Hi and welcome to Mountains Fencing, a sporting club which caters for the art of swordplay in the greater Blue Mountains region, west of Sydney, New South Wales. We cover all ages from 7 to 70 who are interested in trying out their swashbuckling technique for the first time or experienced fencers. Our main focus is the discipline of epee (the descendant of the duelling sword).
In Australia fencing is a sport which goes relatively unnoticed with it’s origins strongly embedded within the European countries. However it is one of the few sports which requires a strong combination of mental awareness, strategy and aerobic fitness. Some call fencing a game of human chess, with the exception that fencing is a sport carried out at a fast pace requiring fencers to be able to think and react almost spontaneously. Physical Chess describes a bout perfectly, as you are required to use both your brain and body in outwitting your opponent to score a hit.
It is a sport which unfortunately lost popularity in the latter half of the 20th century, it has unfairly been tagged an “elitist” sport that you may learn if you are in university or a private school, but nothing could be further from the truth. Most clubs like ours supply equipment for beginners, and you can replace the club kit with your own gear as you desire.
We sell full fencing kits ready for local competition including uniform, mask, and weapon can cost as little as $200.
Even though fencing is derived from a life or death competition, it is no more dangerous than soccer or cricket, most injuries are joint and muscle strains, and result from a failure to warm-up and stretch before exercise. Fencing is a great cardiovascular exercise, it strengthens heart and lungs, burns calories, helping participants to lose and or maintain their ideal weight, it also helps improve and maintain balance and tone and define the body.
Throughout our years we have produced numerous fencers who have gone on to represent their state and nation in the art of fencing. Our head coach and club founder, Richard Emmerick, has well over 30 years experience as a fencer and a maestro.
We hope you enjoy looking around this site and hopefully, if you live in the Mountains, we may see you down here to try a hand at the blade yourself.
