MX AT THE COMMONWEALTH CADET CHAMPIONSHIPS
In July, four of our Cadet fencers, Clara, Tilly, Melanie and Alex G had the amazing opportunity to represent England at the Commonwealth Cadet Championships in New Zealand. We are immensely proud of all of them for travelling to the other side of the world, without their parents, to do what they love - fence! Their confidence and determination shows us that not only do we achieve good results as a club but together with a strong support network of parents, coaches and peers, we nurture well rounded, independent and confident young people.
The fencers achieved some amazing results and some outstanding personal achievements, including one bronze in the individual event for Clara and a gold in the women's team event, which consisted of 3 MX fencers, Clara, Tilly and Melanie and Eva from Camden Fencing Club.
We would like to say a huge thank you to England Fencing for organising the trip and to the coaches for keeping them all safe. It has been an experience that they will never forget. Here is what some of our fencers have to say about their experience:
"The opportunity to fence in New Zealand is one I will never forget. It has been such a privilege to spend time with so many amazing fencers and coaches while representing England at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships. Winning gold in the team event was the perfect end to an amazing experience that I know will stay with me for the rest of my life. A huge thank you to MX and to Charlie for making it possible."
~Tilly
"Fencing in the Cadet Commonwealths was an incredible experience. I am so lucky to have been a part of the England Fencing team and to go to New Zealand to compete. Winning the gold medal in the team competition was definitely the highlight."
~ Melanie
"I really enjoyed my time in New Zealand; there was an amazing team atmosphere and I felt supported throughout. It was an honour to represent England and I am so happy that I got to bring home a bronze and a gold medal. I loved having my team mates around me and being in t the general atmosphere of such an important competition."
~ Clara
Photo credits to England Fencing.
Thank you so much for capturing such a memorable time and for giving us permission to use the images.
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!
