Practice Schedule

(effective Sept. 1, 2022)

Check the home page or email (if you’re a member) for announcements about cancellations or other changes to the schedule. 

Practice Group Descriptions:

Y10 & Y12 Epee Practice

We hold hour-long practices for each age group (8-10 and 10-12)* twice a week where kids learn the fundamentals of epee fencing: safety, basic actions, terminology, rules, and ideas that are important to being a smart fencer. Typically, we start with a warm-up and then move on to drills or structured situations. The practice usually ends with some open or structured bouting time. Students may attend once or twice a week as they are interested and/or able.

Pants and close-toed shoes are required; fencing pants are strongly encouraged. Club equipment may be borrowed as needed.

*Fencers who are at an age where they qualify for both age groups will practice with the group that is most appropriate based on experience, physical capabilities, and maturity.

Teen/Adult Epee Practice

We combine teens and adults because many local-level events are “senior” or “open”, which means ages 13 and up. Typically, we begin with warm ups, move on to drills/structured situations, and spend the last part of practice on bouting (with various levels of structure -sometimes we pick a standard competition format, sometimes we use special rules to practice specific situations that don’t always naturally occur). Students may attend as often as they are interested/able, but consistent attendance will result in faster progress.

There is usually a variety of ages and skill levels in the room, so everyone can find a suitable partner for drills/structured situations. Most drills can be modified to be more or less complicated depending on the levels of the fencers, and it’s normal to change partners multiple times during class.

Pants and close-toed shoes are required; fencing pants are strongly encouraged. Club equipment may be borrowed as needed, but fencers should acquire their own personal gear as soon as possible.

Private Lessons

Private lessons are typically 15-20 minutes long and available to all of our members. We email out a sign-up to members each month. As of fall ’22, we are also experimenting with pulling fencers out of group practice for 5-10 minute lessons.