Getting Started

En garde, Future Fencers! We are the Southwest Florida Fencing Academy, and we are so excited you are interested in joining our club. Whether you are new to the sport, or new to our club, we have something for every level and ages 8-99.

Our Location


The club is at 4210 Fowler Street #9, Fort Myers FL 33901. We are located right near the Lighting Strikes Bowling Ally. To get to us, you will pull into a plaza with a fish store to the left and a car shop to the right. It is an industrail plaza and the car shops use the parking lot as storage for their "projects". So please don't mind the mess. We are situated to the far right of the parking lot. If you drive around the perimeter it is hard to miss us! Now is also a good time to mention that the Southwest Florida Fencing Academy is a non-profit organization, and in an effort to keep prices low so the sport can be as accessable as possible, this has been our location for 25+ years. So while it is not "pretty" on the outside, it has lots of love on the inside.

New to Fencing

Trying it out:

We encourage you to come and take a free trial class with us before you join to see if this is something you or your child would like to commit to. To ensure we are prepared for your trial class you must schedule this in advance with us. Drop-ins for trials are not able to be accomodated. Free trials are coordinated only by emailing us at: engarde@swfloridafencing.academy

What joining looks like:

At our club, all beginners start by learning to fence foil. There are three fencing weapons, foil is the most popular in the world, and is a great introduction to fencing. Our beginners package is 12 classes. We understand that life happens, so the classes will be marked as you come, not consecutively. All classes within the purchased beginner package expire 12 months from date of purchase. The club provides all necessary gear for the beginner program on a first come basis and while supplies last. For safety and insurance purposes certain gear, such as fencing pants, are required to be worn. Should additional materials be necessary to complete your beginner program we will be happy to discuss prior to the purchase of the beginner package.

Steps to Join for new fencers:

1) Contact us to take your free trial class: engarde@swfloridafencing.academy

2) Sign up for a SportMember account beginner program Join Beginner Program - Click Here

3) Sign up for a USAF membership. The USA Fencing Association is the governing body that provides our clubs' liability insurance. Every fencer must be a USAF member to ensure the safety of our fencers and staff. Without a membership, you cannot fence. You can obtain a FREE 90-day trial from USA Fencing to use for your beginner program Here

Returning to Fencing

Welcome back, whether you have taken a 3 month or a 30 year break, we are excited for you to get back into fencing! Everyone takes a "hiatus" as we like to say, so you are not alone. Since you are no beginner to the sport, often the beginners package is not best suited to your needs. Before you determine on your own which fencing time best suits you, please email us at engarde@swfloridafencing.academy and we can assist you in picking the right classes.
 

All fencers, regardless of weapon preference, are required to have a USAF membership. The USAF is the governing body that provides our clubs' liability insurance. Every fencer must be a USAF member to ensure the safety of our fencers and staff. Without a membership, you cannot fence. Access membership is currently $34 a year for 2026.

To obtain/renew your USAF membership: Go straight to the USA Fencing Member Hub TODAY - Click Here

Depending on your weapon of choice, we offer different membership options: which can be found on the Pricing & Policies page.