Sports, in general, are naturally competitive, so it makes sense that fencers would be concerned with competition. It’s part of why we love doing it! It’s a big reason people come to fencing as opposed to taking painting classes or joining a theatre group. There are winners and losers, and while we work hard not to place too much emphasis on winning, we do still want to get better through competing against others. This is the backbone of the sport.

Every single fencing match is a miniature competition. Each match has a winner and a loser. But many parents and new fencers want to know – how long should a fencer fence before their first competition?

This is a complex question and one that is a little bit different for every fencer. However, there are two opposite thoughts within the fencing community on when you should start competing. We’re going to explore both of them, and then you decide which one is right for you or your child. Both of these are good options, and we’ve seen high-level competitive fencers succeed with each one. There is no strictly wrong answer. There are pros and cons to both ways when you look at the issue.

Keep in mind, fencing, in general, is about strategy. What strategy you decide to go with is up to you, but you always want to do things consciously. 

Strategy #1 – Train for at least a year before you compete in fencing

Some coaches will tell you that you should wait a long time to start competing after you’ve begun your training. One conventional wisdom is to wait for a whole season of training, then start competing in the following season. Another is to train for two seasons before competing. There are lots of fencers out there who waited for several years before they started competing, and many of these fencers swear by it.

There are fencers who just love the training that they are doing, and they don’t feel rushed to compete. That works for them. 

There is something to be said for this kind of logic. Here are the pros of waiting for a long time before you compete. 

You know how to fence

If you’ve been training for a year or a couple of years, you’re really a fencer. You know a lot about the sport and are comfortable on the strip. The confidence that comes with experience, in addition to just knowing the movements, makes the first competition much easier. You’ll also know your coach better if you have been fencing for a good while, and that goes a long way in allowing a fencer to adapt to and learn from their mistakes in a fencing competition. 

Financial commitment

Competition in fencing can be expensive. There are fees to compete, not to mention a need to travel if there are very few competitions in your area. Before committing financially to competition, some fencers want to make sure that the sport is for them. That means training in the sport for a good bit of time.

Lack of maturity

Here we aren’t talking about maturity in terms of age but in terms of knowledge of the sport. There is no substitution for the experience; if you train for a year or more, you are experienced in the sport. Patience, diligence, and learning are the foundations of fencing. 

There are logical progressions in life for a reason. Skipping over the hard work to get ready for a competition can sometimes be used as the easy way out, rather than laying a firm foundation first. In sports, there is no substitute for practice and patience. People who believe in waiting to compete find that when they did finally enter a competition, they were ready for it and enthusiastic about it.

Strategy #2 – Start competing right away

This is the absolute opposite approach. You’ll hear lots of anecdotal stories from fencers who started to compete very, very quickly. Fencers who jumped into an open regional competition after just three weeks of training because they wanted to join their teammates. 

What you don’t hear a lot of is fencers who competed early complaining that they competed early. Usually they chalk up the massive losses that they got to a great learning experience. Beginners are going to lose in competition – a LOT at the beginning. 

When we talk about competing right away, we mean within a couple of months of starting to fence. 

The basics can be gotten quickly.

In truth, It is impossible to know everything before you start competing. So you need to be very comfortable with the basics of fencing, such as you need to have decent footwork and some solid elements of attack and defense. Everything else are things that you’ll master and become better at as you go. Most fencers have the most basic movements within a few dozen practices, even if they aren’t great fencers yet. This is especially true for fencers who are taking private lessons in addition to their fencing classes. 

Competition = the best practice

Competing is the best way to practice, and you will hear this from many fencers and coaches. The idea is that the more time you spend fencing, the more practice you’ll get. You’ll also be more focused during competition than during regular practice, and so are your opponents. There is just no substitute for fencing in a competitive arena where there are eliminations or podium placements on the line and people watching from the audience. It’s true that you can only practice for competition by competing.  

There is nothing to lose, and everything to gain

The biggest reason that we hear for fencers who start competing early is that they have nothing to lose. So what if you don’t win the bout? So what if you’re dead last in the competition? We don’t fence to win every bout, we fence because we love it. Competing early in your training helps you learn to lose, because it is a very reasonable expectation from you at this stage, and it gives you a lot of valuable experience that you can’t get any other way. Jump into the deep end!

When you fence in competition early, competitive fencing becomes an integral part of fencing. It’s also just very exciting! Even if you are losing, it’s exciting to be up on the strip in competition. Feeling that buzz of nerves and anticipation is reason enough for many fencers to jump in early. 

Strategy #3 – A bit of both

There is actually a third path! The middle path you might call it. Instead of jumping into big regional competitions right away or waiting for a couple of years to compete, you start by competing in local beginner fencers’ in-house competitions or in local unsanctioned fencing competitions. Yes, we only mentioned two possible ways to approach the issue of when to compete in fencing, but as it turns out, those two options have a blended cousin.

This method is the best of all options. Fencers can get the experience and learn from competition without the pressure of sanctioned USFA competitions. For fencers who are new, a USFA competition is one that has been approved by the national body that governs fencing in the United States. These competitions are more well organized and more competitive. Smaller competitions, like local competitions or those that happen with just the students of a fencing school, are less formal and also less competitive and well as much easier. 

Why is this a great strategy? Here are some ideas about why the “bit of both” strategy works. 

Low pressure, still competing

Fencers can compete in low pressure competitions early in their training, after just a few classes even, and still do well. They can build their abilities while competing. If you do not make it onto the podium at an inter-school competition, it’s ok because there is not a lot on the line! You’ll probably know the people you’re competing against too. 

Competition is the best teacher

There is no teacher that is ever going to be as good as experience. By competing in very small tournaments, new fencers will learn what it’s like to go through all of the various hoops and practices that are necessary for a fencing competition. They learn how to register and get their weapons checked, how to congratulate an opponent on their win and how to cheer on their teammates. 

Try it before you buy it

A big reason to do these teeny-tiny competitions is that they are easy to get to and easy on the wallet. If you’re not sure if fencing competition in general is for you, then this method is going to let you try it out first to see if you like it. Though a small competition is not the same as a big, USFA sanctioned event, it is still going to have the same flavor of competition. If you totally hate it on the local level, then you’re probably not going to enjoy competing in a big tournament or not yet ready for a bigger one and need to continue building your skill. If you totally love it, then you’re probably going to love competing in bigger events and are ready to jump into the water!

Depending on what kind of fencing club you are training in and your region, there might be lots of different kinds of local competitions available. From inter-club competitions where one fencing club informally competes against another, to intra-school competitions where fencers in one school are competing against each other. There are also small competitions hosted by fencing clubs that let only new fencers compete. Unfortunately, such new-fencers-only tournaments are not available in every region or every time, but if there is one where you live – that’s probably by far the best way to start.

However you decide to enter the world of fencing competition, there really is no wrong way to do it! Don’t hesitate to try it, or to train for it. And as always, talk to your fencing coach and seek their advice on which competition to enter and when to start.