Keen fencer John Wood founded the Loughton Fencing Club in 1971. Wood’s daughter Elizabeth would later go on to represent Great Britain in the sport at the Los Angeles Olympics of 1984.

Loughton Hall on Rectory Green was the LFC’s first home, but in 2009 the club moved to the bigger and better facilities offered by the Debden Park High School on Willingale Road.

The club’s membership has fluctuated from 40 members and three coaches in its halcyon years to 17 members and one coach currently.

This rise and fall of interest is often down to the sport hitting the national consciousness during an Olympics or when movies featuring fencing, such as Zorro or the James Bond film Die Another Day, are released.

.The LFC attracts men and women, young and old. In fact, the ages range from children as young as 8 to the adults in their 70s.

There’s a diverse membership and it’s trying to break the image fencing has as a sport only taught at private schools.

Both the children and adult sections meet on Wednesday evenings during the school term. Our Sessons run from 7pm until 9pm.

Each session starts with a warm up and foot exercises and then the fencers can challenge others in their group.

Putting them all through their paces are currently a British Fencing Qualified Coach. Having a professional coach means the club has insurance to cover its members. The coach helps members build up their British Fencing Association grades and knowlegde.

There’s no pressure to win competitions and chairman, Andrew , feels the club is more sociable than competitive. Although, encourages those who want to compete to enjoy it and look back on the experience with the aim of gaining more from it.

The LFC fencers can enter national competitions, with our fencer gaing national ranking points.

People of all backgrounds and of all abilities are welcome at the LFC. Beginners can learn the basics of fencing from experienced members and the coaches.

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