Continuing

Under the current Phase 2 guidelines, we are offering open fencing in groups of limited sizes – 5 or 6 fencers each. Because there is a great deal of demand for the popular sessions,  we are instituting a new reservation system to help everyone get a chance to register.

Effective immediately, open fencing sessions are divided into “prime time” and “off peak” as follows:

Everyone eligible for open fencing has two memberships – one for the prime-time sessions, the other for the off-peak sessions. For kids and juniors, each of these is limited to 6 sessions per month. Currently there are no limits on adult and epee memberships since there is less demand for those sessions. We may adjust the limits depending on changes in participation numbers.

Intermediate and Competitive group class memberships include open fencing at no extra charge. You do not need to purchase a separate open fencing membership or pay drop-in fees.

Because spaces are limited, reservations are required for every day you want to participate. Reservations can be done through our online membership system or using Zen Planner’s Member App (available for iOS and Android). In general, our staff do not make reservations for you, in order that everyone should have a chance to reserve.

When reserving sessions online, there are a couple of things to remember about the system. First, in the Select Family Member list, make sure you select the fencer, not the parent. Second, make sure you select the fencer’s existing membership to use for the reservation.

The system allows reserving a spot on a waiting list for a session. If you have a reservation and are not going to attend, please cancel it online (or ask us to do it for you) so the next person on the waiting list can take your spot.

We still offer a $5 drop-in rate for fencers who only participate occasionally. If you have a membership, please do not also pay drop-ins to get around the enrollment limits! Drop-ins made alongside existing memberships will be canceled (except for those made earlier in September).

To allow more people a chance to fence, please do not reserve multiple sessions for the same fencer on the same day. On the other hand, if you are present at a session and it is not full, you may participate without using up a slot on your membership.

While open fencing is limited, we ask fencers to follow these rules during open fencing sessions:

• Stick to your assigned group. Before a session starts, you may trade places with a fencer from another group, but once fencing starts, please do not cross over and fence people in the other group.
• Try to arrive on time and ready to go, since time is limited.
• Fencers should rotate partners in an organized fashion every 10-12 minutes. Make sure everybody gets to fence everybody else for a reasonable amount of time.
• Wash or sanitize hands after unhooking.
• Leave an empty strip between pairs of fencers.
• Do not hang your cable end on the wall after unhooking. Leaving the cable hanging free lets us know to sanitize it afterward.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work back toward more regular activities!