Why Fence?

1. Fencing is fun.

Do you or your kids dream at night of being Zorro, Luke Skywalker, Inigo Montoya of  The Princess Bride, or D'Artagnan of The Three Musketeers? All of those ‘characters’ are enjoying themselves swinging their sword, out-thinking their opponent, and ultimately triumphing over them. Well, it is time for you to stop dreaming. The fencers at the Northwest Arkansas Fencing Center have that kind of fun night after night.

2. Fencing is year round and costs no more than many other sports.

Yes, we know the stereotype. You think fencing is only practiced at prep schools and other elite institutions because it’s expensive. Wrong.

Introductory classes are $120 for a six-week class and include all of your equipment.  You can come and fence six days a week for as little as $800 a year while a Fall and Spring season of soccer easily costs $750.

3. Fencing is a great workout.

Fencing burns 390 calories an hour and fencers have some of the strongest legs pound for pound of any athlete. You’ll challenge both your upper and lower body with intensity as you dash up and down the strip. Prone to ankle and knee injuries? Not to worry. Fencing movements emphasize the quads and glutes, minimizing stress on joints.

Fencing improves hand-eye coordination and speeds up your reaction time. Unlike other workouts, fencing is never boring due to the fact that you are constantly trying to out-think your opponent and avoid being hit. Even the best athletes who have taken their first fencing class find their muscles a little sore the next day.

4. Fencing is safer than golf.

Fencing has been shown to be safer than golf. Why? Our best guess is that there are no lighting strikes, no balls or clubs whizzing at you from unknown directions, and fencers wear protective clothing.

5. Fencing’s popularity is surging and there’s no shortage of opponents.

There are over 20,000 card-carrying members of the US Fencing association (required to compete in USFA sanctioned tournaments) and attendance at national tournaments has broken records each of the last few years. In 1997, there were 342,000 people who competed in fencing. In 2001, the number of fencing competitors climbed to 509,000.[1]

So you have convinced me that I want to fence, what is the next step?

The next step is to either visit the Northwest Arkansas Fencing Center or register for a class. Our classes run every six weeks and we are always looking for new students. Go to the classes section of the website for more information.

[1] National Sporting Goods Association Report