Exciting News!
We are extremely excited to announce we have been successful in our application for a grant from National Lottery funding which has awarded us the full £14,043 requested to support our Project: Ready Fence!
This project will increase capacity at MX Fencing Club and the funding will help to recruit and train more coaches, purchase more equipment and offer more fencing sessions.
Thank you to everyone who plays National Lottery games for your support and a huge thank you to Sport England for your investment in our club.
History of Fencing
The earliest evidence of sword fighting was found in Egypt, in a temple built in 1190 BC. In the late 15th Century, civilians began carrying swords for the first time and these were used predominantly for combat and self defence.
Sabre fencing originates from military swordmanship but these swords were heavy so in the late 19th Century, the Italians developed a much lighter sword, much more like the ones used today. Modern fencing as we know it, was developed by the Italian School of Fencing and was built upon by the French School of Fencing. It soon became a popular sport across a vast amount of European countries.
In the early 19th Century, experiments took place to use electrical systems and in 1933, this was officially recognised as a viable move forward for epee. However, it took until 1986 for Sabre to become an electrified form of fencing.
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About MX Fencing
Fencing has starred in every Olympics since Baron de Coubertin revived the ancient games in 1896. An exciting sport that builds mental and physical agility, it literally inspires you to compete and think on your feet. At MX Fencing we specialise in sabre fencing and all of our fencers are encouraged to hone the necessary skills to develop their craft.
We coach everyone from recreational fencers, who enjoy an intense physical workout with other sociable and supportive club members, to competitive fencers who train in the most precise way on footwork and bladework to compete nationally and internationally. We’re proud to coach and inspire fencers at every level. Fencing is a sport that men, women and children can all participate in, and one of the few in which men and women take part in on equal terms. It really is a sport for everyone.
MX started out in the early 2000's as a partnership run by Alex and Mollie Brentnall. In 2011 it was taken over by Meg and Phil Shepherd-Foster and set up as a community club that specialised in Sabre Fencing. Phil Shepherd-Foster has led MX through many successful years with some outstanding achievements in national and international competitions. Phil and his family left MX Fencing in July 2023 to start the next chapter of their lives and we would like to thank them for the legacy that they have left behind at MX. We now move forward with a stellar group of coaches who will lead MX with commitment, experience and passion. To find out more about our coaches, click here.
Sessions and Fees
We run Junior (under 13) sessions twice a week and Senior (13+) sessions three times a week. Our sessions are all run by qualified and experienced coaches and we have a wide range of ages and abilities attending our sessions. Please click here to see more details of our sessions.
Contact MX Fencing
If you have any questions about MX Fencing or would like to enquire about joining us, then please email us at:
Alternatively, please fill in our contact form on the contact us page here.
What does fencing look like?
Have you ever wondered what a fencing bout looks like? Click on the video to find out!
This is Sabre fencing which is the only type of fencing we do at MX but you may have seen some other types of fencing - Epee or Foil.
The differences between them is that Epee and Foil weapons are pointed weapons so you have to "stab or poke" your opponent to score points, but Sabre weapons are designed for slashing your opponent so points can be scored with any part of the blade. The other main difference is the target area where you are awarded points. In Epee it is the full body, in Foil it is just the torso and in Sabre, it is anything above the waistline.
Sabre is the fastest and more dynamic of all the fencing disciplines and extremely exciting to watch!
