Interested in a “new,” different sport? Want to improve your conditioning and flexibility? Did you love the Three Musketeers, The Princess Bride or The Pirates of the Caribbean? Then fencing may be the sport for you!
What is Fencing? It’s an Olympic sport in which opponents compete against each other with weapons in a defined area to earn points for “touches.” Fencers use blunt-tipped weapons (foil, epee & saber), wear masks and padded, protective clothing.
Purpose/Vision The Barrington Fencing Club (BFC) is an Illinois Not-For Profit corporation that provides a low-cost, Barrington-area location for people of all ages to be introduced to, practice, and become more proficient at the Olympic sport of fencing. The BFC is a member of the United States Fencing Association (USFA), and carries insurance through the USFA’s club insurance program.
Where and When? In 2025, the BFC meets on Tuesdays (7:00 – 9:30 PM), in the Community Room of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Barrington, IL. St. Michael’s is located at 647 Dundee Avenue – on the Northeast corner of Hillside Avenue and Dundee Avenue. (Note – Dundee Ave. runs North and South between Rte 59 and Lake-Cook Road – it is not the same as Dundee Rd. which runs East-West and is also known as Rte 68.) Each Tuesday session is divided up into 2 sections: newer fencers practice and learn from 7:00-8:00 PM, and more experienced fencers practice from 7:00-9:30.
Minimum Age? 13 Years Old (With Caveat) From previous experience, the BFC has found that younger fencers sometimes find it difficult to maintain the attention span necessary to absorb our volunteer instructors’ direction and lessons. Unless they are very mature for their age, fencers should be 13 years old or above before they start fencing with the BFC. Learning proper fencing technique requires repetitive drilling which helps build “muscle memory” and teaches proper technique. Accordingly, a decent attention span is required, and many fencers younger than 13 simply lack it. We know that this policy will be disappointing to some.
What About Equipment? Members are expected to provide their own equipment, minimally including a weapon, mask, jacket and glove. These can be purchased from any reputable fencing equipment supplier or through the club when joining. As of November 2024, the fee for joining the club and purchasing a set of basic equipment is approximately $225, but this is dependent on the price given to the club by our suppliers and can vary.
Do You Offer Beginner Lessons? We do! Contact us for more information about fees and schedule.
What If I Already Know How To Fence? The BFC welcomes fencers of all skill levels at any time. If you are already an experienced fencer and have your own equipment, all you need do is pay your annual membership fee, bring your equipment, and you’re permitted to fence on any Tuesday night. If you don’t have equipment, you’ll need to procure your own (or we can help you order it).
If you’re interested, just show up on any Tuesday evening to check us out. However, as noted above, beginners will start on designated “Novice Fencer Nights”. Please contact us if you want to see what goes on. We’re thrilled to have observers attend fencing sessions, but scheduling a visit is helpful and helps us plan our evenings. For more details use the “Contact Us” button on this site.