BEGINNER'S CLASSES STARTING SOON!
(City of Alexandria Website)

The Olde Town Fencing Gang:
Home of the 2004 National Champion Senior Women's Foil Team
The Olde Town Fencing Gang meets at the Mt. Vernon Recreation Center (in September 2000 we moved from our long-time location at the Lee Recreation Center) in Alexandria, Virginia. Olde Town has been a competitive and recreational club for nearly thirty years, and is a member club of the United States Fencing Association. We welcome all levels of experience from beginner to serious competitor. Classes for beginners and advanced beginners are offered through the Alexandria recreation department, and are taught by competitive members of Olde Town. Come learn the basic principles of the sport and acquire the early stages of footwork, strategy, and technique.

The Club

The Classes

WHEN: The club meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 to 10pm. WHERE: We meet at Mt. Vernon Recreation Center, 2701 Commonwealth Ave., Alexandria, Virginia. (It's at the intersection of Commonwealth and Mt Vernon Avenues in Del Rey.) HOW TO JOIN THE CLUB: just drop by and check it out. If you decide to join, talk to Mark Orton. Olde Town can be reached by phone at (703) 983-7687. Ask for Joe Hoffman. DUES: $100 for a year's membership or $30 for 3 months. MEDIA CONTACT: Wayne Bowman (703) 549-7451 (home); (202) 203-4813 (work).

WHAT: Beginner and Advanced Beginner Classes taught through the Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities (sign up here). Classes are 8 weeks long, one night a week. There are five sessions a year. COACH: Private lessons are also available from club coach and former Olympic fencer Jun Liang-Smith. WHO: Anyone over the age of 10. If you've never done fencing, the Beginner's class is for you. It assumes no prior knowledge of the sport. If you've taken the Beginners' class, or you did some fencing in high school and want to get back into it, the Advanced Beginners class is where you ought to be. WHEN: Classes are held from 8 to 9pm Mondays and Wednesdays; click on link at top of page to find out when the next session starts. HOW TO REGISTER FOR CLASSES: Through Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, or just show up at the first class. Either way, you'll have to fill out the forms at some point. EQUIPMENT: We supply masks, jackets, and foils. Students should wear athletic shoes with non-marking soles and bring a glove. DUES: Students in the class do not pay dues.

About our Coach...

Worldclass fencer Jun Liang-Smith possesses national and international experiences as a foilist, coach and referee. She is a two-time Olympian, competing on the 1992 and 1996 Chinese women's foil teams. Ms. Liang-Smith is also a five-time Chinese National Champion and has also won two gold medals at the Asian Games and a bronze medal at the World Cup in Marseilles, France. As a coaching assistant at Penn State University (1998 - 2002), Ms. Liang-Smith was a major contributor in guiding the Men's and Women's Fencing teams to four NCAA Championships. Even though Ms. Liang-Smith has retired from competitive fencing, she picked up her foil one more time and fenced on the Olde Town Fencing Club's Women's Foil Team in the Summer Nationals in 2004. She proved her competitiveness by leading the team in bringing home the gold medal.

About Fencing...

The object of fencing is to touch your opponent, while not allowing your opponent to touch you. Each of the three weapons in fencing (foil, epee, and sabre) have specific target areas and rules. Foil is a "point" weapon, meaning a touch can only be scored by landing the point of the weapon on your opponent. Epee is also a point weapon; however, you are free to score anywhere on your opponent's body, whereas in foil you are limited to the torso. Sabre allows everything from the waist up as legal target, and you can score with the length of the blade using a cutting motion.

There are many nuances and curious rules to get used to, some of which are common to all three weapons, and some which change from weapon to weapon. When first starting out, beginners are usually taught foil. Foil is generally considered the "training weapon," and skills learned with it will translate well to the other two. 

Fencing requires quickness of the hand, eye, and mind, as well as stamina, agility, control, and coordination. It is a sport that can be enjoyed by all ages, giving a lifetime of personal fulfillment. 

If you're new to fencing, be sure to check out the links on the left of the page. The US Fencing site, in particular, is full of useful information and additional links. If you need to purchase equipment, check out the Equipment Vendors list on the US Fencing site (under "Internet Links"). However, you do not need to purchase equipment to take the beginner class at Olde Town.