Newb Question..

[Toedwy]

Hello,

I am a 35 y/o healthy and fairly active male. I have always been interested in learning fencing. Is it too late for me to become a respectable fencer? Meaning am I going to get my arse kicked every match from now until I cannot hold a foil anymore? Or can I at least learn to become a decent fencer.

I know I am not going to be a zorro or anything, but with some practice and dedication what are the possibilities?

I realize fun is a state of mind and I will try fencing regardless of the performance limitations. Fencing looks enjoyable and hopefully the training is aerobic to help with my creeping belly growth.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

[noodle]

no, it isn't too late

[TooLoftheDeviL]

Unfortunately, once men reach the age of 35 they lose a crucial capability to learn how to fence. Had you only started when you were still 34 you could have taken on this new hobby. But don't be completely discouraged! You can still participate as a referee or armourer!

[KD5MDK]

Or train for a while and become a Vet50 World Champion.

[graymalkin]

The positions one's body takes in fencing feel pretty natural for the most part. True skill in fencing, I have found, comes almost purely from experience. As long as you like the sport well enough, and fence a lot, there shouldn't be any reason for you not to excel.

My coach turns 50 this year, and apart from a slight slowing in his leg speed, I'd say he's a better fencer than he was in his 30s.

A good friend of mine is over 70, and still bests a fair few opponents less than half his age in tournaments.

Good luck in your pursuits, and don't get discouraged if it doesn't click immediately. Zorro wasn't born with a sword in his hand.

[eac]

Originally Posted by graymalkin

The positions one's body takes in fencing feel pretty natural for the most part.

Uh, no. Completely not. Having your knees bent 45 degrees or lower, making your quads pull probably more than your total weight, then turning your head, one leg and one arm completely sideways and crab-walking that way is not natural. Becoming comfortable in that position takes a lot of training.

True skill in fencing, I have found, comes almost purely from experience. As long as you like the sport well enough, and fence a lot, there shouldn't be any reason for you not to excel.

Also not true. There are people (especially older folks without coaches) who fence all the time in tournaments, yet have never passed the Div 3 level. They try pretty hard; they just have no instruction and probably little aptitude.

My coach turns 50 this year, and apart from a slight slowing in his leg speed, I'd say he's a better fencer than he was in his 30s.

Then he must not have been very good in his 30s, because after a certain level of fencing you need spring in your legs and endurance that are just not there in your 50s.

A good friend of mine is over 70, and still bests a fair few opponents less than half his age in tournaments.

Similarly, said opponents half his age must not be very good. There is a reason none of the Vet-60 competitors can make it at the Div I level.

All that said, 35 is not at all too old to fence-- the current men's foil European Champion, Ralf Bissdorf, is I believe 35 or 36.

[KD5MDK]

What about the A and B rated ones? Div I isn't everything, you know.

[Greg]

Its not too late by any means to be successful or at the least, enjoy participating in the sport for the sake of sport. You have decades of veterans fencing to look forward to. It depends on how much effort you put into it. Just expect to have to be more diligent on taking care of yourself, longer recovery times between hard efforts and being more suspectible to injuries.

[The Rose Knight]

Originally Posted by Greg

Just expect to have to be more diligent on taking care of yourself, longer recovery times between hard efforts and being more suspectible to injuries.

All very true! I'm 39 and can certainly attest to this. I fence and practice Kumdo (Korean Kendo), and while I do alright, I definitely need to take more care of myself than I did at 20.

[eac]

Originally Posted by KD5MDK

What about the A and B rated ones? Div I isn't everything, you know.

At the most recent NAC, the only A rated 60+'s were epeeists, and epee has a bit more rating inflation than the other weapons, as measured by comparing the skill of an entry-level A to that of an entry-level Div I point-holder (There's a bigger gap there in epee than in foil, and a bigger gap in foil than in saber.).
In the other weapons, only the very best 60+'s were B's. So it's possible, just fairly rare, for 60+ fencers to be A or B quality. So, if you take a random 70-year-old fencer (and it's random since I don't know anything about the guy graymalkin is talking about) it's pretty darn improbable that he's beating reasonably accomplished people half his age.

[dramamine]

You can be very good. There are also age categories for older fencers, although you aren't old enough to qualify for them yet.

If you wanted to be really competitive it would take a lot of work, but it's not impossible. Fencing is a tough sport for the first little while but as you get comfortable with it if you work hard you can excel pretty fast.

[Toedwy]

I do say, I do like the active online community and the helpful info.

This afternoon I ordered a practice foil as a Christmas gift for my 14 y/o son and 13 y/o daughter along with beginner lessons for both at a local Fencing club. I signed up to take the lessons with them.

I am looking forward to the fun

[Goldgar]

Originally Posted by Toedwy

This afternoon I ordered a practice foil as a Christmas gift for my 14 y/o son and 13 y/o daughter along with beginner lessons for both at a local Fencing club. I signed up to take the lessons with them.

I am looking forward to the fun

You're going to have a blast.

[clonardo]

We have a 34-year old beginner who's been doing acceptably well in open tournaments. There are events for every level of skill.

[parrythis]

Originally Posted by Toedwy

I know I am not going to be a zorro or anything,

That position is taken.

<---

Seriously, read my journal (under "Quick Links") from the beginning if you need inspiration.

Whether you can be "respectable" or not depends on how much effort you put into it and how you define "respectable".

It is not too late. Go for it! If I can fence and occasionally kick 18-year-olds' butts, you can too.

[Ordway]

Congratulations on choosing the best sport ever :-)

At 35 and a beginner, you probably aren't going to make the Olympics, but you can take your fencing pretty far if you want to, especially since you're only 5 years away from Vet-40 eligibility. I'd suggest setting goals for yourself and see how much fun you have meeting them, and see what you feel like pushing yourself to do. That may mean fencing recreationally in the club, doing local tournaments, working on being competitive locally, regionally, nationally... As long as you enjoy what you're doing, go for it!

As far as the excelling *fast*, or excelling from simply *doing* the sport a lot, I do have to disagree. Some people are able to do that, but you shouldn't expect it; if you do, you will likely find yourself unnecessarily discouraged. OTOH, don't sell yourself short, either.

I'm 32, and I just made the National rolling points list in women's sabre. (Yeah, I'm bragging. Cut me some slack.) I've been fencing for going on 15 years, but up until two years ago I thought I'd topped out at being a competent regional fencer, maybe a strong D/weak C. I assure you that I do not have any particular natural talent. What I do have is a willingness to work hard, a love for fencing, and a damn good coach.

I would say that if you *really* have the dedication, you can go pretty far - it won't be easy, but I think, personally, that working hard makes the rewards all the sweeter. In my case, the blood, sweat, and tears have been (at various times) quite literal - but every little thing that I improve is a personal victory. I know that for me, at least, I get far more out of competing and training hard now than I would have at 16, 18, or 20. So for me the question of "What could I have accomplished if I'd had good coaching 10 years ago?" is moot, since 10 years ago I don't think I'd have had the emotional maturity or drive to work hard enough, and I don't think I'd have enjoyed the journey or the successes nearly as much as I do now.

Basically, enjoy yourself, and see where it takes you!

[Purple Fencer]

We have an eppeist at SwordPlay in Burbank, CA who took up the spoert last year in his late 70s...he competes, too.

Don't worry about being the next national team member...just have fun.

and remember....once your kids realize they can hit Dad and not get into trouble, you;ll REALLy have to step it up!

[PalmFrond]

It's rarely too late. However, if you intend to become a good competitor, you will need to work much harder on your conditioning and diet than a 20 year old. Kids can bounce along on youthful energy - you have to actually get fit. Look at Bernard Hopkins: a top boxer in his early forties, because he lived his sport and was constantly training.

At this point you might want to examine where you want to go with fencing. Recreational fencing in the club, with an occasional competition? Good local fencer? Nationally-ranked athlete? International fencing 'god'? Now is the time to decide what you want and start laying the foundations for the future.

Best of luck.

[magic_moose]

Some of us here, like me, didn’t take up fencing until we were in our 50s. I started almost two years ago and began competing this year. Now I am in better shape than I have ever been, having a wonderful time, and doing things I never thought I could. Skillwise, I just keep improving. So in your case, I would say that 35 is probably not too early to start!

[DJ Apostrophe]

Originally Posted by Ordway

I'm 32, and I just made the National rolling points list in women's sabre. (Yeah, I'm bragging. Cut me some slack.) I've been fencing for going on 15 years, but up until two years ago I thought I'd topped out at being a competent regional fencer, maybe a strong D/weak C. I assure you that I do not have any particular natural talent. What I do have is a willingness to work hard, a love for fencing, and a damn good coach.

Kick A$$, UMASS, GO STATE U!

Nice job Holly!

W00t.

-w