Fencing Club
About us
The LSE Fencing Club has made significant strides in the past few years since it was first established. We are located directly on-campus and warmly welcome fencers of all levels of experience - from complete beginners to experienced national-level fencers - in fact, some of our current committee members started out new to the sport when they joined LSE. So whatever your background, do come along and get involved!
Often considered chess with movement, fencing offers you the chance to test your mind to find a way to hit your opponent and then adds the physical excitement of exploding in to get the touche (a fencing point).
You’ll get the chance to meet new people and socialize while you try something new. Our members come from many different departments in the LSE - both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
We are proud to provide the opportunity to learn, practice, and compete in all three disciplines (foil, epee, and sabre).
Beginners can take up the sport under the guidance of our coach David Williams in our beginner sessions (these will include warm-up, footwork, pair exercises, sparring, and individual lessons). More experienced fencers can use separate training sessions to hone their skills with peers. Practice will take place on the LSE campus. Please feel free to contact the club or committee in regard to any queries.
The current committee is President Samiya Sriwastawa, Treasurer Damiano Stramaglia, Vice President Dorian A. M. Sandover, and Secretary Jessica Bryce.
Membership
We have two tiers of membership; Standard and Competitive. Both memberships contribute to the upkeep & purchasing of equipment and the employment of a club coach.
Standard membership is £70 per year. This includes training on Tuesday evenings and all the fencing kit required to participate in practice.
Competitive membership is £85 per year. This covers a separate training with the club coach as well as entry to BUCS fixtures. To be selected for BUCS, you must have a competitive membership. The club has the possibility to provide a kit for all weapons during practice and BUCS if a member does not have a certain part.
The memberships are available as a termly or yearly option. You will also have to buy an Athletics Union (AU) membership on top of either of these membership options, which will make you part of the wider sporting community at LSE. Please note that BUCS requires all participants to be members of British Fencing.
For Alumni
LSE Alumni will be allowed to participate in club activities through the purchase of an associate membership. This will grant you access to the same events and training as the standard membership for current students.
Events and Activities
Training
All training will be held on campus in the Marshall Building sports field. There will be coached training on Tuesdays with beginners, intermediates, and advanced between 8-9:30 pm. Competitive fencers will free fence and train for BUCS on Fridays between 2:30-4pm. Both trainings will take place in the Marshall Building Basement B2.
Socials and Events
Throughout the year, the fencing club will provide regular socials and events. New for this year is a termly Club Championship and look into the possibility of collaborating either in practice or competition with other London University Fencing Clubs. Beyond what the club provides, the Athletics Union will have the AU Carol and AU Ball.
BUCS
We have both a men’s and a women’s team for BUCS fixtures on Wednesday afternoons. Our home fixtures will be held on campus in a facility through the Students Union with a new piste set-up. The men’s team will compete in South Eastern 2B, with the women’s in South Eastern 1A. There is also a BUCS individual championship in February.
Those wishing to be selected for BUCS teams must purchase Competitive Memberships on the SU website - memberships are higher, reflecting more coaching and entry into BUCS team competitions.
The Coach
This year, we have a new club coach, David Williams, and we are very excited to have him on board.
David currently holds a Top 10 ranking in Britain and is positioned at 180th globally. He is a key participant in the Athlete Development Pathway for the Paris 2024 and LA 2028 Olympics. His prior achievements include representing GB as part of the 2022 Junior Squad at the World Junior Championships in Dubai, UAE, as well as at the 2019 Cadet Squad at the World Cadet Championships in Torun, Poland. David has an impressive competition history, including participation in British U17 events from 2018 to 2019, serving as a British U20 International from 2019 to 2022, and securing two medals at the British U20 & U23 Championships in 2021. Additionally, he has earned Commonwealth Silver and Bronze medals, claimed the title of Public School Champion in 2019, and achieved recognition as a Satellite Medalist.
Helpful videos
Foil explained by the FIE
Mens Foil 2019 highlights
Epee explained by the FIE
Mens Epee Budapest 2019 Final
Sabre explained by the FIE
Sabre highlights
Contact Us
Committee members regularly moderate the club’s Instagram pages answering questions in DMs. If you wish to ask a question, you can always email the Club at fencing@lsesu.org