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Academy of Fencing Masters Blog

Art of Fencing, Art of Life

16 Things that Only Fencers Understand

16 Things that Only Fencers Understand

There are many things in this world that, let’s face it, you can only understand if you’ve experienced them. One of those things is fencing – there is specific stuff that will only make sense to you if you’ve been a fencer. That’s not to say that there’s anything better about fencers than about other kinds of people, but these things are what bind us together – that shared experience. Once you’ve been a part of the world of fencing, you can’t turn your back on it, not really ever. You’ve been...

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The Road to Rio: Profiles of the US Olympic Fencing Team

The Road to Rio: Profiles of the US Olympic Fencing Team

The Olympics are nearly here! We’re so excited to be rooting for the US in Rio (and of course following all of the other incredible fencers from around the world). Check out the profiles of the US Olympic Fencing Team so that you can find yourself more invested in the amazing events happening in Brazil! You’ll find more here than just your standard profile, because we think that the best way to get excited about these fencers and to really connect with them is to dig a bit deeper. This is...

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Why Our Kids Need to Dream Big

Why Our Kids Need to Dream Big

Are we teaching our kids to reach too far? It’s highly unlikely that our children will actually make it to the Olympics, so why fill their heads with big dreams that can’t possibly come true? The impossible happens all the time It’s true, the odds are long on a given child progressing all the way to the Olympics. In fact it’s downright unlikely that they will. But it’s not impossible. When a child starts reading, it can seem impossible to them that they’ll ever read easily - those letters are...

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Why fencers should write a resume of failures

Why fencers should write a resume of failures

It’s natural for us to parade around the amazing things that we do – we celebrate our successes. But just telling everyone out there what we did that was so great doesn’t really tell the whole story does it? Fencing is very much about learning how to grow from things when they go badly, because let’s face it – things don’t always go perfectly in life or on the strip. Losing fear of failure People who are the most successful in life are also the people who see their lives as a whole story,...

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23 Ways to Enjoy Fencing at Summer

23 Ways to Enjoy Fencing at Summer

The long summer days mean that there’s a lot more time to do things that we wouldn’t normally get to do, a time to hang out and get into all kinds of good stuff. Sometimes figuring out what kind of good stuff to get into can be a challenge - it’s easy to stay in our same old routines. But never fear! Enjoy fencing this summer! We’re here with some fun ideas to help you get more out of your summer and to do more things with fencing, things that you probably haven’t thought about before....

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How to Check in with Fencing Summer Nationals Online

How to Check in with Fencing Summer Nationals Online

It’s TIME!! Fencing Summer Nationals is upon us. Everyone is so excited about the events that are happening over the next 10 days, as we all wait with baited breath to find out how everything is going to turn out for fencers all over the country. How can you participate in the Summer Nationals and the July Challenge if you’re not headed out? The great news is that there are PLENTY of online resources to help you stay connected with everything that’s going on at this giant event. Here is all of...

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Fencing  Impact On My Education and Well Being

Fencing Impact On My Education and Well Being

I’ve been fencing for almost seven years and those seven years have been busy. I started high school, I took the SATs and ACTs, I went to prom, I graduated, and I just finished my first year of college. People always asked me how I managed to dedicate hours to train daily and still do well in my school work, tests, and still manage to have a social life. My answer was fencing. Fencing for a minimum of eighteen hours a week sounds like it takes over all my time, leaving me stressed out when it...

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USFA Club of Excellence Program – AFM Honored!

USFA Club of Excellence Program – AFM Honored!

This year the premier organization for fencing in the United States, USA Fencing, initiated a program to honor fencing schools around the country for excellence in the sport. Starting in 2016, USA Fencing will annually recognize clubs that excel in attracting new students, retaining old students, promoting the sport and in general being positive places for fencing. It’s a fun new program that allows fencing schools to get some positive press while also promoting fencing in the wider world....

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Why Fencing Dads are AWESOME

Why Fencing Dads are AWESOME

Father’s Day is just around the corner, and so to celebrate we’d like to reflect on all of the reasons that fencing dads are so very fantastic. It takes a special kind of man to stand up and hand his kid a sword, and for these amazing men we are so very thankful. These guys are amazing, even more amazing than the run of the mill dads that are walking down the street. Why? Here are some great reasons. ●    Ultimate fixers Fencing is unlike so many other sports because it requires so much...

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How Much Sleep do Fencers Need?

How Much Sleep do Fencers Need?

The thing that is perhaps most taken for granted in the world of athletics is sleep. We imagine that we can push ourselves, which we of course can and should, but there are limits. Staying safe and healthy is such an important part of staying on top of the fencing game. Getting enough rest is an absolute key to being healthy. Why Sleep is Important for Fencers Often the very first thing to go when schedules get tight and training hours get long is sleep. Suddenly getting enough sleep just...

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Why are fencing private lessons so short?

Why are fencing private lessons so short?

Lately we’ve had a few new parents asking me why fencing private lessons are 20 min INSTEAD of 1 hour as they are accustomed to in other activities - like tennis or piano for example. It seems to many as though private lessons that are so short can’t possibly be as effective as those that are three times as long - longer is just better right? More is more? There are some great reasons why fencing lessons are shorter, and it’s very much worth explaining why they are necessarily different than...

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Warm-up routine before competitions for young fencers

Warm-up routine before competitions for young fencers

Pre-competition warm ups for serious competitive athletes are among very important and fascinating parts of the sporting world. There are rituals, superstitious beliefs, long and involved processes. Fencers are no exception - and you’ll see them doing such rigorous warm ups at any high level competition, both domestic and international. Pros know that the warm up is a necessary part of the competition and take it seriously, every second of it. While pros know what to do, a lot of young and...

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10 Ways to Get the Most out of your Fencing Club

10 Ways to Get the Most out of your Fencing Club

Though fencing is an individual sport, at the heart of successful fencers is this incredible support system that blooms from the rich and knowledgeable environment of a great fencing club. Unfortunately many fencers don’t take advantage of everything that their fencing club has to offer. Get online Since you’re reading this post, we can easily conclude that you’ve got internet access. That means that you’ve got some great opportunities to participate with your club online! Most clubs today...

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How to Measure and Choose a Fencing Gear Size

How to Measure and Choose a Fencing Gear Size

Even though  the number one reason to buy new equipment is because it gets lost, it’s still quite common for parents to buy significantly bigger jackets, lame and knickers for their fast growing young fencers in an effort to save money.  Of course all parents prefer spending less on fencing gear, but is it really ok to put your child on the fencing strip in something that makes them the biggest moving target in the competition? How can you find the right size in fencing gear, allowing "room to...

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What I Wish I’d Known on My First Day of Fencing

What I Wish I’d Known on My First Day of Fencing

It’s truly amazing how this journey into fencing rolls us forward and takes us to new places, on new journeys and into things that we’d never thought of. Getting going in this sport means reaching out and learning, as well as the incredible accomplishment that pushes us forward onto the life beyond the strip. There are some things that I wish that I could go back and tell myself from those first days holding a fencing sword.        1.  Fencing is much more than swordfighting. When you first...

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