What to Expect When You Join Fencing Masters

Q: Do I need to buy fencing equipment when I join?

No. We lend a mask, jacket and blade for your 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). Your coach helps you choose your own kit as the loan period ends.

Q: Can parents stay and watch lessons?

Once a child has joined, parents drop off and collect from the first lesson, and can talk to the coach at collection. The same rule applies at every age. Parents are welcome to watch the whole trial evening from the side of the piste.

Q: What should we wear to a first fencing lesson?

Comfortable sportswear that allows free movement, and closed shoes. We lend the mask, jacket and blade for your first lessons: the first 8 in a group class, on a membership of 8 weeks or longer (on a 4-week membership, the loan covers those 4 weeks), or the first 10 in private coaching with a 10-lesson pack (the first 5 with a 5-lesson pack or single lessons).

A practical guide for new families and adult fencers on gear, drop-off and the first weeks of joining Fencing Masters in Singapore.

At Fencing Masters in Singapore, we lend you 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), and parents drop off and collect from the first lesson. Here is the first few weeks in detail.

Signing up for something new always comes with questions, especially when it involves your child, a new sport and equipment you have never touched before. You can read what our students and parents say before you decide.

Do I need to buy gear when I join?

You do not need to buy anything to get started. We lend you 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) at no charge.

That means:

No upfront cost for the loaned mask, jacket and blade while you try the sport
Club loan equipment that is functional and properly fitted, so you can focus on learning
The freedom to decide whether fencing is right for you before you invest in anything

Once you know your child, or you, enjoy the sport, you will already understand exactly what gear you need and why, because you will have trained in it.

Your coach will help you choose your own kit as the loan period comes to an end. This is unhurried, so there is no scramble and no gap in your training. Our fencing equipment guide is a good starting point if you want to understand the options ahead of time, and once you own your own kit, caring for your fencing equipment will help it last.

Once your first set of lessons is complete, fencers move to using their own equipment. The loan covers this first block only, and there are two good reasons for that:

Hygiene. A mask, jacket and glove are worn close to the body during vigorous exercise. Personal protective gear is the more hygienic long term choice.
Familiarity. Your own kit fits you specifically and feels exactly the same every session. That consistency matters more than people expect. It is the same principle behind our approach to training in full kit from day one: the more familiar your gear feels, the more naturally your skills transfer to a real bout.

Can parents stay and watch lessons?

Once your child has joined, parents drop off and collect from the first lesson, and the coach is happy to talk at collection.

This is a deliberate part of how we teach. Children focus better, try harder and grow in confidence faster when they are not performing for an audience. It gives them the space to build a direct relationship with their coach and their classmates, on their own terms. We go into the full reasoning, and what it does for a child’s development, in our article on why we ask parents to drop off.

The same rule applies at every age, including 3 to 6 year olds. From the first lesson, you drop off and collect.

Your first few weeks in short

Putting it together, here is roughly what to expect:

From your first lesson. Say goodbye at the start. Parents drop off and collect, and can talk to the coach at collection. We lend the kit, so there is nothing to buy.
Every session. Every fencer wears a plastron (underarm protector) under the jacket each time they fence, and female fencers also wear a chest protector. Ask a coach before borrowing any club equipment, and return it at the end of the session.
Towards the end of the loan period. Coaches guide you toward choosing your own gear, well ahead of time.
After your first set of lessons. Fencers use their own kit, fitted and fully theirs, for hygiene and familiarity.

For more detail on what the very first session itself looks like, from warm-up to first footwork drills, see our guide on what to expect in your first fencing lesson. And if you are wondering what to actually wear before any of this begins, our article on what to wear to fencing covers exactly that.

We have built the early weeks to feel simple, and the only preparation a first session needs is turning up. To start, request a trial lesson.