven't been able to!) but we will be doing a group order after the first class if you would like us to order a glove for you. Alternately, you can check out these fencing suppliers that all do business online. Where can I purchase fencing equipment? It is unlikely that you will be able to find any fencing equipment in local sporting goods stores, but check out our fencing suppilers page for a list of vendors that sell equipment online. When should I purchase my own fencing equipment? For adults, you should purchase basic equipment as soon as you are confident that you like fencing and are going to stick with it. For kids, it is a bit more difficult because they tend to outgrow things quickly. However, we require students to purchase their own equipment before starting their second session of lessons with the club. What should I buy? You will need to get a fencing glove early in the session. We can't do any drilling or bouting without gloves. After that, you will need a jacket, mask and sword to continue with lessons. Prices vary, but a basic beginners set usually runs around $100. You might also want to get a fencing bag to hold all of your stuff. What about competitions? At the end of our class session we will run a mini-tournament for all students in the class. At this stage, students should know enough of the basics to handle themselves successfully during a fencing bout. In addition, there are various local tournaments that interested students are encouraged to attend to test their skills. Talk to your instructor for more information. What do I need to enter a competition? Competitions come in two flavors: 'dry' and electric. Virtually all tournaments nowadays, other than small beginners tournaments, are run with electric equipment. This is a good thing because the electric equipment takes much of the subjectivity out of fencing and enables competitors to demonstrate a wider variety of skills. However, in order to enter an electric tournament, a fencer wil need to purchase additional equipment including an electric foil, a lame (lightweight metal vest) and a body cord. Talk to your instructor for more details. |