About Us

An Ancient Sport
Fencing derives from the ancient art of the duel and mortal combat with swords. Today it's an Olympic sport of
competition, concentration, strength and speed. Fencing has three weapons of foil, epee and sabre.
Fencing is a metaphor for life. Attack, parry, respond, defeat, retreat, timing, distance, these elements of fencing are
all skills of life. As a sport, fencing is physically challenging. It requires skill, strategy, and mental focus for success.
Participants compete as individuals, but also enjoy the benefits of being part of a team. Students will learn to control
their minds and bodies and increase reflexes, as well as build relationships within the club.

A Modern Sport
The sport of fencing is fast and athletic, a far cry from the choreographed bouts you see on film or on the stage. Instead
of swinging from a chandelier or leaping from balconies, you will see two fencers performing an intense dance on a
6-feet by 44-feet strip. The movement is so fast the touches are scored electrically – a lot more like Star Wars than
Errol Flynn.

Winning
Competitors win a fencing bout (what an
individual “game” is called) by being the first to
score 15 points (in direct elimination play) or 5
points (in preliminary pool play) against their
opponent, or by having a higher score than their
opponent when the time limit expires.

Each time a fencer lands a valid hit - a touch -
on their opponent, they receive one point. The
time limit for direct elimination matches is nine
minutes - three three-minute periods with a
one-minute break between each.

The Weapons
Foil, epee and saber are the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. While some fencers compete in all three
events, elite generally choose to focus their energies on mastering one weapon.