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Marin Fencing Academy
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A young fencer in whites holding a mask, painted against the Golden Gate Bridge

Every Fencer Has a Journey. What’s Yours?

Start your journey

  • Kids

    The youngest group, and the one with its own class time rather than a place at the back of an older one. Nothing is bought to get started: mask, jacket, glove and blade are the club’s, and new fencers borrow MFA gear for their first thirty days. The first lesson is free — email us with an age and two times that suit you.

    Kids program

  • Youth

    Where all three weapons are on the floor and a fencer starts to find theirs. Foil, epee and saber look alike and are not — different target, different tempo, and right of way in two of the three. Competition exists at this age as an option, never an expectation.

    Youth program

  • Teens

    Competitive training that fits around school, at whatever level a fencer actually wants. Some of this group fence the regional and national circuit and go on to fence in college; plenty train here for years and never enter a tournament. Both are a legitimate way to do this.

    Teens program

  • Adults

    Beginners in their fifties, fencers returning after twenty years away, and people who have been on this strip since the club opened. Fencing is one of the few sports where all of them train in the same room. No experience is assumed and none is required — the first lesson is free and the gear is ours.

    Adults program
A masked fencer on the piste at Marin Fencing Academy, beneath the club’s painted eagle

Discover the Oldest Modern Olympic Sport

For more than a century, fencing has been the oldest continuously contested sport of the modern Olympic Games. It is a sport where intelligence triumphs over strength, discipline over impulse, and respect is as important as victory. Every bout challenges both the mind and the body, building confidence, resilience, and character that extend far beyond the fencing strip.

At Marin Fencing Academy, we’re proud to bring that tradition to our community.

As a member club of USA Fencing, we offer foil, épée, and sabre programs for children, teens, and adults of all experience levels. Whether you’re looking for a fun new activity, a lifelong sport, or the opportunity to compete at the highest levels, you’ll find expert coaching and a welcoming community.

Fencing is one of the few sports where multiple generations train together. It develops athleticism, strategic thinking, focus, and friendships that last a lifetime. Many of our students have gone on to compete nationally, internationally, and earn collegiate opportunities, but our greatest success is helping people discover a sport they’ll love for life.

The oldest modern Olympic sport. A timeless tradition. A community where every journey begins.

Book a free intro

Three Weapons.

These are the three weapons of Olympic fencing — not stage combat, not historical re-enactment. Electrically scored, refereed, and fenced here exactly as they are fenced at a World Cup.

  • Foil

    Torso only

    The weapon of the argument. Hitting is not enough — under right of way the point goes to whoever established the attack, so you have to be right before you are fast. It tends to suit patient people who would rather build a case than force one.

  • Epee

    The whole body

    The duelling weapon, and the honest one. No priority, no interpretation, whole body a target: whoever lands first takes it, and if you both land, you both do. It suits the self-reliant — people content to wait, take their own risks, and live with the result.

  • Saber

    Above the hips

    The weapon of the decision. The edge scores as well as the point, everything above the waist counts, and an exchange is over almost before it is visible. It suits people who commit — who would rather be wrong at full speed than careful and late.

“The fencing strip is the mirror of the soul.”

Maestro Aldo Nadi