Just started fencing and must choose foil or sabre. Which is a better choice?

[Fang_Jiang-jun]

Hello everyone!

I have been wanting to fence since I was just a child running around my community stick-fighting against other kids. Now at 20 years old, I am finally getting an opportunity to fence. Though I am new to fencing, I am by no means new to athletics. I have been playing basketball and football since I was knee-high to a duck, and I have been weight-lifting since middle school.
In high school I consistently placed in triple jump, high jump, and 300m hurdles and 200m sprint. Yesterday I was given an oppurtunity to fence with an instructor in my hometown. She taught me some of the very basics and allowed to me to have a match with her. (Needless to say she took it very easy on me ^_^) In our match we both used epees, and she told me I took to it naturally. I am soon to return to college where I intend to take beginning fencing class, and join my University's fencing club. While checking out the classes online, I found that beginners are only allowed to begin using sabre or foil. I understand the rules and styles associated with each weapon, but I could certainly use some advice on which weapon would be best for a beginner with my attributes. I am already addicted to fencing and I will be extremely devoted to it. I hope to fence competitively soon, so I really want to focus on my first weapon for a while. Any and all advice is welcome and appreciated.

My Attributes:

20 year old male

6' 2"

180 lbs

Slender build with powerful legs, and quick reflexes.

[Neinteen]

Hello everyone!

Hi. Fence foil.

She taught me some of the very basics and allowed to me to have a match with her. (Needless to say she took it very easy on me ^_^)

Seemingly professional use of smilies, go on..

In our match we both used epees, and she told me I took to it naturally.

Your instructor thinks lowly of you, to think ANYONE could have a hard time fencing epee is a joke, and especially, to start someone off on epee, is just insulting. You should have a talk with her, tell her you're serious and don't want to be babied by her.

I am soon to return to college where I intend to take beginning fencing class, and join my University's fencing club. While checking out the classes online, I found that beginners are only allowed to begin using sabre or foil.

You don't have to know anything for epee, and if they started kids on epee, WHEN they wanted to switch to something worthwhile, they would realize they have no fencing skill. Foil, and maybe(?) saber has fencing skill involved.

I understand the rules and styles associated with each weapon, but I could certainly use some advice on which weapon would be best for a beginner with my attributes. I am already addicted to fencing and I will be extremely devoted to it. I hope to fence competitively soon, so I really want to focus on my first weapon for a while. Any and all advice is welcome and appreciated.

Good luck!

I am a non-bias source of undoctrined information, trust me.

20 year old

Foil.

male

Foil.

6' 2"

Foil.

180 lbs

Foil.

Slender build with powerful legs, and quick reflexes.

Foil.

[Fang_Jiang-jun]

LoL, thanks for your advice.

[noodle]

watch them both and try them both. if you like one more than the other, pick it.

you can always switch later.

if you can't decide, default to foil. its the middle ground between the other two weapons, easiest to switch to another weapon from.

[Catseye]

*sigh* much as I hate to admit it, if you plan on switching to epee later, foil is a better bet. If not, go for sabre! Especially if you like to make really quick on the spot decisions and can't be bothered with off-target calls extending your bouts forever

[Fang_Jiang-jun]

Thanks noodle and catseye. As of now, I don't have any intention of becoming an Epeeist, an epee just happened to be the first, and only weapon I am yet to fence with. She had a foil, but she didn't happen to have a sabre at the time. I intend to stick with my first weapon for a while, and if I like it, stick with it. I've watched sabre quite a bit and it looks really fun. I've heard people mention that taller fencers sort of lean towards foil or epee and shorter fencers tend to make better sabreurs. Is this true, or just another ignorant generalization?

[noodle]

Thanks noodle and catseye. As of now, I don't have any intention of becoming an Epeeist, an epee just happened to be the first, and only weapon I am yet to fence with. She had a foil, but she didn't happen to have a sabre at the time. I intend to stick with my first weapon for a while, and if I like it, stick with it. I've watched sabre quite a bit and it looks really fun. I've heard people mention that taller fencers sort of lean towards foil or epee and shorter fencers tend to make better sabreurs. Is this true, or just another ignorant generalization?

physical attributes are beneficial in all weapons, height included. height does make you better faster in epee, although at the highest levels, height isn't that important.

[NGV]

I've heard people mention that taller fencers sort of lean towards foil or epee and shorter fencers tend to make better sabreurs. Is this true, or just another ignorant generalization?

Some numbers I quickly took from the FIE website - average height for fencers ranked in the world top 25 in each weapon.

M. Epee - 187 cm (6' 1.5'')
M. Sabre - 185 cm (6' 1'')
M Foil - 180 cm (5'11'')

The numbers may not all be accurate, and some of the fencers don't have any height listed on the FIE page.

Looking beyond the averages - seven out of the current top nine in foil are 5'10'' or less (Le Pechoux, Joppich, Kleibrink, Baldini, Ota, Sanzo, Choi). The gold and silver medalists in men's individual foil were 5'8" and 5'7'' respectively.

In epee, the only top 25 fencers under 180 cm (5'11'') are Limardo of Venezuela (rank #20, 175 cm) and Avdeev of Russia (ranked #25, 174 cm).

In saber, only two of the top 25 are less than 5'11''/180 cm - Decsi (rank #10) and Lopez (rank #14), both at 178 cm. None of the top 25 sabre fencers are listed at less than 5'10''.

Those numbers seem to suggest that height is a significant advantage at the top level in men's epee and sabre, and possibly a slight advantage in men's foil (although only in foil are fencers of below-average height currently represented at the very top). This makes sense, as reach plays a bigger role in epee and saber than in foil.

[Fang_Jiang-jun]

Wow, I see. Thanks for the statistics that really helped me quite a bit in making my decision. After looking at several posts by foilists and sabreurs, I have decided to start off in sabre. I believe that it better fits my personality more so than foil. I'm thinking to purchase a practice sabre from this website so that I can get a feel for the weapon before I go to my first beginners fencing class. Thanks a lot for your help guys. May I ask if anyone has any training tips for fencing, or combat tips for a sabreur?

Also, does anyone know if this is good practice sabre?
http://shop.fencing.net/Advanced_Pra.../fdn-58003.htm

[Neinteen]

I have decided to start off in sabre.

You will now start being shunned by more than 2/3 of this forum. Have fun.

My last post to you,

Neinteen.

[Inquartata]

I have decided to start off in sabre.

You show your taste, intellect and perspicacity early.

May I ask if anyone has any training tips for fencing, or combat tips for a sabreur?

That will be your coach's job. At this point it won't be of much utility to get stuff from us. You'll need a strong basic foundation before that.

Also, does anyone know if this is good practice sabre?
http://shop.fencing.net/Advanced_Pra.../fdn-58003.htm

It's fine. When and if you move to fencing electrically you can put an insulated pommel and a socket on it and "viola", an electric sabre.

[Fencergrl]

You will now start being shunned by more than 2/3 of this forum. Have fun.

Just to clarify, when Nein says 2/3, you might think she means two-thirds, when in reality she really means 2 or 3.

Welcome to the forum and fencing BTW... I'm sure you'll enjoy both.

[Fang_Jiang-jun]

LoL, thanks for the compliments Inquartata. I was just drawn to the sabre more so than epee or foil. The sabre is quite an elegant weapon, and it fits my style of swordplay. Awesome! Thanks for looking the sabre over for me.

LoL, thats nice to know fencergirl. I wasn't trippin though, any choice made will be met by some form of opposition. So far I've had quite a pleasant experience in the forum and fencing. I've met several people who have been more than willing to help me get started. Thanks for the welcome!

[thekoby]

You don't have to know anything for epee, and if they started kids on epee, WHEN they wanted to switch to something worthwhile, they would realize they have no fencing skill.

Reminds me of my first lesson in epee: Stick the pointy end in the other person! That was all my coach told me before plugging me into the floor reel and pushing me out on to a strip against a giant 6'1" B-rated epeeist....such fun! I, however, left foil to fence epee....but I did make a comeback this year and did break down and buy two new electric foils :-P

I believe that it better fits my personality more so than foil

You get to beat on people with a big metal stick!! What's more fun than that?

[Neinteen]

You get to beat on people with a big metal stick!! What's more fun than that?

Not being a heretic?

[Inquartata]

That's all foil is, though: heretic, theretic, everywhere a tic, tic...

And lots and lots of "Off target, no touch".

[Neinteen]

go die again please

[Inquartata]

Your avatar is incorrect as to species.

[Neinteen]

please die. PLEASE!

[Zilverzmurfen]

At least you're asking nicely...