Getting Started
What the sport is, how a bout works, and what to expect the first time you walk into a club or a tournament.
New to the sport? Start with The Olympic Sport of Fencing for the overview, then Learning to Fence for the practical first steps.
9 guides
Classical Historical or SCA Fencing - What are they?
What separates Classical fencing, SCA rapier and heavy combat, and HEMA: an overview of each community's weapons, training culture, and competitive scene.
Glossary of Fencing Terms
What fencing terms mean: an FIE-based glossary defining bout actions, blade positions, penalty cards, and equipment from advance to yellow card.
How fencing is fenced
How a fencing bout works: the strip layout, the director's calls, and how the electric scoring box and colored lights determine valid touches.
Introduction to Fencing
An introduction to Olympic fencing: the three weapons, their target areas and scoring, how a bout is won, and what right of way means.
Modern vs. Classical Fencing - What are the differences?
What separates modern sport fencing from classical fencing: touch scoring versus dueling, mobility versus phrasing, and shared technical roots.
The Balancing Act: Managing Tournament Expectations with Parents
What a parent should expect from a fencing coach at a tournament: how strip coaching time gets divided, alerting the coach to bouts, and where tough love ends.
The Fencing Lesson (Fast Track to Success)
Why private lessons matter in fencing: how a lesson is structured, what instructors focus on, and the technical, tactical, and tournament lesson types.
What to Expect from Your First Fencing Tournament
What to expect at your first fencing tournament: required gear, armory inspection, pool bouts, and direct elimination format explained for beginners.
Why Fencing Lessons are so Short
Why fencing lessons run just 20 minutes: how short, focused private lessons prevent information overload and build technique more effectively than longer ones.