Last year I finally got to fullfill one of my lifelong dreams...learning how to fence. I belong to the Red Deer Fencing Club and I can't wait for another year of training to begin. The fitness elements of the sport are excellent for the slow and weak of the herd like me but I think what I like most about fencing  is that it is so individual and my skills as a swordsman are totally due to my own effort. One day I would like to become a competitive fencer but for the time been I will stay a recreational fencer.




These are the standard weapons that we use. I prefer the epee since it is a much stiffer weapon than the bendy foil and the whole body of your opponent is a target. With foil and sabre only a portion of the body can be hit for points. I really hope to get more into sabre this year. The actions of a sabre are more like Zorro since it is based on the more common fighting sword that calvary men used for combat. The only thing I dislike about competing with foil or sabre is that the match is more controlled due to PRIORITY and less a free for all as is an epee match. But all weapons require the fencer to use the same kind of quickness and swordsmanship.