Fencing is an awesome sport. I have always been fascinated with swords and fencing, but it wasn't until college (University of Washington) that I actually took an active interest it.
Fencing is a sport that requires a lot of "foundation" work and knowledge before you can actually fence and have fun. There is so much to learn before you actually know what you are doing. This is unfortunate because many people will take a beginning class and then drop out after a few weeks because they aren't having enough "fun".
This is too bad (especially for the sport in general) because once you attain that "base" level of fencing knowledge--the real fun begins. What could be better than trying to stab your opponent?
Fencing is often described as "chess on wheels". It is such a mental sport--seriously. And don't think for a minute that it is not a good workout. There have been times when I could barely catch my breath to continue a bout because I was so exhausted from the competition.
There is a certain beauty when fencing too. Making that perfect parry followed by a lightning quick riposte to score a touch is often a work of art. It's amazing how fast it happens too. Modern fencing takes place at warp speed these days. This is, unfortunately, a negative for the good of the sport because it's often impossible for the average spectator to see what's happening during a bout.
Well, I've just been rambling on about fencing and that fact of the matter is...I haven't been fencing very much lately! I've just been too busy. I think about it a lot though. It was a lot of fun back when I was competing. There's nothing better than scoring a solid touch with a perfect lunge...and your foil has that nice arc right into your opponents chest.