Anybody here ever competed in fencing?

[inkstainedwretch2]

Stick with it and you'll have one well-defined forearm, a wrist of steal and the balance of an acrobat. One club rule I heartily endorsed was stolen from curling: The winner of the match bought the beer. You'll likely start with foil. Saber and epee are both a step up. To me, foil was the most intriguing.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Stick with it and you'll have one well-defined forearm, a wrist of steal and the balance of an acrobat. One club rule I heartily endorsed was stolen from curling: The winner of the match bought the beer. You'll likely start with foil. Saber and epee are both a step up. To me, foil was the most intriguing.

I'm single, I already have the first two.

 

[spikechiquet]

If you get injured while curling, you should be required to wear a helmet all day, every day.

Full disclosure? This is me:
<img src="http://jokerreport.typepad.com/.a/6a00e393366a1a88340162fc18abd1970d-pi">

Actually, what happened was I was using my broom as balance (a no-no to you beginners) while throwing my rock and I lost my balance (not used to sliding on one foot while on ice) and rolled my whole body weight onto my thumb, which was under the broom handle.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

Curious - why'd you start? It sounds like a weird thing to just do.
I am a little jealous though.

I've played sports all my life, and I feel like I've at least given a cursory try to just about all the ones i know of. Had never tried fencing, saw an ad in the local adult continuing education catalog and thought 'Why not?' Plus, it's something I can see myself competing in as I get older. The guy teaching the class is probably in his 50s.

I was really hoping for something along the lines of, "I was watching The Princess Bride and thought to myself, 'There is no ****ing way I'm letting the Dread Pirate Roberts get the best of me. If Inigo Montoya can learn this, dammit so can I.'"

 

[Mark2010]

Covered fencing at the Olympics and years later wrote a newspaper feature on a local kid hot shot. It's quite an interesting sport that requires extremely quick reactions.

I know the modern suits fencers wear are really high-tech and stuff, but there's just something about having someone lunge at me with a sword from close range that unnerves me a little.

Good luck, Rusty, with the endeavor and please let us know how you enjoy it.