Class Information

Location and Meeting Times:

2840 Girard Blvd NE (Located within Duke City Fencing)
Albuquerque, NM 87107

Tuesdays, 7:30PM – 10:00PM (Foil/Dueling Sword)
Thursdays, 7:30PM – 10:00PM (Foil/Sabre)

Membership:

Members are required to sign a waiver of liability upon joining the school or when taking private instruction.

Tuition is payable before the first class of the month. Accepted forms of payment are cash, check, PayPal, and Venmo. Tuition covers services of the Head Instructor, rental of the space, insurance costs for fencing-related activities, use and care of equipment provided by the school, purchase of new equipment, and costs associated with any seminars, workshops, and tournaments the school sponsors.

–The base membership tuition is $100 per month. This entitles the member to usage of school equipment and weekly group lessons, as well as a discount on private individual lessons.

–A reduced tuition of $80 per month (a 20% discount) applies if the member meets one of the following conditions:
1. Be a student enrolled at an academic institution.
2. Be an active or retired member, or veteran, of the US Armed Forces.
3. Pay at least 3 months’ worth of membership in advance.
4. Have two or more family members (including themselves) enrolled in the school.
5. Possess fencing equipment (mask, jacket, underarm plastron/protector, glove, and Italian foil) suitable for training.

If the member is also a full member of ABQ Sword Labs, an additional discount of $10 applies.

–Prospective members will receive their first lesson at no charge. This lesson will be an individual lesson covering the most basic elements of fencing.

–For those who do not pay on a monthly basis, there is a floor fee of $15 per class. For fencers who are not members of Red Sun Classical Fencing or the Classical Fencing Society, this fee does NOT include usage of school equipment; equipment is for the use of the school membership only.

-Individual private lessons outside of regularly scheduled classes are available from the Head Instructor for members and non-members of Red Sun Classical Fencing, for a separate fee (reduced for members). Fencing equipment will be provided to the student during these lessons if needed. If interested, please contact the Instructor using the contact info on the Contact page to discuss place, time, duration, and fee.

Basic Equipment Information:

The school will provide any required fencing equipment (mask, underarm plastron/protector, jacket, glove, and Italian foil) for members. All participants are responsible for following these other clothing recommendations/requirements:

–Pants
Pants that are not too baggy, provide complete leg coverage, and do not limit movement are acceptable. Examples include fencing pants or knickers (w/long socks), athletic pants, yoga pants, karate/judo-style gi pants, or sweat pants.
Examples of pants that are NOT permitted: Shorts (no lower leg protection against errant blades), jeans (they limit mobility and proper body positioning), excessively baggy pants of any sort (blades can get caught and break).

–Shoes
Any shoes that are flat, low to the ground (thin sole), have non-marking soles, and not slippery are highly recommended. Examples include fencing shoes, wrestling shoes, indoor soccer shoes, or even Converse. If nothing else, basic tennis shoes will work, though these tend to be a bit too bulky.

–Shirt
Starting off, for basic body positioning and footwork (the first few sessions), a regular t-shirt will work. However, once bladework begins, an underarm protector and jacket will be required.

–Anatomy-Specific Protection
For men: An athletic groin protector is highly recommended.
For women: Chest protection is required, either by extra layers or by using plastic chest protectors of some kind (a limited number of these are available from the school).

Class Structure:

Class material will consist of the practice of proper fencing body positioning, footwork, and bladework. All students begin with the Italian foil, as this provides the basis for all theory and technique. As proficiency grows with the foil, and some bouting experience has been gained (usually after several months of regular training), other weapons will be taught.

The class format will mainly consist of group lessons; this is where the majority of the class time will be spent. All members of Red Sun Classical Fencing will receive the same instruction during a group class; there is no segregation between ages or sexes. Time designated for an Advanced Class will be used to teach other weapons and advanced techniques. Free bouting is allowed when permitted by the Head Instructor. All members will also participate in formal assaults, in order to learn the skills of judging and directing fencing bouts.

Bouting is not permitted until the member has completed the initial training curriculum and tested for their bouting privileges. This test includes written, verbal, practical, and combat elements, and is designed to show that the member has learned the terminology, theory, and techniques of the Science of fencing, and can apply them correctly and safely. Depending on how consistently the member attends regular training, bouting privileges will be conferred approximately 6-12 months after beginning training. After that time, the member may freely bout with any other member that has their bouting privileges, the Instructors, or any visiting fencer that is deemed capable of fencing safely.