Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

AB Sutton · 07-24-2003, 06:21 PM

Huzzah All,

I am new to this forum and was hoping to ask a few questions or just get back some feedback.

Back when I was in Highschool 1981 to 1986 I fenced regularly with Epee and went to competitions in Florida. After that I quit fencing pretty much entirely. Now I am 35 and am seriously wanting to get back into it. I have always kept my gear up and still have all my competition gear ,(ie. body cords, two electric epees, etc.)

But I am no longer 158 pounds of lean teenager. Now I am 200 pounds of mid 30's. I am currently attending a Federal Law Enforcement Academy in South Carolina, but will be moving to Laredo, Texas within the next 2 months to live permenantly.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to get back into the sport. There are no Salles in Laredo, Texas. I believe the nearest ones are in San Antonio or further.

AB Sutton

poetic_abby@yahoo.com

The0ne · 07-24-2003, 06:25 PM

Do some basic footwork if you remember it. . .
Find a club!
Good luck on your search

KShan5[PrFC] · 07-24-2003, 06:37 PM

Well Nationals this year were held in Austin. I don't know how close these clubs are to you, but they were present at Nationals, and I think a few were hosts.

Round Rock Fencing Club
Salle Gary Fencing [San Marcos, TX]
Austin Fencers Club
Texas Fencing Academy [Austin, TX]

That is all I know of.

Anotehr way to find out is to go to the United States Fencing Association web page and find the USFA Section Assignments. This is the link. http://www.usfencing.org/Clubs/Sections.asp

Wizardly · 07-24-2003, 06:42 PM

The hardest part is going to be dealing with your recollections of fencing. There is always going to be the compulsion to fast forward over things you knew from before. Just keep in the back of your mind that you aren't picking up where you left off; it's going to take a lot of review. Start back at the beginning and work your way up after you've perfected what you're working on. If you know some old tricks that still work, don't be quick to use them or you might become reliant on them...favoring that instead of the areas that it's better to strengthen.

***Craig*** · 07-24-2003, 08:14 PM

Welcome back to fencing.

Can you get me the zip code for Laredo? I'll try to look up some clubs in your area. I'm pretty sure that there's a club in Corpus Christi, but that's about 80 miles away.

I would check at the colleges in the area as many will have part time clubs.

There are several fencers in TX that visit this board, maybe one of them is more familiar with the clubs that operate in the area.

Cheers,
Craig

CarlKnoch · 07-24-2003, 08:43 PM

Glad to have you back to fencing. I'm a bit like you in that I was once 150lbs in HS and when I was 35 and 190 I took up fencing, but for me it was the first time.

My suggestion to you if you're already in good shape is to do footwork and find a club within 2 hours of yourself to take lessons. If you're not in shape, then run some, sprint some, and do lots of footwork drills, all right after taking advil.

I found a club about 100 miles away when I started, and I'm just coming up on a year there. I've learned enough to strike out with local clubs for a while, and I'm currently looking for a coach for private lessons.

Hope you find something, and check with Mergs on this board. He's from Texas.

Philistine · 07-24-2003, 10:08 PM

AB Sutton:

I was in very nearly the same boat as you: Fenced in college from 84-88 (then a bit for one year in law school), about 165 lbs then (and in shape) and then stopped.

Came back two years ago when was 35 (and 205 lbs--oof!). I fenced exclusively sabre, so I also came back to no fleching, and electric fencing for the first time in my life.

What I did was take an introductary class in footwork at a local club (met twice a week for 10 weeks or so) and about half-way through I started bouting at the club as well. Since then, bouting twice a week, work permitting (which it unfortunately hasn't been lately

).

My best advice is have patience. Have realistic goals, and don't expect to be back where you were when you left anytime soon. You're slower and creakier.

If you're like me, you'll have moments where it all seems to come back, and others where you feel like you've never fenced before. After two years, I still feel about a notch-and-a-half below where I was in college--about half of that I attribute to age and physical condition and about half I attribute to not quite being back skillwise (part of that is the change in the sabre game, though--not sure how that will translate to epee).

Good luck!

--Philistine

KShan5[PrFC] · 07-25-2003, 02:48 PM

Laredo, TX zip code 78040

JEC · 07-25-2003, 03:44 PM

San Antonio is 2 1/2 hrs away via a very nice highway. In the south of the city (quite close to the I-35 South and 410 intersection) is the Palo Alto Fencing Club. This club runs during school year. They primarily fence foil and epee.

Contacts:

Coach Vinnie Bradford
vbradford@accd.edu

or Ms. Howell, the vice-Chair for tournament programs of the South Texas Division belongs to that club.
vice-chair@southtexasdivision.org

This is the divisional website:
http://www.southtexasdivision.org/
The only other club that I see close to you is at Harlingen and that is about same distance from Laredo with probably better fencing at PAFC. I belong to a club in the North side of San Antonio.

daeceg · 07-25-2003, 07:48 PM

Man...Laredo?

Check the USFA website. They have a listing of clubs by geographic region...4 in Texas alone. (I'm an Austinite)

Here's the link:
http://www.usfencing.org/Clubs/clublist.asp?State=TX

Mo · 07-25-2003, 08:00 PM

After reading all the replys to this what I would suggest is, take up something local!
Maybe lie down and wait for the urge to fence to pass?

daeceg · 07-25-2003, 10:10 PM

I don't believe it...a board member actually discouraging a return to fencing??

One thing about Texas...it's a big state. Folks here are used to driving a ways for things. My commute to SWT is about 100 miles, 5 days a week....

JEC · 07-26-2003, 12:05 AM

As far as I know, there is no fencing clubs at any place near Laredo. In fact, the closer fencing club is in Monterrey, NL, México a city of 4.5 million which is 120 miles south. San Antonio is 156 miles north via I-35 a very nice four lanes divided highway. McAllen (Rio Grande Fencing Club), Edinburgh (Noble Paladins Fencing Club) and La Feria, TX (UTPA Impalers) are 144, 155 and 170 miles East, respectively, via a highway that has multiple little towns that slow you down. El Paso (which has 4 fencing clubs) is much further West (604 miles) while to get to Austin (240 miles or Houston (350 miles) you have to drive through San Antonio.
Furthermore, two of the best epee fencing clubs in Texas are in San Antonio (USMPA- Pentathlon and Salle Pouj). Fencers who attend regularly these two clubs have won Div. I Men's Epee (John Moreau) and Div. I-A Men's epee (Robert Reed) in past couple of years. Both of them are great guys and fence anybody. There are superb epee fencers in both clubs, whereas, I have not seen anybody from the South Texas Valley in any national tournaments recently.

Talyn · 07-26-2003, 10:50 PM

I think the biggest thing is the frustration when you can't do something you used to do soooooo well.

drayke · 08-19-2003, 08:23 PM

Just start!
I took about a 25 year break, hauling my equipment around with during that whole time. Once you find a club, have your gear checked out. If you took good care of it originally, most should still work for you.
Work on your flexibility and your wind/endurance. If you'be been a slug, get a check up from your doc before blasting out there. Enter local tournaments and have fun. Don't be discouraged when the 12 your old beats your knickers off. Believe it or not, your body will remember what you're doing. Find a coach to work on the details. But most of all, welcome back.