In three months, Eleanor will begin learning how to fence épée. I formally introduced her a few weeks ago to her new coach, who proceeded to ask us both a series of questions designed to determine my kid’s aptitude for the weapon. Every single member of our family started out fencing foil. Eventually, all of us switched to épée except Eleanor. She is twelve years old, so there is still time to see how this plays out.
Parents ask me all the time which weapon their child should fence. I always tell them that I have no idea. For most people, how far you go in a weapon is largely based on the quality of the coach available to you along with the work you put into it.
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Works Cited
Fencing Academy of Philadelphia. “The Sport of Fencing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Fencing Academy of Philadelphia.” Fencing Academy of Philadelphia, 6 Dec. 2024, https://fencefap.com/fencing-101/.
