Frequently Asked Questions

At Knightsbridge Fencing Club we welcome keen children from the age of 6 upwards. We offer a Foundation Class for children aged 6–7 years. Book Now

If your child likes to fence for fun then once a week is enough. However, we recommend that any child who would like to compete should train at least 2 or 3 times a week. Professionals fence 5 times a week.

The youngest age group for fencing competitions in the UK is Under-9, children as young as 6 are allowed to enter the under 9 category. For competition information Click Here

Yes. British Fencing membership is how fencers are registered in the UK, and every affiliated club asks for it - including for a first session. Trying fencing for the first time? British Fencing offer a free 90-day Introduction Membership. It takes about two minutes to set up, costs nothing, and is valid at any club in the country. That covers your trial session with us. Joining the club? Before the introductory membership runs out, move to a full annual membership and choose the type that suits you - Recreational covers club fencing, Compete is only needed if you want to enter competitions. We recommend choosing auto-renewal: British Fencing charge a lower rate for it, and it means the membership never lapses by accident. When you register, please choose Knightsbridge Fencing Club as your club (not your school), and enter the fencer's name rather than the parent's - this is the most common mistake and it means we cannot find you on the British Fencing system.

In most cases yes, and we would rather know than not. Our classes are group sessions with a set structure, and group sizes are set by age and ability. Many fencers with ADHD, autism or additional needs take part without difficulty - what matters is being able to follow the coach's instructions and to stop immediately when asked. That applies to everyone. Mention it when you book. Parents stay and watch the trial session, so it is the natural place to see whether the group format works - you will see how your child gets on, and so will the coach. We talk it through with you afterwards. We are a small club and cannot provide one-to-one supervision, so occasionally we may not be able to offer a safe place. If that happens we will tell you directly and explain why. Our full approach is set out in our Safety, Behaviour and Additional Needs policy.

Yes, you can start to fence from any age. At the moment we can only offer private lessons for adults.

At Knightsbridge Fencing Club, we specialize in Epee fencing. If you prefer Foil or Sabre, we can arrange private lessons with a specialized coach upon request. Just email us to set it up.

Epee, Foil, and Sabre are the three fencing styles, each with its own weapon and rules. Epee and Foil use thrusting weapons, hitting with the tip, while Sabre uses a slashing weapon, hitting with the blade's length. In Epee, you can hit anywhere on the body. Foil targets only the torso and neck, and Sabre targets the whole upper body, hence the metallic jackets for Foil and Sabre fencers. Foil and Sabre require 'priority' to score, meaning you must be attacking or defending successfully. Epee has no priority, allowing both fencers to score simultaneously, making it pure and thrilling.

For a trial class you do not need to buy anything. Thick tracksuit bottoms, indoor sports shoes and a water bottle are all you need - we lend you the rest.Once you join, fencing breeches are the one item you need to buy, for hygiene reasons. We provide all the other equipment for your first term; after that we ask you to get your own gear.You can buy a beginner starter kit or an advanced kit from us.

In the UK Under-9 competitions, children use a size 0 blade. Please always check each competition to see if a size 0, size 2 or size 5 blade is required. - right handed (if your child is right-handed) - pistol grip - LP standard epee blade and select size 0 or 2 or 5 - lightweight electric epee guard (If unavailable, you can choose standard or titan as well) - normal epee socket (but it’s up to you, you can choose light weight as well, as it's just a small difference) - pro range epee pad - epee pistol grip - size XS or S as required - nut for metal pistol grip

Any indoor squash, volleyball, handball or tennis shoes are perfect for fencing. Please make sure you only wear them indoor.

Fees are payable in full before each term begins and are not refundable once a term has started. We cannot give partial refunds for classes not attended.If you cancel more than 7 days before the first session of the term, we refund your fees in full. Within 7 days we cannot refund, because we can no longer fill the place.Trial sessions and private lessons need 48 hours' notice to move or refund, because a coach is booked for that time. Training camps need 7 days. With less notice, the session is charged in full.If we cancel a session for any reason on our side, we will run a replacement session or refund that session.Missed a class? See "Can I make up for missed sessions?" below - your term includes up to 2 make-up classes.Places roll over to the next term. If you do not want the place, tell us in writing before the last session of the current term.The full policy is on our Policies & Code of Conduct page.

Yes, within limits. Your term includes up to 2 make-up classes, or 4 if your child attends twice a week.How it works:Tell us before the class starts that your child will not be attending. A message on the morning is fine. If we only hear afterwards, we cannot offer a make-up.Tell us which day you would like, and we will confirm it or offer an alternative. Make-ups depend on there being a free space in a suitable group, and we cannot always offer one.Please do not come to a session we have not confirmed. We plan coach numbers around the fencers we expect, and we may not be able to take an extra child on the day.Make-ups can only be taken in another group class, in the same term. They cannot be used for a private lesson or a training camp, carried over to another term, exchanged for a refund, or transferred to another fencer. Any not used by the end of the term are lost.We keep class numbers small so our coaches can work properly with every fencer, which is why we ask for the term fee in advance - it guarantees your child's place.Unfortunately, due to limiting our class numbers, if payment is not received, we may have to offer places out to other members. This means that we can both ensure that each class will be full and personalised to our fencers, but also that we can be certain we have enough coaches at each session to support and encourage improvement.Although we appreciate it can be difficult in regards to changing timetables and busy lives, we hope that you understand our request that you commit to particular sessions - we want our fencers to know that in every class they can enjoy themselves, be challenged consistently, progress as individuals, and be part of our dedicated and caring community.Please consider any personal commitments and circumstances that may prevent attendance before enrolling as missed classes cannot be taken at another time.

We ensure a comfortable training environment year-round. In winter, we have heating on site, though we don't control it directly. In summer, we use fans and cross ventilation as there's no air-conditioning. We recommend dressing in layers for winter and wearing lightweight, breathable clothing in summer to stay comfortable during lessons.

Yes, you can still fence if you have asthma; but please make sure you bring your inhalers and/or medicine with you to training.