Why, my friends wanted to know, was I taking up fencing? It was old-fashioned - archaic, even - and no doubt populated by over-competitive public-school types. There was an insinuation that it was not cool, that I was being deliberately eccentric. When I mentioned that fencing was connected to a time when carrying a sword was an assertion of personal freedom, I was politely told it was now the 21st century. Perhaps, they said, I should join the gym if I wanted to get fit.
I was not yearning for the chance to defend my honour with my blade on some dewy morning. Times change, after all. What I did need, now that I was in my mid-30s, was regular exercise to make use of my body while it still worked. It had been years since I had done anything strenuous - walking up the escalator and fair-weather football didn't count. A back injury ruled out anything else that looked fun, such as high-impact martial arts, and a gym was my idea of purgatory. Besides, fencers were poised and graceful, and somehow slightly sinister in their fitted white uniforms and grilled masks.
I was not alone in entering this noble sport. Membership of the British Fencing Association has risen in five years from 6,000 to more than 10,000. I have not yet joined the BFA, but it estimates that there are around 50,000 to 75,000 fencers lunging around the country's 500 fencing clubs.
Age was not a concern. According to Jim Philbin, former Commonwealth sabre champion and coach at the Salle Paul club in north London, "You are never too old to start. Veterans' fencing - over-40s - is one of the fastest-growing age groups in the sport."
That made me a comparative youngster. It would also provide the kind of comprehensive workout I needed. There is an emphasis on leg work, so calves, thighs and glutes are put through their paces. The triceps are also worked but because strength is not so much a factor, the arms and shoulders will not bulk up. Which was fine with me, as I wasn't after a Conan the Barbarian look.
Fencing is much more physical than it might appear and provides an excellent cardiovascular workout, building up stamina - a single fight at competitive level (lasting around nine minutes) is said to be equivalent to a one-mile run. Balance, flexibility and reflexes are also enhanced and stretching is important in the warm-up. The only thing that might need extra work is the abdominal area. Philbin recommends training twice a week to develop general fitness.
I took a beginner's course at the Polytechnic Fencing Club in central London. The male to female ratio was balanced and there did not seem to be a preponderance of fancy double-barrelled names. I was somewhat concerned about my flexibility and general posture. But John "Jes" Smith, a fencing master and head coach at the school, has seen worse. "Unlike many other sports, most novices start on a level playing field," he says. "I've known students who were clumsy and generally awkward but once they start fencing they move like dancers."
It was bewildering at first, navigating the peculiar clothing and the alien movements Smith was patiently trying to teach me and the other budding musketeers in the class. The learning curve was sharp - it was unlike anything else I had done before. Blade action depends on subtle finger manipulation - but it felt like trying to write with a broom handle. I was moving with all the charm of a clown wearing size 18 shoes. Watching the speed and grace of the advanced fencers, I wondered whether I was doing the same sport.
With the correct equipment, fencing is one of the safest activities there is - a sprained ankle or pulled muscle is probably the biggest worry. But although the element of danger has been removed, it did feel counterintuitive to be thrusting a blade at a body, albeit a blunt one with a rubber tip. I found I came to fights without enough aggression - I had to learn to push the weapon forward as though I really wanted to run my opponent through. It also takes practice to stand and receive hits without flinching.
I soon discovered that modern fencing does not bear much relation to duelling or combat. Smith describes it as, "A fast game of tag. You try to touch the other person without being hit." Epée, foil and sabre are the three forms of fencing. Most beginners learn with a foil, which has a thin, flexible blade and only allows hits made to the torso. Epée weapons are stiffer and heavier, having developed from the duelling swords used in the 17th century. It is considered closer to duelling as the whole body is a target, including the hands and feet. Sabre is based on the cavalry sword, with the target area above the waist, and uses cutting strokes - bashing would be the non-technical term.
The basic stance, the en garde position, is one foot forward facing your opponent, the other pointed to the side, with knees bent in a half-crouch. Just holding that takes effort. Movement is made back and forth, with a lunge to gain extra distance to strike the other fencer. To begin with, there was much flaying around and concentrating on just executing the move. But as I gained more control over technique, and muscle memory took over, the tactical element kicked in; ascertaining my opponent's strengths and weaknesses, working a deception, figuring a counterattack, all within a split second. It was a world away from the arid numbness of the running machine and MTV combo at the gym.
Most clubs have equipment you can borrow, though it tends not to be the most flattering - novice jackets have a back zip so they look like straitjackets - and you may wonder who last used the mask. A glove is worn on the weapon hand and a plastron, which is a half-jacket for extra protection, goes under the jacket covering the part of the torso that is struck the most. Women also need extra chest protection. It was a relief to get my own jacket and mask, knowing they would be soaked only with my own sweat. Looking the part is also a good psychological tactic. Resembling the other fencers further down the hall, even if I could not yet match their elegance, made the £160 outlay worthwhile. Later, there are breeches, shoes and a weapon to add to the shopping list. The good news is that classes can work out remarkably cheap - £5 an hour, with instructors who may well be involved in training national teams
As with learning any new skill, there were weeks of struggle and despair, and I cursed the genes that condemned me to ineptitude. But after nearly a year of tuition, it is starting to add up. My instructor says I can expect to develop my flexibility, becoming technically neater and physically leaner. I will also be stretched mentally, learning a set of conventions and then how to break them. Eventually, I will even learn how to bash people with a sabre.
· www.britishfencing.com; · www.polyfencingclub.co.uk; · www.sallepaul.co.uk
