Sports are incredibly popular in the world. Football, Soccer, Baseball, and Basketball are perhaps the most well known in America. A lesser known, but just as exciting sport, is fencing.

Fencing is not knights in shining armor or for show. Fencing is a legitimate sport that requires hard work, just like mainstream sports, and while it might seem like a dying art, it is well and alive. There is even a United States Fencing Coaches Association.

There are at least two fencing clubs in the area-the Bucks County Academy of Fencing (BCAF), which has locations in Hatfield, PA and Lambertville, NJ. The Liberty Fencing Club (TFL) is located in Warrington, PA.

BCAF offers lessons to anyone eight years and up “whether taking lessons as a beginner, fencing recreationally, or training for national and international competition,” according to their website. BCAF has been open for almost 23 years.

TFL’s website boasts “that they make champions by helping athletes reach their goals through preparation, hard work, and perseverance…all fencers have different goals; Liberty Fencing Club customizes your training to give you the best opportunity to reach your goals and ambitions.”

Fencing has been described as “physical chess” by Lisa Martini, co-owner and operations manager of BCAF. “Because you need to use your mind to strategize & your body to physically out maneuver your opponent!”

Fencing can teach children and teenagers to be confident in themselves and will help build their hand-eye coordination among many other positive qualities.