What should I wear to my first fencing lesson?

Sports clothes, loose long trousers (no yoga pants or tight leggings) and closed sports shoes, with long hair tied back. You need no protective gear for the trial.

Do I need to be fit or experienced to try fencing?

No. The trial starts with footwork and the basics at a pace the coach sets, so no particular fitness or prior experience is needed.

Will I get hit at my first fencing lesson?

Only if you choose to spar, and then we lend you what you need. You can also just watch the bouts up close. A light touch rarely hurts, though a hard hit can sting or bruise.

Can my child's parent stay and watch the trial?

Yes. Parents are welcome to watch the whole trial evening from the side of the piste. Once a child has joined, parents drop off and collect.

How much does a trial lesson cost at Fencing Masters?

The trial is paid, and the fee is published on the trial page along with what it includes. You request a trial there and the coach replies with a time.

What to Expect at Your First Fencing Lesson

Nervous about trying fencing? Here is what happens at a trial in Singapore: a half hour with a coach, then the class. No gear needed.

At a first fencing trial you spend 30 minutes with a coach learning the on-guard stance, footwork and the basic lunge, then stay for that evening’s class to warm up with the fencers and watch the bouts up close. You need no experience, no particular fitness and no protective gear. It is a calm, coached session, not a duel, and the coach sets the pace.

You do not need anything

The biggest worry first: you need no experience, no particular fitness and no protective gear for the trial. Wear sports clothes, loose long trousers (no yoga pants or tight leggings) and closed sports shoes, and that is it. There is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare. What to bring is covered in what to wear to fencing.

Afterwards, 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), so you still do not need to buy kit before you know you enjoy the sport.

A warm welcome and the safety basics

The trial begins with about 15 minutes of introduction and admin. Your coach will greet you, get a sense of your goals, and tell you how the sport and the salle work, including how we keep everyone safe. None of this takes long, and it is all designed to put you at ease before you start moving.

Footwork comes before fighting

Your first lesson is not a duel, and that surprises people. Fencing is built on footwork, so that is where you begin. In the rest of your 30 minutes with the coach you will learn:

The on-guard stance
How to advance and retreat
The basics of the lunge

It feels a little like a dance at first, and it is fun. Good footwork is the foundation everything else is built on, which is why even our advanced fencers keep drilling it. At the end the coach can suggest which class suits you.

Stay for the class

After your time with the coach, you stay for that evening’s class session, about 2 hours. You warm up with the fencers, follow the drills you can, and watch the bouts up close. You can also talk to the fencers, who remember their own first night. You can spar on the trial if you want to, and we lend you what you need, or you can simply watch. It is a good chance to see the timing and distance that make fencing what it is: a duel of decisions as much as blades. You can also notice how foil, sabre and épée each play differently, and read about them on the three weapons page. If you wonder what a touch feels like, fencing rarely hurts, and that is covered there. In all, plan on about 2 hours 30 minutes.

The atmosphere

A good salle is welcoming. You will be among other beginners and coaches who remember exactly what a first lesson feels like. Fencing has a strong culture of respect, so you will find people encouraging. Beginners usually find the pace manageable, because the coach sets it.

Taking the first step

Our registered coaches at Fencing Masters in Singapore make the trial calm and safe whatever your age, and nothing is expected of you in advance. The trial is paid, and the fee is on the trial page. If you are bringing a child, parents are welcome to watch the whole trial evening from the side of the piste. After joining, parents drop off and collect, and you can read why we ask parents to drop off.

Fencing Masters coaches children from age 3, adults, seniors and veterans, men and women, from complete beginners to competitive fencers, so you will not be the only newcomer in the room. Our salle is in Ubi, east Singapore.

If that sounds manageable, request a trial.