prospective student

[erowe11]

Hello everybody, my name is Eric and I live in Los Angeles. I've been contemplating trying out fencing for about a year now and have recently started to pursue the idea.Just as an FYI my fencing knowledge is pretty limited, I had a fencing birthday party when I was ten and we learned some rudimentary lunge and parry techniques but that is pretty much it for me. Now after a bit of research I have a few questions...

1. First off, it seems like more people start with foil and learn the basics and then transition to epee or saber, how long does this transition/training period typically take?

2. Locally their seem to be two fencing clubs ( I live in santa monica)

the first
Los Angeles International Fencing Center
http://www.lafencing.com/

seems to lack a saber coach

and the second
The Beverly Hills Fencers club
http://www.bhfencers.org/fencing.html

seems to have it all but is a bit further away

If I missed any west LA clubs please tell me, and if anyone has experiance with either or both please don't hesitate to share!

Lastly I have also been looking at kendo ( there is a seemingly nice place located about 2 blocks away from the Los Angeles International Fencing Center) and so far it has been bringing back memories of my old karate days ( did shotokan for 8 years or so) where everything was done according to tradition and it took quite a few classes until you were able to do much of anything. So this has raised an additional few questions.

4. What is the typical coach student relationship like, I'm assuming a respectful professional relationship but no bowing right?

5. Roughly how many classes before you have your first bout? ( I'm sure that after so little training aforementioned bout would be lacking in a variety of moves but is a bout none the less. )

6. And in closing does anyone here have any experience with kendo and if so could you breakdown some reasons why a person might pick one over the other. (I would do both but junior year is too demanding academically)

Thanks for the help guys!

[Rockstar44]

1. First off, it seems like more people start with foil and learn the basics and then transition to epee or saber, how long does this transition/training period typically take?

That depends on the fencer, the coach, and the club. There is no typical.

2. Locally their seem to be two fencing clubs ( I live in santa monica)

the first
Los Angeles International Fencing Center
http://www.lafencing.com/

seems to lack a saber coach

and the second
The Beverly Hills Fencers club
http://www.bhfencers.org/fencing.html

seems to have it all but is a bit further away

If I missed any west LA clubs please tell me, and if anyone has experiance with either or both please don't hesitate to share!

http://usfencing.org/pages/3788

?

What happened to #3?

4. What is the typical coach student relationship like, I'm assuming a respectful professional relationship but no bowing right?

You are right. There are certain protocols, mainly the Salute and addressing Directors, but nothing so formal as bowing (except to Armorers).

5. Roughly how many classes before you have your first bout? ( I'm sure that after so little training aforementioned bout would be lacking in a variety of moves but is a bout none the less. )

Again, there is no typical. Some clubs require you to master the footwork before you ever touch a weapon, and some have you bouting on the first day.

6. And in closing does anyone here have any experience with kendo and if so could you breakdown some reasons why a person might pick one over the other. (I would do both but junior year is too demanding academically)

I can't help you here. There are numerous posters with Kendo experience, however.

Thanks for the help guys!

You are welcome.

[Inquartata]

From your comment about LAIFC not having a sabre coach, I infer that you are interested in sabre. If so, and if you have no intrinsic interest in foil, I recommend that you do not bother with it but go straight into sabre. You will not learn anything applicable to sabre by taking foil lessons that you cannot learn as well taking sabre lessons. The "foil first" concept is obsolete and does not result in superior performance in the other weapons.

If you don't know what weapon you want to do, foil is as good a start as any. And of course if you want to fence foil, that's the obvious place to start. But if you have a definite yen for sabre or epee, I wouldn't waste my time learning stuff you'll have to unlearn later.

Assuming that you are in fact looking for sabre, and assuming they haven't moved again, I'd look here:

http://www.avantgardefencersclub.com/index.php/coaches/

Michael D'Asaro is another good sabre coach, but I think he's still in Santa Barbara, though he said he's looking for a place in LA.

[TBean]

1. First off, it seems like more people start with foil and learn the basics and then transition to epee or saber, how long does this transition/training period typically take?

This is entirely dependent upon how the club you go to deals with beginners. For example - my club runs group lessons in 10 week blocks at three starting levels - beginner (footwork and games), intermediate (footwork and bladework drills) and advanced (footwork, bladework and the beginning of tactical drills). After that there is a small novice group that meets and does drills and bouting with the goal of gaining experience before being let loose on the floor. Every beginner does the first 20 weeks with a foil - in the last ten weeks they try the other weapons and if they like one can continue with that. At whatever point the student is comfortable they begin open bouting in the weapon of their choice. Some will also choose to begin private (one-on-one) lessons as well.

Other clubs do it differently - you would have to inquire about what the learning system is at the club you choose and do they let you pick a weapon very early in that process and work with it. Personally I think learning to fence works best in a group - misery loves company and all - but it gives you training partners, people to bout against - all that good stuff.

2. Locally their seem to be two fencing clubs ( I live in santa monica)

the first
Los Angeles International Fencing Center
http://www.lafencing.com/

seems to lack a saber coach

and the second
The Beverly Hills Fencers club
http://www.bhfencers.org/fencing.html

Cannot help you much here I am on the other coast.

4. What is the typical coach student relationship like, I'm assuming a respectful professional relationship but no bowing right?

It is respectful, both student coach and fencer to fencer. We salute with our blades at the beginning and end of each bout, as well as shaking hands at the end of a bout. I do the same in my lesson with my coach - salute before we begin any exercise that involves hitting the other person, and shake hands at the end.

5. Roughly how many classes before you have your first bout? ( I'm sure that after so little training aforementioned bout would be lacking in a variety of moves but is a bout none the less. )

Entirely dependent upon the club - for some it is as little as ten weeks, my club it is 30 weeks. Most of the beginning fencers at my club choose not to move to the open floor after that, they spend some time with the other novices drilling more and they bout with each other. It is really tough being a beginner - especially in a competitive club with experienced fencers, you have to be willing to suck for awhile. But if you accept the process and are willing to get out on the floor you can see improvements. Again, you would have to check with the club you choose.

6. And in closing does anyone here have any experience with kendo and if so could you breakdown some reasons why a person might pick one over the other. (I would do both but junior year is too demanding academically)

Only a fencer - no help.

[Inquartata]

Kendo is rather formal. There will be bowing.

Scoring is also even more subjective than foil or sabre. Points can go to the person who displays the most zanshin. That is, it makes truth of the joke about sabre: He who yells loudest really does get the point.

[adianoetaflame]

I believe Michael D'Asaro is currently coaching at Caltech in Pasadena, if you were interested.