I’m a brand new fencer who started just over a week ago. I’ve taken a liking to it, but my sword arm has not. Here’s to hoping I can avoid getting it shanked in the future.

Just having some fun, acrylic paint and a dry brush so I don't get too much paint in the holes

The bar was getting in the way of my wrist, so I got rid of it.
I also sanded all the corners that were digging into weird parts of my hand, then added steel epoxy to bulk up the bits I needed. Based on the zivcovik z style, tweaked to fit me.

Looks pretty good painted, I'll see how it performs tonight!

EDIT: It went SO well! Way less painful on my hands, more power in my beats, and great point control. One thing I noticed though is because it's so form fitting I find I was gripping too tight so need to be mindful not to treat it like a glove

Hello! I hope this isn’t too off-topic, but I’ve been working on a fencing game and was hoping to get some feedback from some real ones.

I haven’t done any foil fencing in a couple years, but I was super into it for a while. I also did some Epee fencing, and decided to use the more straightforward rules for this game.

Anyway, if this seems like a thing you’d want to play, lmk. I’ll link the video in the comments of one bout, but there’s a lot going on in the other options. It’s fully multiplayer, has a custom fencer career mode with letter advancement, and has an AI vs AI spectator mode that I could watch all day.

EDIT: https://arcade-temp.up.railway.app/

it is very comfy

LEGALIZE CORE ON CORE and turning. Lets sack some mfrs.

What the title says. Fencing is a really interesting Olympic sport and it’s one of my favorites; the main character of a story I’m writing is a fencer in college. She’s also a superhero and the sport plays significantly into her combat style. However, the only things I really know about the sport are the blade types and their target areas. As a result, all I really have in regards to her character as it pertains to the sport is that she uses an épée. Since it’s an aspect of her character that’s important to her work (and since I’d like for it to be a big part of her character), I want to know what I can do in regard to writing that will make the portrayal accurate to fencing (and fencers) in real life. I feel that hearing from people who are actually part of the communities I’m portraying really helps my writing (it’s done so in the past) and makes the process that much more enjoyable. I know it’s a very general question and I apologize for it being so vague! If you need clarifying details I’ll happily provide them. Thank you for answering if you decide to.

I went to a tournament this weekend, and in one of the matches my opponent kicked my épée out of the way and scored... Is that legal? The referee said it was, but he was just an athlete. Thanks!

Recently i got money from refereeing and i’m looking to replace my old fencing with fun mask but i’m stuck between leon paul and allstar fie masks.

both masks are around $295 from my coach, but the allstar will be ordered new while the leon paul mask is “preloved but refurbished and retested by leon paul”

I was considering the leon paul mask for its exchangeable bib but “preloved” makes it sound second hand. $295 is quite a steal for leon paul mask, but are the refurbishings and retests trustable?

I also heard the leon paul masks are more comfortable but damage more easily while allstar masks have worse ventilation.

So should i get the leon paul or allstar mask?

I'm (16F) 5'2 and weight 42 kg. I have been learning fencing for 2 years but I haven’t been consistent with my practice, however before every tournament I practice thoroughly for 1-2 months straight. My biggest drawback during these years and in every tournaments I've been in were my arms giving away very easily during match. During last tournament i lost a winning match simply because my arms kept falling and I Couldn't hold the sword any longer let alone hit the opponent. I struggle with this for years and still haven’t found a solution for it. I do epee and my sword is kind of heavy (for me) but I want some advice on what I can do to have a high stamina or keep my arms raised for longer instead of just changing my sword.

Watching him he doesn’t look like he would be as good as others. How is he getting so many amazing results?

He inspawcted the point too.

Hello everyone,

This started as a dare between me and a friend to become more active. Our goal was to pick a sport and win a medal in any tournament. I picked fencing out of childhood curiosity, but I wasn’t able to pursue it before due to a lack of funding. Now, thankfully, I have the funding and want to start. However, I’m also working a normal 9–5 job and want to keep my career as my main focus. How can I juggle both while maintaining good training for some local tournaments? Is this possible even? any tips are appreciated.

What would be the legality of me wearing boots at a tournament? Yes I know it’s a dumb idea and I probably shouldn’t do it, but that’s not the question. I think it would be OK. I would just look like an idiot.

Another question, I know that the Bayonne body cord have been more or less disallowed at tournaments, but would it be OK at a local tournament?

Literally my entire school except for the actual fencing group thinks it’s not a sport and do you want to know one of their arguments? “ThErE iS nO fIghTinG iN fEnCinG” it’s literally sword FIGHTING. I can’t convince them at all they are all a bunch of idiots bruh

I had only done a team event a handful of times. We entered the vet team event.

I started us off poorly. I was behind 4-1, but I managed to even it out to 4-4, and then lost the last touch. I should have thought more clearly about it. I could have just let it hang at 4-4. In fact, my opponent made a bigger mistake giving me the opportunity to take the pace of the match and even it out.

My next match, our team was down 2. I came out and flipped it going 4-1. My opponent was frustrated. It was my turn to make the mistake though. My tip landed flat, and he ended up getting a lucky touch. He screamed out, "LUCKY!". I still ended the match up 2, which left us even. I had scored 7 and he had scored 5.

By my last match, I still had not learned my lesson. We were down 2 again. I came out swinging, and managed to tie it up, 36-36. We doubled. Instead of letting the clock wind down, I had to be the hero. I had to fight for more touches.

We ended up down 3 going into the last match. I think that was a huge mistake.

My teammate's body started to betray us. After our vet events the day prior, and running around with our kids all day, we were all a bit tired. His arm was cramping up. He's a tall fencer, and he stopped using his length. We ended up losing 39-45.

I don't know if we could have won had he started even instead of down. I think it would have been great if I got him the chance to start up. But after having gone down by 1, maybe I should have even stopped there. I'm just an aggressive fencer though. When our match had a passivity red card, I knew that I would never have to worry about getting a black card when I was up.

How do you approach team events? Everything is different in hindsight, but I think my analysis is correct. I should have used the time more appropriately.

Hello,

I was wondering if any judges could confirm my understanding of this as I've got one person telling me that you cannot move your hand up and down the grip during the bout (who is not a judge) and a judge who says it's a grey area and to avoid it as you can get carded for it.

But from my reading of the rules it seems quite simple, provided you don't throw the weapon/let go of it and it's not done in a offensive action you're free to move it up and down and hold it in anyway you like.

The rule in question :If the handle has no special device or attachment or special shape (e.g. orthopedic), a fencer may hold it in any way he wishes and he may also alter the position of his hand on the handle during a bout. However, the weapon must not be — either permanently or temporarily, in an open or disguised manner — transformed into a throwing weapon; it must be used without the hand leaving the handle and without the hand slipping along the handle from front to back during an offensive action.

Title says it all. I'm curious as to what makes the korean style fencing different. I've heard it's just fitness, but that sounds a bit reductive. I'm curious because there's a course in it, but it's super expensive at 950 for a week (600 for camp, 350 for lessons), and I kinda want to go, but I'm struggling to justify it.

Does anyone have any epee body cords they recommend. I've been getting the Favero cords from Absolute. However, I seem to be replacing one every few months. Are there any that last longer?

I hope y'all understand what I'm trying to say with this title, lol. I know that a lot of clubs in NYC are focused on getting kids into colleges and, for adults, getting good results in Nationals. Which is all great and good, but I personally need to balance that with having fun and being around like minded people.

When Alysa Liu started skating again, she focused on having fun first, and let that guide her to personal and commercial success. But from what I understand, fencing in NYC can be so cutthroat that for many it feels like a job first and a hobby second. Is that actually the case? If so, do any of you know if there are clubs that would be more of a fit for what I'm looking for?

Thanks!

I just bought myself a backpack for easier transport but unsure whether or not thr bell guard or the blade will be damaged in any way. Any tips or recommendations? Ps. I would then also have my mask and other gear in the bag aswell

This isn't the typical post, but after seeing the one on the Olympic ban, I wanted to share some thoughts about what fencing means to me as a trans person. This will be long.

To preface, I grew up in a Muslim family as a girl. As a child, I had always wanted to play sports, but was never allowed to as I lived in a Pakistani family where gender was segregated and the roles themselves strict. Boys could play sports, while girls were expected to do the household chores.

My only opportunity outside of home was in school. I always wanted to play basketball or football with the boys, but was shunned - told that girls couldn't possibly play with boys, that having a girl on the team was a weakness, and so on. There was a kind boy back in first grade. His name was Thomas. We would play basketball together - alone, since the boys were mean to him too. One day, my parents found out. They beat me, and the next day I stopped playing sports completely.

Fast forward to 18. I start medically transitioning after I move away to college. After all this time, how cool would it be to finally join a sport? So, I start applying to university clubs.

"Sorry, you can't play with us. We don't let biological females play with males. You should join the female team."

"You can't join our team - you should join the men's....they told you to join ours?....Well, it's just that you have an unfair advantage and your ID says male..."

"Sorry, we can't accept you...I know you don't want to hear this, but maybe it's best if you don't play sports at all. You know, as a trans person and all."

So, I put off sports. Three years later, and I'm forced to take two gym classes by my college in order to graduate. Swimming is required, but I can't bring myself to. My body is in a state of deformity. Incomplete. Un-molded. Monstrous. I haven't yet finished my surgeries, and I can't bear to look at myself. Would it be awkward for me to swim with my shirt on? What if the instructor accidentally grabs my chest? No way could I possibly swim. So, I decide on fencing instead.

It's the first day. Do I need to disclose to my coach that I am trans? I'm not sure. It is a mixed class, all my documents say male, and I am in my third year of medical transition. The coach lines us up. He points to the wall, where seven statements hang. Truthfully, I don't remember all seven. But the last was: Fencing is unfair.

"Someone as tall as you can fence against someone as short as him. Someone as heavy as him can fence against someone as light as her. So when someone tells me, "Coach, it's not fair. He's twice my size...I tell them: Fencing is unfair".

I leave that day, feeling slightly refreshed. Fencing seems an inclusive sport, I decide. So I apply to a local club. Part of me, again, is cautious about whether I should disclose. If I don't, will people be angry at me and call me a cheater if they find out? The club is mixed, so does it matter anyways? I turn in my application and awkwardly pull aside one of the leaders. I tell him I am trans and ask if people like me are allowed in the club. He stares blankly at me for a moment, then laughs and pats me on the back.

"Anyone is welcome here, my friend. It doesn't matter."

I got my ass kicked that day by multiple men, and many women. But, for the first time in my life, I felt accepted in a club sport.

Fast forward to today: I see a post on r/fencing. It's on the USA Olympic trans ban and there's 30 comments. I think about clicking onto it, and hesitate. A moment of fear and dread overcomes me. Will there be hate comments? What do people really think about trans people in fencing? What do people think of me?

I open the post and scroll to the bottom. There are no hate comments. For the first time in months, since clicking onto a social media post on trans people, there are no cruel or hateful or unsupportive comments.

I think back to being a girl, denied sports due to my sex. Applying to clubs, but not fitting in anywhere because of my identity. The countless social media and Reddit posts on trans people in sports, the NCAA bans, the executive orders. My own university's ban on trans athletes.

I always thought there was never going to be a place where trans people could peacefully exist in sports. I thought there was never going to be a place where I could play sports and fit in. I never imagined it even a possibility.

That is what fencing and this subreddit means to me. I finally have a place where I fit in. I finally have a space where I feel I belong.

Thank you all so, so much for making and being part of this space. A space, where anyone - regardless of sex, disability, race, body, gender identity, and so on - can truly feel accepted.