Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

TomWainwright · 04-06-2005, 03:10 PM

Im thinking of taking up a sport and im hoping to find one which will help to keep me reasonably fit. I've always thought about taking up fencing So could anyone tell me how good fencing is as a form of exercise. Also another question im 6' 6 1/2 inches tall is this a disadvantage as i present a bigger target? thanks in advance.

noodle · 04-06-2005, 03:14 PM

fencing is good exercise, provided you're partaking in the sport correctly. especially on the legs. height is a natural advantage, you'll find success more easily from being tall.

keith · 04-06-2005, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomWainwright

Im thinking of taking up a sport and im hoping to find one which will help to keep me reasonably fit. I've always thought about taking up fencing So could anyone tell me how good fencing is as a form of exercise. Also another question im 6' 6 1/2 inches tall is this a disadvantage as i present a bigger target? thanks in advance.

yes it is good excercise and good fun as well. It is very asymetric in terms of which muscles you work out though - fencers forearm is a common condition.

As to target area breadth probably matters more than height

but as a general rule your ability to move matters more than you actuall proportions.

welcome to the sport.

TomWainwright · 04-06-2005, 04:07 PM

Thank you, a few other questions, First how hard is it, i dont mean to master i mean to get good enougth to have fun with? Secondly and im sure this is what everyone asks does it hurt? Third how safe is it? i know the tips are blunt and you wear protective clothing but what if the tip of the blade snaps off? couldnt that cause it to become sharp? Sorry for all the questions.

Peach · 04-06-2005, 04:26 PM

How hard is it to master? A lifetime. How long would it take you to have fun with it? Not very long at all. I mean, that is, if you like hitting people

In order to be good enough to bout at the club level or even enter a local tournament, depending on what your coach believes, you would need anything from a few weeks to a few months of instruction. I've been doing it for ten years and I'm still learning new things every day.

It is one of the safest sports on Earth, safer than baseball, mostly because of the rigorous rules for safety and courtesy which are closely observed. There have been a handful of deaths in the past century, almost always due to broken blades, mostly in epee at a fairly high level of competition because of the size of the athletes and the speed of their actions. There are occasional injuries due to broken blades, again fairly rare. As far as I can tell, by far the common fencing injuries are tendonitis and joint problems, and those are less common than in, say, recreational basketball.

It doesn't particularly hurt to get hit with the blades, but that depends on what annoys you--my coach, for instance, cannot stand to fence sabre because he loathes the sting of a cut, while some people hate fencing the point weapons because they don't like being poked.

At the entry level it's a great fitness sport. Those of us who compete nationally (and it's a great sport for that, because there is national competition at many levels even if you start as an adult) find that fencing itself gradually is less of a fitness sport; we start doing other exercise in order to be even more fit for fencing. Either way, you get a lot of exercise.

kalivor · 04-06-2005, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomWainwright

Thank you, a few other questions, First how hard is it, i dont mean to master i mean to get good enougth to have fun with?

Most people appear to be having fun in the first class. Unless you *need* to win to have fun, it's usually fun right off the bat.

Quote:

Secondly and im sure this is what everyone asks does it hurt?

Sometimes. People are hitting each other with pieces of metal, after all. However, a properly executed hit generally won't hurt. Occasional bruising does occur.

Quote:

Third how safe is it? i know the tips are blunt and you wear protective clothing but what if the tip of the blade snaps off? couldnt that cause it to become sharp? Sorry for all the questions.

As far as safety goes, it's one of the safer sports you can participate in. The most recent fatality was last year, and involved a piece of safety equipment to be modified as to no longer conform to the rules. There has never been a fatal fencing accident in North America.

Your life is in greater danger driving to fencing practice than it is while fencing.

daveappr · 04-06-2005, 11:27 PM

Tom- welcome to the wonderful worrl of fencing... Does hitting someone with a metal weapon hurt? sometimes, but not when done correctly. You don't need years of practice to have fun and no one has a better web based community to support this habit- eh, addiction, ummm passionate sport that all of us here love.
Best regards to you and I hope all of us here have sold you on your new sport of choice

Coup de Grace · 04-07-2005, 01:32 AM

I encourage you to start fencing. You will find it a wonderful sport at either a recreational or competitve level. Here are my reasons:

Fencing does not cost much to start. It is cheaper to fence than to ski and you'll never hit a tree in a snowstorm-unless your tip control needs work.

Good fencing is a great workout. Bad fencing makes you tired.

You don't have be a kid to start the sport and learn the skills.

Basketball is much more dangerous than fencing. Ask the fans at that Pistons/Pacers game last year.

Try it. The first time you hold a weapon in your hands it will be hard to put down again. Good luck and welcome to the forum!

ps- Pick Sabre. It is the envy of all the other weapons.

ThatReallyHurt · 04-07-2005, 01:47 AM

Hello there, welcome to the forum!

Fencing is a great sport - I've only been doing it for about six and a half months myself, but I tell you, I'm having a really great time - and I started having a great time on the first day.

It's really good exercise, too - I'm what you might call "big boned", but since I started fencing I've lost about 25 pounds and can actually touch my toes for the first time in about fifteen years.

As for safety, every sport has some risk. Fencing is very safe when done with the right equipment (which any club should have on hand). You will get the odd bump or bruise, but again, that comes with pretty much every sport.

It's cheap, it's fun, and it's good exercise - my only regret about fencing is that I didn't start earlier!

Have you had the chance to look into fencing clubs in your area?

TomWainwright · 04-07-2005, 04:06 AM

As for fencing clubs i dont know if theirs any in my area i live in Bristol england in case anyone knows of any from my area. Also how i would find one the listing on this site only covers america. There is however a fencing class for begginers at my local sports center how would that be at least for starting out?

Zilverzmurfen · 04-07-2005, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomWainwright

I've always thought about taking up fencing

Just do it!

Pauli · 04-07-2005, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomWainwright

As for fencing clubs i dont know if theirs any in my area i live in Bristol england in case anyone knows of any from my area. Also how i would find one the listing on this site only covers america. There is however a fencing class for begginers at my local sports center how would that be at least for starting out?

check out www.fencingforum.com

site covers mostly your island.....ehm.....your country...sorry...

Alain · 04-08-2005, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomWainwright

Thank you, a few other questions, First how hard is it, i dont mean to master i mean to get good enougth to have fun with? Secondly and im sure this is what everyone asks does it hurt? Third how safe is it? i know the tips are blunt and you wear protective clothing but what if the tip of the blade snaps off? couldnt that cause it to become sharp? Sorry for all the questions.

Hey,

Welcome to the forum

To answer your first question: like any good sport; fencing is easy to get into, but difficult to master. To begin with, you should have loads of fun trying to poke people without getting poked yourself, and later on you'll get to learn more ways of how to go about it!

Secondly: No (especially if you do fence properly).

Thirdly: Very safe. Don't quote me on this, but I think you're probabably more likely to die fly-fishing than trying to hit someone with a sword. Go figure...

In itself, fencing's a really safe sport. Take into account the modern materials that are used, and the most damage you'll get is the odd bruise.

Just find out where your nearest club is and have a go

Living in Bristol, if you haven't already done so then check out the
British Fencing Association and also its club lists. Oh, and if you're close enough, pay my club a visit

Good luck!!!

silsbeel · 04-09-2005, 04:42 PM

Hi Tom:

I've done some athletic things in my life, but I have never had the discipline to be an athlete, and anything that feels like the drudgery of "exercise" is right out. But I became hooked on fencing the first day that I tried it, even though I was hot, sore, out of breath, and feeling very old! So yes, it is a great workout, both for body and mind. That is what keeps it interesting, and no fencing match will ever be the "same old thing" and I heartily believe that it is a sport for a lifetime. I have read accounts of fencing masters teaching well into their 70's.

What hurts the most are my sore muscles! I've already gotten a bruise or two on my upper arm, but stubbing my toe hurt worse than that. I think that if you are honest about your abilities and are in a salle where courtesy and respect is practiced, and you listen to your instructors, your chances of getting hurt are minimal.

Give it a try!

ROGUE POINT · 04-10-2005, 10:19 AM

I just completed my beginner foil 3 weeks ago. I am 6' tall and 260 lbs at the start of my first class. Look like the Stay puff Marshmallow man from ghost busters. Yes I gave everyone a huge target area. But it was a great workout, alot of fun, and I am down 20 lbs for the effort. GO FOR IT !

silsbeel · 04-10-2005, 10:32 AM

As for your height creating a bigger target area - remember that also equates to a much better measure from the tip of your weapon to the scoring area on little 5'4 shrimps like me! On a straight shot you will hit me first every time!

epee1 · 04-11-2005, 03:30 PM

Tom,

The best thing about fencing is its competitors. I've found my 2 best friends fencing - he's my coach/training partner and she's my team mate and HIS wife. Fencing generates great camaraderie and nourishes a family spirit that has no rival in any other sport. I can't encourage you enough to pick up a weapon (epee is the best - the others are for those who can't fence epee) and give it a shot. On the physical side, there are exercise sites that list calorie burning by sport and fencing is reported at about 7 calories per minute and its just so much fun to boot!! Welcome to fencing.

Boo Boo · 04-17-2005, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomWainwright

As for fencing clubs i dont know if theirs any in my area i live in Bristol england in case anyone knows of any from my area. Also how i would find one the listing on this site only covers america. There is however a fencing class for begginers at my local sports center how would that be at least for starting out?

Hi Tom

There are a few fencing clubs in your area (I live about 20 miles down the road from you...). There are two that do beginners courses:
- http://www.bristolfencingclub.com and
- http://www.bathswordclub.co.uk

Personally I think that Bath (a public club but held at the University of Bath) is a better club with better coaches and more space and fencers, but Bristol (held at Redlands School, just off of the Gloucester Road/A38) is ok for beginners too.

Why not pop along to one or both to have a look and find out whether it is something you want to pursue? Bristol fence on Tuesdays and Fridays, Bath fence on Mondays and Thursdays. Monday night is beginners night at Bath, but a lot of the more experienced fencers fence on Thursday night instead (which might be interesting to see - i.e. where you are heading rather than what you have to do to get there...)

I second other people's opinions - log onto fencingforum.com (the UK forum) - too.

Boo

mrbiggs · 04-17-2005, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomWainwright

Secondly and im sure this is what everyone asks does it hurt? Third how safe is it? i know the tips are blunt and you wear protective clothing but what if the tip of the blade snaps off? couldnt that cause it to become sharp? Sorry for all the questions.

For your second question (first that I quoted), it doesn't usually hurt, but you will get the occaisional bruise. Epee hurts more than foil, which usually hurts more than sabre. It all depends on how good you are and who you're fencing, though. Overall, it's not usually something to think or worry about.

It is very safe. If your blade breaks, it does become sharp, but that it usually apparent to both fencers, who stop fencing. VERY occaisionally, there is an injury, but the odds of you getting more than a few bruises in your fencing career are pretty small. There have only been 8 deaths because of fencing, and none of those were with modern, high-quality equipment. (I think.)

InweCiryatan · 04-17-2005, 10:10 PM

Put it this way, fencing is safer than football, and safer than soccer. I have more strength and stamina than I had before, and my legs and arms aretoned and un-flabby. It looks easy, but trust me, it is hard and taxing, but very rewarding. Plus you can meet some really interesting people, as you can most likely tell from reading our posts.

Fencing - we take poking to a whole new level.