Our Coaching Philosophy

We start with footwork and fundamentals, and we build respect and control into every lesson from the first one. The structure is the same for everyone, whether the student is 7 or 70, but what happens inside it adapts to the fencer’s body, style and goals. That is why a first-lesson beginner and a national-level competitor can train in the same club.

Fencing taught with structure, not as a sport trick

Fencing looks fast and flashy from the stands, but at Fencing Masters we teach it with structure, patience and respect for the form. Before a student ever crosses blades in a real bout, they learn how to stand, how to salute, how to hold the weapon correctly and how to carry themselves on the strip. The aim is a foundation solid enough to build a lifetime of fencing on. You can read more about who we are.

Our coaches are NROC-registered, and their coaching is shaped by years on the strip, passed on with composure: attentive, controlled and serious about the craft, even when the mood in the hall is light.

Footwork and fundamentals come first

Ask any of our coaches what wins bouts and they will tell you it is footwork, not fancy blade work. That is why new fencers, regardless of age, spend real time on:

• Advances, retreats and the lunge, done slowly and correctly before they are done quickly
• Balance, distance and timing, the building blocks that every later skill depends on
• Basic blade actions only once footwork holds up under light pressure

A student who rushes past fundamentals may look competent for a few weeks, then hit a ceiling that is hard to undo later. Patience with footwork leaves fewer bad habits to unlearn.

Matching the fencer to the weapon

Foil, sabre and épée reward different instincts. Foil favours precision and patience. Sabre rewards speed and initiative. Épée suits fencers who like to read distance and wait for the right moment. Part of our job as coaches is to watch how a student moves and thinks in their first sessions and help them find the weapon that suits their natural tendencies, not pushing everyone down the same path.

This is one reason a trial lesson is so useful. It is the first real look at which weapon might fit a student best, and it needs no gear of your own, so nothing stands in the way of finding out.

Respect, control and composure from lesson one

A fencing strip is a small, contained space where two people move at speed with weapons in hand. That only works because the sport insists on respect: the salute before and after every bout, control of the blade at all times, and composure when a point is lost. We introduce these expectations from the very first lesson, not as an afterthought once technique is in place.

This is also where fencing quietly does more than build athletes. Students learn to accept a touch against them without an argument, to reset after a mistake, and to treat an opponent they have just beaten, or lost to, with the same courtesy either way. We have written more about this in how fencing builds discipline.

Coaching the whole person, not just the athlete

It would be easy to measure success only in touches scored or medals won. We do not think that is the right lens, especially for younger fencers. Our coaches pay attention to concentration, sportsmanship and how a student handles setbacks, because those habits carry into schoolwork, other sports and everyday life. A student who learns to stay composed after losing a point at 14 all is learning something that has very little to do with fencing itself.

The weapon and the setting change across our programmes, but the coaching values do not.

A pathway from first lesson to competition

Fencing rewards consistency more than raw talent, which is why our coaching is built as a pathway rather than a series of unrelated classes. A student who starts with the fundamentals in a group class can move toward more focused private coaching as they progress, and those with the drive to compete can be guided toward competing, including the poules and elimination format used at real tournaments. The same footwork, discipline and respect that support a competitive fencer also support someone who wants a challenging, enjoyable way to stay active.

Meet the people behind this approach on our coaches page, where you can see the experience and background each one brings to the strip.

Starting at any age

People often assume they have missed the window for fencing. We work with students from age 3 in private lessons and age 7 in group classes, right through to fencers in their 90s. Whatever your age, new fencers start with a trial lesson, with no protective gear needed, and fencers who already fence, or are coming back to it, start with an assessment. The club coaches young children, adults, seniors and veterans, men and women, from complete beginners to competitive fencers.

To experience this approach on the strip, request a trial lesson.