50+ Amazing Smartphone Fencing Backgrounds

On July 26, 2019

Smartphone fencing backgrounds are very popular! Everyone has a smartphone. When you have this little device in your hands all the time that you don’t have a sword in your hands, of course, you want to put your fencing mark on it – create your own smartphone fencing backgrounds!

That’s why we’ve put together a whole lot of smartphone fencing backgrounds for you. They’re arranged in categories for easy browsing. To download one and use it on your smartphone, simply click the picture and save it to your phone, then go to your pictures and set it as the background! It’s that easy. We’ve sized these pictures to fit most phone backgrounds, so no matter if you have an iPhone, a Samsung, a Google Pixel, or an LG, you’re covered. You’ll also find a link to the original fencing image where we found it online.

Now, whenever you look at your smartphone you’re feeling the spirit of fencing! We hope you enjoy.

Lost bout: How to Cherish Every Fencing Bout Your Kid Loses

By Igor Chirashnya

On July 18, 2019

In For Parents

Lost bout: How to Cherish Every Fencing Bout Your Kid Loses

This post was borne out of my personal parental experience at 2019 Fencing Summer Nationals in Columbus, OH, watching as my kids lost their bouts. How they cried. How they struggled. How they processed their defeat. How they talked about their lost bout afterwards, never right away.

Inside a kid fencer’s mind after a lost bout

For a parent, it is always difficult to watch your child cry. You understand that they are crying out of frustration. You know that they put a huge amount of effort into their training. They are now asking themselves tough questions like these:

“Am I worth it?”
“Am I any good at fencing?”
“Is all of this hard work even worth it?”
“Am I doing anything right? Can I do anything right?”
“Why is she/he better than me?”
“Why does this girl/boy train for half the time that I do and still beat me?”
“Why are the refs so bad, calling for my opponent all the time?”

They might even start to ask themselves the really tough question.

“Should I just quit fencing?”

Why Fencing is Good for Kids [Infographic]

By Igor Chirashnya

On July 13, 2019

In Spirit

Why fencing is good for kids- cover image

We recently published a post “9 Reasons Why Fencing is Good for Kids” which received a lot of positive feedback from many people.

So I decided to create an infographic inspired by that and other posts, since a picture is worth a thousand words.

I hope you enjoy this graphical story and use it to convince your friends, children, siblings or classmates give fencing a try. And maybe you will help them discover their lifelong passion for the gorgeous sport of fencing!

Fantastic Performance from AFM Fencers at the 2019 Fencing Summer Nationals

By Irina Chirashnya

On July 10, 2019

In AFM News

Fantastic Performance from AFM Fencers at the 2019 Fencing Summer Nationals

Wow. Just wow! We are still reeling from incredible performance of the AFM fencers at the 2019 Fencing Summer Nationals in Columbus.

After a memorable 10 days in Columbus, Ohio, we are home and still stunned by the marvelous results from our AFM athletes. It’s impossible not to be proud of these tremendous results from our hard working fencers, so here they are! Join us in congratulating them!

Top National Fencers

Fencers from all over the United States traveled to Columbus, Ohio earlier this month to face off in the biggest fencing competition in America, Fencing Summer Nationals. After a year of hard work, building on success through the 2018-2019 fencing season, we are ecstatic to say that AFM is among the top clubs in the USA in the medal count, and the best club on the West Coast. Among the 134 American and Canadian fencing clubs that took home medals, AFM’s final rank is number six! That’s phenomenal!

Important Fencing Safety Rules

By Igor Chirashnya

On July 7, 2019

In Equipment, Health, Rules and Regulations

There are some general fencing safety rules that all fencers should follow, though sometimes they aren’t as obvious as we imagine they should be!

Fencing is naturally a sport of weapons. Despite this, it’s consistently one of the safest sports that anyone can participate in, regardless of age. Many people are shocked to realize that sports like soccer and gymnastics have much higher rates of injury. The most dangerous part of fencing actually isn’t from swords at all, it’s from muscle strains and other sports related injuries.

That being said, there are some safety instructions that every fencer should be aware of. Many of you have heard these before, but it’s never a bad idea to review them again and again. Naturally your coach will have additional rules that you want to be aware of and follow, and always apply your best judgement

Also, it is very important to realize that safety is not only a concern for the fencers themselves, but also for anyone around them. It is equally important that parents, siblings and other people visiting a fencing venue follow fencing rules. For example, don’t allow your loose toddler to run towards a strip when people are fencing there. Even if they themselves follow strict fencing safety rules, a small child who is running through can get hit. It is super important that anyone who happens to be in the fencing venue respects and follows safety rules.

As it is impossible to state all situations and conditions, a good rule of thumb for fencing safety is this – make sure there enough space between an unprotected person and a person with a sword. Always. Use your best common sense and judgement.