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| Day | Location | Time |
| Wednesday | Esquimalt Recreation Center | 7:00 to 10:00 pm Year-round |
| Thursday | Juan de Fuca Recreation Center | 7:00 to 10:00 pm Year-round |
| Saturday | UVic McKinnon Gym | 1:30 to 4:00 pm Sept-April |
Fencing
Fencing, once exclusively a form of personal combat, is now enjoyed as a competitive and recreational sport worldwide. The sport of fencing calls for precision, coordination, and strategy, among other skills. First introduced as a sport on a small scale in the 14th century, fencing was one of the few events included in the first Olympic Games in 1896, and it has been included in every Olympic competition even since. Top
Equipment
The basic equipment used in fencing consists of a mask, a padded jacket, glove, and one of three weapons - the foil, epee, or sabre. Techniques and target areas for valid hits differ according to the weapon used. While some fencers may compete in each of the three weapons, generally skills are honed in one particular weapon. Top
The Foil
The foil, which is the basic weapon of the sport, is a direct descendant of the 16th and 17th century duelling rapiers, and the 18th century "small sword" which served as both a duelling and dress sword. Weighing about one pound, it has a flexible, rectangular blade, about 35 inches in length, and a bell guard to protect the hand. Touches are scored with the point of the blade and must land within the torso of the body, from the neckband of the fencer’s uniforms to the hipline, the groin, and back. Top
The Epee
The epee is the weapon resembling the old-style dueling swords used in the 19th century to settle "disputes". It is similar in length to the foil but weighs about 27 oz., with a larger hand guard and a stiffer, triangular blade. Touches are scored with the point of the blade, and the entire body is a valid target area. Top
The Sabre
The sabre descended from the dueling sabre used at the end of the 19th century by cavalry officers. It has a flexible rectangular blade with cutting edges along the entire front and one-third of the back edge. Its hand guard has one section attached to the pommel at the back of the handle. Touches are scored with the point as well as the length of the blade, and the target area includes the front and back torso, arm, hand, neck, and head. Top
The Game
Electric judging equipment is now used in all fencing matches. For foil and epee, a spring-loaded tip is attached to the point of the weapon and is connected to a wire that runs inside the blade, through the sleeve of the contestant’s jacket, and into a central scoring machine that registers hits. In the sabre, a sensor in the hand guard connects to the scoring machine.
Each time a fencer scores a touch, a point is gained. In a fencing bout, the objective is to be the first to score five touches on the opponent. Bouts are officiated by a president. Part of a beginner’s class is to learn how to preside a bout.
The playing area is the "strip", or "piste", an area 14 m (46 ft) long and 2 m (6.6 ft) wide. Top
The Coach
Dr. Nan-Sang Ho is the head coach. He is a volunteer, and has been associated with several Victoria Recreation Centers, and with the University of Victoria, for the past 28 years. He teaches Group Beginner’s Classes, and also gives individual lessons to fencers on. He is helped by several assistant coaches.
The Assistant Coaches are: Veronika Ho, Bob Lamb, Chris Ho, Monica Kwan, Amanda Kovacs. Veronika has been a volunteer instructor for the past 28 years. Bob has been consistently teaching the structured beginners classes for the past 8 years with many successful graduates. Chris and Monica train intermediate and advanced foil fencers, and Amanda coaches beginner epee fencers.
Beginners and Intermediate fencers are provided with all equipment (mask, foil, jacket, electric vest) as part of their registration. The registration fee covers both group and individual lessons. Top