Fencing (the sport) is similar to fencing (the DIY project) because mastery of either will keep dogs off your lawn and prevent neighbors from bothering you. Hone your multipurpose craft with today's Groupon: for $18, you get one 90-minute fencing lesson at RedStar Fencing Club (a $60 value).

Five-time national champion and Division A fencer Peter Habala and his team impart foundational skills to neophyte sword wielders in small group classes. Students absorb the art of fencing from the ground up, beginning with concepts and footwork before eventually advancing to lunge attacks and legible sword writing in enemy drapery. Attack postures, parries, and salutes are practiced alongside up to 14 students before fledgling fighters take their final bows and pose for a class picture. RedStar Fencing Club outfits participants with all the necessary safety gear and a French-style foil; students are only asked to wear workout attire, carry bottles of water, and memorize three quotes from The Three Musketeers.

Peter Habala is no stranger to competitive battlefields of fencing. In 10 years with the Romanian National Team, Peter swept away opponents with skilled strikes, earning him five national championships, three consecutive Midwest Sectional Championships, and 16 winning scratch off tickets from a local gas station. Peter now utilizes his knowledge from more than 25 years of fencing to bolster his students' abilities.