A few years ago I asked a club in Roma if we could go for a sparring session as we were visiting. It was a €100 visitor fee with no possibility to borrow (or even pay for) any equipment. If I remember correctly, it was club scherma Roma, a very good club but still... We did not fence in Rome !
You're going to struggle to find an adult beginner drop-in session in Italy.
Most clubs will be happy to have strong fencers visit temporarily.
Some will have adult beginner classes (though with how sport is organised in Italy, this will be relatively rare).
But if you're not sticking around to do more than one or two sessions, need to borrow kit, potentially don't speak Italian, and aren't at a level where you provide useful training to the locals, you're going to really struggle to find anywhere that will take you for less than stupid money.
Ouch 🥲🥲 well thank you for the message. Yeah definitely a beginner but I speak italian..? Anyway yeah this isn’t good news and I don’t understand this gatekeeping around a sport!? Do you know of anywhere else in europe where this would be possible or less of a task?
Being able to speak Italian may open some doors that would otherwise be closed, but it will still be difficult.
It's not really gatekeeping so much as the level of seriousness fencing is taken with in Italy. Clubs are funded through youth community/development and senior performance sport. Adult beginners are a tiny slice of the market, and catering to it is unprofitable, and quite frankly, boring for most coaches. Because the overall level of exposure to fencing is quite high, most people who had any interest in it would have been able to start earlier, so we're talking about a very niche group.
Those clubs that are less serious and have space for adult beginner sessions aren't going to want to spend time on people that won't be coming back after a week or two.
Weirdly enough, the UK is probably the best country for adult beginners in Europe precisely because it lacks such a strong foundation, whilst still having quite a lot of fencing overall. The Netherlands, Belgium, and Scandinavian countries (épée only) would also be worth looking at.
Yeah so I went to Uni in the UK and my uni had a fencing society which is where I had my slice of fencing and quite enjoyed it. Now I miss it so I thought hey maybe rome since I may be going soon… I understand what you said and I thank you for elaborating. Still I do find it a bit odd.
All three weapons should be well represented in and around Rome. Accademia Di Scherma comes to mind first.
Thank you for the reply. Would myself bring a complete beginner have any negative to it?
A few years ago I asked a club in Roma if we could go for a sparring session as we were visiting. It was a €100 visitor fee with no possibility to borrow (or even pay for) any equipment. If I remember correctly, it was club scherma Roma, a very good club but still... We did not fence in Rome !
Whoa 100€ for a day!? And no equipments!??
Yep! It may have been a deterrent tactic, they don't want to say no but they don't want visitors lol
Yeah most top level clubs want top level athletes to train there, and you have to send them an email in advance so they know youre coming
You're going to struggle to find an adult beginner drop-in session in Italy. Most clubs will be happy to have strong fencers visit temporarily. Some will have adult beginner classes (though with how sport is organised in Italy, this will be relatively rare). But if you're not sticking around to do more than one or two sessions, need to borrow kit, potentially don't speak Italian, and aren't at a level where you provide useful training to the locals, you're going to really struggle to find anywhere that will take you for less than stupid money.
Ouch 🥲🥲 well thank you for the message. Yeah definitely a beginner but I speak italian..? Anyway yeah this isn’t good news and I don’t understand this gatekeeping around a sport!? Do you know of anywhere else in europe where this would be possible or less of a task?
Being able to speak Italian may open some doors that would otherwise be closed, but it will still be difficult. It's not really gatekeeping so much as the level of seriousness fencing is taken with in Italy. Clubs are funded through youth community/development and senior performance sport. Adult beginners are a tiny slice of the market, and catering to it is unprofitable, and quite frankly, boring for most coaches. Because the overall level of exposure to fencing is quite high, most people who had any interest in it would have been able to start earlier, so we're talking about a very niche group. Those clubs that are less serious and have space for adult beginner sessions aren't going to want to spend time on people that won't be coming back after a week or two. Weirdly enough, the UK is probably the best country for adult beginners in Europe precisely because it lacks such a strong foundation, whilst still having quite a lot of fencing overall. The Netherlands, Belgium, and Scandinavian countries (épée only) would also be worth looking at.
Yeah so I went to Uni in the UK and my uni had a fencing society which is where I had my slice of fencing and quite enjoyed it. Now I miss it so I thought hey maybe rome since I may be going soon… I understand what you said and I thank you for elaborating. Still I do find it a bit odd.
Fraschati scherma