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Three of my close friends are also taking the class. I worry it's going to result in lots of goofing around and small puncture wounds. Posts: 3852 | Registered: Feb 2002
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Hehehe... sorry, Javert. My dad spoon-fed me the Zorro of the 1950s as a kid. I've been brainwashed!
Posts: 1996 | Registered: Feb 2004
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It's cool. I'm actually quite a large target and I don't have a tremendous reach, so I don't think I'll be fighting evil any time soon.
Posts: 3852 | Registered: Feb 2002
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Javert, fencing is really hard the first couple days. You'll be standing around in a position that is actually quite uncomfortable for a while, until your muscles get used to it, and even holding the weapon up gets very difficult after a while your first couple weeks.
But it gets easier, and it's a lot of fun.
And in order to fight like Captain Jack Sparrow, you'd need to be able to cheat really well... that takes even more practice than the fencing.
Posts: 1592 | Registered: Jan 2001
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Is all the gear and a foil expensive? I don't really plan on going out and getting it all, but it would be nice to know.
Posts: 3852 | Registered: Feb 2002
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Really Frisco? I've always thought that it was best to start with split-rail, and only tackle the metal styles after having mastered wood.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Fencing, despite the fact that your trying to stab eachother, is painfully SAFE. The masks are made to take more than 700 Newtons of force.. some rate all the way up to 1600N. You physics geeks know how much that is.
Almost all beginners classes do not require you to own gear. Especially college clubs. They'll have their own gear that you can use while learning.
Yes, there is a Lot of repetition during the beginning. Any fencer remembers the first year as not much more than footwork drills. BUT.. if you were to get out at a competition, and constantly have to think about what your feet are doing, you won't be able to concentrate on actually fencing.
Mack loved fencing so much ( and i kinda encouraged her bunches ) she just started @ a professional fencing club in her area. If possible, i try to recommend people who can get into college clubs to do that to learn, because professional salles (fencing academy) get much more expensive than college clubs.
As to the question of how long til you can be a fencing god, better expect to devote many years to it. The top fencers in the nation have at least 5-10 years under they're belt ( a lot of kids are starting fencing around age 7-8 now ). I've been at it for closing on 3 years, and i still get my ego routinely crushed. It just really hurts getting trounced by a 12yearold girl, i hear.
Fencing Is A Great Sport, and a Great Workout! But its not for everyone. Give it a try, keep an open mind, and I'm sure you'll learn to love it! { and maybe, as Valentine says, its addictive }
it's been some time since I bought my gear, but I did it mail-order. The equipment was fine and reasonable in terms of cost.
beware of lunges. don't overdo them. I'd definitely take a conservative approach to those. Pretty rough on the hip-tendon/ligament things. For what it's worth, you sound like a sabre.
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