The following information came directly from USAFencing website:

https://www.usafencing.org/news/2026/june/05/a-simpler-path-through-the-sport-inside-usa-fencing-s-new-points-and-events-structure

“The split only happens above 168 entries. At 168 fencers or fewer, the event runs as a single competition, classified as Elite and using the Elite points table. That single, unsplit event can include up to 168 fencers.

When the field does split, the Elite event is capped at 112 fencers and the National event holds up to 224. The 112-fencer cap on Elite applies only when a split happens.

To use the most extreme example, let's say an event has 169 registered fencers. In that scenario, we'd hold an Elite event with 112 fencers and a National event with 57.”

I have an issue with the point table.

Let’s look at the point table in the attached picture. For a split event with 169 fencers, top 112 fencers are competing for the Elite tier points, and the rest 57 fencers are competing for the National tier points. The Elite tier points for top finishers look reasonable. However after table 16 of the Elite tier, the points actually favor the National tier fencers much more than 17-112 Elite fencers!

For example, the top 2 finishers in the National tier get more points than the 17-32 finishers in the Elite tier despite a much easier competition. Top 32 finishers in the National tier are better off than 65-112 finishers in the Elite tier! Note that any of these 65-112 fencers could win the 1st place if they were put in the National tier, and earn 200 points instead of 54!

This seems to be a huge punishment to the lower half of the fencers in the Elite tier!

Any thoughts?

For example, a prominent one is Korean saber. Before that fencers used to have their feet grounded as much as possible, but the Koreans introduced bouncy movements and athleticism that changed the game. I would also say France’s style (entirely based on my knowledge through clips, so not 100% objective) , they have a very upright stance, cuts everywhere, and staccato footwork.

So I will be heading to a tournament in Georgia in oct, but want to add some long layovers in a few European cities. Might start out the trip in Paris followed by Munich(Munich will have a direct flight to Georgia). Just wondering if anyone has traveled via high speed rail with fencing gear and a bag for clothing. Is it better to stick with flights or could I take the train? Would a eurail pass be good?

I feel like the train would be a fun experience. My only high speed rail experience being the shinkensen.

Also are there any cool fencing stores to visit? Might visit the one in Paris.

Has anyone flown with fencing gear on Ajet or the other budjet airlines? Any issues traveling with fencing gear?

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I recently started taking fencing lessons (HEMA). I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it, but naturally I’m only practicing moves and the basics so far. I’ve recently been lended one of our club’s fencing masks.

So I tried it on, and there’s a huge problem: my eyes become terribly sensitive when trying to look past the grate and I feel like I’m going to have a migraine. I feel incredibly dazzled, blinded almost - as if I’m looking into a blinding light source. My eyes just feel overstimulated. I couldn’t keep the helmet on for a whole minute before taking it off, the sensation is unbearable.

I have a history of complicated migraines, which can be induced by dense patterns and flashing lights. I also wear glasses.

Could this be a simple matter of getting more used to it? I am now reluctant to put it on due to the fear of getting a migraine. I couldn’t find any information about it whatsoever, so if anyone has any info about this, I’d be grateful! I’m extremely frustrated and it feels like I wouldn’t be able to fence with this issue.

Thanks for reading

I have tried looking on FIE and USA Fencing sites, and I’ve tried looking through here, but I haven’t found anything conclusive on how/if I can put my last name across the side of the shell of my mask. If someone can just explain what the ruling is that would be great.

FIE Proposal 10 which will be voted on in November suggests reducing the limit of fencers internationally from 12 to 8 at all international events. I gathered data from the entire season to see what this proposal would actually do and the result is not much: the largest events would still be unmanageably large while also depriving athletes of almost 1500 competition slots across the season with no replacement offered...

Let me know what you think of my idea to fix the problem!

I'm seeking general advice for how to identify what is the barriers you are hitting in your fencing journey?

For example I know with distance I pay attention to where I was getting hit. If I get hit in the arm I'm doing something off at far range. If shots are finishing in the torso I'm getting too close

Edit: Just to clarify I do have a coach I do lessons with twice a week. This is just more focused on for when the coach isn't around and looking for more general methods. Like I don't want to get bogged down in the nitty gritty of my specific situations and instead have this be a more generally useful post

I know we've had a fair number of posts about the new points structure. I am mostly venting as we are about a week away from the launch, our division is scheduling events, and we don't really have guidance on how to operationalize. I know the simple answer is to just run things as normal but it's frustrating to have what appears to be a long preparation period and be in the last minute without full guidance and operations plan. I think there is a meeting being set up sometime in August but it seems late. If anyone knows any specifics, I'd love to hear any insights.

Hey guys!

Just bought my first foil, secondhand, and I'm looking to check if it works?, unfortunately I have a broken foot and cannot fence right now, but I was wondering if anyone has ever used the testers from Amazon, and if so, are they reliable at all?,

I've looked at the item description and it's pretty... Useless...but does anyone know if they can test for on/off targets too?,

(Also if anyone has any suggestions on how many foils one should have in their collection, please do let me know!)

Thanks!

My child has been bullied by the same child at their fencing club in the past few months, I have spoken with their parents and their parents have actually became very defensive and stated my child is the one getting himself into situations with their child and their child has done nothing wrong. I have captured a video of my son practicing during class and happened to capture a moment where this child physically attacked my child for no reason, my question is, can I show this video to their coaches or is that violating any laws because I technically didn’t get the permission of the other child to record the video?

Mostly as expected for the event combinations, but you haven't "fill[ed] in the last big blank on the calendar just in time for families booking flights" if you don't say where you need to take a flight to!

Did anyone catch the Coaches Committee Listening Tour or round table?

Hi everyone,

My 13-year-old son has been fencing for about 6 months. He's very serious about the sport and currently trains 6 days a week.

So far, he's broken 2 basic (non-FIE) blades from Blue Gauntlet, and I'm wondering if it's time to upgrade. I've read a few comments on Reddit saying that FIE blades tend to last longer than non-FIE blades. Is that generally true based on your experience?

If so, I'd love some recommendations on brands. I'm looking for something that's budget-friendly, but if spending more upfront means the blade will last significantly longer, I'm happy to invest in it.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi everyone,

A few weeks ago, I shared our hobby project s-portall.com here — a zero-registration, offline-first tournament tool for club coaches. The feedback from this community was amazing.

Recently, a Fencing Master from a UK club reached out with a classic gym-floor problem: "My students love using it, but it would be very helpful to add late fencers or remove someone who cannot continue the tournament for any reason after the poule has started, without losing the current scores."

I took this feedback seriously and spent the weekend updating the code. The changes are already live in production:

1. Late Entries (The "Oops, I'm late" feature): You can now add a fencer to a running poule. The system automatically recalculates the new match order using the Berger algorithm, but carefully injects all your already fenced bouts and scores into the new grid. No data lost.

2. Flexible Withdrawals (The 50/50 FIE Rule + Coach Freedom): If a fencer leaves the tournament, you can now toggle between two modes:

- Completely exclude them from the stats (recalculating indices for everyone as if they weren't there).

- Keep their fenced bouts and auto-fill the remaining ones with a technical 0-5 score.

1. Winner's Card: When the tournament finishes, the public live-scoreboard link now automatically generates a neat shareable card for the champion (perfect for parents to screenshot and share in club chats).

Thank you to everyone who tests the app and shares their real-world coaching needs. Let me know how these dynamic features work in your clubs!

P.S. Still completely free and running smooth in base cellars with zero internet.

I’m just wondering if I’ll be executed if i would just wear football socks instead of fencing ones, they are basically the same thing no?

Hey all kind of a weird question but I’ve felt that the jacket and mask I use currently doesn’t provide adequate protection for my neck, which I attribute to a longer than usual neck length.

Could anyone suggest a solution for this?

Is it fair to say that for the most part, whether an identical action taken by an attacker (a "one-two" attack) is called an "Attack Compose" or an "Attack No, Remise Touch" is based on the ACTION of the defender (attempted parry/search versus in the former case; immediate attack while moving forward in the latter case)?

When the ref says “Allez!” I usually take one advance or some small stutter steps. Problem is I feel like distance is hardest to judge in the middle because no one has established priority yet. What I see happening is I miss short a lot, because I don’t take an extra stop to close that distance. However I’m afraid that if I take that extra step, I feel I am too close and that my opponent can catch me in prep.

I’m a fencer, not a ref. I find right of way relatively easy to follow as I am constantly checking and recognising actions. Personally, I look to the centre when the fencers move off the line, then I like to "follow" a single fencer and understand the actions through their perspective. This simplifies things a lot for me and makes RoW very clear (Although I do find men's foil much easier to parse than women's foil as a ref). This is something I found very helpful when watching videos and practicing making calls. However, I often miss non-RoW actions like target covering, stepping of the piste, and passing, it seems that I'm not really paying attention to these things and can often completely miss them.

Is this just due to a lack of experience as a referee because I have no need to recognise these things as a fencer unlike RoW? How do experienced foil refs use their attention during a bout and where are you actually looking while following the action?

Hello,

I was wondering if any had any experience with this:Leather Foil Glove and Epee Glove: Superior Grip and Durability and could tell me how comfy, durable and grippy it is, and if it's actually worth the price?

Cheers

(35M UK)

I returned to fencing last week after a 20 year hiatus, and I'm looking on advice on what to buy, and in what order?

-- background --

I used to fence in my teens and was following the BAF's syllabus. I had 4* Foil, 3* Sabre and 1* Epee.

I was also learning to coach, and had the BAF's Initial Coaching Award and the Basic Coaching Award in Foil (I don't think these exist any more?)

I'm now getting back into Fencing and I'm looking at getting some of my own kit.

The club I have joined has some kit that the loan out, and also some that they sell.

I have 2 old foils, a PBT S2004 Sabre and a 350N foil mask.

The club is predominantly Epee with some Sabre (my preferred option).

Should I buy shoes? a new Jacket? etc

Any suggestions on things that are fine to buy second hand and any that I really should get brand new?

I was only really aware of Leon Paul (expensive) and PBT when I was younger. There was also All Star, but it was deemed "budget". Is this still the case?

TIA for any help!!

Saw some threads say the pbt underplastron was very stiff, but not sure if that includes the FIE underplastron. Is it comparable lightness to allstar or leon paul?

Hey everyone, I need to remove a name from my fencing jacket. Any tips to avoid ruining the jacket would be awesome. Thanks!

I want to address the three core issues that have plagued competitive fencing in the US and were at the core of my own fencing journey growing up. I'm sure many other fencers that grew up on the national circuit can relate. I will also talk about my transition to MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and how it showed me that solo combat sports do not have to be like this.

**There are plenty of great fencing clubs that do not have these problems. These problems apply specifically to the world of competitive youth and cadet/junior fencing that is mostly focused on elite college recruitment.

1. Youth fencing is one of the most isolating sports. This is both due to the highly selective nature of college recruitment and the culture of many high level clubs. At practice, you are teammates. At tournaments, you are competing against each other for the same Ivy League future.

Additionally, the culture of many competitive clubs (and this is not exclusive to fencing) makes missing practice or being late feel like a felony. In high school I missed out on a number of hangouts and friendly gatherings with people just to go to practice because I felt like if I missed a single day I would be "behind" and that would get me less attention from the coach and perhaps mess up my chances of getting in to an elite college. Because of this, I had trouble making friends for much of high school, and only felt socially satisfied by senior year when I started to take fencing less seriously.

1. Fencers burnout young. I remember loving this sport and thinking it was the coolest shit when I was 11, then hating everything about it at 15. Still, I never missed a single practice because I was told this was a natural part of working hard to be great at something.

I remember competing in Y14 NACs and watching parents scream at their children for losing pool bouts. Coaches scream at 15 year old fencers and scrutinize everything they do if they lose. Every NAC event has ONE winner and hundreds of losers, so chill the fuck out. This isn't tough love; this is abuse.

At practices, we were often subject to brutal conditioning sessions. I don't actually have a problem with this in itself, but the criticism of us during conditioning was so unnecessary. Of course, if you were lagging behind in shuttle runs or footwork you would be yelled at and called lazy or undisciplined. To remedy this, we would often discuss with each other beforehand like "let's all keep an easy pace so none of us get yelled at." If you were performing worse than you usually did, you would get accused of not putting out. Like have you ever thought that I am slower than yesterday because maybe I had to stay up late doing school work or maybe because I am fatigued doing the same exercises four days in a row? Competitive youth fencing has this weird performative macho culture to it. Like dude we are youth fencers at fencing practice not Navy SEAL candidates in Hell Week.

1. Focus on talent and "potential." 12 year old fencers are picked apart and scrutinized by club coaches like they're being scouted for the NFL. I remember overhearing coaches discuss in detail the bodily features of 12 and 13 year old fencers. "She has pretty long arms for her age I think she will be good at stop-hits in Y14." "He's moving pretty fast for his height I think he will be really good after his growth spurt." This is fucking weird. It's one thing to talk about how your kid might have good anatomy for fencing, it's another thing entirely to pick apart and scrutinize every detail of a child fencer as if you're considering recruiting them for a professional sports team.

Additionally, the discussion of talent is utterly ridiculous. I have heard coaches directly comparing the natural talent of two sibling fencers to the parents, saying one is more promising than the other.

When I was 14 I was told by my coach that I lacked a lot of athletic talent compared to most fencers he's coached. Still ended up fencing at an Ivy League school so clearly that either didn't matter or was bullshit. A few other fencers that were told the same thing in my club ended up leaving the sport entirely when lost their love for the game. We should not be discouraging children from doing something they love just because they don't have as much "talent" as someone else.

1. How MMA showed me the other, much more beautiful side of solo combat sports:

I decided to stop fencing late in high school after the college stuff was all said and done (I resumed fencing in college the following fall, and I love my college team but that's a different story). I picked up MMA at a local fight gym and I absolutely loved it. The first thing I noticed was having a peer relationship with the coach rather than the strange power dynamic present in youth fencing. I casually chat with my fight coaches about our relationships, hobbies, etc. When I'm late I'm not expected to have some elaborate excuse. I just get in and start warming up like normal. When I skip a day I don't have to explain myself the next day.

Instead of feeling forced to endure brutal conditioning, I'm motivated to push myself in every part of training sessions. I don't feel scared that I will stand out for lagging behind others in training. I feel motivated to show up and work hard. Fighting has some of the most brutal conditioning out of any sport, yet I'm happy to work my ass off through all of it. If someone is ahead of me, I feel happy for them and motivated to catch up rather than scared of being judged for being behind.

The culture is extremely supportive and cooperative, even though it's literally a solo sport where you're trying to hurt and damage your opponent. Everyone is trying to help each other get better. Pro fighters took time out of their training to show me movements and techniques and correct my mistakes. This culture maintains itself in competition too.

I had my first few amateur fights some time ago. I won by TKO (technical knockout) in my last one. My opponent and I shook hands and hugged afterwards and we wished each other luck in our next fights. This was 2 minutes after we were just trying to smash each others' faces. The whole fight gym was there to support me, cheering for me even when I almost got choked out.

It's a brutal, violent, and literally bloody individual sport. Some call it the loneliest sport in the world. Yet, I have never once felt isolated. There is something we can learn from this as fencers.