Begginer questions. Shoes and etiquette

[CEB]

Hello Everyone,

I’m hoping to start fencing at the end of January. I found a teacher and a club. I know nothing about fencing. I’ve played Kendo for sometime. I have diabetes and have had a lot of trouble with my feet and the Kendo dojo is really cold in the winter. A nice warm fencing club where people wear shoes will hopefully be a nice change of pace.

The man who will teach me told me I will need to purchase a starter set that cost about $120. (mask, helmet, vest, glove and foil). I am curious about what type of shoes I should wear. Would a running shoe be appropriate or would a tennis shoe be better.

Also I would like to read up on fencing etiquette and traditions. Does anybody have any suggestions.

Thanks.

C Boyd
Springfield IL

[veeco]

Tennis shoes will be better than running shoes.

Any shoe that is suited for inside sports will be even better:

Squash shoes, Boxing shoes, Volleyball shoes, Handball shoes...

There are fencing specific shoes but to start with they are expensive and you won't really need them until you start competing.

A good read for fencing etiquette and traditions is Richard Cohen's book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books

It has some historical information (some might be inaccurate) and accounts of mordern tournaments and fencers' lives.

[Capt. Slo-mo]

CEB:
You can do a thread search here and look for "best fencing shoes." In the meantime, look for a "court" type shoe...something with a fairly flat sole, lightweight and with some rubber coming up over the tip of the shoe.

If you can find volleyball or racquetball shoes, some people swear by those. I prefer something like an Asics court shoe with the gel support interiors for training.

There was also an etiquette thread here fairly recently. Check it out. As you begin, you can't go wrong if you:

1. Listen to your coach, practice what he teaches, and then use it in bouts to load it into muscle memory.
2. Salute your opponents before a bout, and shake their hands afterwards, win or lose.
3. Hit your opponent only as hard as you would like to be hit.
4. Don't walk in the door and ask: "Where do we practice fencing up and down the staircase?"
5. Fence sabre...it's the warmest of the weapons. Really.

Welcome to the sport...and don't be afraid to ask questions as your fencing progresses!

[Phoenix]

I have a lot of Nick Evanglist books which you can get on amazon.com and my friend at fencing said she really likes her indoor soccer shoes for fencing. They might help. I don't know. I'm finally getting shoes on blue-gaunlet.com and you can get a starter pack there cheap. Tennis shoes are really good to.

[The0ne]

any sneakers work, but as has been said already, inside sport shoes are better than the running varieties. Cleats are right out!

For etiquette, basically use common sense, and be nice, you should get along fine.

And welcome!!

[I_luv_saber]

As far as shoes go, I just use tennis and they work fine.
For ettiquette, just remember to salute before the bout, and shake hands afterwards. A good book I like to read is the Art & Science of Fencing by Nick Evangelista, although you have to filter through all his classicalist preaching. Especially the "startwithfoil startwithfoil" rant. Start with whatever weapon you like. Truly, it does not matter that you don't start with foil. But, as long as you avoid his opinions and formulate your own, you'll be fine.
Welcome to fencing, and good luck!

[The0ne]

or skip Nick Evangelista's books and go to heaven !!!!(if you believe in heaven. . . Id on't but that's OK)

[Hurriranger]

well i use basketball shoes since our club uses a basketball court...

[RebelFencer]

When I started I used my Asics shoes (not sure what kind). The second I switched over to actual fencing shoes I noticed an immense improvement in footwork and movement.

[Almightynoitall]

Originally posted by RebelFencer
When I started I used my Asics shoes (not sure what kind). The second I switched over to actual fencing shoes I noticed an immense improvement in footwork and movement.

Asics are most likely wrestling shoes... never enough rubber (especially on the heel or sides) so they slip fairly easily if you're not careful... but they will help you learn not to roll onto your back ankle on lunges!!! The bright side is (on the high-tops) it is very form fitting to your feet, and they're terribly light. You learn not to be so heavy or sluggish on your feet fairly quickly as these are notorious for bruising your heels.

[RebelFencer]

Nah, I have Asics wrestling shoes also, but they also make normal shoes (which are what I used to use). I had really nice wrestling shoes that I was using but someone stole them.