Vivo Fencing Club

A beat is only useful if it opens the door to your next hit.

A foil beat attack is not just a tap on the blade.

Think of it as a purposeful touch that immediately turns into an attack. When you do it at lunge distance and send your speed forward toward the target, it helps you take right of way, knock your opponent’s tip off line, and create a clean opening.

The common trap is treating the beat as a separate move or drifting sideways to hunt the blade. Instead, let it add pressure, invite a reaction, and build your next action from that.

A beat is not just a tap, it is your next move.

A foil beat attack is not just a tap on the blade.

It is a deliberate, confident contact that knocks your opponent’s point off line while your attack keeps moving forward toward the target.

What matters most is what happens right after the beat. With good timing and forward commitment, you take control of right of way, make your intention clearer to the director, and often trigger a reaction you can build on in the next action.

Meet Coach Kornel Udvarhelyi. He is a USA Fencing Hall of Fame coach and leads our épée program in Haverhill.

Épée is one of the three fencing swords. You score by touching your opponent with the tip, and the whole body is the target.

Coach Kornel has trained world champs and Olympians in Europe and the United States. He brings that same care to kids, teens, and adults who are just starting.

You will learn footwork, timing, and simple attacks step by step like physical chess. The strip is the long, narrow floor where you fence, and you will feel at home there.

Ready to try. Start with a beginner class and meet the team.

Your calm can help your child fence with greater focus.

Parent etiquette means being the calm in the room.

At Vivo Fencing in Haverhill, Massachusetts, our foil and épée students are thinking hard and moving fast, so what helps most is steady support, not loud sideline energy.

In practice, it looks like letting our world-class coaches coach, cheering with respect, and keeping the drive home simple.

Try asking, “What did you learn today?” and trust the process. When adults stay patient, kids do too, and that is how real, measurable progress shows up over time.

Your calm can help your child fence with more focus.

Parent etiquette means being the calm part of your child’s fencing day.

Fencing can feel like physical chess, so kids do best when they have room to focus, try things, and learn without extra sideline pressure. At Vivo Fencing in Haverhill, Massachusetts, our foil and épée students build measurable progress with world-class coaching.

Parents support that progress by being on time, trusting the coach, and cheering with respect.

Then let the ride home be a soft landing—wins and losses pass, but steady support sticks.

Meet Molly Sullivan Sliney. She fenced in two Olympics and now coaches in Haverhill.

Molly started at age 10 and grew up with dyslexia. Fencing helped her build confidence and focus.

At Notre Dame, she won two NCAA titles and led her team to a first women’s team win. She is proud of earning her college diploma.

After the Games, she began coaching and speaking. She teaches both sharp footwork and a strong mind for this physical chess.

Today she coaches at Vivo with fellow Olympian Arpad Horvath. Whether you are new or aiming high, she gives you clear steps and steady support.