What should I expect?

[Puzzled]

I'm going to be taking fencing lessons. As a beginer what should I expect in my first lessons?

[noodle]

lots of footwork
and possibly to not touch a weapon

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Expect a period of confusion, followed by gradual enlightenment, followed by the feeling that you're doing something very cool!

[pkt]

Go get some thing like 'Deep heat' or Tiger Balm for those muscles in the inside of your thighs that under normal human existence you'd have never used in the way you'll use them in fencing.

Depending on your conditioning be prepared to walk funny for at least a couple of days afterwards.

[What happened? Did they raise the steps in the staircase?]

If you coach do not mention it, I'll suggest you remember one word:
RELAX

Relax your other muscles when you're using one particular set of muscles.
e.g. when you're doing footwork, relax your muscles in your torso and your shoulders.
when you're doing actions with your arm, relax your shoulder and leg muscles...
so on and so forth.

Listen to your coach. As they say, the devil is in the details.

If you're not sure about the instructions, don't hesitate to ask. Don't worry, you won't appear dumb [Because you are as far as fencing is concerned.] It shows that you're thinking about the task at hand, serious and unafraid of asking questions, you're eager to learn to do things PROPERLY.

enjoy yourself, it's your first lesson, you won't become World Champ for a Looonnngggg time.

PK

[smitty_mla]

Hey! Tomorrow is my first fencing lesson too! Well, actually, Monday was my first "meeting", but instruction starts tomorrow. My coach (who currently instructs some of the top fencers in the state of NC) says that we will begin with footwork drills, and begin working with just the hilts of the foil, no blade yet (if I heard him right, I was too busy watching the experienced fencers poke each other vigorously). If you do anything like dance (professional movement, not just bump & grind, haha), I imagine fencing must use some of the same muscles since the warm-ups we did my first day were some of the same as I do for dance and marching band. I could be wrong (probably am, newbie alert!), but ankle rotations and calf stretches can only mean one of two things: break dancing or extensive leg work. By the way, where are you fencing at (state, city, club)? I'm in North Carolina at Salle New Bern. Good luck to both of us, I suppose!