Fencing looks dangerous to people who have never tried it. A blade, an opponent, a hit. In practice the sport is built around protection, and its rules and habits have been refined over a very long time. At our club, every fencer trains in full protective equipment.
What protects a fencer
The mask. A fencing mask is a strong steel mesh that covers the whole face, with a padded bib that protects the throat and neck. The fencer can see clearly through it, and it is built to stop a blade.
The jacket. A thick, close-fitting jacket covers the torso and the arms. It is made to stop the blade from getting underneath and to soften the impact of a hit.
The glove. The sword hand is right in front of the opponent, so it wears a padded glove with a long cuff that covers the end of the sleeve.
For the free class and for the whole first month, we lend a mask, a jacket, a glove and a blade at no cost. After that, the kit is $40 a month to rent, or your child can use their own.
Why the blade cannot cut
A fencing sabre is a training and sport weapon, not a sharp sword. If your child loves swords, is fencing real sword fighting? explains what is real about fencing and what is not. The blade is flexible steel with no cutting edge, and the tip is blunted and folded over, so that it does not pierce. The flexibility matters too: when a blade hits, it bends and takes much of the force of the hit.
Habits fencers learn early
Fencing has a few long-standing safety habits that fencers learn from the start:
- the mask goes on before any blade work with a partner, and comes off only after the blades are down;
- you never aim a blade at someone who is not wearing a mask;
- fencers salute each other before and after a bout, which also marks clearly when fencing starts and ends;
- the coach or referee decides when a bout begins and stops.
These habits become automatic quickly, and children tend to take them seriously because they are part of the sport itself.
What can still happen
We would rather be honest about this than make a promise no sport can keep.
A hit can sting. Sabre is fast, and a firm cut on the arm or shoulder can be felt through the jacket. Now and then it leaves a small bruise, more often while a beginner is still learning to control their own blade and to keep distance.
Ordinary sports strains. Fencing footwork means quick starts, stops and lunges. As in any sport with fast movement, a twisted ankle or a pulled muscle is possible, which is why a warm-up matters and why sneakers with a good grip are on the list of things to bring.
Damaged kit. Protection works when the kit is in good shape. A bent or broken blade, or a mask with a dent, should not be used; if you notice one, show it to the coach.
Serious injuries are not what fencing is known for, and the protective kit is there exactly so that they stay that way.
Is fencing hard on the knees?
The knees work hard in fencing, because of the lunge: the fencer pushes off the back leg and lands on a bent front leg, again and again. Research on fencing injuries shows both sides of that.
- Injuries that stop a fencer are rare. At all USA Fencing national events from 2001 to 2006, with 78,223 competitors aged 8 to over 70, athletic trainers recorded 0.3 injuries that forced a withdrawal per 1,000 athlete exposures, a count based on the bouts each fencer fenced (Harmer, 2008). At international events from 2010 to 2014 the rate was 0.28 per 1,000 athlete exposures (Harmer, 2019).
- When they happen, the legs are where. In the US study, the knee was the most frequent location, 19.6% of those injuries, followed by the thigh and the ankle, and 60% were in the legs. In the international study, ankle sprains were the most common single injury. The author compares the pattern with other sports of fast stops, starts and changes of direction.
Both studies counted competitors at national and international events, not children in a beginners' class, so they show the shape of the risk, not your child's exact chances. What helps the knees is ordinary: a proper warm-up, sneakers with a good grip, and learning the lunge correctly before doing it fast. If your child has knee pain, or a knee problem already, tell the coach before the class, and see a doctor if pain lasts.
How you can help
- Make sure your child wears sneakers and athletic clothes they can move in.
- Bring a water bottle. Sabre is a lot of running in short bursts.
- If something in the lent kit feels loose or too tight, tell the coach. A mask or jacket that fits properly protects better.
- Come and watch the free first class. Parents are welcome then, and seeing a class is the fastest way to stop worrying. If your child is nervous about it too, fencing for shy kids walks through the first class step by step.
If safety is settled and you wonder whether fencing is good for kids at all, is fencing good for kids? covers what it asks of a child and what it gives. If you would like to talk it through first, call Coach Pasha at (408) 592-1244. You can also read what happens at the first class, or, if your child is very young, at what age a child can start fencing.
