I am trying to decide which to learn first - Kendo or Fencing, and I am having trouble. Anyone have an opinion on which to choose?

It's not really a matter of which one to learn first. You don't enroll in Kendo 101 and complete the course a year later. Kendo is not something with an end date which you can finish. It's an ongoing training regimen. I imagine fencing is the same way. If you tell a kendo sensei that you're plans are to take Kendo for a couple of years and then stop to do something else, odds are he'll turn you away as a student.

Let's try this from a different tack. What appeals to you about the idea of enrolling in a sword art? Is it the oppurtunity to whack people with sticks? Is it the competition angle? Is it the historical feel of the thing? Do you wanna look cool and impress your friends? Do you want the chance to train with a real sword?

Well I like the opportunity to work with a sword of any kind, and yeah I realize that I can't just quit, and I won't, but I have already chosen Kendo now, due to lack of Fencing locations and that it is a Japanese Art, and I guess I was going to pick Kendo anyway. Thanks for the insight.

You should get lots of useful tactics and strategy. Eventually they should get around to Seitei Iai, done with a metal blade, to introduce you to the difference between striking and cutting.
Enjoy.

I'm sure this has been quoted but I'll state it again. You have the difference in European sword fighting and Japanese sword fighting, with the rapier/foil its mostly straightline footwork thrusting and parries. With Kendo you have all angles and slight angles that decided slice & thrust, hands and legs are targets. Kendo and European fencing would look more alot if they combined the sabre work with rapier, more thrusting, slicing and slashing done. Except that most fencing moves are single handed and most Kendo moves are two handed but not all, some one hand moves are in kendo (& some two hand moves are in sabre fencing rare but there) look alot like fencing, maybe iaido. I'm not sure its legal to use one hand in Kendo, I think you can, I know the techiniques taught in Katana sword fighting.

Fencing is probably more long range then Kendo, until you apply the sabre.

My 2 cent

Neko, you're not allowed to use your "off" hand at all in any of the fencing styles. Besides, the sacrifices in range would be suicide during a saber match, you lose a good foot of reach. Not to mention the fact that the saber hilt can't accomidate two hands.

If anything, saber is more long range than foil and epee due to the faster footwork, not shorter as you implied.

I disagree some schools teach two hand as in the dagger/pistol and foil/sabre fencing (for real fight of old and now) training. So two hands is taught. But I assume you are talking competition, where rules and limitations are considered. In thats case you are Right.

I could see how in competition two hands would shorten distance and alimit movement. Is there a sabre competition? And if so do they chalk the blade to score slashes & is heavier padds used!!!

Neko, I'm talking Olympic style fencing. The scoring involves a metal jacket called a lame (pronounced la-mei) and an elctronic scoring box. The saber electronics are actually the simplest, The blade is positively charged, and the jacket is hooked to the negative end. When the circuit is completed by the blade hitting the lame, the light goes on. There is also a lockout time, so if someone hits and then the other guy comes in anyway, only one light will show. To get two lights, they have hit at almost exactly the same time.

I'd be wary of "classical" fencing schools that teach the sorts of thing you are talking about. I've seen some good schools. A lot of good schools. However, I've also seen and heard about schools which are McDojos in the worst way. They practice full contact without masks (sword+eye = quick and painless death), and disparage sport fencing as "unrealistic" while "teaching" how to fight gunmen. There are many good schools out there, but keep your eyes open.