The Whys and Hows of Your First Fencing Tournament

Photo by Stillness InMotion on Unsplash

New York, NY (October 2021) — Competing is an integral part of becoming a fencer.

It is recommend that competition be a regular part of a student’s development in the sport of fencing. It is as much a part of the learning process as footwork, blade work or practice.  

Students bout with teammates in every class offered at Tim Morehouse Fencing Club, so they’re honing their skills every time they’re on the strip. While they will see improvements, we often fall into patterns when you fence the same people over and over again. Perhaps the fencer knows they can beat “Johnny” so they fence him less aggressively. Or they feel that “Sarah” will beat them all the time, so they don’t go full out. 

A giant benefit of fencing at tournaments is being able to face new and different fencers. Not only does it force the fencer to think and use all their skills for each bout, but it makes the fencer better. 

Every tournament is about learning, none more so than a fencer’s firsts — first ever tournament, first regional tournament, first national tournament and so on. 

Finding the “Right” Competition

It is key to select tournaments that are within a fencer's skill level and manage expectations, especially when choosing their first tournaments.

The first step to competing is to sign up for a “competitive” membership at the USA Fencing website. Everyone who competes at any level must have a valid membership. Memberships run from August to July (like a school year calendar) and no matter what point in the year you sign up, the fee is the same, usually around $85. The fencer will receive a USA Fencing member number and can either print their card or pay extra for a plastic card. They will need this card/number every time they check-in at a competition. Take the time to go through age verification by emailing the fencer’s birth certificate to USA Fencing. It will save time when checking in at tournaments later.

Next, the fencer needs to determine what age classification they are eligible to compete in. The classification is based on the fencer’s birth year. For youth fencers, the categories are spaced two years apart. It starts at Y-8 and extends to Y-10, Y-12 and Y-14. Beyond that, the categories become broader.

A general rule-of-thumb is that a fencer can't compete in age categories below their current age but they can compete in categories above their age. This is called “fencing up,” and it’s good to do this if the fencer’s skills allow, especially when they’re reaching the end of their eligibility in one category.

Armed with membership and knowledge of what age category, now you have to find a competition. 

We recommend starting with club or local competitions. Tim Morehouse Fencing Club offers several competitions throughout the fall, winter and spring season for our fencers and others in the area. Local clubs in New York City, Westchester and Connecticut do the same. These are great opportunities to get a feel for competing without the pressure and expense of regional competitions. 

Local competitions can usually be found on Ask Fred. There is a search function that allows you to search by age category, weapon and so on.  

Regional competitions can be found through USA Fencing. USA Fencing requires that all regional and national tournament registration goes through its website. You will need to log in to the fencer’s account and search by region (TMFC is in region 3), weapon, age category and so on.

Please keep in mind that almost all tournaments have entry deadlines. After the initial deadlines, you can usually still register, but it’s double or triple the fee. Club or local tournaments, however, usually allow "day of" walk-ins. Plan accordingly. 

Once the fencer has graduated from their first competition, we recommend competing once a month at some level. All experience is good experience.

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Tim Morehouse Fencing Club is the premier fencing club in the area, offering fencing lessons in Manhattan, Westchester (Port Chester), and Connecticut (Stamford). With instruction available in saber, foil, and epee fencing, TMFC has programs for all levels of experience and competition.