Steel Yourself!

Posted on: 19/03/2019

Fencing coach, Mark Kent, explains why there has never been a better time to take up the sport at Harrodian…

Fencing is often described as a sport that is good for the body, good for the mind, and open to all. No-one advocates this more than our Harrodian fencing coach, Prof. Mark Kent, who is also the founder of the Fencing School in Battersea and its Head Coach and has been championing the sport for over fifteen years. He also boasts excellent teaching credentials as a registered coach with the British Fencing Association who has carried the highest-level qualification in the UK (Level 5 certified) since 2003.

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Since fencing was introduced at Harrodian thirteen years ago, Mark has overseen consistent results in school matches and competitions at County and National level from low participation levels. Among Harrodian fencers' successes have been a silver medal at the British School Team Championships and national selection to represent Great Britain at fencing's Cadet World Championships.

Mark is more interested though in expanding our current Harrodian fencing programme than focussing on past results. He currently runs a number of lunchtime fencing options for boys and girls of varying abilities in the Upper Prep and Senior Schools. Amongst these are a beginners group in the Upper Prep (11s) where he covers the basics and gets them fighting as soon as possible and also an experienced group of Senior pupils – Nicole, Ayaan, Christian and Luca ­(ranging in age from 13 to 16) – who are on a special lesson programme and are given a great deal of support by our Sports department who allow them to train in their PE class time.  Mark also encourages his Senior group to 'spar'  at his Battersea club, where seven of his fencers are in the top 20 of England's ranking.

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Nicole, the youngest of this group, has only just started competing, while Luca and Ayaan have been on the circuit for a while. Luca notably reached the top third of entrants in the U15s National Championships and his next step is to compete in the U16s British Youth Championships. Meanwhile, Ayaan gained a bronze medal and came third out of 21 competitors in the Leon Paul Junior Series U15s event in Bath where he beat a number of very talented Millfield School fencers.  As Ayaan is at the young end of his age category, he will be able to take part in the same event next year and potentially improve his ranking.

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Regardless of their experience, our fencers all share Mark's evident passion for the sport. 'It's all about tactics, combat, high-interval intensity fitness, good sporting ethics, huge gains in reflexes and co-ordination, and of course, fun,’ Mark enthuses. 'I don’t just enjoy fencing, I love it.' 

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Ayaan (14s) is equally enthusiastic when he says, ‘Fencing is a really fun and engaging sport that develops transferrable sporting skills such as decision-making and coordination. It is a shame that fencing is overshadowed by more mainstream sports as it requires just as much commitment.’

Fencing is a really fun and engaging sport that develops transferrable sporting skills such as decision-making and coordination. 

Ayaan (14s)

So, what next for fencing at Harrodian? Undoubtedly there will be more competitions and successes but the main focus is engaging new recruits, particularly beginners from our 11s (Year 7) and our 13s (Year 9) in September. Mark insists that it is never too late to learn to fence and offers all those interested a free trial. Learning fencing in the Seniors can also count as part of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, as it involves improving a physical skill or acquiring a new one. And even though there is an annual September sign up for his fencing clubs, Mark is still open to welcoming beginners mid-September if they have a change of heart and want to give it a try.  There has never been a better time to give fencing a go!

For more information, you can visit Mark's Fencing School website by clicking here. If you have further questions about the Harrodian fencing programme, then please contact Mark directly on his mobile: 07768 698 189.

STOP PRESS: Congratulations to Ayaan and Luca, who have both just qualified for the British Youth Championships which will be held in May. A special mention to Ayaan who has won Harrodian's first regional medal in fencing - a bronze in the London Youth Championships.