Fencing Families?

[Dedigan]

I'm curious. Are there many out there that are part of a Fencing Family?

To narrow it down a little I'm referring to families where two or more members actually fence. I.e., spouses/partners, parent(s)/child(ren), siblings, etc.

How did it start? Did one family member take it up then others joined after seeing how much fun the first one was having? Maybe it took a lot of convincing to get a significant other to try it out?

My wife has said she would try it were it not for the logistics and figuring out what to do with the kids a couple of times a week. The kids are still too young to start fencing and they have other activities / committments, so her reasons are legitimate.

Please share your story.

[Rick Shellhouse]

Ok...here we go....

As the story goes...my wife took up fencing at age 9...she fenced up till high school and then found out the coach was moving on....quite upset about this she went to the principal and asked what did you need to be a coach...finding out..she went home and told her mom, congrats you are the new fencing coach....which led to my father in law taking it up to help out...

meanwhile back in georgia in a little small town waaaay deep south I took up martial arts leading to a attachment to kendo and sharp pointy objects....this led to actual live steel combat ..leading to a habit of frequenting renaissance festivals....

numerious years later i move up north and met my wife at of all thigns...a renaissance faire...

after travelling as the supportive spouse to several events she convinces me to try fencing her way...the frst bout was funny because i was use to two blades....

This led to me picking up an epee and "trying it" and fixing weapons because it was easier than driving to her dads.....I soon picked up sabre thereby fencing the only weapon my wife couldnt kick my butt in...

5 years later we have a little one...who is now two and just learned her sabre parry 5 this week....and has a mean lunge and beat attack and just got her first jacket this week...keep in mind she has been in a salle since a week old...while my wife coached...and gets more excited about going "fecncing" than mcdonalds

We also were distrributors for a fencing company and since seperating from them have developed our own brand and line...


So yeah I guess we qualify as a fencing family....or insane ....you can decide...


Rick Shellhouse

[Asprin]

My Dad and one of my Aunts used to fence. My Dad still fences against me when he has time but its only really me who fences.

I wanted to start fencing since I found my dads old kit. We were at my Grandmas house and we found the sabre and foil in the cupboard and thats kinda where it started.

I fence sabre and some foil as does my Dad but my Aunt never did sabre.

[yeoldearmourer]

My wife and I meet at fencing so has most of you know 8 of my 9 kids fence. My wife been involed in fencing since she was 15 she nows referee I do the armourey work. Adelia fences and teach the classes and referee.

[ParryRiposte]

I started fencing, and then my dad followed me into it. He fenced for a while but had to quit due to a bad foot. He used to bout with me at home on occasion. It was nice, we'd do a Zorro-style (i.e. circular) style of duelling outside in the evening.

[roguepoint]

It all started when I was looking for a christmas gift for my daughter. I remembered that she said she would like to take a fencing class. I was something that I found interesting but never pursued. But with my Marine Corps background, anything martial is always interesting. So I found out where we could take classes and signed us both up for her(and my )Christmas present. The rest of the family saw how much fun we were haveing and wanted to get involved. Now we are all fencing. My wife, my son, and my youngest daughter are about 6 months into it. And my second oldest daughter and myself have been having fun for over two years now. April 7 and 14 we have two tournaments we are all geeked about. I will be epee and she will be foiling. Could be an A2 event. We all have a blast, and it is a great family event that we coordinate for three days a week to get our workout and fun. I am 43 Foil is my weak weapon,Epee is my fav with Saber looking promising, My wife keeps saying she is 30, a beginning Foilist but having alot of fun, One daughter 20 not fencing yet, One daughter 17, Foilest at heart but straying to Epee'.Son 11, Beginning Foilist, Daughter 10, Beginning Foilist

[Coldfire]

It all started when I was looking for a christmas gift for my daughter. I remembered that she said she would like to take a fencing class. I was something that I found interesting but never pursued. But with my Marine Corps background, anything martial is always interesting. So I found out where we could take classes and signed us both up for her(and my )Christmas present. The rest of the family saw how much fun we were haveing and wanted to get involved. Now we are all fencing. My wife, my son, and my youngest daughter are about 6 months into it. And my second oldest daughter and myself have been having fun for over two years now. April 7 and 14 we have two tournaments we are all geeked about. I will be epee and she will be foiling. Could be an A2 event. We all have a blast, and it is a great family event that we coordinate for three days a week to get our workout and fun. I am 43 Foil is my weak weapon,Epee is my fav with Saber looking promising, My wife keeps saying she is 30, a beginning Foilist but having alot of fun, One daughter 20 not fencing yet, One daughter 17, Foilest at heart but straying to Epee'.Son 11, Beginning Foilist, Daughter 10, Beginning Foilist

Thats quite the fencing clan you have there

[passata_sotto]

I took a semester in college (many years ago).

My youngest son (now 11) started fencing when we moved and found a great fencing club. His brother (almost 16) started a year ago and this past August their coach grabbed the then near 14 year old and 16 year old (now 17).

I am now a "mother of four fencers"

[fencerbill]

I started in 1953, my daughter fenced at Brandeis.

One of the outstanding elite fencing families of today are the Jacobsons. Two daughters fenced at the Olympics, the third is at college now I believe. Sada followed her father to Yale where both were team captains. The father, David, has won Veterans National Championships (over Ed Korfanty) and several World Championship medals.

There are numerous multi-generation families. The D-Asaros (spelling?). Several elite coaches have had successful college fencing progeny.

Anyone else willing to remind us of more of them.

[Zilverzmurfen]

...8 of my 9 kids fence.

What's wrong with the 9th..?!


Anyway, I am the only fencer in my family. Ever.

*imagines zmurf-mom fencing and lets out a little giggle, he he*

[yeoldearmourer]

My youngest is Down Syd and doesnt fence but she can do the footwork drills with her older brothers and sister and as been know to pickup a sabre and chase the older kids with it she holds it two handed.

[TrojanMD]

There are numerous multi-generation families. The D-Asaros (spelling?). Several elite coaches have had successful college fencing progeny.

Anyone else willing to remind us of more of them.

The Hristos come to mind, as does Wes Glon and his daughter, and Boris Sokol and his son back in the day. 'Gypsy' Bill Gelnaw, Dick Richards, and Doug Thistlethwaite are examples of the Veteran contingent now with children fencing as well, and rumor has it the next generation of NoFear epeeists is in the pipeline. (so to speak)

[4qtrs]

My youngest got us into fencing. Neither of my kids were interested in the traditional stuff (i.e. softball, soccer, etc.). They were however, constantly making weapons by hand...bows and arrows, any piece of wood instantly became a sword.

One day while waiting for a Drs. appointment my husband saw a Time mag. article on fencing (for the 2000 Olympics). He showed it to them and that was it. I signed them up for lessons and seven years later we have been all over the US and parts of Europe.

It's a slippery slope.

[Zilverzmurfen]

My youngest is Down Syd and doesnt fence but she can do the footwork drills with her older brothers and sister and as been know to pickup a sabre and chase the older kids with it she holds it two handed.

My apologies. I really only wrote that in a jesting manner, thinking the 9th would be like the family 'rebel' or something.

Still, I think it's awesome that your entire family is involved in the sport. I wish mine was too.

[brtech]

My son got "recruited" in middle school and had a blast. His sister, my middle daughter picked it a couple years later. The youngest daughter didn't want to even try it, but we worked on it, and eventually, she did try, did like it, and is probably the best of the three of them.

While I did try fencing while my son was still active, I never got comfortable. I have "lazy eye", which makes anything coming at you hard to judge distance. With a whole lot of work, it's possible to compensate, but I didn't really have the desire. However, at a tournament with my son, I saw this guy with three toolboxes full of tools working away, and since I had nothing to do but cheer, I asked him what he was doing. His reply was "sit down and I'll show you" and I have been armoring ever since.

My son only fences occasionally these days, but he misses it. My middle daughter fences for Brandeis, and the youngest is looking at colleges, with a requirement that they have a strong fencing program. I head tech one or two NACs a year, and work several more. I'd drag my oldest daughter in, but she is pretty committed to Woman's Rugby (now there is a rough sport).

[Dedigan]

Wow! These are great stories. Thanks to everyone for sharing! With this much family participation I think there is hope for mine.

From these stories it seems like there wasn't much coercion or convincing needed. Is that indeed the case?

We're so busy these days it almost seems like there isn't room for another activity on my wife's or kids' schedules.

[Smyles]

My dad started fencing in college, kept it up for a few years afterwards as far as I know but eventually drifted out of it.

I, in turn, also took it up in college (about 5 years ago now) and have no plans of stopping. Met my gf through fencing so maybe there's another fencing family on the way

[jfarmer]

I took a class or two in university nearly 30 years ago. Always meant to pursue it but got married and life got in the way. Fastforward to 8 years ago. My son found my old foil & mask in the basement. He bugged me until we joined a local club. At the time, no one was teaching there. Trying to fix problems with my fencing led me to working with the beginners, including my son. Today, I'm studying to complete a USFCA certification, coaching at our club, and helping a couple of groups (including my son who's a freshman in college) start new clubs.

While my wife has no desire to fence (physical issues), my son & I got his girlfriend fencing. In fact, she serves as my assistant for demonstrations and classes. So 3 out of 4 in our family fence.

John Farmer
Coach, Oak Ridge Fencers Club

[UnorthodoxEpeeist]

On my high school team, I have one family where the sister and two brothers all fence, 1 sabreur and 2 foilists.
On the same team, another family have two fencing brothers, both epeeists.

I'm graduating high school this year, but my little brother is coming in next year to fence epee too.

It's kind of a legacy thing...

[jenna930]

My grandmother fenced in college, but then quit. When my dad was little, his dad was a firefighter, and one of the other firefighters happened to be a fencing coach. He asked if my dad and his two brothers wanted to try it, and they've been fencing (on and off) ever since...

Fast forward about 20 or so years.. and you get me and my brother and sister. My dad decided to come back to fencing after a hiatus, and brought us along. Now he's our coach and opened his own club with his two brothers.

So I guess we qualify as a fencing family... =)