Does fencing improve reaction time?

Research shows experienced fencers tend to do better on tests of attention, response inhibition and reaction, but the studies compare fencers with non-fencers at one point in time. That shows an association, not proof that fencing causes the difference.

What is response inhibition, and why does it matter in fencing?

Response inhibition is the ability to hold back an action you have started to prepare, such as not lunging at a feint. A 2015 Scientific Reports study found experienced fencers were better at it on a Go/Nogo task.

Fencing, Focus and Reaction Time: The Science for Adults

What peer-reviewed research says about fencing and the adult brain, from response inhibition to reaction time, and how to read the evidence honestly.

Experienced fencers tend to do better on tests of attention and self-control, but the studies show an association, not proof that fencing causes it. Several peer-reviewed papers have compared fencers with non-fencers, and the findings are worth knowing if you read them carefully.

Fencers and response inhibition

One of the most cited findings comes from a study titled “Enhanced response inhibition in experienced fencers,” published in Scientific Reports (a Nature journal) in 2015. Using a Go/Nogo task, where participants must respond quickly to frequent cues but hold back on rare ones, the researchers found that experienced fencers were better at suppressing that impulsive response, with measurable differences in their brain activity as well as their behaviour (Scientific Reports, 2015). In plain terms, fencers were better at not acting on the wrong impulse, which is exactly the skill a bout demands.

More on inhibition and reaction

A related study in Brain Structure and Function found that fencing experts with many years of training were faster at inhibition on a Go/NoGo task than controls, and differed from them in the white matter of the frontal brain (Brain Structure and Function, 2015). And more recent work tested a six-week visual training programme on reaction time in young épée fencers, where both the training and control groups improved (JFMK, 2024). Together these studies sketch a consistent picture: the sport is bound up with fast, controlled decision-making.

How to read the findings

One caveat matters. Most of these studies are cross-sectional, meaning they compare fencers with non-fencers at a single point in time. That shows an association, not proof that fencing caused the difference. It is possible that people with sharp inhibition are drawn to fencing, or that training builds it, or both. So the fair claim is that fencing is a mentally demanding sport, and experienced fencers tend to excel at the very cognitive skills it trains. That is still an appealing reason to take it up.

Why the sport suits adults

Beyond the science, fencing is a satisfying way for an adult to train. It is a full-body workout built on footwork, it demands total focus so the day’s stress drops away, and it never stops being interesting because there is always another opponent to read. It is also a sport you can pick up or return to later than most, as we cover in starting fencing as a senior. Adult classes at Fencing Masters in Singapore offer this in a structured setting, competitive or purely recreational. For the broader research, see fencing and reaction time.

Beginning as an adult

You do not need to be young or fit to begin, and we lend the mask, jacket and blade once you join, for the first 8 lessons in a group class, on a membership of 8 weeks or longer (on a 4-week membership, the loan covers those 4 weeks), or for the first 10 lessons in private coaching with a 10-lesson pack (the first 5 with a 5-lesson pack or single lessons). Adult beginners are taught by registered coaches who keep a first lesson calm and fun, at the club Jeffrey Lopez founded in 1995.

To feel the focus for yourself, request a trial session, or read about the three weapons to see which style fits you.