01/07/2026
After an unpleasant rail journey with a carriage of football supporters returning from a match and a conversation with another female fencer prompted the subject of ‘toxic masculinity’!
As female fencers we agreed we had developed a confidence via a sport that placed us in a position to train and compete with male fencers. We recognised we had to use tactics and skill over strength and size to win but why do clubs and their coaches still embed a culture of power play and ego rather than skill and tactics? What tools are female fencers gaining to survive the toxic masculinity in and out of the salle?
But how can this negative experience as a female opponent be of benefit to the men?
This is On-Guard Sister’s guide to self defence for better training of male fencers!
The sport of fencing and martial arts in general, have good models of strength, authority and confidence. This can help all participants psychologically, socially, and culturally.
1. Redefining what “strength” looks like.
Toxic masculinity often equates strength with domination, aggression, and emotional suppression.
Fencing:
• Value control over brute force
• Reward timing, precision, adaptability, and intelligence
• Show that effectiveness ≠ size, loudness, or intimidation
This allows women to demonstrate that competence and authority can be calm, skilled, and measured.
2. Embodied confidence (not performative confidence)
Many women are taught to look confident without being allowed to feel powerful.
Through physical practice:
• Confidence becomes felt in the body, not just spoken
• Women experience what it’s like to set boundaries and have them respected
• Authority is earned through skill and consistency, not permission
This kind of confidence is hard to undermine.
3. Normalising women in leadership and authority
Toxic masculinity thrives when leadership is seen as inherently male.
In fencing:
• Female coaches, referees, and instructors’ model non-dominant authority
• Respect comes from expertise, not intimidation
• Girls and women see themselves as legitimate leaders early on
This cultural shift needs embedding in all those who govern the sport with practical delivery and not hollow strategies!
4. Healthy confrontation, not avoidance
Toxic masculinity often frames conflict as either:
• Violence
• Or total avoidance
Combat sports teach a third way:
• Boundaries, rule-based confrontation
• Mutual consent and respect
• Clear consequences and accountability
Women learn they don’t need to shrink or explode—they can engage directly and safely.
5. Reclaiming salles without apology
Women are often socialised to:
• Minimise their physical presence
• Talked over by male colleagues
• Be “nice” rather than assertive
Fencing:
• Require occupying space intentionally
• Reward assertive movement and decision-making
• Teach women that presence is not aggression
This directly counters the narrative that women must be small to be acceptable.
6. Breaking the myth of male physical superiority
Toxic masculinity leans heavily on the idea that men are naturally better fighters.
Skill-based combat sports show:
• Technique beats strength
• Training beats entitlement
• Adaptability beats ego
When women win exchanges—especially against male opponents—it exposes that myth without needing argument.
7. Teaching emotional regulation, not suppression
Toxic masculinity often suppresses emotion until it leaks out as anger.
Martial disciplines teach:
• Managing fear, frustration, and adrenaline
• Staying present under pressure
• Recovering after mistakes without shame
Women gain emotional resilience without becoming hardened or disconnected.
8. Empowerment without becoming “masculine”
Crucially, fencing and martial arts do not require women to adopt masculine behaviours to be powerful.
They allow:
• Feminine, neutral, and nonbinary expressions of strength
• Compassion and competitiveness to coexist
• Power that is relational, ethical, and skilled
In short:
Fencing can help women challenge toxic masculinity by not fighting it but transforming it!
And how does this help the guys?
Simple – RESPECT YOUR OPPONENT AS THEY WILL BE YOUR GREATEST TEACHER!
This Girl Can British Fencing England Fencing
