Extra-curriculars : Can we talk fencing?

[EXOLAX]

I wasn't sure where to post this, hopefully this will do.

Does anyone have any experience with fencing? It seems like a fun and exciting sport. Our eldest (7) does kung fu and is about to get into weapons (flute, staff and sword) and our youngest is filled with envy but won't be old enough until she is 6. She is very athletic and has been doing gymnastics for about 6 months. We saw some girls fencing once and she was enthralled, hey, chicks with swords, what can be cooler?

I found a reputable and decently priced instructor and gave her a call just to get info (left her a message). Then I did some research and discovered that her school doesn't take kids until they are 5. I did more research and found that many schools don't take kids until age 7-9. I am also under the impression that it is a highly competitive sport. We have no lofty goals, expectations or plans for our DD. Our intention is to find her a sport that is unique to her (not something her sister does so they can both have their own thing) that will 1) be fun, 2) let her be physically active and 3) let her use a sword, she won't care if it's a cheap plastic thing. Is it possible to do fencing recreationally?

Oh, the instructor asked me a few questions and said DD could come and check out a class and she'd run her through a few things to see if she could be ready now (she's almost 4.5). She talked about tourney level stuff but was incredibly supportive when I said we had no tournament goals or expectations for our DD and that we were just looking for a fun sport that would fit her personality and our plan was to follow her lead.

[lauren]

My son has been fencing for about four years. He did karate before that. Around here they also want kids to be around 8 or 9. It probably depends on the instructor or the club, what age kids can start. I think also the competitive nature of the club probably varies a lot. In my son's club, he can fence recreationally or get into tournaments. Some years he has done a lot of tournaments. They have youth tournaments, as well as open tournaments. This year he doesn't seem to want to. There are also different weapons a fencer can use--foil, epee or sabre. Different fencers are drawn to different weapons for reasons I cannot discern! When you get better at it you fence with electric equipment which means you're plugged into a system to record the touches.

It is an exciting sport and kids can grow in quite rapidly moving from level to level. Check out the USFA for more info and you may also find a local website for your area.

Some schools have fencing programs if they are better funded schools. The equipment is expensive. My son's school does NOT have a program, unfortunately. There are fencing scholarships for colleges.

[MattBronsil]

The thing about fencing, martial arts, or any form of sport is that, if taught properly, there is an incredible amount of discipline involved. I say if the instructor feels secure in teaching the child, then enroll the child.

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

My son took a week of fencing camp this summer and loved it. Unfortunately for him (and us) the only club in town doesn't have a children's program per se. They will take 8 and 9 year olds for private lessons and 10 and up join the regular adult classes. The private option was out of our price range and he wouldn't be 10 for another year. And even then I'm not at all sure how I feel about him being in with adults in a class.

As with any kid's class or sport, I would want to observe this specific teacher with children near your child's age and make sure you are comfortable with the approach she takes. Make sure you understand the teacher's and school's discipline policy because all kids that age get distracted on ocassion. And make sure you thoroughly understand their refund policy in case she decides she hates it after a little while.