Because of the adverse weather, the first session of this course is postponed until Friday 9th March. See below for updated schedule. Learn to Fence Our courses for beginners (minimum age 8) are led by James Kingston, a qualified British Fencing Association coach registered with England Fencing. The course lasts for 8 weeks and takes place in the new sports centre of Rye St Antony School: see location.  An attendee at one of our recent courses commented "We were all instantly welcomed, and each leasson became the highlight of my week, and great value for money ... It was a great introduction to the sport, and I managed to make a lot more progress than I initially predicted, and will definitely be continuing." Fencing courses for Beginners  When a beginners' course is complete you should be able to compete in a proper fencing bout with your fellow beginners. The weapon used in the beginner’s course is a foil and you can go on to fence with the other weapons; epee and sabre if you decide to continue with the sport.  Please note that full payment is required before your place can be confirmed. The cost is £100 and includes use of all equipment.  Please register online, or email beginnersofc@yahoo.com for alternatives.    Course Dates The course will run on Friday evenings for 8 weeks, with a mid-term break for easter. The dates for Spring 2018 are: 2nd March 2018 - CANCELLED 9th March 2018 16th March 2018 23rd March 2018 30th March 2018 (Good Friday, no club session) 6th April 2018 13th April 2018 20th April 2018 27th April 2018 4th May 2018 11th May Pro/Am competition   Aims and objectives  of the fencing course for beginners  Aims:  At the end of the course the participants will be able to practice the conventions of a match in simulated bouts with other course members.  They will know sufficient fencing terminology to take individual lessons from a coach and understand help from other experienced fencers within the club.  Objectives:   To be able to adopt the correct 'en garde' position.  To be able to coordinate foot and hand actions to execute a simple attack or a defensive retreat.  To appreciate the idea of 'fencing distance' and be able to maintain it.  To be able to take the 'high line guards' in order to execute a simple parry.  To be able to execute a simple direct riposte following a parry.  To be able to continue a 'simple attack', avoiding the simple parry by the use of disengagement’.  To understand and be able to state the basic rule of 'right of way' for simple attacks and ripostes at foil.  To have experienced supervised bouts with other course members.  To understand the area of the target at foil, piste layout, basic fencing rules and etiquette.  To be familiar with basic piste rules, and the role and powers of the referee.  To have gained experience of simple judging of non-electric bouts.  To have received an introduction to the world of fencing, club, competitions, the various age groups, the various weapons.   To understand that this basic course is an introduction to the world of fencing that can lead,  with more experience and practice, to trying other weapons and fencing with more experienced members of the  club   Registration and payment for the course must be made in advance via this website, or bank transfer (contact us to arrange payment by this method); unfortunately it is not possible to join at the first class of a course.  What happens after the course?  If you enjoy the course and you want to continue with the sport, we run follow-on courses to teach you further skills, our club coaches are available for individual lessons, and free-fencing is available twice a week. Please visit our membership & fees page for full details of what that entails. Please note that you will need to be a member of British Fencing to fence at OFC (or any fencing club) once you complete a beginner’s course. Details can be found at www.britishfencing.com and the cost of membership starts at £15 per year. Information that we collect Any information that you give us will be stored in our online administration system, TidyHQ. You can log in to this service at any time to view or update all the information that we hold about you, and change your communication preferences.    Required Information When you join the club, we ask you to provide your name and email address so that we can get in touch with you about events that the club may be running, updates on our club sessions and with other information that may be relevant (e.g. information about competitions, club-branded equipment, or social events). In addition to these details, we also require the name and phone number of someone who we can contact in an emergency. As part of our support of British Fencing, all members of the club must also be members of British Fencing. For this reason, we ask you to provide your BF membership number. Course Attendees In addition to your name and contact information, our public liability insurance policy requires that all course attendees are members of British Fencing. (Before 4th May 2018, we were required to collect home addresses as part of this policy instead of enforcing BF membership) Optional Information If you wish to let us know about your address, date of birth, or any medical conditions that you think are relevant, please let us know on the form. Children’s information If you are the parent/guardian of a junior member or course attendee, we ask that you provide your email and contact information rather than your child’s. Parents/guardians consent that the club can use any information that they provide about their children for the purposes detailed below. We only ask for your child’s name for the purpose of creating accurate attendee lists for courses, and so that we know who our members are. How long we keep information for The information that you provide will be stored on our administration system, which is web-based and used to manage the finances of the club, email information about events and activities within the club, and generate membership and attendance lists. We will keep this information for up to three years after you cease being a member of the club or attend a course, for the purpose of monitoring membership statistics. After that time, we will delete any details that you have provided. Who can access the information The information that you provide is only accessible by members of the club committee (Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Safeguarding Officer) and the coaches who teach lessons. What we use the information for Personal information that you provide is used for administering your membership of the club (or attendance at a course that we provide). We will use your email address to send you information about club sessions, competitions and events, and social functions, unless you opt out of communications from the club. When you attend one of our beginners’ courses, we are required to ensure that you are a member of British Fencing’s Introductory Membership scheme. We do not share your personal information with any other third party for any other purpose. The privacy policy of TidyHQ may be viewed here (https://tidyhq.com/privacy/).

Oxford Fencing Club Taster Session Come and try out the fun, exciting sport of Fencing at this taster session with Oxford Fencing Club. The session will last about one and a half hours and will be directed by the club coaches to give you an idea of what a beginner’s course will be like. You will be shown the basics in footwork as well as having a chance to try the equipment.  This is ideal for adults and juniors who are interested in fencing but are not sure if they want to sign up for the eight week beginner’s course. The cost for the session is £16 payable in advance by credit card or bank transfer.  A group who attended a recent taster commented:  "Thanks for Friday night. We had a good time and were all surprised just how difficult it is just to stand correctly let alone move forward and back. Please pass on our thanks to the two chaps who tried to show us what to do, it must have felt like trying to pin jelly to a wall!"   This session will be open to adults and juniors (minimum age 8) and all you need to bring is some exercise clothing (e.g. tee shirt, track suit bottoms and non-marking trainers) plus some water. Everything else will be provided. Payment Sign up and pay online using your credit card, or contact us to arrange payment via bank transfer. If you are purchasing tickets for more than one attendee, please enter their name in the Additional Info box.   Information that we collect Any information that you give us will be stored in our online administration system, TidyHQ. You can log in to this service at any time to view or update all the information that we hold about you, and change your communication preferences.    Required Information When you join the club, we ask you to provide your name and email address so that we can get in touch with you about events that the club may be running, updates on our club sessions and with other information that may be relevant (e.g. information about competitions, club-branded equipment, or social events). In addition to these details, we also require the name and phone number of someone who we can contact in an emergency. As part of our support of British Fencing, all members of the club must also be members of British Fencing. For this reason, we ask you to provide your BF membership number. Course Attendees In addition to your name and contact information, our public liability insurance policy requires that all course attendees are members of British Fencing. (Before 4th May 2018, we were required to collect home addresses as part of this policy instead of enforcing BF membership) Optional Information If you wish to let us know about your address, date of birth, or any medical conditions that you think are relevant, please let us know on the form. Children’s information If you are the parent/guardian of a junior member or course attendee, we ask that you provide your email and contact information rather than your child’s. Parents/guardians consent that the club can use any information that they provide about their children for the purposes detailed below. We only ask for your child’s name for the purpose of creating accurate attendee lists for courses, and so that we know who our members are. How long we keep information for The information that you provide will be stored on our administration system, which is web-based and used to manage the finances of the club, email information about events and activities within the club, and generate membership and attendance lists. We will keep this information for up to three years after you cease being a member of the club or attend a course, for the purpose of monitoring membership statistics. After that time, we will delete any details that you have provided. Who can access the information The information that you provide is only accessible by members of the club committee (Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Safeguarding Officer) and the coaches who teach lessons. What we use the information for Personal information that you provide is used for administering your membership of the club (or attendance at a course that we provide). We will use your email address to send you information about club sessions, competitions and events, and social functions, unless you opt out of communications from the club. When you attend one of our beginners’ courses, we are required to ensure that you are a member of British Fencing’s Introductory Membership scheme. We do not share your personal information with any other third party for any other purpose. The privacy policy of TidyHQ may be viewed here (https://tidyhq.com/privacy/).

Learn to Fence Our courses for beginners (minimum age 8) are led by James Kingston, a qualified British Fencing Association coach registered with England Fencing. The course lasts for 8 weeks and takes place in the new sports centre of Rye St Antony School: see location.  An attendee at one of our recent courses commented "We were all instantly welcomed, and each leasson became the highlight of my week, and great value for money ... It was a great introduction to the sport, and I managed to make a lot more progress than I initially predicted, and will definitely be continuing." Fencing courses for Beginners  When a beginners' course is complete you should be able to compete in a proper fencing bout with your fellow beginners. The weapon used in the beginner’s course is a foil and you can go on to fence with the other weapons; epee and sabre if you decide to continue with the sport.  Please note that full payment is required before your place can be confirmed. The cost is £100 and includes use of all equipment.  Please register online, or email beginnersofc@yahoo.com for alternatives.    Course Dates The course will run on Friday evenings for 8 weeks, with a mid-term break. The dates for Autumn 2017 are:29th September6th October 201713th October 201720th October 201727th October 2017 (Half term, no new material)3rd November 201710th November 201717th November 201724th November 20171st December 2017 Pro/Am competitionAims and objectives  of the fencing course for beginners  Aims:  At the end of the course the participants will be able to practice the conventions of a match in simulated bouts with other course members.  They will know sufficient fencing terminology to take individual lessons from a coach and understand help from other experienced fencers within the club.  Objectives:   To be able to adopt the correct 'en garde' position.  To be able to coordinate foot and hand actions to execute a simple attack or a defensive retreat.  To appreciate the idea of 'fencing distance' and be able to maintain it.  To be able to take the 'high line guards' in order to execute a simple parry.  To be able to execute a simple direct riposte following a parry.  To be able to continue a 'simple attack', avoiding the simple parry by the use of disengagement’.  To understand and be able to state the basic rule of 'right of way' for simple attacks and ripostes at foil.  To have experienced supervised bouts with other course members.  To understand the area of the target at foil, piste layout, basic fencing rules and etiquette.  To be familiar with basic piste rules, and the role and powers of the referee.  To have gained experience of simple judging of non-electric bouts.  To have received an introduction to the world of fencing, club, competitions, the various age groups, the various weapons.   To understand that this basic course is an introduction to the world of fencing that can lead,  with more experience and practice, to trying other weapons and fencing with more experienced members of the  club   Registration and payment for the course must be made in advance via this website, or bank transfer (contact us to arrange payment by this method); unfortunately it is not possible to join at the first class of a course.  What happens after the course?  If you enjoy the course and you want to continue with the sport, we run follow-on courses to teach you further skills, our club coaches are available for individual lessons, and free-fencing is available twice a week. Please visit our membership & fees page for full details of what that entails. Please note that you will need to be a member of British Fencing to fence at OFC (or any fencing club) once you complete a beginner’s course. Details can be found at www.britishfencing.com and the cost of membership starts at £15 per year.  

Oxford Fencing Club Taster Session Come and try out the fun, exciting sport of Fencing at this taster session with Oxford Fencing Club. The session will last about one and a half hours and will be directed by the club coaches to give you an idea of what a beginner’s course will be like. You will be shown the basics in footwork as well as having a chance to try the equipment.  This is ideal for adults and juniors who are interested in fencing but are not sure if they want to sign up for the eight week beginner’s course. The cost for the session is £16 payable in advance by credit card or bank transfer.  A group who attended a recent taster commented:  "Thanks for Friday night. We had a good time and were all surprised just how difficult it is just to stand correctly let alone move forward and back. Please pass on our thanks to the two chaps who tried to show us what to do, it must have felt like trying to pin jelly to a wall!"   This session will be open to adults and juniors (minimum age 8) and all you need to bring is some exercise clothing (e.g. tee shirt, track suit bottoms and non-marking trainers) plus some water. Everything else will be provided. Payment Sign up and pay online using your credit card, or contact us to arrange payment via bank transfer. If you are purchasing tickets for more than one attendee, please enter their name in the Additional Info box.

Check-in:Mens Foil 09:00All other weapons (Womens Foil, Mixed Epee, Mixed Sabre) 09:15ON JUNE 17TH all Oxford Club Members over 13 years will have a great opportunity for a fun day’s friendly fencing against opponents from Europe. A cup and medals are involved and there is no entry fee!Grab this, especially you less experienced fencers. Take it from your more experienced colleagues that your first international event outside UK feels a bit like falling off a cliff, so this is your opportunity to paddle before you learn to swim.There are events for Men’s Foil, Women’s foil, mixed Epee and Mixed Sabre.The Country with the three highest-placed fencers across the board wins the Cup and there are medals for individual winners at all weapons, including Women’s results, separated after the tableau.THEN THERE’S THE PARTY! One way to look at this event is as an opportunity for a party each year in one of three different countries, with some interesting fencing thrown in.ABOUT ”LE FLYING”This competition, whch has been running for 58 years, was originally between 4 Airline fencing clubs plus Paris Airports Authority club on a five year round. Yes, you had to go to Paris twice (Aaah!) but has morphed into a three-year round of friendly events spread between several invited clubs from Belgium, France and UK. This year is Britain’s turn to host and Oxford was chosen. We shall be hosting jointly with Wellesbourne Sword Club, long term host so far.YOUR CLUB NEEDS YOU!WE NEED BOTH FENCERS AND HELPERS ON THE DAY. IF YOU DON’T FEEL READY TO FENCE, YOU CAN STILL LEARN A LOT FROM THE SIDELINES AND MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL AT THE SAME TIME SIGN YOURSELF UP FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY WHICH IS NOT TO BE MISSED.

Learn to Fence Our courses for beginners (minimum age 8) are led by James Kingston, a qualified British Fencing Association coach registered with England Fencing. The course lasts for 8 weeks and takes place in the new sports centre of Rye St Antony School: see location.  An attendee at one of our recent courses commented "We were all instantly welcomed, and each leasson became the highlight of my week, and great value for money ... It was a great introduction to the sport, and I managed to make a lot more progress than I initially predicted, and will definitely be continuing." Fencing courses for Beginners  When a beginners' course is complete you should be able to compete in a proper fencing bout with your fellow beginners. The weapon used in the beginner’s course is a foil and you can go on to fence with the other weapons; epee and sabre if you decide to continue with the sport.  Please note that full payment is required before your place can be confirmed. The cost is £100 and includes use of all equipment.  Please register online, or email beginnersofc@yahoo.com for alternatives.    Course Dates The course will run on Friday evenings for 8 weeks, with a mid-term break. The dates for Spring 2017 are: 3rd March 2017 10th March 2017 17th March 2017 24th March 2017 31st March 2017 7th April 2017 14th April 2017 (No class, Good Friday) 21st April 2017 28th April 2017 5th May 2017 Pro/Am Competition Aims and objectives  of the fencing course for beginners  Aims:  At the end of the course the participants will be able to practice the conventions of a match in simulated bouts with other course members.  They will know sufficient fencing terminology to take individual lessons from a coach and understand help from other experienced fencers within the club.  Objectives:   To be able to adopt the correct 'en garde' position.  To be able to coordinate foot and hand actions to execute a simple attack or a defensive retreat.  To appreciate the idea of 'fencing distance' and be able to maintain it.  To be able to take the 'high line guards' in order to execute a simple parry.  To be able to execute a simple direct riposte following a parry.  To be able to continue a 'simple attack', avoiding the simple parry by the use of disengagement’.  To understand and be able to state the basic rule of 'right of way' for simple attacks and ripostes at foil.  To have experienced supervised bouts with other course members.  To understand the area of the target at foil, piste layout, basic fencing rules and etiquette.  To be familiar with basic piste rules, and the role and powers of the referee.  To have gained experience of simple judging of non-electric bouts.  To have received an introduction to the world of fencing, club, competitions, the various age groups, the various weapons.   To understand that this basic course is an introduction to the world of fencing that can lead,  with more experience and practice, to trying other weapons and fencing with more experienced members of the  club   Registration and payment for the course must be made in advance via this website, or bank transfer (contact us to arrange payment by this method); unfortunately it is not possible to join at the first class of a course.  What happens after the course?  If you enjoy the course and you want to continue with the sport, we run follow-on courses to teach you further skills, our club coaches are available for individual lessons, and free-fencing is available twice a week. Please visit our membership & fees page for full details of what that entails. Please note that you will need to be a member of British Fencing to fence at OFC (or any fencing club) once you complete a beginner’s course. Details can be found at www.britishfencing.com and the cost of membership starts at £15 per year.  

Oxford Fencing Club Taster Session Come and try out the fun, exciting sport of Fencing at this taster session with Oxford Fencing Club. The session will last about one and a half hours and will be directed by the club coaches to give you an idea of what a beginner’s course will be like. You will be shown the basics in footwork as well as having a chance to try the equipment.  This is ideal for adults and juniors who are interested in fencing but are not sure if they want to sign up for the eight week beginner’s course. The cost for the session is £15 payable in advance by credit card or bank transfer.  A group who attended a recent taster commented:  "Thanks for Friday night. We had a good time and were all surprised just how difficult it is just to stand correctly let alone move forward and back. Please pass on our thanks to the two chaps who tried to show us what to do, it must have felt like trying to pin jelly to a wall!"   This session will be open to adults and juniors (minimum age 8) and all you need to bring is some exercise clothing (e.g. tee shirt, track suit bottoms and non-marking trainers) plus some water. Everything else will be provided. Payment Sign up and pay online using your credit card, or contact us to arrange payment via bank transfer. If you are purchasing tickets for more than one attendee, please enter their name in the Additional Info box.

Learn to Fence Our courses for beginners (minimum age 8) are led by James Kingston, a qualified British Fencing Association coach registered with England Fencing. The course lasts for 8 weeks and takes place in the new sports centre of Rye St Antony School: see location.    Fencing courses for Beginners  When a beginners' course is complete you should be able to compete in a proper fencing bout with your fellow beginners. The weapon used in the beginner’s course is a foil and you can go on to fence with the other weapons; epee and sabre if you decide to continue with the sport.  Please note that full payment is required before your place can be confirmed. The cost is £100 and includes use of all equipment.  Please register online, or email beginnersofc@yahoo.com for alternatives.    Course Dates The course will run on Friday evenings for 8 weeks, with a mid-term break. The dates for Autumn 2016 are: 30th September 2016 7th October 2016 14th October 2016 21st October 2016 28th October 2016  - School half-term. No new material 4th November 2016 11th November 2016 18th November 2016 25th November 2016   Aims and objectives  of the fencing course for beginners  Aims:  At the end of the course the participants will be able to practice the conventions of a match in simulated bouts with other course members.  They will know sufficient fencing terminology to take individual lessons from a coach and understand help from other experienced fencers within the club.  Objectives:   To be able to adopt the correct 'en garde' position.  To be able to coordinate foot and hand actions to execute a simple attack or a defensive retreat.  To appreciate the idea of 'fencing distance' and be able to maintain it.  To be able to take the 'high line guards' in order to execute a simple parry.  To be able to execute a simple direct riposte following a parry.  To be able to continue a 'simple attack', avoiding the simple parry by the use of disengagement’.  To understand and be able to state the basic rule of 'right of way' for simple attacks and ripostes at foil.  To have experienced supervised bouts with other course members.  To understand the area of the target at foil, piste layout, basic fencing rules and etiquette.  To be familiar with basic piste rules, and the role and powers of the referee.  To have gained experience of simple judging of non-electric bouts.  To have received an introduction to the world of fencing, club, competitions, the various age groups, the various weapons.   To understand that this basic course is an introduction to the world of fencing that can lead,  with more experience and practice, to trying other weapons and fencing with more experienced members of the  club   Registration and payment for the course must be made in advance via this website, or bank transfer (contact us to arrange payment by this method); unfortunately it is not possible to join at the first class of a course.  What happens after the course?  If you enjoy the course and you want to continue with the sport, we run follow-on courses to teach you further skills, our club coaches are available for individual lessons, and free-fencing is available twice a week. Please visit our membership & fees page for full details of what that entails. Please note that you will need to be a member of British Fencing to fence at OFC (or any fencing club) once you complete a beginner’s course. Details can be found at www.britishfencing.com and the cost of membership starts at £15 per year.  

Oxford Fencing Club Taster Session Come and try out the fun, exciting sport of Fencing at this taster session with Oxford Fencing Club. The session will last about one and a half hours and will be directed by the club coaches to give you an idea of what a beginner’s course will be like. You will be shown the basics in footwork as well as having a chance to try the equipment.  This is ideal for adults and juniors who are interested in fencing but are not sure if they want to sign up for the eight week beginner’s course. The cost for the session is £15 payable in advance by credit card or bank transfer.  A group who attended a recent taster commented:  "Thanks for Friday night. We had a good time and were all surprised just how difficult it is just to stand correctly let alone move forward and back. Please pass on our thanks to the two chaps who tried to show us what to do, it must have felt like trying to pin jelly to a wall!"   This session will be open to adults and juniors (minimum age 8) and all you need to bring is some exercise clothing (e.g. tee shirt, track suit bottoms and non-marking trainers) plus some water. Everything else will be provided. Payment Sign up and pay online using your credit card, or contact us to arrange payment via bank transfer. If you are purchasing tickets for more than one attendee, please enter their name in the Additional Info box.

Learn to Fence Learn to fence this summer with our coach Martin Carter, a qualified British Fencing Association coach registered with England Fencing. The course takes place over four mornings in August at Radley College Sports Centre. This course is open to all (minimum age 8 years), and all specialist equipment will be provided.  Fencing courses for Beginners  When a beginners' course is complete you should be able to compete in a proper fencing bout with your fellow beginners. The weapon used in the beginner’s course is a foil and you can go on to fence with the other weapons; epee and sabre if you decide to continue with the sport.  Please note that full payment is required before your place can be confirmed. The cost is £100 and includes use of all equipment.  Please register online, or email beginnersofc@yahoo.com for alternatives.    Course Dates The course will run for 4 days from 9:00 - 12:30 Tuesday 16th August 2016 Wednesday 17th August 2016 Tuesday 23rd August 2016 Wednesday 24th August 2016     Aims and objectives  of the fencing course for beginners  Aims:  At the end of the course the participants will be able to practice the conventions of a match in simulated bouts with other course members.  They will know sufficient fencing terminology to take individual lessons from a coach and understand help from other experienced fencers within the club.  Objectives:   To be able to adopt the correct 'en garde' position.  To be able to coordinate foot and hand actions to execute a simple attack or a defensive retreat.  To appreciate the idea of 'fencing distance' and be able to maintain it.  To be able to take the 'high line guards' in order to execute a simple parry.  To be able to execute a simple direct riposte following a parry.  To be able to continue a 'simple attack', avoiding the simple parry by the use of disengagement’.  To understand and be able to state the basic rule of 'right of way' for simple attacks and ripostes at foil.  To have experienced supervised bouts with other course members.  To understand the area of the target at foil, piste layout, basic fencing rules and etiquette.  To be familiar with basic piste rules, and the role and powers of the referee.  To have gained experience of simple judging of non-electric bouts.  To have received an introduction to the world of fencing, club, competitions, the various age groups, the various weapons.   To understand that this basic course is an introduction to the world of fencing that can lead,  with more experience and practice, to trying other weapons and fencing with more experienced members of the  club   Registration and payment for the course must be made in advance via this website, or bank transfer (contact us to arrange payment by this method); unfortunately it is not possible to join at the first class of a course.  What happens after the course?  If you enjoy the course and you want to continue with the sport, we run follow-on courses to teach you further skills, our club coaches are available for individual lessons, and free-fencing is available twice a week. Please visit our membership & fees page for full details of what that entails. Please note that you will need to be a member of British Fencing to fence at OFC (or any fencing club) once you complete a beginner’s course. Details can be found at www.britishfencing.com and the cost of membership starts at £15 per year.    

Learn to Fence Sabre This four-week course will introduce you to the Sabre, which is descended from the cavalry weapon of old. This is a much faster-paced style of fencing that is often more flamboyant and exciting, Learn how Sabre differs from foil, including the different targets, timing, and parries.  Course Dates 27th May 3rd June 10th June 17th June

Learn to Fence Our courses for beginners (minimum age 8) are led by James Kingston, a qualified British Fencing Association coach registered with England Fencing. The course lasts for 8 weeks and takes place in the new sports centre of Rye St Antony School: see location.    Fencing courses for Beginners  When a beginners' course is complete you should be able to compete in a proper fencing bout with your fellow beginners. The weapon used in the beginner’s course is a foil and you can go on to fence with the other weapons; epee and sabre if you decide to continue with the sport.  Please note that full payment is required before your place can be confirmed. The cost is £100 and includes use of all equipment.  Please register online, or email beginnersofc@yahoo.com for alternatives.    Course Dates The course will run on Friday evenings for 8 weeks, with a mid-term break to allow everyone to catch up with progress. The dates for Spring 2016 are: 4th March 2016 11th March 2016 18th March 2016 25th March 2016 1st April 2016  - School half-term. No new material 8th April 2016 15th April 2016 22nd April 2016 29th April 2016     Aims and objectives  of the fencing course for beginners  Aims:  At the end of the course the participants will be able to practice the conventions of a match in simulated bouts with other course members.  They will know sufficient fencing terminology to take individual lessons from a coach and understand help from other experienced fencers within the club.  Objectives:   To be able to adopt the correct 'en garde' position.  To be able to coordinate foot and hand actions to execute a simple attack or a defensive retreat.  To appreciate the idea of 'fencing distance' and be able to maintain it.  To be able to take the 'high line guards' in order to execute a simple parry.  To be able to execute a simple direct riposte following a parry.  To be able to continue a 'simple attack', avoiding the simple parry by the use of disengagement’.  To understand and be able to state the basic rule of 'right of way' for simple attacks and ripostes at foil.  To have experienced supervised bouts with other course members.  To understand the area of the target at foil, piste layout, basic fencing rules and etiquette.  To be familiar with basic piste rules, and the role and powers of the referee.  To have gained experience of simple judging of non-electric bouts.  To have received an introduction to the world of fencing, club, competitions, the various age groups, the various weapons.   To understand that this basic course is an introduction to the world of fencing that can lead,  with more experience and practice, to trying other weapons and fencing with more experienced members of the  club   Registration and payment for the course must be made in advance via this website, or bank transfer (contact us to arrange payment by this method); unfortunately it is not possible to join at the first class of a course.  What happens after the course?  If you enjoy the course and you want to continue with the sport, we run follow-on courses to teach you further skills, our club coaches are available for individual lessons, and free-fencing is available twice a week. Please visit our membership & fees page for full details of what that entails. Please note that you will need to be a member of British Fencing to fence at OFC (or any fencing club) once you complete a beginner’s course. Details can be found at www.britishfencing.com and the cost of membership starts at £10 per year.