![\"Fencing](\"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/AFM-Training-1024x682.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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As parents, we want to give our children every advantage in life we can afford.\u00a0 I love fencing because it can help your child build their strength on so many levels.\u00a0 How many sports do you know of that can give your child a physical and mental challenge while building their confidence, social skills, <\/span>and<\/i> academic future?\u00a0 Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn\u2019t it?\u00a0 But this is exactly what fencing can do for your children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With its rapid footwork and thrusting, your child will get a high-impact <\/span>aerobic workout<\/b>.\u00a0 He or she will build stamina, strength, and coordination.\u00a0 I like to think of fencing as a type of dance, because we use the same sort of skillset \u2013 understanding timing, tempo, measure and velocity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Likewise, in the dance of fencing, the student has to develop a sense of body awareness, not only knowing how their own body is positioned, but how they are positioned in relation to his or her opponent.\u00a0 This body awareness is something that transcends beyond fencing \u2013 it\u2019s a huge part of healthy living!\u00a0 At <\/span>Academy of Fencing Masters<\/a>, we encourage our students to be aware of one\u2019s body and the awesome machine that it is; adopting healthy attitudes and eating habits.\u00a0 Fencing will instill in your child the idea of treating their body as an instrument and a temple \u2026 and taking care of it!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fencing is also a terrific <\/span>stress reliever<\/b>.\u00a0 Your child can release their aggression and frustration through fencing in a controlled environment.\u00a0 When they go to the strip, nothing else matters.\u00a0 All problems and worries melt away \u2013 as they concentrate on technique and strategy.\u00a0 Some of our high school students say that fencing is their escape from the pressures of peers and school.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Improves your child\u2019s strategic thinking and academic discipline<\/b><\/p>\n Fencing is obviously a very physical sport, but what most people don\u2019t know is that there is a whole other mental layer that goes with it. \u00a0It\u2019s like a game of physical chess: \u00a0Every move by the opponent spurs a reaction and response.\u00a0 The key is learning to think strategically so that you can score a hit, or point. \u00a0While coaches provide a lot of guidance and training during practice, the real mental challenge comes on the strip when the fencer is squaring off against his\/her opponent.\u00a0 There, all the thinking that goes on is independent.\u00a0 Your child has to learn to focus, be intuitive, and stay in the moment.\u00a0 Fencing will teach your kids to think on their feet \u2013 a valuable skill that will stay with them all through their lives, helping them academically, socially, and in the workplace. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n By the way, colleges LOVE fencers!\u00a0 Many colleges actively recruit applicants with fencing backgrounds, even going as far as to offer fencing scholarships.<\/span><\/p>\n Confidence booster<\/b><\/p>\n Fencing is a wonderful tool to bolster confidence.\u00a0 To meet an opponent\u2019s attack, the fencer has to be quick on their feet with their defensive strategy, this means there\u2019s no time for second-guessing oneself.\u00a0 Fencing requires bold moves and self-assuredness both in defense and offense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This is the one sport where size doesn\u2019t matter, only skill.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen fencers win competitions against opponents twice their size because they had the skill and talent to do so.\u00a0 It\u2019s an amazing thing!\u00a0 This is one of the few sports that events the playing field between size, age, sexes, ethnicity and personality.<\/span><\/p>\n Likewise, fencing is a sport where parents and children can compete together.\u00a0 At Academy of Fencing Masters, it is not unusual to meet a parent and son or daughter fencing in the same competition.\u00a0 At a recent Senior Mixed Foil tournament, we watched a father and his teen son compete together.\u00a0 We also had a mother and her teen daughter in the same competition.\u00a0 It\u2019s a great way for a family to bond together:\u00a0 sharing the same passion and vision in a sport \u2013 especially during the teenage years when the ties with our kids can become strained.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Expanding your child\u2019s social circle<\/b><\/p>\n While many people who aren\u2019t enthusiastic about team sports may enjoy the individuality that fencing offers, I think one of the biggest benefits your child will appreciate is the ability to make friends.\u00a0 Fencing bridges the gap between age differences, sexes, size, and ethnicity \u2013 opening the door to a network of friends that might not have been available through everyday venues such as school.\u00a0 This will give your kids exposure to many different types of personalities and experiences they might not have otherwise faced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fencing is one of the few sports where kids can compete not only on a local level, but nationally and internationally as well.\u00a0 Fencers often have the ability to meet — and even compete against — professional fencers on a regular basis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Guest writer Irina Chirashnya is the founder of <\/i>Academy of Fencing Masters<\/i><\/a> in Campbell, CA.<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Find f<\/a><\/span>encing classes and camps<\/span><\/a> on ActivityHero. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As parents, we want to give our children every advantage in life we can afford.\u00a0 I love fencing because it can help your child build their strength on so many levels.\u00a0 How many sports do you know of that can give your child a physical and mental challenge while building their confidence, social skills, and 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