Most parents who call us have never held a sabre, and neither has their child. That is the normal starting point. The first class is free, you need no equipment of your own, and nobody expects your child to know anything.
1. Choose a class
Call Coach Pasha at (408) 592-1244, or pick a class on the free class page and leave your number; he calls you back within 24 hours to confirm the group and the day. If he is on the strip when you call, leave a voicemail.
The group depends on age. Children aged 4 to 6 have their own Saturday morning class. Ages 7 to 11 train on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and ages 12 to 18 on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings. Adults have a Wednesday evening class. At what age can a child start fencing? explains what each age brings. If you are not sure which group fits, this article walks through them, or just ask on the phone.
No payment details are needed to book.
2. Get ready
Your child needs:
- sneakers,
- athletic clothes they can move in, such as a T-shirt and sports pants or shorts,
- a towel and a water bottle.
That is all. Fencing gear is our job.
3. Arrive 10 minutes early
The club is at 13581 Pond Springs Rd, Suite 308, Austin, TX 78729. Parking is free. Look for the large West Coast Fencing Academy logo on the door of Suite 308.
Those ten minutes are for paperwork and for the kit. We will ask you to sign the registration and waiver form before the class, and then your child gets the equipment.
4. We lend the kit
For the free class we lend a mask, a jacket, a glove and a blade. The same kit stays free for your whole first month if your child continues. After that, you can rent it for $40 a month or bring your own. What a beginner needs, and what to buy later explains the gear in more detail.
5. The class itself
Coach Pasha runs every newcomer's first class himself. Every fencer on the strip trains in full protective equipment.
In fencing, a first lesson usually starts with the basics every fencer learns first: how to stand in the en garde position, how to move forward and back along the strip, and how to hold the sabre. Beginners then usually try simple attacks and parries, slowly at first. How far a first class goes depends on the child.
You are welcome to watch the free first class. After that, classes are for the fencers only, which helps children focus on the coach.
6. After the class, you decide
There is nothing to pay for the free class, and the only paper is the registration and waiver form from step 3. If your child wants to continue, you sign the membership agreement and pay at the next class. If not, that is fine too.
If you continue, the costs are:
- the monthly class price, which depends on the group and on how many times a week your child trains (see the price list);
- a $500 annual membership, which every member pays on top of the monthly price;
- equipment: free for the first month, then $40 a month to rent, or your own.
How much fencing costs puts every price in one table and adds up a first year.
Questions parents ask before the first class
My child is shy. Is that a problem? No. Many children start quiet. The mask helps more than you might think, and the first class is about trying, not performing.
Can I book for myself and my child together? Yes. On the form, choose "My child and me"; the coach confirms the classes for both of you when he calls back.
What if we cannot make the day we booked? Call the club at (408) 592-1244 and say so.
Ready? Call Coach Pasha or leave your number.
