# How do you start fencing as an adult? Canonical: https://zestasy.com/wiki/starting-fencing/ Section: Zestasy Wiki > Movement · Updated: 2026-10-14 · Publisher: Zestasy *Zestasy Wiki: our reference answers. Checked for facts and sources; less curated than the magazine.* Find a fencing club with a beginners' course for adults, turn up in tracksuit trousers, indoor trainers and a T-shirt, and borrow the club's mask, jacket, glove and weapon while you learn. You will start with footwork and basic actions, usually with foil or whichever weapon the club teaches beginners, before trying épée and sabre. Fencing is a sport for all ages, and adults who start from scratch are a familiar sight in clubs. Fencing looks like a costume drama and plays like chess at a sprint. Two people in white, masks on, move up and down a narrow strip, testing, feinting and retreating, until one of them lands a touch so quickly you need the electronic scoring box to see it. It is elegant, intensely tactical and, for an adult beginner, enormous fun. ## The three weapons Modern Olympic fencing has three weapons, each with its own rules and character. British Fencing describes them like this, in our own words: - **Foil.** A light thrusting weapon, originally used to train soldiers. Touches count only on the torso, including the back, not the arms or head. - **Épée.** A heavier thrusting weapon, originally used for duelling. Touches count anywhere on the body. - **Sabre.** A cutting and thrusting weapon, originally used by cavalry. Touches count on everything above the hips, except the hands and the back of the head. There is also an important difference in how points are decided. According to [British Fencing's rules guide](https://www.britishfencing.com/explore-the-rules/), foil and sabre use "right of way": the fencer who attacks first has priority, and the defender must make the attack miss, by parrying or stepping away, before they can score. The referee decides who attacked first. Épée has no right of way: if both fencers land at the same time, each gets a point. Clubs differ on which weapon they start beginners with; foil, with its small target and right-of-way rules, is a common choice. Try them all over time; most people discover a favourite. ## Finding a club and a beginners' course - **Search your national federation's club finder.** In Italy, the Federazione Italiana Scherma has a [club search](https://federscherma.it/societa-sportive/); in the UK, British Fencing lists clubs. - **Look for an adult beginners' course**, usually a block of weekly sessions. British Fencing notes that most clubs offer memberships and tuition for beginners of all ages. - **Ask about kit.** Most clubs, according to British Fencing, let you borrow equipment when you first start. - **Visit a club night** before signing up, to see the atmosphere and the coaching. ## What to wear and what you borrow For your first sessions, British Fencing suggests long tracksuit trousers, indoor trainers and a T-shirt. The club will lend you the protective kit: mask, jacket, glove and weapon. Once you decide to stay, the first things worth buying are usually a glove and a mask that fits you properly. ## What the first sessions are like - **Footwork.** The en garde stance, advancing, retreating and the lunge. Your thighs will have opinions the next day. - **Basic actions.** Holding the weapon, simple attacks, parries and ripostes, practised slowly with a partner. - **Safety.** How to wear the kit, how to salute, and the rules that keep everyone safe. - **First bouts.** After a few sessions, you will fence short bouts with other beginners, often electrically scored. This is when it becomes thrilling. Fencing has a strong tradition of courtesy, which your coach will teach you from the first session, and clubs tend to be welcoming, mixed in age and used to adult beginners. ## Why Italy loves fencing Italy has a long relationship with the sport. British Fencing's [brief history of fencing](https://www.britishfencing.com/brief-history-of-fencing/) notes that an Italian fencing master developed a lightweight sporting sabre in the late 19th century, and that Italian masters spread its principles to fencing nations. At the Olympics, Italy is ranked as the most successful nation in fencing history, according to [Wikipedia's Italy at the Olympics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy_at_the_Olympics) page. If you find yourself in an Italian town on a club night, you may well hear the clatter of blades from a gym down a side street. ## FAQ ### Am I too old to start fencing? British Fencing calls it a sport for all ages, and plenty of people start as adults. Whether you ever compete is entirely up to you. ### Does it hurt to be touched by a blade? Occasionally you'll feel a firm touch, and sabre cuts can sting a little through the kit, but the protective clothing is designed for exactly this. Bruises are possible; serious discomfort is not the norm. ### Do I need to be fast or fit? Speed and fitness grow with practice. Timing, distance and tactics matter just as much, which is why experienced fencers of every age can beat quicker newcomers. ### How is fencing different from historical sword fighting? Olympic fencing is a modern sport with its own rules and lightweight weapons. Historical European martial arts recreate older techniques with different equipment. Both have clubs; check which you are signing up for. ## Sources - [British Fencing: Fencing 101](https://www.britishfencing.com/fencing-101/) - [British Fencing: Explore the weapons](https://www.britishfencing.com/explore-weapons/) - [British Fencing: Explore the rules](https://www.britishfencing.com/explore-the-rules/) - [British Fencing: Brief history of fencing](https://www.britishfencing.com/brief-history-of-fencing/) - [Federazione Italiana Scherma: Società sportive (club search)](https://federscherma.it/societa-sportive/) - [Wikipedia: Italy at the Olympics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy_at_the_Olympics) ## Related - [How do you choose a martial art to start?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/choosing-a-martial-art/) - [Do you need to be fit before you try a new sport?](https://zestasy.com/movement/trying-a-new-sport-as-an-adult/) - [How do you handle being a beginner as an adult?](https://zestasy.com/mindset/being-a-beginner-as-an-adult/) - [Is it too late to start a new sport in your sixties?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/moving-in-older-age/) - [How do you build confidence when you're starting something new?](https://zestasy.com/mindset/confidence-when-starting-something-new/) - [All Movement answers in the Wiki](https://zestasy.com/wiki/#movement)