Do I have to already know how to fence to join?
Not at all! The majority of our members are beginners who have never picked up a fencing weapon in their life! No experience is required to join. We have members ranging from no experience to being experienced (competitively). All levels are welcome!
Where and when do you guys have fencing?
We have fencing lessons/practices on Monday and Thursday evenings in The Nest at UBC. Please check our practice schedule before coming out. There might be one or two lessons which are cancelled (and it would suck if you show up and realize we have no lesson that day!).
How long are the fencing practices/lessons?
Even though we have the room booked for about 4 hours, lessons are actually 2 hours long. Our instructor will be giving 2 hour lessons. The first hour is devoted to footwork and drills and the second hour is free-fencing (fencing with clubmates). You are welcome to stay past the 2 hour mark to fence more but the instructor will be finished with the lesson. Alternatively, if you are experienced and do not feel like being a part of the fencing lesson, you are welcome to just free-fence with other experienced fencers (electric fencing) during the fencing practice.
Do I need to bring my own fencing gear in order to join?
Nope! We supply our members with everything (masks, weapons, gloves and fencing jacket) that is needed to fence safely so there is no need for you to buy your own fencing gear! We even have electric fencing equipment (for foil, epee and sabre) if you do not have your own. We do recommend that you have at least 6 months of fencing experience before using our electric equipment though.
What should I wear to the fencing practices?
Club members who do not have their own fencing uniform should wear appropriate clothing and footwear.
We recommend that you wear:
- T-shirt
- Long-sleeved shirt is okay (if you are not prone to sweating excessively under a fencing jacket!)
- Comfortable pair of sweat pants or track pants (yoga pants are good too)
- Running shoes or indoor court shoes (e.g. racquetball, tennis, volleyball, basketball court shoes, etc.) are the best for fencing
- Those with long hair may also want to tie their hair back when wearing a mask so remember to bring a hair band
Please DO NOT wear:
- Restrictive clothing such as jeans (these will not stretch well and you will be stretching quite a bit when you are doing lunges, plus we wouldn't want you to rip your tight jeans during a lunge, exposing your underwear to the public...)
- Pair of shorts (may become dangerous at times, and you will be poked on the leg at some point and may not find leg bruises very amusing or sexy)
- Dangling earrings (anything that hangs or is large in size is in danger of being snagged by the mask or a blade... NOT PRETTY when it happens)
- High heels or dress shoes (more prone to ankle injury and these types of shoes have little to no traction at all)
- Miniskirts (quite obvious, no explanations needed here…)
- Heavy make-up (seriously, make-up + sweaty face after fencing practice = not pretty)
How do I join?
The best way to join and pay for the fees is to come to our fencing practices to sign up. You can speak with any of our executives who will tell you who our treasurer is. Our treasurer will be signing students up and collecting fees. Your first fencing class will be free so if you're reluctant, just come and try it once.
Do I have to be a UBC student to join?
Nope, not at all! Anyone can join our club. However, we recommend that young children under the age of 9 not join because they will be fencing against university students who are twice their size and age (which may be intimidating for them). However, if we are able to have several young children join, that would be fine since they will fence against people their size and age group.
I would like to come fence once a week for one/two terms. Do I have to show up on a particular day each week?
Nope! If you want come once a week, you are welcome to come on either Monday OR Thursday (you choose, we are flexible). As long as you come once a week, we're fine with it. You can even alternate depending on your schedule.
I am not sure if I'd like to fence for one term or two.
If halfway through the term you decide you want to do two terms instead of one, you can always just pay the session fee difference.
I have some fencing experience. What if I don't need any fencing instruction but rather, just want to fence? Do I still have to pay BOTH the session and membership fee? Can I just pay for the membership fee?
We require all members (with the exception of drop-in members, who just need to pay for the drop-in fee) to pay the session AND membership fee. The session fee will cover for fencing instruction from our coach (if you need it), damages to our equipment (this includes scoring machines), wear-and-tear for our equipment (again, this also includes scoring machines, which can cost hundreds of dollars to repair when a part needs to be replaced) and room space.
I am looking for a competitive club and/or am thinking of getting into competitive fencing this year. What options do I have?
We have a handful of competitive fencers who compete on a regular basis each year. Come talk to us for more information!
