@people curious about fencing: the fencing center I take lessons from supplies all the equipment we need for classes, but I'd probably need my own if I started fencing competitively.

How hard is it to get into...if you mean how hard is it to get good, I can't say, I don't fence in competitions but I do all right-ish against my classmates. If you mean how hard is it to get absorbed in, very very easy. Fencing is a lot of fun, especially foil, which is the best weapon and anyone who tells you otherwise is objectively wrong.