I’m male, 46 with spouse, kids and full time job, looking to start an exercise program in conjunction with moving to a new bigger city, in this case, Vancouver, Pearl of the West. Since Vancouver has many many more options for, well, for anything, than my current town, I’m looking into options for exercise. I’ve done a fair bit of Taekwondo years ago, but I’m wondering if something like fencing might be fun and exercise-y. Do people of my age do fencing as a novice?
I’ll consider anything that generates exercise, and keeps my interest enough to do it. I’d be fine with a martial art, or even yoga if it kept my interest. Asian or occidental, martial or not, linear or circular, yin or yang (well, really, probably yang if I’m going to stay interested)…any suggestions?
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I have absolutely no idea if many adults start fencing in Vancouver. It is however quite possible to start fencing as an adult (I did at 32).
Fencing is very good excercise too and lots of fun too. I would recommend that you look around for fencing clubs and check if you can come in and give it a try.
Fencing is a lot of fun and great cardiovascular excercise. A lot of salles also offer some classical fencing intruction which you might find more interesting. A handful even teach historical renaissance rapier work if your looking for more challege/martial facet to your hobby. You’re never too old to start unless you’re looking to compete at a very high level.
I’m not looking to compete much outside the fencing school itself. I just find that exercise programs with a martial arts aspect tend to hold my attention better.
(Although the “what sport could you start to try to compete in the olympics without having done much previously” thread did make me briefly fantasize about being a micro-featherweight sumo wrestler.)
I suppose rapier experience would come in handy in Vancouver- There’s at least one guy there who teaches Umbrella-based self defense classes.
You can definitely take up fencing as an adult – I’ve only dabbled myself, but its very fun! I guess my one crituqe as far as a form of excercise is that it does not build fitness symmetrically - you use the right side of your body differently from the left side of your body. So, if having a symmetrical physique is important to you, you’re not going to get it if fencing is your main or only form of excercise. Also, the equipment is rather more expensive than for asian martial arts, although you might not need to buy it right away, depending on the set-up of the school.
I do a traditional style of Japanese karate, and absolutely love it. Unfortunately my dojo does not have any branches in Canada, and I can’t recommend any place for you to train.
However, at the end of the day the best form of excercise is whatever you enjoy and do consistently. If fencing feels right for you right now, then do it!
I fenced for a couple of years in my 40s. It is a decent workout but of very limited practical self defense benefit.
If you want to compete - even within your club, you are going to need to invest in a few hundred dollars of equipment. Altho many clubs loan masks, gloves, and jackets to beginners, if you stick with it you will want your own other than borrowing sweaty used ones (and prepare to sweat - A LOT!) Then you’ll need a weapon - or several. You will need standard blades for practice and electric ones for competition. Depending on your weapon, you may also need an electric lame and mask for competition/practice. And electric gear requires some maintenance.
I stopped for a few reasons. Primarily, my club was focusing on epee, and I preferred foil. Also, there was something about the attitude I perceived among fencers that I did not care for. I did not find them as welcoming and down-to-earth as the practitioners of most other martial arts I’ve practiced. Lots of snooty attitude - perhaps due to the fact that much of fencing traditionally draws from the privileged classes. Finally, I was coming from a martial arts background, and felt fencing was of minimal use in terms of practical self defense applications.
As far as weapons arts are concerned, I personally vastly preferred Filipino Martial Arts.
Many salle that do teach historical rapier work will not limit themselves to rapier play, and will instead use historical manuscripts/fechtbuchs to ground the class in combatives. That means not just rapier, but dagger possibly staff and likely unarmed combat which should prove martially sound and useful as personal self-defense. Of course, this all depends on the school you attend, and whether or not this would interest you at all since sport fencing this would not be.
Living in Seattle, I’ve had the opportunity to fence with a few of the kind folks from the Vancouver clubs (Dynamo in particular.) They’re good people.
As for fencing in general, think of it more of taking up a sport and not a martial art. The modern game is definitely a game at this point, and though some fencers like to think it’s for self defense, I have a feeling that any mugger I take my saber to will just become annoyed an enraged at the series of welts I’ve just given him/her. In general, it’s a good leg workout, a fun game, and will get you some basic athletic skills. I’ve also found that the vets (over 40) are generally more of a community than the younger folks. Most of them are past the point where fencing is their life and are just doing it for the camaraderie and the time away from the family…
Yeah - I agree. It was a fun game. And a good workout (tho not total body if that is what you desire.) So if you get in a club that has a good group of people willing to spar, it can be a really fun way to spend an evening or two a week.
As far as practical MA is concerned, you need look no further than the fact that all fencing motion is linear forward and back, and that it only uses 1 weapon in 1 hand. IMO, most decent stick fighters would pretty easily destroy most fencers. But that is not what fencing is about. With fencing you get the whole historical code of honor stuff, and appreciation of movies, the Olympics, etc.
A lot of my dissatisfaction came from my perception of my club, the local scene, and my MA background. It can be a lot of fun to try to outpoint an opponent, either in practice or competition. But, like I said, in my club more people focused on epee - or even sabre, than foil. And given my MA background, I preferred the idea of a killing thrust (foil), than a touch (epee).
There is a considerable learning curve. Someone with 5 years’ experience can flat out make someone with 2 years’ look like a fool. In competitions, I often found myself as a novice paired against teenagers. Then when I progressed beyond novices I was often matched against regional/national quality fencers who mopped the floor with me. Also, as I said above, I perceived a “better-than-you” attitude from many of them. But heck, they WERE better than me!
