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Fencing FAQ, every question, answered
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Start here, by who you are
👪 Parent of a new fencer
Is my kid ready to fence? →What age can kids start? →How much does it cost? →Is fencing safe? →Choosing a club →🧑 Adult beginner
Starting as an adult →Do I need to be fit? →Too late to be competitive? →Which weapon? →Every question
Getting started
- What age can kids start fencing?
- Foil, épée or sabre, which should we pick?
- How do I find a fencing club near me?
- Do I need to be fit or athletic to start fencing?
- What should we wear and bring to a first class?
- Is fencing a good workout?
- How many calories does fencing burn?
- How do I fence on my period without worrying about leaking through white fencing pants?
- Can I fence if I'm overweight or out of shape, or should I lose weight first?
- Why do some people say beginners shouldn't start with épée? Is that true?
- I'm a few weeks or months in and I'm terrible and totally confused. Should I quit?
- Do HEMA or rapier skills carry over to Olympic fencing, and does Olympic fencing help in HEMA?
- Why do fencers only move back and forth in a straight line instead of circling around like in the movies?
- Why are sabre bouts so fast and frantic while épée bouts can look slow and cautious?
- Why doesn't fencing have weight classes or height classes like boxing and wrestling do?
- Can I fence just for fun and never compete, or do clubs expect everyone to go to tournaments?
Parents
- Is it normal to come home with bruises?
- My kid is small for their age, will they get hurt fencing bigger kids?
- How do I switch clubs without burning bridges?
- Would fencing work for my ADHD / autistic / anxious kid?
- How much does fencing cost?
- Is fencing safe?
- My kid fences great in practice but falls apart at tournaments. What can I do as a parent?
- My kid is being bullied at the fencing club. What should we do?
- How do fencing families handle missing school for tournaments?
- Should my teen choose a college for fencing or for academics? And what if the schools they want don't have a fencing team?
- My child was crying during sparring because it hurt and he felt overwhelmed, and the coach told him to keep going. What should I do?
- Should my kid play other sports too, or just focus on fencing if they want to get really good?
- How do I help my young fencer build the stamina and mental toughness to last a whole tournament day?
Training
- How many classes a week should a beginner take?
- When are private lessons worth it?
- Is 14 (or 16, or 25) too late to start if I want to be competitive?
- My club has done nothing but footwork for weeks, is this normal?
- How long does it take to get good at fencing?
- Can adults compete in fencing?
- I've been fencing for a while and I've stopped improving. How do I break out of a plateau?
- My knees hurt from lunging. What exercises help, and how much training is too much?
- I fenced years ago and want to come back. What should I expect, and will my old gear still pass?
- I'm new and I hit someone way too hard. How do I stop getting too close and hurting people?
- Can I pick up a second weapon, like sabre after foil, without wrecking my main one?
- My coach just walks up and down the strip giving me cues to hit. Is that really all a private lesson is?
- How should I film and review video of my own bouts so it actually helps?
- Does height matter in fencing, and which weapon is best if you're short?
- I get so hot in my fencing gear. How do I stay cool, and when is overheating dangerous?
- Can you fence seriously while working full time and only training two or three times a week?
- What does 'tempo' mean in fencing, if it isn't just about being fast?
- Is the flèche still used in foil and épée at a high level, or is it outdated?
- Why does my coach tap the underside of my blade after I hit them in a lesson?
- Should I train with a weighted weapon or wrist weights to get faster?
- Why does my weapon arm get so tired during bouts, and how do I stop it dropping?
- Can I fence with my left foot forward if I'm right-handed?
- Should my 11-year-old sabre fencer switch from right-handed to left-handed to get the lefty advantage?
- How do you beat an opponent who just waits for you to attack?
- In épée, how do I attack without just getting parried or counter-hit?
- How do I defend against an opponent with a really fast attack?
- What should I do with my back arm while I fence, and why do fencers hold it up like that?
- How should I fence kids at open bouting as an adult, and is it okay to say no when one asks me?
Rules & refereeing
- Both fencers hit, why did the other one get the point?
- The referee said my attack was 'preparation', what does that mean?
- What do the yellow, red and black cards mean?
- Can my opponent kick my blade away, block with their other hand, or bump into me? What's actually illegal on the strip?
- If my weapon fails the test after a touch, does the touch get annulled? And what happens if someone gets hurt in the middle of a bout?
- Why do sabre fencers hop and bounce forward instead of just advancing like foilists do?
- Do you really have to salute before every bout, shake hands after, and ask before taking your mask off?
- How do you become a fencing referee, and can teenagers do it?
- Why are fencers attached to wires, and is there such a thing as wireless fencing scoring?
- What happens if I step off the back end of the strip, and does my foot have to touch the floor behind the line?
- Is it legal for my opponent to step on my blade and hit me while it is stuck?
- In foil, does it count if I hit my opponent's arm while they're attacking me?
- Is ducking legal in fencing, or can you get carded for a crouching counterattack?
- Can you challenge a referee's call in fencing, and how does video replay work?
- Is it legal to slide my hand back to the pommel on a French grip (posting) to get more reach?
Gear
- Can you fence with glasses? Mine fog up under the mask.
- Do I need expensive FIE-rated gear, or is 350N fine?
- How often do blades break, and what does it cost to keep up?
- Pistol grip or French grip, and when should I switch?
- Is used fencing gear safe to buy?
- What equipment do we need to start?
- Do I need real fencing shoes? My heels and ankles hurt after lunging in running shoes.
- Is my fencing mask still safe, and will it pass inspection? The paint is chipping and part of the mesh looks bent.
- Can fencing whites go in the dryer? And how do I get grease out and stop them going stiff?
- I'm buying my first own foil or épée. What actually matters?
- Do I need a chest protector or a groin guard? And what can I wear so my upper arm stops getting bruised?
- Is a lacrosse or hockey bag OK for fencing gear, and how do I fly with my weapons?
- What does it mean to cant or set a blade, and should I file the nicks and burrs off mine?
- What's a good budget scoring machine setup for a small school club that doesn't have a permanent space?
- Besides the mask, what gear gets rejected at a tournament? Gloves with holes, grip tape, patches, inspection stamps?
- What do you wear under fencing knickers, and how do you keep long hair and bangs out of the way?
- Why does my fencing jacket zip up the side instead of the middle, and what is that kind of jacket called?
- Why do top fencers' blades bend so much more than mine, and should I get a stiff or a soft blade?
- Which épée blade should I buy next, and is a maraging (FIE) blade worth the extra cost?
- How do I get yellow, rust or mold spots off my plastron, chest protector straps and fencing whites?
- My kid has fenced for a year in basic gear and is starting to compete. What do we actually need to upgrade, and when?
- How do I pick the right pistol grip size and shape for my hand?
- Are old, rusty fencing blades that sat in a bag for years still safe to fence with?
- How do I stop my fencing gear and mask from smelling so bad, even right after I wash them?
- My long hair keeps coming loose under my fencing mask, so how do fencers with long hair wear it, and can I get carded for it?
- If someone breaks my blade in a bout or a lesson, who should pay for it?
Competing
- How do I stop being so nervous before tournaments?
- How long before I'm ready for my first competition?
- My opponent screams after every touch, is that allowed?
- What are fencing ratings (A, B, C…)?
- How do you actually get to the Olympics in fencing?
- Do colleges give fencing scholarships?
- How do I fence someone way taller with a huge reach? I can't get close without getting hit.
- What should I eat and drink on tournament day to keep my energy up, and are energy drinks or pre-workout allowed?
- Is Summer Nationals worth going to if I'm not in contention for a medal?
- How do I handle an opponent who loses it at me, and what if I'm the one who keeps arguing with referees?
- Is it a big disadvantage to fence a tournament without a coach there with me?
- How do team events work in fencing, and how many bouts and touches does each person fence?
- Why do I fence so much worse at tournaments than at practice, and how do I stay calm when a bout starts going wrong?
- Do men and women fence against each other, or are fencing events always split by gender?
- What should I pack in my fencing bag for a tournament, and what do people usually forget?
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