A few questions...

[Jhk727]

hey everyone, I'm considering taking up fencing as a sport, and I have a few questions. first of all, a little about me. I'm currently 16 and a junior in high school. I used to do gymnastics, up until the end of my freshman year when back issues forced me to quit. sophomore year I tried out football, but didn't really like it, and all this year I've been missing the thrill of athletic competition. I read some stuff about fencing online, and looked up a few clubs near me, and it sounds like it would be something I'd enjoy. however, this leads to my questions:

1) Am I too old? I know that for gymnastics and a bunch of other sports, if you start after the age of 7 or 8 you're considered too old. how is it with fencing?

2) What type of time commitment would I be looking at? I'm interested in competition, and I can pretty much arrange my schedule however I want, because the deli I worked at closed in december, and I still don't have a job.

3) how much money would it cost to get started? mostly equipment-wise. (self explanatory)

4) and last of all, what else should I do to get started? should I call up the club and try to talk with a coach before I go, or just show up there for a class. Is there anything else I should know?

thanks in advance.

edit: is being a lefty a good or bad thing? just something I was considering..

[BraveHardt]

Welcome!

Taking your questions in order:

1) You are not too old. There are a number of fencers who start in their 30s and 40s. If you want to be seriously competitive (at a National level) you aren't sunk either. I didn't start fencing seriously until I was 18 and I was able to make it fairly high on the points list.

2) The time commitment depends on what you want to get out of it. The more time you put in, the faster you will progress. In some cases, club schedules limit how often you can fence. I recommend trying 2-3 times a week to start. Classes are great introductions to the sport.

3) Start-up costs depend somewhat on what weapon you want to fence. A lot of suppliers have starter sets that you can purchase for $100-$150. I recommend Absolute Fencing Gear (http://www.absolutefencinggear.com/shopping/) or the Fencing Post (http://www.thefencingpost.com/) depending on what coast you are on.

4) I'd recommend talking to the coach so that they know you are coming. Some classes have rolling admission, while others have pre-set start dates. Also, most coaches appreciate knowing in advance if they will have to teach a new student.

Being a lefty is an advantage for a fencer early on. The angle and the novelty of fencing a lefty makes it difficult for many to adjust. Also, if you have a background in gymnastics, your balance will probably be an asset. Be careful about your back, however. I fenced a competition this past weekend and my back is still sore. Of course, I'm terribly out of shape, but there you go.

Good luck!

[Angwilwileth]

Hey, a leftie. I like fencing lefties!
Anyway, welcome to the forum. I hope you enjoy it here!

[Go? Fencing?]

Originally Posted by BraveHardt

3) Start-up costs depend somewhat on what weapon you want to fence. A lot of suppliers have starter sets that you can purchase for $100-$150. I recommend Absolute Fencing Gear (http://www.absolutefencinggear.com/shopping/) or the Fencing Post (http://www.thefencingpost.com/) depending on what coast you are on.

Don't worry about the cost to start with. Many clubs have extra gear that fencers can borrow. Contact the coach first to find out what you'll need. It's usually a good idea to defer costs of equipment until you're sure you want to keep fencing. That said, good luck! Fencing is a great sport that all sorts of people enjoy, and hopefully you will too.

[VELISARIOS]

Wellcome to the forum.
The age has some importance but there are fencer who start their carier at lat 30's.
The money depnce in what material you will take. Some are econmic and start with 90e (jacket, trouser) other are expencive.
Go at the club and speak with the coach.

[Sword Hobbit]

s being a lefty a good or bad thing? just something I was considering..

The thing about being a lefty is you sometimes really confuse your coach. but it's kind of funny

[sjpfencer220]

1. You are definately not too old to start, there are even people in my club who started in my 60s. As long as you keep with it, you can get just as good as anyone who started when they were half your age.

2. At the beginning, you can start taking weekly classes, and as you get better and better, you might take a few more classes each week. Eventually, on weekends you could be flying throughout the country to tournaments, so that's something to consider if you want to be competitive. The committment is only how much you want it to be.

3. At the very beginning you probably won't even use weapons or any of the other gear. When you do start using a weapon your club will either be able to provide onee for you to use at practice, or, when you start going to tournaments, you can buy your own from places such as Absolute r Blue Gauntlet. All of the non-electric practice gear put together (this is 1 practice weapon, 1 jacket, 1 plastron, one mask and one glove) shouldn't be more than a bit over $100 at the most. As you get better and get more stuff (such as lames, knickers, body cords, and electric weapons) the costs will eventually increase considerably, but it should not be too much for now. Another thing to take into consideration is the cost of classes, probably around $200 per session of 10 for example. As you get better, private lessons will be thrown in for extra, lessons will get longer, which means more expensive, tournaments come into play... etc. At the beginning though it should not be too much at all.

4. There's nothing really more you need to know, taking to a coach and taking the classes will pretty much reveal everything.

PS Coming from a lefty, I can't really notice a difference between righties and lefties, other than righties seem to like using their opponent's left handedness as an excuse for why they losy...