As a keen amateur fencer, the prospect of the London Olympics next year raises the hope that I"ll finally get to see some world-class competitors right on my doorstep. Television coverage of events is next to non-existent and the few channels that cover events never advertise these in advance, so I usually end up missing them.

Although I"ve no hope in ever being good enough to make the national team, there are a few hints and tips I"ve found invaluable in fencing epee over the years which can hopefully benefit any of the young hopefuls out there who might see the events and think of taking up the sport.

Firstly, spend a bit more on the blade. Unless you are a complete beginner starting with epee, I would recommend that you go for an FIE-competition blade made from maraging steel. In addition to being available in a variety of flexibilities (or "bendiness"), they are much, much stronger, will last you longer and generally survive the wear and tear of a few extreme bends without retaining a kink in the blade that will weaken it.

There are a variety of styles, but I prefer the "BF Blue" made by Blaise Freres forge, which are available from a number of UK stockists. In addition to being an all-round excellent blade, the BF style is virtually identical to historical epees, minus the sharp point of course! Leon Paul produce a V-shape blade which is essentially a long folded sheet of metal. Originally marketed as a "lightweight" epee because of the deep grove in the back of the blade, they underwent a slight revision to "super strength" when users noticed they were about as flexible as a fire poker . . . nowadays they are lauded as "lightweight and durable" and although they are not appreciably any lighter than a BF blade, they are quite strong and should last you a good while.

Next, look at your guard. Again, there are lightweight versions available but the main advantage is that they are made out of stronger metal and less likely to crumple from a solid hit, rather than any speed benefits from weight reduction. One important thing is to take the point of an old knife or compass, and make sure the surface of that guard is well and truly roughened up before you use it. Yes, it may break your heart to spoil that shiny metal surface, but when an opponent"s point sticks on the surface instead of skipping off the shiny top and furrowing down your arm, you"ll thank me. Conversely, if you"re fighting someone with a nice new shiny epee, aim for the guard at the top of the wrist and lunge straight.

Lastly the handle. Although there are few epeeists who use the French handle, you need remarkably strong arms to keep hold of this if taken in a bind or hit by a strong beat. However, as with foil, a French handle will concentrate your efforts on point control so it"s not a bad idea to start out fencing with one. At club level, milling down the pommel so it is thinner will make the handle easier to manipulate when you look to get that extra centimetre for a wrist hit, and will move the balance to the point, so the blade naturally angles in for a hit.

The modern pistol or orthopaedic grip is usually the norm, allowing strong control of the blade in beats, parries and binds. Every now and then a new type of pistol grip is lauded as the cutting edge, but they are all fairly similar. The only one to avoid is the Gardere grip, a half-way house between the two styles which combines the weaknesses of both without a clear benefit.

Another useful addition is a lunge pad. This is a padded target you can hang on a wall or door to practice your lunging. You will find that the more you practice with your epee, the better you will be able to feel the balance and point, so that you do not have to concentrate as hard on where the point is going. After a couple of weeks you should be able to recognise your own weapon by the weight and balance even if blindfolded!