introfence

Fencing is a modern sport with a rich history. The invention of gunpowder in the 14th century rendered heavy armour useless and put more emphasis on light close combat weapons. The practice of dueling eventually evolved into the modern sport we see today. The fast footwork and bladework combined with the tactical aspect have made fencing described as "playing chess while doing the 100m dash".

There are three events in fencing; foil, épeé and sabre which refer to the type of weapon used.

Foil - The foil has a rubber tipped flexible blade with a small round guard. This event is most like dueling practice. The target area is the torso and points are scored by hitting the target area with the tip of the foil. There are specific rules on how points can be scored. The person who initiates the attack has the priority (right of attack) and the ability to score points. If the attack is parried (blocked) then the defender has gained the priority. This leads to an exchange of attack and defense, with both athletes looking for openings to attack and ways to fool their opponent. The target area originates from practicing attacking vital parts on the body. The head is not a target since masks were not developed till 1780. The rules of priority were developed to make practice safer to avoid attacking at the same time.

Sabre - Derived from the calvary sabre, so this event involves more of a cutting motion. The sabre has a triangular blade with a large guard covering most of the hand. You can use the tip or the side of the blade to score a point. The target area includes everything above the waist including the arms and head. As in foil, there are rules of priority for scoring points.

Épeé - The closest to a dueling weapon, the épeé is heavier and stiffer than the other weapons and has a large guard. This event originates from drawing first blood in duels. Points are scored by hitting first anywhere on the body. There are also no rules of priority as in foil.