Helsingin miekkailijat
Helsingfors Fäktare

The oldest fencing club in Finland, founded 1923

What is fencing?

Where do we practice?

HFM has its own fencing hall in Sörnäinen, around 3 km east of the Helsinki city centre. Our address is Käenkuja 6 B. We are easily accessible by metro (Sörnäinen station), tram (numbers 6,7 and 8, Käenkuja stop) and bus (all buses driving along the Hämeentie street).

When do we train?

There are training sessions almost every day. You can choose the best group for you, depending on your weapon, age and level of skills. Look at our training schedule for more details. We do epee and foil.

How can I start fencing?

If you don't have any previous experience, we recommend you to join a beginner's course where you will learn the basics of fencing: the footwork, blade work, safety and etiquette. You don't have to worry about having any specialised fencing equipment, all you need for the course are a pair of trainers, a t-shirt and long training pants, we'll lend you the fencing gear.

How much does fencing cost?

The beginner's course, which includes ten 90-minutes sessions, costs 120 euros. Other than that, active training costs about 250-300 euros/year.

Who can join the Helsinki Fencing Club?

We have members of both genders in all age groups, from 8-year-old mini juniors to over 60-year-old veterans. Many of us like to compete, but you can also fence just to keep fit and have fun!

Who coaches at HFM?

Our head coach of the club is Peeter Nelis, an internationally respected and renowned coach from Estonia.

We also have several other coaches at the club: Hilding Lindroos, Irma ja Kurt Lindeman, Niku Kivekäs, Seppo Lauhio, Marja-Liisa Someroja, Peter Grönholm ja Lena Tallroth-Kock.

Competitions - for whom?

There are competitions in all age classes in Finland. Most of the competitions are open to all fencers.

Any success in competitions?

During last years HFM won more gold medals in Finnish Championships than all the other clubs together. The most high level fencer in the club is Andras Koroknay-Pal and our junior fencers Alexander Lahtinen, Catharina Kock have alread had good international results. Other names for the future are Erik Liesola,Kasper Roslander, Annina Laine, Michaela Kock, Kaisa Penttinen, while Marja-Liisa Someroja dominates the veteran class.

Language?

HFM is officially bilingual club - Finnish and Swedish. Besides those two, one can sometimes hear people speaking English, Russian, Hungarian, French, Italian or Estonian during the practices.

Team spirit?

Training together, competition trips, summer camps and club parties create the team spirit! We like to have fun at HFM!

Are you interested?

You are welcome to train with us and get to know the people. For more information, feel free to call or email any of our contact persons.

Welcome to HFM!