Competitions and Opens

Many of our members take part in various competitions through out the fencing 'season'. It is best to start local and small, for example Swords Fencing Club's Scorpion Cup There are a number of local 'Opens' such as the Merseyside Open (MOFT) and the Wrexham Open.
A full list of competitions is available on our calendar page. All fencers will be required to have British Fencing Association membership in order to participate in a competition. There are four seperate age categories

Most competitions and Opens are open to all age groups, however, there are competitions, such as the British Cadet Series, for specific categories only.

What kit will I need?

Fencing equipment required

To take part in competitions, you must have your own equipment.
Please ask for advice from our coaches, committee members or regular club fencers before buying your kit. Many competitions have a stall where you can buy equipment, most also have an armoury where you can get your equipment tested and fixed. You will need:

You may also wish to buy some fencing shoes although normal trainers are fine and perhaps a fencing bag to carry all your kit.

You will find a wide range of weapons in various sizes.
Size 5 is the full sized weapon. Children aged between 10 and 14 should use the smaller size 2.
Sabres usually have a straight French style grip with a rounded guard to protect the fingers. Foils and Epees are available with many choices including pistol grip which allows for greater control. All weapons are either left or right handed.
If you can, try out as many styles of weapon as you can until you find a style which you prefer.

There are a number of online fencing equipment retailers including:
Leon Paul
Allstar Uhlmann
Duellist
Sword Price Fighters

Take a look at some fencing videos!
Fencing.org.uk have a lot more information covering many aspects of fencing