Q: What do I need to start fencing with you?
A: Mostly just yourself. We recommend wearing athletic pants or capris and strongly discourage jeans and shorts. Some bring a gardening or athletic glove as well. You do not need to purchase equipment to take classes or fence with us. Once you have joined the club, you are still welcome to use it, but class participants get first choice of the equipment.
Q: What if I’ve taken fencing classes before? Can I join without taking classes?
A: Potentially. We handle this on a case-by-case basis. Many people choose to start their training over in beginning or intermediate classes as a refresher and to get an idea of how we do things. However, we have allowed many people who have received prior training to join the club without taking classes. This depends largely on the duration of previous training, the style of previous training, and how long ago that training was. Just contact us!
Q: How much does equipment cost?
A: This varies a lot. Contact us before purchasing equipment. Our recommended equipment sets usually cost about $150-200 for a foil, mask, jacket, and glove. If you have a child, he or she may grow out of the jacket, but in general the equipment will last for many years. Foil blades break on occasion, but this isn’t terribly common.
Q: I have a disability. Can I still fence?
A: Yes! The instructors have taught people with many developmental and physical disabilities. We are more than happy to accommodate! Please just inform of us of your situation and needs. In fact, our instructors have previously provided instruction for DASA (Disabled Athletes Sports Association) camps.
Q: I’ve taken both classes, and I want to keep fencing. Now what?
A: Join the club! You can join the club by visiting us when we fence and paying the joining fee ($100 by cash or check made out to Baited Blade Classical Fencing. After that, dues increase annually depending on the number of club members and current fees). Once you join the club, you can come in and fence whenever we have fencing. We offer a free drill session (for practice) from 1:00-1:30PM (check the facebook page for cancellations). Both instructors also offer private lessons. Contact us for more information about pricing and availability. As a member, you are also welcome to participate in our free drill sessions and our workshops (which are an additional fee).
Q: Is 10 really the youngest age you take?
A: We have accepted as young as 8. Simply let the Rec Plex or Arts Center know that we have approved the student. We retain our recommendation of 10 years of age because we have open classes with students ranging from child to senior. The fencing camps we hold in the summer are open to ages 10-16.
Q: Do you participate in many tournaments?
A: No. While we occasionally hold our own tournaments and have participated in some classical and historical tournaments previously, we do not consider competition a core part of our club. We are, however, still very interested in self-improvement and offer workshops throughout the year as well as weekly learning opportunities.
Q: Do I need to be athletic to fence?
A: Nope! The type of fencing we practice is focused on self-defense. We practice fencing as a martial art. It is not required to be athletic!
Q: What educational opportunities do you offer?
A: Aside from our classes, we offer a free drill session weekly, private lessons (contact instructors for pricing and availability), camps for kids every summer, and workshops at least once a year.
Q: What is the difference between this fencing and Olympic fencing?
A: Olympic, competitive, or sport fencing is pretty much what it sounds like. The goal of a match is sport fencing is usually to get as many points as you can just as you would in most other sports. This can lead to strategic sacrifices used to win a match. In fencing, this could mean forcing a double hit (when both fencers score) by attacking an opponent while he is attacking you. At Baited Blade, we practice fencing as a martial art rather than a sport. As such, we try to treat the weapon as if it was sharp and endeavor to “stay alive.” Thus, our style of fencing can often be very defensively focused. This is not to say that classical fencing is per se superior to Olympic fencing. It is merely to say that the two are different. Read more about this philosophy on our philosophy page.
Q: What equipment providers do you recommend?
A: Take a look at our Equipment Recommendations page for more specific ordering information and descriptions of additional equipment companies. We generally recommend Absolute Fencing to our students for classical equipment. Please contact us before you purchase equipment, especially if you are not sure what to purchase.
