DAWN had come and gone, but I still felt a faint thrill of anticipation as I prepared to pick up the gauntlet for my first taste of the noble art of fencing.

I knew from the brief glimpses I had seen on TV, usually during the Olympics, that the sport bore little resemblance to the frantic thrashing about and romantic flourishing of blades employed by the Three Musketeers and Zorro.

But surely it still boiled down to fighting a duel and the thought of hand-to-hand combat with weapons made me slightly nervous.

At the appointed time and place, I met the man who had agreed to give me a crash course in the basics of fencing. Paul Maxwell, a chiropodist and part-time tree surgeon by day, also doubles as coach and accountant for the Guisborough Fencing Club.

We rendezvoused in the Cleveland Potash sports hall at the Boulby mine complex - a spacious, dome-shaped building which the club uses for its regular meetings and to run a beginners' course.

As we had a limited amount of time, Paul dispensed with the safety guidelines which are always drilled into newcomers to the sport before a training session.

Fencing is unique in that it is the only Olympic combat sport where individuals are matched against each other bearing weapons, but it has one of the highest safety records.

As with any sport, accidents can happen, but they are few and far between and rarely serious.

Paul showed me how to put on the safety equipment, mainly consisting of a padded vest and face mask, before running through the different swords used in fencing.

The foil, which is generally used to teach beginners, has a springy, flexible blade which bends when it makes contact and is wielded with thrusting, point-first movements.

The epee, which is becoming popular among young fencers since the British success in the modern pentathlon at the Sydney Olympics, is used in a similar way.

The sabre is more rigid and points are scored by hitting your opponent with slashing strokes.

Paul first showed me how to grip the sword properly, then how to take up the "on guard" stance. Once I had mastered that, I was ready to learn the correct way to move when fencing.

Moves are made in a straight line either forwards or backwards, rather like a crab, and are called advance and retire. No dodging from side to side and certainly no jumping on tables.

I was beginning to realise just how stylised and technical the sport is, requiring discipline and concentration.

Paul confirmed that some people give up when they see it's not like in the movies, but others are inspired to learn the many skills involved.

Things now started to get really interesting as Paul taught me how to attack using the lunge technique and score points by hitting your opponents' torso with the point of the sword, which is tipped with rubber.

Gradually, I learned more of the skills needed to fence competitively - how to defend an attack with a parry and counter-attack with a riposte.

Paul emphasised the importance of speed and economy of movement over flashy flourishes which would give an adversary plenty of time to react.

Eventually, we were putting together combinations of successive parries and ripostes which taxed my concentration levels to the full.

Paul had packed five or six weeks worth of lessons into about an hour and a half and I was now ready to put the skills I had learned to the test in a "proper" fight with my instructor.

I desperately tried to put the tactics I had been taught into practice, but everything seemed to be happening so quickly and the temptation to thrash the sword about wildly in front of me was almost overwhelming.

According to Paul, this reaction is not unusual among fencing pupils who often immediately forget all the techniques they have learned when given the chance to take on someone in open combat.

In a high-speed competitive bout full of attacks, parries and ripostes, the referee, known as the president, has the unenviable task of deciding who, if anyone, has scored a point. Blows are registered by electronic equipment, but it can still be difficult to sort out.

Paul has around 20 years of experience as a fencer since he first took up the sport at school. For him, the balance of aggression and technique which fencing demands is a great attraction.

He said: "I enjoy the one on one competition and the skill and thought which goes into it. You are continuously analysing your opponent."

Fencing is an ideal sport for those reluctant to take part in team games who would welcome the opportunity to match their own skill, speed and intellect against those of an opponent.

It is also a sport in which male and female can compete on equal terms as physical strength is irrelevant. Disabled fencers can also glean huge enjoyment from the sport.

The Guisborough club currently meets on Thursday nights from 7.30-9.30 at the Cleveland Potash site, where it is also running an introductory course.

The club is also looking for new venues, probably in Guisborough, and hopes to run a new beginners' course starting in mid-April.

Anyone interested can contact Paul for details and an application form on 07710 461392 or e-mail him at paul.maxired blind or who have di