How much does it cost?

Both beginners and more experienced fencers are expected to pay in advance for courses or practice sessions 3 times a year (payment periods start in January, May and August) – each payment period covers between 12 and 14 weeks when the club is open. This payment entitles fencers to come to any or all relevant sessions for their age group during that period. If joining us part way through a payment period, please speak to the treasurer about how much you’ll need to pay. Our payment terms and conditions can also be found here.

Fees charged for practice sessions and beginners courses include the use of equipment for use within those sessions, as Foiled Again provides everything you need to try fencing for yourself. Fencers who have completed our beginners course are encouraged to start to buy their own kit and equipment, as people on the beginners courses have priority over use of club gear.

We run beginners courses for both juniors (8-12) and adults (13+). We usually find the best way for people to try out fencing is with a free, no-commitment taster session but we only run these if we have a beginners course for these sessions to feed into.

Please note – we have waiting lists for beginners to join both our junior and 13+ sessions. You are welcome to contact us in order to be added to those lists but we cannot guarantee when we will next be running taster sessions or a beginners course. As of September 2024, the earliest we might run another junior beginners course is some time in 2025, depending on space within that group.

Except when accessing a free first session, anyone fencing with Foiled Again must be a member of British Fencing in order to be covered by our insurance. Access 90 days’ free insurance for yourself or your child with an Introduction membership – for more information go here.

More information on British Fencing membership can be found here – contact us or ask at practice if you have any questions about the right level of membership for you or your child.

Junior Beginners (8-12)

Beginners course (10 weeks): £45 from September 2022 – this also covers sessions taking place after the 10 weeks till the next payment date (e.g. if your beginners course ends in March, you can attend sessions between the end of the course and the start of the next payment period for free). Due to an increase in our venue costs, this will go up to £50 for beginners courses from January 2025.

Juniors (8-12)

Ongoing membership as a junior fencer who has completed a beginners course, 8-12 years old: £55 per period (payable in January, May and September). Due to an increase in the cost of our venue, fees from January 2025 for this group will be £60 per period.

NB: if your child is 12-13, please check with us about whether the Junior or Adult session (or beginners course) is more appropriate for them to attend – decisions on this matter are made by the club’s registered coaches and are reviewed regularly.

Adult Beginners (13+)

Beginners course (10 weeks): £45 for under 18s, £55 for over 18’s from September 2022 – this also covers sessions taking place after the 10 weeks till the next payment date (e.g. if your beginners course ends in March, you can attend sessions till the next payment period for free). Due to an increase in our venue costs, the fees for our beginners course will increase slightly from January 2025 – £50 for under 18s, £60 for over 18’s.

Adults (13+)

Adult fencers, including those who have completed a beginners course with us or elsewhere, are welcome to join the Adult Beginners from 7.15pm for a warm up and footwork.

Under 18: £55 per period from September 2022 (payable in January, after Easter and August/September)
Over 18: £65 per period from September 2022 (payable in January, after Easter and August/September)

Due to an increase in our venue costs, fees from January 2025 will be £60 per period for under 18s, £70 per period for 18+

Visitors from other clubs are very welcome to attend the 13+ session too – our guest fee is £5 per session. Visitors are expected to have their own kit and equipment.

Fencers who attend on a visitor basis for more than 3 sessions in a payment period (starting in January, May and September) may be asked to take out membership with us as a club and pay accordingly.

Visitors must have current British Fencing membership (minimum Starter or Recreational level) and may be asked to provide evidence of this – as a result, it is likely to be helpful if first-time visitors contact us before coming along to a session.

Foiled Again reserves the right to refuse to allow anyone to fence using equipment or clothing which does not comply with current British Fencing safety regulations (e.g. the wearing of an 800N plastron is mandatory).

Beginners’ Courses/Ongoing Training Sessions

All sessions take place in the sports hall at Allestree Woodlands School, Blenheim Drive, Allestree on Friday evenings. Please check the calendar on our home page for the date of the next training session and any planned closures (e.g. because of bank holidays).

As a beginner you start fencing with the foil (one of three weapons used in modern Olympic fencing). Both our junior and adult beginners’ courses cover:

How to be safe while fencing
Foot work
How to attack
How to defend
Blade technique
Hand / eye and foot co-ordination
A basic introduction to the rules of fencing as a sport

All three weapons are taught using the recommended England Fencing Syllabus and optional grading exams can be taken to demonstrate your achievements.

Please note: Except for those taking part in a taster session, anyone signing up for a beginners course must have British Fencing membership in order to be covered by the club’s insurance – click here for more information about how to access an Introduction membership which gives you 90 days free.

After that, British Fencing membership currently starts at £13.50 per year for under 14’s (as of 2023) – discounts are available for people who automatically renew their membership. Please speak to one of the coaches or a committee member about the right level of membership for you or your child (this will usually be Starter, Recreational or Compete). More information on British Fencing membership can be found here.

Juniors

Our junior sessions are 1 hour, starting at 6.15pm.

Please note – we’ve been running waiting lists for beginners to join both our junior and 13+ sessions. These are currently on hold while we organise taster sessions and beginners courses, so we won’t be adding anyone to either list for the time being. Thanks for your interest and please feel free to check back with us in the future to see if the situation has changed!

The minimum age for these sessions is 8 years and they should be accompanied by an adult, who will be able to stay and watch.

What do I need to wear/bring?

Tracksuit/jogging bottoms/leggings that cover your legs completely with either no pockets or pockets that zip (no jeans, combat trousers or shorts)
Non-marking trainers
a T-shirt
a water bottle

Do I need to buy anything before starting the course?

You don’t need to buy anything in order to learn to fence with us, as everything needed to take part is provided by Foiled Again for use within the club setting (e.g. clothing and equipment). It conforms to current British Fencing safety standards and is washed, inspected and maintained regularly.

Junior Fencing (post-beginners course)

Once your child has completed the beginners course, they are welcome to continue to attend the junior session but will have the opportunity to continue develop their skills, as well as learning to fence either or both of the other two weapons (epee and sabre). Many of our junior fencers eventually transition over to the adult group and fence both in competitions and with more experienced fencers in the later session.

Adult Beginners

Our adult beginner sessions are 1 hour, starting at 7.15pm.

The minimum age for these sessions is 13 and there is no maximum age.

What do I need to wear/bring?

Tracksuit/jogging bottoms/leggings that cover your legs completely with either no pockets or pockets that zip (no jeans, combat trousers or shorts)
Non-marking trainers
a T-shirt
a water bottle

Do I need to buy anything before starting the course?

Adult Fencing (post-beginners course)

Adults (aged 13 and above) who have completed a beginners course with us or elsewhere, or who are more experienced fencers, are welcome to join the Adult Beginners for a warm up and footwork from 7.15pm. They should also start to think about buying kit and equipment of their own and advice is available about this. Practice currently ends at 9pm and assistance with packing up our kit and equipment at the end of the session is very much appreciated.

Fencers attending this session can fence foil, epee and sabre and also use the club’s electric scoring equipment. Individual lessons for club members will be available on request after the adult beginners have finished (from approximately 8.15pm).

Visitors are welcome to attend this session.

Please note: Fencers are welcome to bring their own equipment for use, however it must be consistent with current British Fencing safety regulations (e.g. the wearing of an 800N plastron is mandatory). Foiled Again reserves the right to refuse to allow anyone to fence using equipment or clothing which does not comply with those regulations and any decision by a coach of member of the club committee on this subject is final.

Fencers must also have British Fencing membership in order to be covered by the club’s insurance for this session (minimum of Starter or Recreational) – click here. Membership status is checked regularly for those fencing with Foiled Again as members, proof of current membership will be requested from visitors.