Fleur de Lys Fencing Club has recently moved to the Loyal Heights Community Center, making Ballard home to one of only two fencing clubs in Seattle.

Started by Ukrainian fencing master Leonid Bencel in 1981, Fleur de Lys fencing club celebrated its 30th anniversary this year.

The not-for-profit fencing club is one of the longest continually operating clubs in the Seattle metropolitan area and offers instruction for beginning and intermediate fencers, as well as recreation and competition for advanced fencers.

Fencing instructor Bon Bernard explained that their previous home, the Magnolia Community Center, was in high demand by surrounding schools, forcing the club to find a new space to practice.

"Many of the club members are from Ballard anyway so this works out nicely for us," Bernard said.

At the Loyal Height Community Center's BBQ on September 1st, the club gave a brief demonstration to announce its presence.

"Fencing is a lot of fun and also very safe. It's a great sport for all ages," Bernard said. "We wear a lot of protective equipment and you don't have to worry about getting hurt anymore in fencing nowadays."

Bernard added that there are no stupid fencers.

"Fencing is good exercise. Not only for your body but also for your brain," he said. "Like in any sport, your physical fitness will improve but do you have to be a great athlete to start fencing? No. Lots of people think you have to have a lot of muscular strength but that's a misconception. You have to be quick and intelligent."

The youngest member of the club is 12-year-old Peter, who was inspired to start fencing after his older brother joined the club.

"I like swords and the sport is very exhilarating," he said. "There aren't a super lot of rules to learn either."

"I think it's an excellent sport for kids," Bernard said. "We start kids at 12 years old because beginner sessions are for all ages and are a full hour in length. Kids under 12 don't have the attention span to last an hour."

The club teaches and competes in all three form of fencing - foil, saber, and epee. Kids as young as Peter fence with the foil sword and slowly upgrade to the saber.

The epee is the heaviest and stiffest weapon of the three.

"It's closest to the weapon used for dueling back in the day," Bernard said.

Bernard said most people are inspired to fence through movies, particularly "The Princess Bride".

Bernard himself was first introduced to the sport of fencing through a Robert Heinlein book titled "Glory Road".

"The descriptions of fencing were so vibrant, I became enthralled by fencing,' Bernard said.

But in the small Oregon town in which he grew up, there was no fencing club to join.

It wasn't until he was a student at the University of California Santa Barbara that Bernard was able to fulfill his fencing dream by joining the school's fencing club.

Combined with the club's principal fencing instructor, Pat Reeves, they have over 50 years of fencing experience.

The first sessions at Loyal Heights start mid-September and the club offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes.

Fencing is a sport for men and women, boys and girls alike and Bernard said they could use some more gals in the club.

For beginners, the club offers all the gear one needs to practice fencing.

For more information, please visit http://www.fleurdelysfencing.org.