South Coast Fencing

The South Coast Fencing Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of fencing in the greater southern California area.  We provide training for both youth and adults and accept students as young as 7 years old.  We have a wide range of both recreational and competitive members.  Our recreational members find fencing to be a fun and exciting activity that challenges them both physically and mentally.  Our competitive fencers are active at the national level and we have developed many national finalists.  We accept those who have no previous experience with fencing and welcome those who are returning to the sport or relocating to our area.

We are a three weapon club; for more information on each of the weapons in fencing, please visit our FAQ page.  Membership fees are included in the price of all classes and grant unlimited access to the center for open fencing, a full fitness center, weapon repair services, a self-service armory, video services, a media library and access to private lessons (separate fee).  For those fencers not in classes at SCFC, memberships dues are $60/month.  For those fencers who would like to drop in on an occasional basis, we offer a nightly floor fee of $15.

The coaches at SCFC believe that fencing is best developed within a 3-tiered learning structure.  We encourage our students to make use of all of these training opportunities.

Tier 1: Private Lessons

As with any individual sport, private lessons are indispensable to competitive athletes.  If you are interested in accelerating your training and wish to build a strong technical and tactical foundation, private lessons are encouraged.  These one-on-one sessions with a coach are short but intense and very productive.

Tier 2: Group Classes

Classes are designed to develop technical and tactical skills in a cooperative environment of your peers.  We offer a wide range of course to meet your needs.  Group classes focus on developing solid fencing skills that can be directly applied to your bouts.

Tier 3: Open Fencing

Open fencing is time when you have unrestricted access to the center to train as you see fit.  Fencers use this time to use our fitness equipment, practice and refine movements on their own, drill with friends, and sharpen their skills through bouting.  The center is open 6 days a week for members to train.  Please review our hours for open fencing times.

 

Private Lessons:

Private lessons are one-on-one instruction with one of our coaches at the center.  These lessons are booked in 20 minute increments.  The coach will assess the student and tailor the lesson to the individual needs of the student.  Coaches will focus on clean technique, balance and proper execution of movements, gradually increasing the intensity level as the student masters the material.  Lessons are booked using our online scheduling system and students may book as many private lessons per week as they wish.  Students wishing to have a longer individual lesson can book back-to-back slots with a coach.

Group Classes:

SCFC offers a wide variety of classes at the center.  Classes are broken down into three levels: Introductory, Intermediate and Competitive. 

Introductory classes are designed for those students with no previous experience with fencing or students returning the the sport after a long break.  These classes focus on the basics of coming en guard (the 'ready' stance in fencing), moving effectively, as well as simple attacks and defenses.  Emphasis is placed on natural repetition to build confidence and fluidity.  Introductory classes are designed around an eight week syllabus and the same material is taught each class session.

Intermediate classes are designed to a) take existing technical material and help the students apply it to realistic bouting situations, and b) gradually introduce new material.  Intermediate classes are ongoing, meaning that students may stay in these programs for as long as they wish. New material is constantly being introduced and the classes are tailored to challenge the students with a balance of reinforcement of know techniques and the challenge of higher levels of fencing skills.

Competitive classes are designed for those fencers who wish to compete at the local, national or international levels.  A demonstrated commitment to the sport and a willingness to work hard to achieve challenging goals are requirements for these programs.  Instructor approval is needed to enter into one of our competitive programs.  Competitive fencers meet more frequently and train harder in preparation for USFA competition.

SCFC is a three weapon club.  This means that we teach all three of the weapons in the sport of fencing.  For a description of each of these weapons, please visit our FAQ page.  If you are new to fencing and are unsure as to which introductory class to start with, we recommend reviewing the weapon descriptions to get a feel for which weapon interests you the most.  If you are unsure of which weapon to choose, we recommend starting with a FOIL class.  In addition to being an excellent choice in its own right, the skills developed under foil translate well to the other weapons should you choose to switch at a later time.  At the end of each introductory class, all three weapons will be demonstrated to the class to aid in choosing which specialty you would like to pursue.

For a complete listing of our classes, please visit our class page.