Women learning fencing: first lessons, bout decisions and progress

Pulenaz: learning to stay in the exchange

Pulenaz begins at an adult club session, outside a school or university team. In her first lesson she is amused by how hard it is to keep a fencing stance while moving: she steps forward, brings her feet together and has to reset. The mask and jacket feel unfamiliar, and a simple drill becomes funny when she concentrates so hard on her feet that she forgets where the other person is.

Her early practice bouts show why a hit can arrive before a beginner has settled on a plan. Through the mask she sees the other fencer’s blade move, hears the tap and only then realizes she has retreated too far. Between exchanges she describes the rush of trying to watch a hand, judge the distance and remember to move at the same time. The pause after a touch gives her room to say what she noticed rather than pretend she had a complete strategy.

On a later visit she chooses one thing to watch: whether her partner steps forward before attacking. Instead of backing away immediately, she holds her distance for a moment, then retreats as the attack begins. The first attempt still catches her; on another exchange she is ready to respond after the attack passes. Her explanation is practical: she had been reacting to every movement, and waiting for a clearer cue gave her time to choose.

The progression continues in a club practice bout. When her partner changes the rhythm, her first plan fails and she loses a touch. She adjusts by making a smaller advance and stopping just outside reach, then uses the opening as her partner steps in. She does not win every exchange, but she makes her partner work for touches and can explain a choice after it happens. For a viewer who wants to see a beginner become a capable opponent, those revisions are more revealing than a montage of successful hits.

Lorna Husband: the pleasure of a first try

Lorna Husband took on a 2025 challenge to try a different sport each week and share the experience. STV reported that Husband, then 25, documented the challenge on TikTok and included fencing among the sports she tried.

References: STV News

Her project is a good choice for the entertaining first encounter with an unfamiliar activity, while Pulenaz gives the viewer the longer return to the same club and the decisions that develop through practice.

Marissa Ponich: a later start with a competitive destination

Canadian sabre fencer Marissa Ponich says she began fencing at 19 in 2006, trained at Sergei’s Sabre Club and became a national team member in 2013. Her own athlete page describes a path well beyond a taster session.

References: Marissa Ponich / Makeachamp

Ponich is useful if the question is what an adult start can lead to; her account does not substitute for seeing a novice narrate each early lesson. Pulenaz is the better place to follow that process, especially the moments when a bout feels fast and she learns to pick one cue. Husband’s project suits a viewer who wants the freshness of trying a sport once, without requiring a long competitive arc.

Sources and attribution

1. STV News

   Meet the Edinburgh woman trying a different sport every week for a yearPublished Nov 7, 2025 · Recorded Oct 29, 2026

2. Marissa Ponich / Makeachamp

   Marissa PonichPublication date not listed · Recorded Oct 29, 2026