Located at the Jericho Hill Centre, the Vancouver Theatrical and Modern Fencing Club has enjoyed the support of the West Point Grey Community centre since 1976. Clubs and Programmes affiliated with us are numerous.
Instruction at these locations is an excellent introduction to fencing. Registration fees are consistent with other recreation programmes and foil & protective equipment are included. At the Jericho Hill Centre the club offers instruction for adults and children in Epee and Foil. For schedules and fees please see classes.
Fencing is hard to learn, but once mastered, it can provide enjoyment and benefit for longer than most other sports. The secret of fencing is the ability to think and act immediately. Spirit and physical conditioning account for more than size and strength. Gender and age make no difference. Women can fence men; Children can fence adults; and older fencers can out match a younger, faster opponent through greater experience, strategy, and tactics.
VTMFC club members come from all walks and stages of life: students, professionals, homemakers, retirees, children as young as eight, to seniors in their 90's. There is a strong sense of Camaraderie in the club. There is an emphasis on technique rather than winning, helping rather than competing, and above all respect and love for the ancient art of Fencing. Come join us.
In November 29th, 1913 at a meeting in Paris, the national fencing representatives of France, Italy, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, Bohemia, Holland, Hungary and Norway met and decided to form the Federation International d'Escrime, which has been the governing body of the sport ever since. Later in 1918, the first F.I.E. rule book was published. At present, there are 124 countries affiliated with the Federation. The F.I.E. is striving to make fencing more visual and dynamic through the use of transparent masks, wireless scoring devices and electronic scoring boards.
The first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 included foil and sabre events. In 1900, the epee was also admitted to the Paris Olympic program. Women participated in Olympic foil events for the first time in Paris in 1924.
Excerpt from one of Maitre Bac's books:
The principles at the very of this book are derived from the theories and practices of the innovative ancient French fencing masters schools which were concerned with the development to full potential of a fencer's intrinsic physical and mental abilities. In this book I have incorporated technical ideas that have grown out of my teaching experience to give the fencer not only an intellectual awareness of the French traditional fencing technique, but also to create the understanding necessary to experience their essence as well as their physical form. We know too well that this process cannot be hurried unnaturally; nevertheless, the way can be illuminated by quietly studying and analyzing such that one's body, gradually by degrees, learns to do the bidding of the mind.
"To go a thousand miles one has to take the first step" is a familiar saying. Each step is ostensibly like the following but the added experience that each step brings to the next contributes to endurance, agility and strength. The great variety of the French fencing forms, the intensely interesting techniques - the subtleness of which unfold with experience - and the sheer beauty of the postures of the French traditional style gives delight and grace.
The technique of French fencing is based on a way of movement that significantly involves the forms, with a styled method of making the patterns of form evolve from the movement, and the movement emerge from the forms.
The structures are so varied as to put into play every part of the body from the smallest joint to the largest muscle. Harmoniously designed and masterfully patterned, they are done with flowing continuity, finesse, smoothness and evenness. Precise balance and calmness is the traditional French fencing way.
The basic qualities of the technique are exemplified by the perfect weaving of the dynamics of movement by the weapon hand exhibiting fine movement in circular, lateral, diagonal and semicircular actions and by the subtle movements of the legs in stepping, passing, sliding and hopping forward or backward. Above all, these qualities quiet the mind and regulate the emotions.
It is finesse in the style of exercise which develops energy by never allowing one to expend oneself in a ferocious gesture of violence. This finesse contrasts with the hard or over-energetic force that does not permit reserve of action in the art of fencing. Natural body behaviour with a fluid and continuous style of moving eliminates any possibility of becoming too rigid or hard.
