Teens Advanced Fencing Program
The Teens Advanced Fencing Program is designed for students who have completed their introductory year of fencing and are ready for a more structured and challenging training environment.
What to Expect
After approximately one year in the beginner program, students are evaluated for advancement into the Advanced Teens program. The transition reflects their growing technical knowledge, fencing experience, and ability to participate effectively in a more advanced class.
The Advanced program focuses on:
- Developing stronger technical and tactical skills
- More structured fencing and bouting
- Building independence and confidence on the strip
- Preparing students for competitive opportunities, when appropriate
- Training alongside other fencers with comparable experience and goals
Program Requirements
Personal weapon
Students entering the Advanced program are expected to purchase their own fencing weapon. Personal equipment helps students take greater responsibility for their training and ensures they have a properly fitted weapon available for practice and competition.
See the benefits of owning your weapon at the bottom of the page.
Annual club membership
Advanced students must maintain an annual club membership. The membership supports the club’s ongoing training environment, equipment, facilities, and competitive programming.
Why the Transition Matters
Moving from the beginner class to an advanced program is an important milestone. It signals that the student has moved beyond learning the fundamentals and is ready to take greater ownership of their fencing development.
The goal is not simply to place students in a more difficult class. It is to create a progression:
Beginner → Advanced → Competitive Development → Competitive Fencing
Students can progress at different rates, but after approximately one year of beginner training, the expectation is that they will transition into an advanced-level class rather than remain indefinitely in the introductory program.
The Advanced Teens program is where recreational interest begins to develop into a deeper commitment to the sport.
The Weapon – Why consider buying your own weapon?
(Épée is specifically discussed here, as we are an Épée-only club)
Buying a personal épée is an important step in a young fencer’s development. Once a student moves beyond the beginner stage, having their own weapon provides both practical advantages and a greater sense of responsibility for their equipment and progress.
1. A weapon that fits the fencer
A personal épée can be properly selected and adjusted for the student’s hand size, grip, blade length, and fencing style. This creates a more consistent experience than using a shared club weapon.
2. Consistency in training
Using the same weapon from practice to practice allows the fencer to become familiar with its balance, weight, point control, and feel. This consistency can help technical development.
3. Better preparation for competition
Students who intend to compete need to become comfortable with their own equipment. Owning an épée means they can practice and compete with equipment they know and trust.
4. Greater responsibility
Owning equipment teaches an important lesson in fencing: take care of your tools and take responsibility for your preparation. Students learn to check their weapon, maintain it, identify problems, and prepare their equipment before practice and competitions.
5. Less time adjusting to borrowed equipment
Club weapons are shared by many fencers and may vary considerably. A personal weapon eliminates the need to repeatedly adapt to different grips, blades, weights, and balances.
6. A sense of commitment and progress
Purchasing a first personal weapon can be a meaningful milestone. It communicates that the student is moving beyond the introductory stage and beginning to take fencing more seriously.
7. It’s an investment in the sport
A good épée doesn’t have to be expensive, and it can last a long time with proper care. For a student training multiple times per week, the cost can be relatively small compared with the value of having reliable, personalized equipment.
