At West Coast Fencing Academy in Austin, group classes cost $120 to $275 a month, depending on the group and on how many times a week your child trains. On top of that, every member pays a $500 annual membership, and the kit, which is free for the first month, then costs $40 a month to rent unless you bring your own. The first class is free.
What is free
- The first class. It is one of the seven weekly group classes on the schedule. There is nothing to pay for it; the only paper is the registration and waiver form, signed in person at the class.
- The kit for the whole first month. We lend a mask, a jacket, a glove and a blade for the free class, and they stay free for the first month if your child continues.
After the free class you decide. If your child continues, you sign the membership agreement and pay at the next class.
Every price in one table
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| First class | Free |
| Kit, first month | Free |
| Kit after the first month | $40 a month, or your own |
| Annual membership, every member | $500 a year |
| Kids 4-6, once a week | $120 a month |
| Beginners 7-18, once a week | $150 a month |
| Beginners 7-18, twice a week | $190 a month |
| Beginners 7-18, three times a week | $240 a month |
| Adult beginners 19+ | $120 a month |
| Elite 7-18, four times a week | $275 a month |
| Private lesson, 20 minutes | $70, or $60 for members |
| 10 private lessons | $550 |
| 20 private lessons, members | $1,000 |
You pay nothing until the class after the free one, and only if your child continues. The same prices are on the free class page.
What a first year costs: a beginner aged 7 to 11
Children aged 7 to 11 train on Monday and Wednesday, 6:00 to 7:30 PM, so once a week means one of those evenings and twice a week means both. Here is a first year for a beginner who trains all twelve months and rents the kit after the free first month.
Once a week:
- classes: 12 months × $150 = $1,800
- membership: $500
- kit: 11 months × $40 = $440
- first year: $2,740, about $228 a month on average
Twice a week:
- classes: 12 months × $190 = $2,280
- membership: $500
- kit: 11 months × $40 = $440
- first year: $3,220, about $268 a month on average
If you buy your own kit instead of renting, take $440 off each total and add what the kit costs you: $2,300 and $2,780 before the kit.
The same sum for the Saturday class for ages 4 to 6, once a week: 12 × $120 = $1,440, plus $500, plus $440, makes $2,380.
Private lessons
Private lessons are priced per 20 minutes: $70 for non-members and $60 for members. A package of 10 lessons is $550, which works out at $55 a lesson, and members can buy 20 lessons for $1,000, or $50 a lesson. Ask Coach Pasha whether private lessons make sense for your child.
If your child starts competing
Tournaments are not part of the club's prices. To enter USA Fencing events, a fencer pays USA Fencing for a membership: for the 2026-27 season, Access membership is $34 and is for local events, and Competitive membership is $109 and adds regional, national and international events (USA Fencing, 2026-27 membership fees and membership types, read 2026-10-16). On top of that, each tournament charges its own entry fee, and travel is extra. A beginner does not need any of this to start.
How to compare fencing prices
Clubs price in different ways: by the class, by the month, with or without a membership fee, with kit included or not. To compare fairly, add up one year of the same things everywhere:
- the monthly price at the number of classes a week your child will really do;
- any membership or registration fee;
- kit, rented or bought;
- whether the first class costs anything, and whether a paid intro lesson comes before it.
At our club, the four answers are on this page.
Questions parents ask about cost
Do I pay anything to try? No. The first class is free, and so is the kit for the first month.
Do adults pay the membership too? Yes. Every member pays the $500 annual membership, on top of the monthly price.
Do I have to buy a kit? No. After the first month you can rent the club's kit for $40 a month, or bring your own. What a beginner fencer needs explains the gear.
Which group and how often? Which group is right for my child? goes through the groups by age, and at what age a child can start fencing covers the youngest and the late starters.
Call Coach Pasha at (408) 592-1244 with any question about cost. If he is on the strip, leave a voicemail: he calls back within 24 hours. Or leave your number for a call-back.
