why fencing?

[sabrefencer93]

So i was just wondering why everyone chose fencing and what your favorite part of the sport is.

[Ron West]

Well, for me, I was taking all three of my boys virtually every day and finally decided to try it for myself. The things I like most about it are:
1. I can do it with my sons (although they kick my butt).
2. It gives me a physical activity which helps keep my weight and blood pressure down.
3. It gives me a competive outlet (which I have missed as I have gotten older).

[sabrefencer93]

For me i suppose its the fact that its a relativly unrecognized sport, my school doesn't have an official team, and i just liked the idea of doing something different. I also love the fact that you can always improve on it, and your only as good as your last bout. I also love the atmosphere it creates.

[Mergs]

It kept me from closing down the Officer's Club every night and introduced me to a group of friends that helped me through the most difficult period in my life, to whom I am forever grateful, as well as to the One who led me to the opportunity to change my life. It has become a mainstay of my life and is a sport/activity/community that has remained constant through the many twists and turns that my life has taken since I received what has been the most important two phonecalls in my life. 28 years ago.

[prototoast]

Because I wasn't good enough at baseball.

[Superscribe]

^ yeah i don't know if we really want to get into this.

[RkfdFencer]

Grew up with a lot of enjoyment of zorro movies, fantasy/sci-fi books, etc. My sports interests tended towards individual performance (track & field) over team sports. I had the opportunity to try fencing out and just knew I would love it.

I enjoy the combination of mentality and physicality the sport requires. It has been immensely satisfying to explore the technique and tactics of the game and work on improving myself.

[Warrior Princess]

I started fencing because it was something that I had always wanted to do, and I finally had the time. The plan was for fencing to replace basketball (which just wasn't fun for me anymore) as my winter sport, but to keep lacrosse for spring and summer. I tryed it right about at the beginning of the first basketball season after I quit, and while I still loved to play lacrosse, I love fending more.
I keep fencing because it's a sport in which you can never stop growing. There's always more to learn about and more to perfect, whether it's the actual fencing or the attitude that you have when you compete and train.

[milstdfarm]

Because chicks dig pirates.

And because I was really good at basketball but only 5'7". Somebody told me that fencing and basketball required similar skills.

But mostly because chicks dig pirates.

[TBean]

I went with a friend and discovered I did not hate fencing, a few years later really I found myself really enjoying fencing, and now so many years later I cannot imagine not fencing because I love the sport and continue to enjoy learning as well as the benefits I get from doing it.

And, my friends let me hit them.

[Morale Officer]

I got into fencing in college (12 years ago) on a dare from my best friend from high school.

[Mac A. Bee]

In seventh grade my father forbade me to play football again. My classmate's father was a coach, their older brother became an NCAA champion and they fenced - one eventually World Cup. When I reached high school, it was new, offering football, basketball and fencing. At 5'something and 100something pounds, fencing was the only viable option. My senior year the senior squad members built up a soccer team, but its season overlapped fencing, so we had to abandon it.

My favorite part is remaining competitive - even bouting with some of my high school competitors.

[monitorlizerd]

Got into it to lose weight...my son fenced, then my husband, while I became an armorer.
My fav part? I'm an older, arthritic, slow saber fencer, and get blown off a lot. But the old lady has a few good moves, and a bunch of tricks. I love the look on the face when I score on some youngster who thinks he's God's gift to fencing. They will still beat me, but I make them work a bit.

[kapunga]

I was always a big fan of knights and castles and swords growing up, but what actually got me into fencing was when I was in middle school, one of my cousins who was fencing for St. Johns invited me to come to a dual meet over at MIT. I went and thought it was pretty awesome. I didn't take up fencing right away, but I took it every chance I could PE in high school, (which actually could hardly be called fencing) and when I made it to college I immediately joined the team and loved it.

It's interesting to hear people mention how basketball has similar skill sets. I'd had an okay mid range jump shot from gym, but other than that I was pretty mediocre. My African American side of the family has a massive family reunion every two years at which there is traditionally an afternoon of basketball games. I usually didn't play, because I was afraid I would be a total bum, (There are some seriously good ballers in my family), but I figured what the heck a few years ago. My shooting was still mediocre and I still had no low post game, but holy crap, I could defend. A combination of my fencing based footwork and my fencing developed ability to read body cues that signal an eminant change of direction made it very hard for even good players in my family to blow by me. Although I didn't score any points, I was really happy when at the end of the afternoon, I think only one basket was made by someone I was guarding.

[slow_learner]

... My shooting was still mediocre and I still had no low post game, but holy crap, I could defend. A combination of my fencing based footwork and my fencing developed ability to read body cues that signal an eminant change of direction made it very hard for even good players in my family to blow by me. Although I didn't score any points, I was really happy when at the end of the afternoon, I think only one basket was made by someone I was guarding.

I love fencing stories with happy endings.

[telkanuru]

I went to a private HS in Boston that didn't have a cross-country team, and I needed a sport. Been hooked ever since.

[DavidduMonde]

I've wanted to do it my whole life (which really isn't that long, since I'm 20) because it just always seemed so calming, self-assuring, etc. The perfect sport for me. My high school didn't have a team and there wasn't anyplace close to do it until my junior year, when I was able to take some lessons (amounting to about six weeks) after which I had to stop because of costs.

But then I went to college! Now in my junior year I'm captain of our club's foil team. I get to fence at a local club two additional times a week (all adding up to five practices a week for me) for free because our coach is the co-owner, and all I have to pay for are my private lessons which I take every other week!

So basically I'm living my dream right now, haha (I just earned my E in my first USFA tournament last weekend, haha, I know, so small a victory but I'm proud of it anyway), but I'm still worried about how I'll continue fencing after college.

[catwood1]

It was winter, I was bored, and had some friends on the highschool team. Its ironic that I didn't even consider fencing when applying to colleges. I didn't think it'd be a big part of my life after highschool.

I was wrong...

[crquack]

1) I got too old for full contact stick-fighting
2) Stabbing people - also it allows me to dress to my taste. For some reason people look at you strangely if you dress like that almost any place else.

[whtouche]

Signed up with a bunch of friends then the club at my HS started. Was hooked from literally the first time we did footwork.
Yes, you wouldn't know it to watch me fence, but I love footwork.