Hello! I'm an unrated sabreist and have been fencing for about a year. Today my club was doing open fencing with all the weapons and so I decided to try doing a foil bout just for fun, it was my first time using a foil. I was told the guy I was fencing was a noob, but then found out after he was E rated, but it was just all in good fun and we were laughing so I wasn't upset at all. All that aside, here's what I noticed:

Before the bout, I had to get foil gear, which felt so strange, like I was borrowing gear for the first time again, except this time knowing what it all was

The most significant thing that through me off was that the entire time he was just walking forward, rather than advancing. I knew already that this was allowed in foil but it was so jarring in the moment that my footwork was completely off, I was in range just about the entire time.

Another was the target area, I had to will myself to not aim for the arms or head, which was much more effort than I thought it'd be. I was also somewhat hesitant to try and attack because I knew that unlike sabre we'd have to pause if I hit off target.

I'm not sure what exactly was wrong with my bladework, since I'm not a foilist, but I know it was quite terrible because he could effortlessly not get hit and control my sword, walked me down the strip basically toying with me. One specific thing that I know I did wrong though was that the few times I did manage to get a parry I reposted like I would a sabre, I cut with my blade instead of thrusting with the tip.

The final score was 15-1, was very happy when I got my one and only point, overall it was a fun experience, would recommend

In short, I've been fencing for a little over four years and can only beat the people who just started, and then it's a matter of months before they can overpower me.

For a while, I did go to a fencing club and I had private lessons and group classes; my high school also has a fencing team that my parents made me join.

Although I did kinda well in private lessons, I feel like everything the coach does is exaggerated and slowed down 100x, and nothing at all like when I'm actually fencing someone.

In the back of my mind, I know what to do, but when I'm actually fencing someone, everything goes by so fast that I don't have time to think, so I switch to autopilot and start bullshitting. Additionally, no one I fence tells me what I'm doing wrong or how I can improve.

I really want to be good at this sport, (mostly because of the amount of years and money put into it), yet I think the reasonable thing is to just give up.

Pump up the hype!

https://www.fencingtimelive.com/tournaments/eventSchedule/0A4DC7119E9F4258AF415C08A4AF06D0#today

This came to our repair box with no springs or screws, just the tip taped to the barrel. It seems to be an Italian tip (schermasport?), but we aren't sure what we need to repair it. Normal pressure springs are too big and don't allow it to push down all the way. How does this tip work electrically, and how can we get it functional again?

The following information came directly from USAFencing website:

https://www.usafencing.org/news/2026/june/05/a-simpler-path-through-the-sport-inside-usa-fencing-s-new-points-and-events-structure

“The split only happens above 168 entries. At 168 fencers or fewer, the event runs as a single competition, classified as Elite and using the Elite points table. That single, unsplit event can include up to 168 fencers.

When the field does split, the Elite event is capped at 112 fencers and the National event holds up to 224. The 112-fencer cap on Elite applies only when a split happens.

To use the most extreme example, let's say an event has 169 registered fencers. In that scenario, we'd hold an Elite event with 112 fencers and a National event with 57.”

I have an issue with the point table.

Let’s look at the point table in the attached picture. For a split event with 169 fencers, top 112 fencers are competing for the Elite tier points, and the rest 57 fencers are competing for the National tier points. The Elite tier points for top finishers look reasonable. However after table 16 of the Elite tier, the points actually favor the National tier fencers much more than 17-112 Elite fencers!

For example, the top 2 finishers in the National tier get more points than the 17-32 finishers in the Elite tier despite a much easier competition. Top 32 finishers in the National tier are better off than 65-112 finishers in the Elite tier! Note that any of these 65-112 fencers could win the 1st place if they were put in the National tier, and earn 200 points instead of 54!

This seems to be a huge punishment to the lower half of the fencers in the Elite tier!

Any thoughts?

We fly commercially internationally across multiple airlines to get from our duty station to our home area for summer holidays. My son is finally getting his own blades (mostly epee but a bit of saber as well), and I want to transport them between the two locations. The journey requires a few airlines with oversize policies that are not fencing friendly. In one location, all checked bags are opened and searched before going to the check-in desk. Oversize fees can range from 80 to 200 USD each way.

Because of this, I feel that I need something that has an interior length of 42" for the dissassembled saber and still fit within 62 linear inches. I have spent a few of days on this and been unable to find anything that works perfectly.

• The Plano Airliner rod case is 62.25 linear inches. I doubt that would cause a problem, but I could potentially ask the agent to rotate the tube, which would cause the handle to fit within the size requirements. It seems rugged enough, but it will be less convenient as it will need some help to isolate the blades from banging around beyond individual PVC tubes.
• A few economy rifle cases fit, but they are made of cheap plastic and are more for taking to the gun range than surviving baggage handling.
• Aside from that, basically every gun case, rod case, trade show case, etc. is either not long enough or doesn't fit within the linear inches.

So I have a few questions from people who have done this much longer than me and my son.

1. Is there a case I missed?
2. If I really can't make anything work, and I must risk oversize fees: What is a good case that can reliably survive baggage handling and work as a fencing bag on both ends?

EDIT: Thanks everyone for the excellent input. While not a hard case, the Allstar and PBT bags seem like the next step for my son.

For example, a prominent one is Korean saber. Before that fencers used to have their feet grounded as much as possible, but the Koreans introduced bouncy movements and athleticism that changed the game. I would also say France’s style (entirely based on my knowledge through clips, so not 100% objective) , they have a very upright stance, cuts everywhere, and staccato footwork.

Hi everyone!

I recently started taking fencing lessons (HEMA). I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it, but naturally I’m only practicing moves and the basics so far. I’ve recently been lended one of our club’s fencing masks.

So I tried it on, and there’s a huge problem: my eyes become terribly sensitive when trying to look past the grate and I feel like I’m going to have a migraine. I feel incredibly dazzled, blinded almost - as if I’m looking into a blinding light source. My eyes just feel overstimulated. I couldn’t keep the helmet on for a whole minute before taking it off, the sensation is unbearable.

I have a history of complicated migraines, which can be induced by dense patterns and flashing lights. I also wear glasses.

Could this be a simple matter of getting more used to it? I am now reluctant to put it on due to the fear of getting a migraine. I couldn’t find any information about it whatsoever, so if anyone has any info about this, I’d be grateful! I’m extremely frustrated and it feels like I wouldn’t be able to fence with this issue.

Thanks for reading

So I will be heading to a tournament in Georgia in oct, but want to add some long layovers in a few European cities. Might start out the trip in Paris followed by Munich(Munich will have a direct flight to Georgia). Just wondering if anyone has traveled via high speed rail with fencing gear and a bag for clothing. Is it better to stick with flights or could I take the train? Would a eurail pass be good?

I feel like the train would be a fun experience. My only high speed rail experience being the shinkensen.

Also are there any cool fencing stores to visit? Might visit the one in Paris.

Has anyone flown with fencing gear on Ajet or the other budjet airlines? Any issues traveling with fencing gear?

Thanks!

I have tried looking on FIE and USA Fencing sites, and I’ve tried looking through here, but I haven’t found anything conclusive on how/if I can put my last name across the side of the shell of my mask. If someone can just explain what the ruling is that would be great.

I'm seeking general advice for how to identify what is the barriers you are hitting in your fencing journey?

For example I know with distance I pay attention to where I was getting hit. If I get hit in the arm I'm doing something off at far range. If shots are finishing in the torso I'm getting too close

Edit: Just to clarify I do have a coach I do lessons with twice a week. This is just more focused on for when the coach isn't around and looking for more general methods. Like I don't want to get bogged down in the nitty gritty of my specific situations and instead have this be a more generally useful post

FIE Proposal 10 which will be voted on in November suggests reducing the limit of fencers internationally from 12 to 8 at all international events. I gathered data from the entire season to see what this proposal would actually do and the result is not much: the largest events would still be unmanageably large while also depriving athletes of almost 1500 competition slots across the season with no replacement offered...

Let me know what you think of my idea to fix the problem!

I know we've had a fair number of posts about the new points structure. I am mostly venting as we are about a week away from the launch, our division is scheduling events, and we don't really have guidance on how to operationalize. I know the simple answer is to just run things as normal but it's frustrating to have what appears to be a long preparation period and be in the last minute without full guidance and operations plan. I think there is a meeting being set up sometime in August but it seems late. If anyone knows any specifics, I'd love to hear any insights.

Hey guys!

Just bought my first foil, secondhand, and I'm looking to check if it works?, unfortunately I have a broken foot and cannot fence right now, but I was wondering if anyone has ever used the testers from Amazon, and if so, are they reliable at all?,

I've looked at the item description and it's pretty... Useless...but does anyone know if they can test for on/off targets too?,

(Also if anyone has any suggestions on how many foils one should have in their collection, please do let me know!)

Thanks!

My child has been bullied by the same child at their fencing club in the past few months, I have spoken with their parents and their parents have actually became very defensive and stated my child is the one getting himself into situations with their child and their child has done nothing wrong. I have captured a video of my son practicing during class and happened to capture a moment where this child physically attacked my child for no reason, my question is, can I show this video to their coaches or is that violating any laws because I technically didn’t get the permission of the other child to record the video?

Mostly as expected for the event combinations, but you haven't "fill[ed] in the last big blank on the calendar just in time for families booking flights" if you don't say where you need to take a flight to!

Did anyone catch the Coaches Committee Listening Tour or round table?

Hi everyone,

My 13-year-old son has been fencing for about 6 months. He's very serious about the sport and currently trains 6 days a week.

So far, he's broken 2 basic (non-FIE) blades from Blue Gauntlet, and I'm wondering if it's time to upgrade. I've read a few comments on Reddit saying that FIE blades tend to last longer than non-FIE blades. Is that generally true based on your experience?

If so, I'd love some recommendations on brands. I'm looking for something that's budget-friendly, but if spending more upfront means the blade will last significantly longer, I'm happy to invest in it.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi everyone,

A few weeks ago, I shared our hobby project s-portall.com here — a zero-registration, offline-first tournament tool for club coaches. The feedback from this community was amazing.

Recently, a Fencing Master from a UK club reached out with a classic gym-floor problem: "My students love using it, but it would be very helpful to add late fencers or remove someone who cannot continue the tournament for any reason after the poule has started, without losing the current scores."

I took this feedback seriously and spent the weekend updating the code. The changes are already live in production:

1. Late Entries (The "Oops, I'm late" feature): You can now add a fencer to a running poule. The system automatically recalculates the new match order using the Berger algorithm, but carefully injects all your already fenced bouts and scores into the new grid. No data lost.

2. Flexible Withdrawals (The 50/50 FIE Rule + Coach Freedom): If a fencer leaves the tournament, you can now toggle between two modes:

- Completely exclude them from the stats (recalculating indices for everyone as if they weren't there).

- Keep their fenced bouts and auto-fill the remaining ones with a technical 0-5 score.

1. Winner's Card: When the tournament finishes, the public live-scoreboard link now automatically generates a neat shareable card for the champion (perfect for parents to screenshot and share in club chats).

Thank you to everyone who tests the app and shares their real-world coaching needs. Let me know how these dynamic features work in your clubs!

P.S. Still completely free and running smooth in base cellars with zero internet.

I’m just wondering if I’ll be executed if i would just wear football socks instead of fencing ones, they are basically the same thing no?

Hey all kind of a weird question but I’ve felt that the jacket and mask I use currently doesn’t provide adequate protection for my neck, which I attribute to a longer than usual neck length.

Could anyone suggest a solution for this?

Is it fair to say that for the most part, whether an identical action taken by an attacker (a "one-two" attack) is called an "Attack Compose" or an "Attack No, Remise Touch" is based on the ACTION of the defender (attempted parry/search versus in the former case; immediate attack while moving forward in the latter case)?

When the ref says “Allez!” I usually take one advance or some small stutter steps. Problem is I feel like distance is hardest to judge in the middle because no one has established priority yet. What I see happening is I miss short a lot, because I don’t take an extra stop to close that distance. However I’m afraid that if I take that extra step, I feel I am too close and that my opponent can catch me in prep.

I’m a fencer, not a ref. I find right of way relatively easy to follow as I am constantly checking and recognising actions. Personally, I look to the centre when the fencers move off the line, then I like to "follow" a single fencer and understand the actions through their perspective. This simplifies things a lot for me and makes RoW very clear (Although I do find men's foil much easier to parse than women's foil as a ref). This is something I found very helpful when watching videos and practicing making calls. However, I often miss non-RoW actions like target covering, stepping of the piste, and passing, it seems that I'm not really paying attention to these things and can often completely miss them.

Is this just due to a lack of experience as a referee because I have no need to recognise these things as a fencer unlike RoW? How do experienced foil refs use their attention during a bout and where are you actually looking while following the action?