Northants County Championships – Sep 12/13 – Now Open For Entries
Northants County Championships – Sep 12/13 – Now Open For Entries
Next beginners course starts on September 3rd. Sign Up Here
Just Completed the NFC Beginner’s Course? See what’s next
STOP PRESS: Lots of new kit at discount prices. Look at what we’re selling
Congratulations on completing (surviving!) the Northampton Fencing Club beginner’s course!
We hope this is the start of many happy years fencing. This short guide will help you take the next steps on your fencing journey.
An evening at NFC begins with the junior session from 7:00-8:30pm. The senior session begins at 8pm and many of the older juniors stay for a while to fence with the seniors. Sessions typically begin with a warm-up followed by footwork practice before free fencing begins. Junior fencers often have group training to focus on specific aspects of fencing. There are several qualified coaches who regularly attend the club who will happily give you one-to-one lessons. You can find a list of our coaches here.
You are welcome to use club kit. We have everything you need to take part in non-electric (often known as steam) fencing. However, you may soon wish to upgrade to electric fencing. We have some electric club kit to borrow but you will need your own breeches and a plastron (an extra layer of protection worn under the jacket). The plastron will need a rating of at least 800 Newtons. Both of these items are the only pieces of kit required for electric fencing that we do not have for you to borrow.
Though we do have gloves to borrow, we recommend that you purchase your own, so it feels familiar to you and fits well. The same goes for weapons, body wires and metal lamé jackets (foil and sabre). The club does sometimes run out of electric weapons and wires on busy nights so having your own would guarantee you can get on the piste.
We do have a small amount of second-hand kit for sale so it’s worth checking to see if we have your size before you look elsewhere. Ask one of the coaches for details.
We also have some brand-new kit for sale. These are items that were bought for fencers, but didn’t fit. We’re selling this Excess Stock at a big discount, so it’s worth looking to see what we’ve got that might suit you.
Other pieces of kit you will need to eventually buy are a mask, jacket, and ladies will require a chest protector. Paul Drake, our Club Armourer is always happy to assist and advise when considering purchasing kit.
Members must be registered with British Fencing (which provides insurance) and must be full members of Northampton Fencing Club.
Please see here for details of the different levels of British Fencing membership: https://www.britishfencing.com/additional-membership-information/. You will have already got an introductory membership, but that will expire soon. To start with, weI suggest you take up the “Starter” membership, which will allow you to fence every week and in club competitions. When that expires, you can upgrade to “Recreational” if you just want to fence at the club, or “Compete” if you want to attend external competitions.
We take pride in the fact that we are a friendly club with a wide range of fencers – from complete novices to experienced competitive fencers; juniors to veterans. If you have any questions while you are at the club, please don’t hesitate to ask one of the coaches or other members for advice. We’re a pretty friendly bunch.
Happy fencing!
Barney Byron (NFC Club Captain)