“There are
two forms of fencing [with thrusting weapons]:
foil fencing, an admirable sport, and epee fencing, a method of combat.”
—A.
Ranc, in the preface to Le Jeu de l'Epée, 1887
Welcome to the Huntsville Fencing Club! We are
devoted to promoting the sport of fencing for the serious competitor, the
casual recreational fencer, and all between. Our club is open to anyone with
an interest in fencing, and we welcome visitors.
Fencing is a sport derived from the duel, a sport of
one against one, wit against wit, skill against skill, will against will,
without outside assistance at the time of combat. It is an intensely
solitary yet overwhelming social activity in which the participant engages
in combat alone against his or her adversary on the strip, yet also engages
in friendship and camaraderie off the strip. Fencing is a highly
competitive sport, a positive form of recreation, and encompasses a highly
social atmosphere. The recreational fencer, for whom fencing is both an
enjoyable diversion as well as an opportunity to socialize with other
bright, passionate people, is the foundation of most fencing clubs, and is
always welcome at the Huntsville Fencing Club. Many of our members are
purely recreational fencers.
Our members have ranged in age from twelve to well
into the sixties, and have included foreign nationals from France, Italy,
Poland, Israel, and Germany, as well as members from all corners of the US. Additionally, we are
often visited by out-of-state fencers here on business, and also by
classical and SCA fencers looking to polish their technique.
In addition to a facility for open fencing, we also
offer beginning instruction in foil in a group setting, and advanced
instruction in epee, foil, and saber, in the form of individual lessons.
However, we are primarily an epee club. Only a few of our members fence foil
or saber, and only occasionally. You
need not be an athlete, much less a great athlete, to learn to fence well.
You need only a few basic physical abilities, a willingness to learn, and
the capacity to use your head. Instruction is based on a broad technical
foundation designed to provide the fencer with adequate technique, tempo,
and tactics for free fencing and competition, while at the same time not
inhibiting the fencer from enjoying the swashbuckling romance of steel on
steel. Such a well-laid foundation helps the fencer understand the sport in
all its aspects, builds tactics against all possible adversaries, and
prevents the fencer’s development from reaching a dead end. While we strive
to develop a fencer’s strengths, we do not believe in doing so by
sacrificing the benefits of a broad foundation, nor at the expense of the
courtesies and traditions of the sport.
Again, welcome to the Huntsville Fencing Club! We
look forward to fencing with you!
