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Back to School! Fencing at JHU’s Homewood campus returns for the 2022-23 season

Strictly speaking, we’re not returning—because we never left! But after a hot summer fencing in the air-conditioned comfort of Homewood Fencing Club’s six-strip Salle, we’re welcoming back active and inactive adult epee fencers, as well as the Hopkins fencing teams.

We’d like to extend our invitation to join our adult epee group every Tuesday and Friday at 7:00PM — especially JHU undergrads and graduate students who either did not try out for the team and/or just want to keep in shape doing the best sport that’s ever been invented!

Here are the answers to all your questions:

What if you’re not a JHU student? We won’t hold that against you — no matter if you drive down from Towson University, Goucher, Morgan State, Loyola or any other local college that doesn’t have a fencing program, you’ll find a second home with Homewood Fencing…

What if you don’t have a car? Pretend it’s Europe and take the Shuttle! (Here’s the schedule!)

What if the last time you fenced, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, or George Bush were in office? Doesn’t matter—it’s just like riding a bike! (Woodrow Wilson? Well, you’ll get used to electric scoring in a jiffy.)

What if you’ve never fenced before? Doesn’t matter, we’ll teach you the basics and you’ll be fencing in no time!

What if your gear “shrunk in storage”? Doesn’t matter, we’ll tide you over with a loaner jacket, plastron, mask, and glove!

What if you’re a “classical fencer”? We won’t hold that against you, either—show us just how well you hit without getting hit!

Do you have to be a member of USA Fencing? Yes. For insurance purposes, you have to be a member. That’s about $10/year for the non-competitive membership. We have all the proper forms handy.

What if you belong to another club? Again, you’re always welcome at Homewood Fencing Club.

What do we mean by “adult fencers”? Anyone 14 and older. If you can tie your own shoes and are able to put down your phone for as long as a bout takes, we consider you an adult. Okay, almost.

What does it cost? You pay Homewood Fencing Club $150 every 10 weeks and we’re good. Let me break that down for you: That’s $15 a week — so if you come fence on Tuesday AND Friday (like any reasonable person would do) that’s $7.50 a night. Can’t beat that! Plus, there may be discounts for college students.

Do you have a youth program? We sure do: JHU Coach Austin Young has a foil program for kids aged 8 and up.

How about private lessons? You can sign up with Coach Austin!

How do you get in touch with us? Call or text Coach Chris Amberger at 410-790-8033. Better save that number, because the JHU Newton White Athletic Center is about as secure as Fort Knox and we’ll have to let you in.

September Fencing and GREAT expectations for October!

First things first: Tuesday and Friday epee nights will continue throughout September at the established days and times:

Tuesdays at 6:00PM — Skills clinic

Tuesdays at 7:00 PM — Open bouting

Fridays at 7:00PM — Open bouting

Looking beyond September, we have some GREAT prospects we’re working on. Epee Nomads may be joining a brand-new fencing room with 6 grounded strips before you can say “Happy Halloween!”

Details to follow!

August Fencing News

  • It’s final: Our now former host, Loyola-Blakefield, has canceled the fencing program. We will not return.

  • Open Bouting continues on Tuesdays and Fridays for our epee fencers, foil classes continue on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays under the guidance of Coach Austin.

  • The Olympic Games may be over, but we’re just getting started: We have an outdoor pop-up epee tournament on 8/14/2021 at 9:30AM at the Towson High School athletic field!

  • We’re looking for a venue to expand in the medium term.

Epee Fencing July 2021

Remembering fencing in 90 degrees heat outdoors last year, with thunder clouds moving in, the setting sun in our face, and biting flies going to town on our ankles, we are still appreciating the relative cool of Salle Nomad at the Rotunda.

Due to the return to normalcy (including having to physically be at the office again for our professionals), we have compacted the schedule and moved up our open bouting to an hour later:

Monday: Novice class at 7:00PM

Tuesday: Improvement Society at 6:00PM

Tuesday: Open Bouting at 7:00PM

Friday: Open Bouting at 7:00PM

Walk-ons welcome! BYOE. (Epee, although we have plenty of those…)

Open-air épée starting 6/12/20

The BMFA epee group will start meeting at the Towson High multi-purpose athletic fields every Tuesday and Friday (weather permitting.)

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Vince and I have found an abandoned tartan pole-vault track at Towson High School that has the perfect dimensions for fencing. After 6 o’clock, there is nice shade over the strip, so fencing is really not that bad even with a mask underneath the mask.

Towson High is located at 69 Cedar Ave, Towson, MD 21286. Coming from Aigburth, there is plenty of free parking on the main lot. (Don’t go to the main entrance on Cedar, use the rear lot!)

Tentative first date: 6/12/20 @ 6PM. Bring water.

We’ll have the wireless going!

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Your kids’ favorite sport (and they don’t even know about it yet!)

Looking for an all-year sport for your kids? Fencing builds fitness, endurance, patience, and resilience!

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3/13/20: Last Fencing before the Rona Vacation: See you at Knott Hall!

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Our gracious host, Loyola-Blakefiled, will go into corona-shutdown mode on 3/15. That means until April 3, 2020, none of our carefully developed safety policies will be necessary, as the venue will be closed:

No fencing classes or lessons until April!

We will alert our members if we decide to organize properly social-isolation open-air work-out meets at a different location. After all, Coach Chris has been ordered to stay out of the office until April 6, and as of next Monday probably won’t know what to do with all the free time.

So stay tuned to this website and our Facebook groups!

Meanwhile, see you at Knott Hall’s performance gym tonight!

 

Temporary Corona Policy

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The catholic schools in the region are closing for 2 weeks starting Monday and we are awaiting instruction from our hosts at Loyola-Blakefield as to the availability of our venue.
Since fencing is not a contact sport and the amicable handshake at the end of the bout has been officially suspended by US Fencing, Coaches Larbi and Chris will be implementing reasonable precautions for as long as we are able to use the room.
  • Youth fencers will be placing their bags in the hallway, wash their hands before, during and after class, and use their own gear at all times.
  • Parents are encouraged to “socially isolate” (i.e., spend class hunting for toilet paper and hand sanitizer at local retail establishments.)
  • Veteran fencers, if you’re old and feeble, stay home! (No, Coach Chris, you still have to show up!) If you’re spry and healthy, please come!
  • Open bouting follows all of the above. Please pay your floor fees in crisp, uncirculated bills!
  • No iPhones or other devices that entice sticking heads together to view inspirational Coach Chris memes or Internet videos are permitted. (See above for an example of those viral, inspirational Coach Chris memes that are all the rage among young people these days!)
  • We will be thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing all club equipment.
  • Learn-to-fence and beginners using club equipment will be permitted to take their entire gear home to limit use to only one fencer and, yes, you wear it, you wash it!
  • There will be Clorox wipes to wipe down masks, gear, and remotes.
  • If you’re sick, stay home.
We’ll be making sure that there never are more than 24 persons in the room. (That shouldn’t be all that difficult…)
Until further notice… the fence must go on!

Fencing Parents FAQ’s

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