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    Beginner Guide

    How to Start Fencing: A Step-by-Step Beginner's Guide

    The short answer: find a fencing club near you, book its beginner class or intro package, and show up in athletic clothes. The club lends you a mask, jacket, glove and weapon. You don't need experience, your own equipment, or any particular level of fitness. After a few weeks you'll know whether you like it, and only then is it worth thinking about gear, a weapon, or competing.

    Fencing looks hard to get into from the outside, but it isn't. Here is the whole path from "I want to try this" to fencing regularly.

    How to start fencing in 6 steps

    1. Find a club that teaches beginners. Search USA Fencing's club finder by ZIP code, or look for clubs near you that run a beginner class.
    2. Book a beginner class or intro package. Ask whether loaner equipment is included and which ages the class is for.
    3. Set up your USA Fencing membership. Clubs that are USA Fencing members need fencers covered by a USA Fencing membership. The club will tell you which type it needs.
    4. Wear the right clothes and bring water. That's all you need for your first session.
    5. Go to the first class and keep going. The first month is about footwork and showing up.
    6. Decide on weapon, gear and competition later. Most of these choices get easier after a few months.

    The sections below go through each step.

    Step 1: Find a club (and why the coach matters more than the weapon)

    There are three fencing weapons: foil, épée and saber. Each has its own target and rules (USA Fencing: Weapons):

    WeaponHow you scoreTargetRight of way
    FoilPoint (thrust) onlyTorsoYes
    ÉpéePoint (thrust) onlyWhole bodyNo
    SaberCuts and thrustsEverything above the hips, including arms and headYes

    Beginners don't need to pick a weapon before they start. The better question is which club near you has strong coaching for beginners. A club with a real specialist in one weapon usually develops new fencers further than a club spread thin across three.

    Saber Nation is a saber-only club in Bethesda, so every beginner here starts in saber. If you're not sure what saber is, read What Is the Sport of Fencing? and the saber target area.

    Questions to ask any club before you sign up:

    • Do you have a beginner class or intro package, and what ages is it for?
    • Is equipment loaned to beginners?
    • Are adults and kids in separate groups?
    • Which USA Fencing membership do I need, and when?

    Step 2: Book a beginner class

    Most clubs run a structured way in: a trial class, a beginner course, or an intro package. Start with one of those rather than general open fencing.

    At Saber Nation, the way in is the Beginners Introductory Package: eight sessions, one time only per student, for ages 6 through adult, with loaner equipment included. It is designed as a real trial, so a family can find out whether saber suits them before choosing a membership.

    Step 3: Set up your USA Fencing membership

    USA Fencing is the national governing body. Its memberships include insurance coverage for club activity, and some types also let you enter tournaments. The main types are listed on USA Fencing's Membership Types page:

    • Free trial membership: covers sanctioned practices and development activities for 90 days. It is not valid for competitions (USA Fencing free trial).
    • Access: non-competitive. Covers local tournaments and divisional qualifiers.
    • Competitive: needed for regional and national tournaments.

    At Saber Nation, a USA Fencing Access membership is required and is paid separately to USA Fencing. For what each tier unlocks, see our USA Fencing membership guide. Current fees are on USA Fencing's own Membership Types page.

    Step 4: What to wear and bring to your first class

    The club supplies the protective gear (mask, jacket, glove, weapon). You bring:

    • Athletic clothes, with long pants or leggings that cover your legs. Avoid jeans.
    • Clean indoor athletic shoes with good side-to-side support, the kind you'd wear for court sports.
    • A water bottle. Fencing is short bursts of hard work, and you will sweat.

    Nothing else is needed.

    Step 5: What happens in your first fencing class

    Clubs vary, but a beginner session usually has three parts:

    1. Warm-up and footwork. The en garde stance, advance, retreat and lunge. It will feel awkward, and that's normal. The en garde stance isn't a natural way to stand, and the first weeks are about making it natural. Our fencing footwork guide shows the basics.
    2. Blade work. How to hold the weapon, the target, and the first parries. In saber, it also covers how a cut lands.
    3. Drills or bouting. New fencers usually get to fence in some form early, often as a structured drill before a full bout.

    Expect sore legs the next day, especially the front thigh. Fencing uses muscles most people don't train, and the soreness fades as you keep coming.

    Is it safe? Yes. Protective equipment is mandatory and the rules on it are strictly enforced. Injuries are the ordinary strains of a running-and-lunging sport, not anything to do with the blade. Coaches check equipment before bouting.

    Step 6: Your first three months, and when to decide on gear and tournaments

    Month one. Footwork feels wrong and bouts are chaotic. The only goal is to keep showing up, because coordination comes from repetition.

    Month two. You stop thinking about the en garde stance. You start to notice distance. Your bouts slow down in a good way, because you're choosing actions instead of reacting to everything.

    Month three. Most beginners can fence a real bout, know the basic parries, and start to have a style of their own. This is usually when people decide whether to buy equipment and whether to try a first competition.

    How often should a beginner train? Once a week is enough to learn. Twice a week is where progress becomes obvious. More than that is only worth it once you're competing.

    When to buy your own gear. Not before you start. Most fencers buy their own kit a few months in, once the sport has stuck and they know which weapon they're staying with. Buying earlier often means buying twice. At Saber Nation, a personal glove is the usual first purchase once a fencer decides to continue. See saber fencing equipment and USA Fencing starter kits for what a full kit includes.

    Your first tournament. Competing is optional. If you want to, read Your First Saber Fencing Tournament.

    Common questions about starting fencing

    Am I too old to start fencing?

    No. Adults start in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and later. Fencing rewards timing and decision-making as much as speed, and USA Fencing runs Veteran age categories for older fencers. See adult saber classes.

    What age can kids start fencing?

    Around 6 or 7 is the usual starting point. That's about coordination, not a rule, because younger children often can't hold the en garde stance long enough to benefit. Saber Nation's beginner classes start at age 6. More in Saber Fencing for Kids.

    Do I need to be fit to start fencing?

    No. Fencing builds the fitness it needs, which is mostly short bursts and leg endurance rather than general cardio. Starting out of shape is normal.

    Can I teach myself fencing at home?

    Only partly. You can practice footwork, stance and conditioning on your own, and many fencers do between classes. Blade work, bouting and right of way need a coach, a partner and full protective gear, so the real learning happens at a club.

    Which fencing weapon is best for beginners?

    Whichever one the best coach near you teaches. Foil has traditionally been the first weapon at many clubs, but plenty of clubs, including Saber Nation, start beginners directly in saber or épée. See right of way in saber for how saber scoring works.

    How long does it take to get good at fencing?

    It varies with how often you train. Most beginners can fence a real bout within about three months of regular classes. When you're ready for a first local tournament depends on you and your coach. Private lessons alongside group class speed things up. See private saber lessons.

    Can adults and children train together?

    Group classes are usually split by age and level. Open fencing and club bouting often mix them, and it works well: adults get the pace, and juniors get the experience.

    What if my child doesn't like it?

    Then you've spent eight sessions finding out, which is why the intro package exists. It's a low-commitment way in.

    How much does fencing cost?

    It depends on the club, how often you train, and whether you compete. Club fees, USA Fencing membership, personal gear and tournament travel are the four parts. Our fencing cost guide explains each one. Current USA Fencing fees are on the official Membership Types page.

    Start fencing in Bethesda

    Saber Nation is a saber-only club at 4701 Sangamore Road, Suite LL2, Bethesda, MD 20816. Families come from Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac and Washington, DC.

    Your next step: book the Beginners Introductory Package: eight sessions, ages 6 through adult, loaner equipment included. Not sure which group fits? Contact us and we'll tell you which class to come to.

    Related reading

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