What equipment do we need to start?

Almost nothing. Most clubs lend beginners everything for the first several classes, mask, jacket and weapon, precisely so you can find out whether you love the sport before spending anything. Show up in athletic clothes and clean court shoes and you're equipped.

When you do start buying, the usual order is: glove first (the lent ones get sweaty), then mask, then jacket and the rest, usually over a few months. A complete starter set runs $150-300 new, and much less if you use the club's swap bin for outgrown soft goods.

The one rule: buy the mask new, never used, it's the piece whose whole job is safety, and used mesh can have invisible fatigue.