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| {{short description|Type of armed combat sport}} | |||
| {{dablink|This article is about the sport, which is distinguished from ] and ] (mensur). For fences and the process of erecting them, see ]. For other uses, see ].}} | |||
| {{about|the sport|the computing process|Fencing (computing)|the act of building a fence|Fence|other uses|Fence (disambiguation)}} | |||
| {{pp|small=yes}} | |||
| {{EngvarB|date=August 2023}} | |||
| {{Infobox sport | |||
| | image = Final Trophee Monal 2012 n08.jpg | |||
| | caption = Final of the Challenge Réseau Ferré de France–Trophée Monal 2012, épée world cup tournament in ] | |||
| | imagesize =200px | |||
| | union = ] | |||
| | nickname = | |||
| | first = Between the 17th and 19th centuries Europe | |||
| | registered = | |||
| | clubs = | |||
| | region = Worldwide | |||
| | contact = Semi-contact | |||
| | team = Singles or team relay | |||
| | mgender = Yes, separate | |||
| | type = indoor | |||
| | category = Martial art | |||
| | equipment = ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
| | venue = ] | |||
| | glossary = ] | |||
| | olympic = Part of Summer Olympic programme since 1896 | |||
| | paralympic = part of Summer Paralympic programme since ] | |||
| }} | |||
| {{Infobox martial art | |||
| | logo = Fencing pictogram.svg | |||
| | logocaption = | |||
| | logosize = 100px | |||
| | name = Fencing | |||
| | aka = Épée fencing, foil fencing, sabre fencing | |||
| | focus = ]ry | |||
| | hardness = Semi-contact | |||
| | creator = | |||
| | parenthood = | |||
| | famous_pract = | |||
| | olympic = Present since inaugural ] | |||
| | website = {{URL|fie.org}} | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Fencing''' is a ] that features sword fighting.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-19 |title=Fencing {{!}} History, Organizations, & Equipment {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/sports/fencing |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> The three disciplines of modern fencing are the ], the ], and the ] (also ''saber''); each discipline uses a different kind of blade, which shares the same name, and employs its own rules. Most competitive fencers specialise in one discipline. The modern sport gained prominence near the end of the 19th century and is based on the traditional skill set of ]. The ] altered the ] of ], and the ] later refined that system. Scoring points in a fencing competition is done by making contact with an opponent. | |||
| ] | |||
| The 1904 ] featured a fourth discipline of fencing known as ], but it was dropped after that year and is not a part of modern fencing. Competitive fencing was one of the first sports to be featured in the Olympics and, along with ], ], ], and ], has been featured in every modern Olympics. | |||
| In the broadest possible sense, '''fencing''' is the art and science of armed combat involving cutting, stabbing or bludgeoning weapons directly manipulated by hand, rather than shot or thrown (in other words, ]s, ], ], ]s, ]s, ], and so on). In contemporary common usage, fencing tends to refer specifically to European schools of swordsmanship and to the modern ] sport that has evolved out of them. | |||
| == |
==Competitive fencing== | ||
| ===Governing body=== | |||
| ] ''(left)'' fences ] at the ]]] | |||
| {{further|Fédération Internationale d'Escrime}} | |||
| :''See also ]'' | |||
| The term fencing derives from the Middle English ''fense'', circa 1330, ultimately deriving from the Latin ''defendere'' "ward off, protect," from ''de-'' "from, away" + fendere "to strike, push".<ref> on Etymonline. Retrieved June 7, 2006.</ref> It was first used in writing as a verb in reference to swordsmanship by ], in ] (]): "Alas sir, I cannot fence." <ref> of OED online. Retrieved June 7, 2006.</ref> | |||
| Fencing is governed by the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE), headquartered in ], Switzerland. The FIE is composed of 155 national federations, each of which is recognised by its state ] as the sole representative of Olympic-style fencing in that country.<ref>{{cite web |title=About FIE |url=https://fie.org/fie/structure |website=FIE: International Fencing Federation |access-date=4 August 2023}}</ref> | |||
| Fencing can be traced at least as far back as ]. The earliest known depiction of a fencing bout, complete with practice weapons, safety equipment, and judges, is a ] in a temple near ] built by ] around ]. The ] and ] had systems of martial arts and military training that included ], and fencing-schools and professional champions were known throughout medieval Europe. | |||
| ===Rules=== | |||
| The earliest surviving record of Western techniques of fencing is the manuscript known as MS ], which was created in southern Germany c. 1300 and today resides at the Royal Armouries in ]. Throughout the ], masters continued to teach systems for using the sword (together with other weapons and grappling) to noble and non-noble alike. | |||
| {{main|Fencing rules}} | |||
| The FIE maintains the current rules used by major international events, including world cups, world championships and the Olympic Games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fie.org/fie/structure|title=About FIE|website=fie.org}}</ref> The FIE handles proposals to change the rules at an annual congress.<ref>{{cite web |title=2022 FIE Congress Decisions and Rule Changes |url=https://fencing.net/20803/2022-fie-congress-decisions-and-rule-changes/ |website=fencing.net |access-date=1 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601214601/https://fencing.net/20803/2022-fie-congress-decisions-and-rule-changes/ |archive-date=1 June 2023 |date=17 December 2022 |quote="The FIE Congress met on November 25 in Lausanne, Switzerland for their annual decisions regarding proposed rule changes as well as the additional decisions by the Executive Committee." |url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| The wearing of the sword with civilian dress (a custom that had begun in the late fifteenth century on the ]) gradually gave rise to a new system of civilian swordsmanship based more on the thrust than on the cut, with the aim being to keep the adversary at a distance with the point, and slay him there. This gave rise to sixteenth- and seventeenth-century systems of using the ] and the seventeenth and eighteenth century ]. Though swords ceased to be an article of everyday dress after the French Revolution, they continued to be used in warfare and to resolve disputes of honour in formal duels through the nineteenth century and into the twentieth. | |||
| ==== Bout scoring and duration ==== | |||
| Though antagonistic competition in fencing is as old as the art itself, the modern sport of fencing originated in the first ]. The first few years of fencing as a sport were chaotic, with important rule disagreements among schools of fencing from different countries, notably the representatives of the French and Italian schools. This state of affairs ended in 1913, with the foundation of the ''Fédération Internationale d'Escrime'' (]) in Paris. The stated purpose of the FIE is to codify and regulate the practice of the sport of fencing, particularly for the purpose of international competition. The foundation of the FIE is a convenient breaking point between the classical and the modern traditions of fencing. | |||
| In fencing, a bout consists of a set number of hits or a certain duration, depending on the format of the competition. | |||
| * '''Individual bouts''': In direct elimination bouts, the bout is for 15 hits or 9 minutes of effective fencing time, split into three 3-minute periods with a 1-minute break between each period. The timer is paused during stoppages, such as when a hit is scored. | |||
| * '''Team matches''': In team events, each match consists of a series of nine bouts. Each bout lasts until one fencer scores 5 points, or three minutes have elapsed. The match continues until one team accumulates 45 points or the time limit is reached. | |||
| * '''Sudden death''': If the scores are tied at the end of regulation time, then for a pool bout the score is recorded as a tie. For a direct elimination bout, a 1-minute sudden-death overtime period is fenced, with the priority determined by drawing lots. The first fencer to score a valid hit wins. If no hits are scored during overtime, the fencer with priority wins.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Technical rules |url=https://static.fie.org/uploads/33/169977-technical%20rules%20ang.pdf |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=FIE International Fencing Federation |pages=14–15}}</ref> | |||
| ===Universities and schools=== | |||
| == Philosophies == | |||
| {{See also|Collegiate Fencing| High School Fencing}} | |||
| There are many autonomous directions in contemporary fencing: | |||
| *'''Sport fencing''', also known as '''Olympic fencing''', is the sort of fencing seen in most competitions (including the ]). It is conducted according to the rules laid down by the ] (the international governing body), which are roughly based on a set of conventions developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to govern the practice of fencing as a martial art and a gentlemanly accomplishment. Due to technical developments and ideological disagreements, the details are subject to frequent revisions and amendments. This article is predominantly about sport fencing. | |||
| *''']''' is differentiated from sport fencing as being closer (in various degrees) to swordplay as a ]. Those who call themselves classical fencers may advocate the modern sport's return to what they see as more authentic practices. In some quarters, this debate has been extremely bitter and has resulted in a virtual schism between the mainstream fencing community and a group of traditionalists who want to reinstate the "classical fencing" of the late ] and early ]. | |||
| *''']''' is a type of ] based on the surviving texts and traditions. Predictably, historical fencers study an extremely wide array of weapons from different regions and periods. They may work with bucklers, daggers, polearms, bludgeoning weapons etc. | |||
| University students compete internationally at the ]. The United States holds two national-level university tournaments (the ] championship and the ] National Championships).<ref> Retrieved on 2012-05-16.</ref> The ] holds fencing tournaments in the United Kingdom. Many universities in Ontario, Canada have fencing teams that participate in an annual inter-university competition called the OUA Finals. | |||
| ], about 1900]] | |||
| National fencing organisations have set up programmes to encourage more students to fence. Examples include the Regional Youth Circuit program<ref>US Fencing Youth Development Website, {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712223939/http://www.usfaryc.org/Welcome.html |date=2007-07-12 }}.</ref> in the US and the Leon Paul Youth Development series in the UK. | |||
| *''']''', or '''mensur''', is a German student tradition. The combat, which uses a type of cutting saber known as the schlager, uses sharpened blades and takes place between members of different fraternities in accordance with a strictly delineated set of conventions, using special protective gear. The ultimate goal is the development of personal character, to show coolness and proper deportment in the face of a sharp blade. | |||
| *''']''' is a type of fencing that seeks to achieve the maximum theatrical impact. Fights are, generally, choreographed, and fencing actions are often somewhat exaggerated. It is not an exclusive preserve of actors and stuntmen - some people do it as a hobby. | |||
| *''']''' an original paralympic sport was developed in post WWII England. In this sport, minor modifications to the rules allow disabled fencers to fence all three weapons. The most apparent change is fencers sit in a wheelchair fastened to a frame and make their attacks and retreats by leaning their bodies. The proximity tends to increase the pace of bouts and requires considerable skill. | |||
| The UK hosts two national competitions in which schools compete against each other directly: the ] Fencing Championship, a competition only open to Independent Schools,<ref>.</ref> and the Scottish Secondary Schools Championships, open to all secondary schools in Scotland. It contains both teams and individual events and is highly anticipated. Schools organise matches directly against one another and school age pupils can compete individually in the British Youth Championships. | |||
| Finally, fencing is often incorporated into recreational roleplay with a ] or a ] theme (for example, see The ] or ]). Technique and scoring systems vary widely from one group to the next, as do the weapons: depending on the local conventions, participants may use modern sport fencing weapons, period weapons or weapons invented specifically for the purpose (like ]s). | |||
| In recent years, attempts have been made to introduce fencing to a wider and younger audience, by using foam and plastic swords, which require much less protective equipment. This makes it much less expensive to provide classes, and thus easier to take fencing to a wider range of schools than traditionally has been the case. There is even a competition series in Scotland – the Plastic-and-Foam Fencing FunLeague<ref>The {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003152521/http://www.paff.org.uk/ |date=2020-10-03 }} website.</ref> – specifically for Primary and early Secondary school-age children using this equipment. | |||
| ==Weapons== | |||
| Three weapons survive in modern competitive fencing: ], ] and ]. The ] and the heavy cavalry-style sabre, both of which saw widespread competitive use in the ], fell into disfavour in the early ] with the rising popularity of the lighter and faster weapon used today, based on the Italian duelling sabre. Bayonet fencing was somewhat slower to decline with competitions organized by some armed forces as late as the ] and ]. Today these weapons are the preserve of ]. | |||
| ==History== | |||
| While the weapons fencers use differ in size and purpose, their basic construction remains similar across the disciplines. Every weapon has a ''blade'' and a ''hilt''. The tip of the blade is generally referred to as ''the point''. The hilt consists of a ''guard'' and a '']''. The guard (also known as the ''coquille'', or the ''bellguard'') is a metal shell designed to protect the fingers. The grip is the weapon's actual handle. There are a number of commonly used variants (see ]). The more traditional kind tend to terminate with a '']'', a heavy nut intended to act as a counterweight for the blade. | |||
| {{main|History of fencing}} | |||
| {{See also|History of physical training and fitness}} | |||
| ], Netherlands, 1610]] | |||
| Fencing traces its roots to the development of swordsmanship for ]s and ]. Described as "high-speed chess", each bout begins and ends with a ]. Good ] and ] are stressed at every level of training and competition.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wells |first1=Jonathan |title=Fencing: A guide to the Olympics’ most gentlemanly sport |url=https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/fencing-guide-olympics-gentlemanly-sport/ |website=Gentleman's Journal |publisher=Gentleman's Journal |access-date=25 August 2024}}</ref> | |||
| ===Foil=== | |||
| {{main|Foil (fencing)}} | |||
| ] | |||
| The oldest surviving treatise on western fencing is the ], also known as the Tower manuscript, written {{Circa|1300}} in present-day Germany,<ref name="Rachel E Kellett">{{cite journal |first=Rachel E |last=Kellett |title=Royal Armouries MS I.33: The Judicial Combat And The Art Of Fencing In Thirteenth- And Fourteenth-Century German Literature |journal=Oxford German Studies |volume=41 |issue=1 |year=2012 |doi=10.1179/0078719112Z.0000000003 |pages=32–56|s2cid=161823139 }}</ref> which discusses the usage of the ] together with the ]. It was followed by a number of treatises, primarily from Germany and Italy, with the oldest surviving Italian treatise being Fior di Battaglia by ], written {{Circa|1400}}. However, because they were written for the context of a knightly duel with a primary focus on archaic weapons such as the arming sword, ], or ], these older treatises do not really stand in continuity with modern fencing. | |||
| The ] is a light and flexible weapon, originally developed in the mid ] as a training weapon for the ] (a light one-handed sword designed almost exclusively for thrusting). It is the weapon that, traditionally, many students practice first. Hits can only be scored by hitting the valid target surface with the point of the weapon. The target area is restricted to the torso. A touch on an off-target area stops the bout but does not score a point. There are "right of way" conventions or ''priority rules'', whose basic idea is that the first person to create a viable threat or the last person to successfully defend receives a "right" to hit. If two hits arrive more or less simultaneously, only the fencer who had the "right of way" receives a point. If priority cannot be assigned unambiguously, no points are awarded. The basic idea behind the foil rules was, originally, to encourage the defence of one's vital areas and to fence in a methodical way with initiative passing back and forth between the two fencers and no last minute counter-attacks which risk a double death. | |||
| From the 16th century onward, the Italian school of fencing would be dominated by the Bolognese or Dardi-School of fencing, named after its founder, Filippo Dardi, a Bolognese fencing master and Professor of Geometry at the University of Bologna. Unlike the previous traditions, the Bolognese school would primarily focus on the ] being either used alone or in combination with a buckler, a cape, a ], or dual-wielded with another sidesword, though some Bolognese masters, such as ], would still cover the usage of the two-handed ] or spadone. The Bolognese school would eventually spread outside of Italy and lay the foundation for modern fencing, eclipsing both older Italian and German traditions. This was partially due to the German schools' focus on archaic weapons such as the longsword, but also due to a general decline in fencing within Germany. | |||
| In modern competitive fencing "electric" weapons are used. These have a push-button on the end, which allows hits to be registered by the electronic scoring apparatus. In order to register, the button must be depressed with a force of at least 4.90 ]s (500 ]) for at least 15 ]. Fencers wear conductive (]) jackets covering their target area, which allow the scoring apparatus to differentiate between on and off-target hits. | |||
| The mechanics of modern fencing originated in the 18th century in an Italian school of fencing of the Renaissance, and under their influence, were improved by the French school of fencing.<ref name="www.fencing.net intro2"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929004425/http://www.fencing.net/intro2.html |date=2011-09-29 }}. Fencing.net. Retrieved on 2012-05-16.</ref><ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906143821/http://library.thinkquest.org/15340/historyessay.html |date=2012-09-06 }}. Library.thinkquest.org. Retrieved on 2012-05-16.</ref> The Spanish school of fencing stagnated and was replaced by the Italian and French schools. | |||
| The 1980's saw the widespread use of "flicks" — hits delivered with a whipping motion which bends the blade around the more traditional parries and makes it possible to touch otherwise inaccessible areas, such as the back of the opponents. This has been regarded by a substantial number of fencers as an unacceptable departure from the tradition of realistic combat, where only rigid blades would be used. Flicks were not a recent development, however. In ], ] published an account of an early "electric scorer" and claimed among its advantages, that "flicks, or blows, or grazes produce no result."<ref>{{cite journal | |||
| | title = Fencing: an Electric Scorer | |||
| | journal = The Lancet | |||
| | volume = 141 | |||
| | issue = 3643 | |||
| | date = 1896-06-24 | |||
| | pages = 37-38 | |||
| }}</ref> Ironically, it is the introduction of electronic scoring to high level competitive foil in the ] that is often blamed for the rise in the flick's popularity. In ]-], in an effort to curtail the use of flicks, the ] raised the contact time required to trigger the scoring apparatus from 1 millisecond to the current 15 milliseconds. This has not made flicks impossible, but it has made them more technically demanding, as glancing hits no longer register, and it is essential that the point arrives more or less square-on. Before they changed the rule, the blade could bend more easily so the back and flanks were easier to hit and score. Now the bend of the blade has lessened. | |||
| === |
===Development into a sport=== | ||
| The shift towards fencing as a sport rather than as military training happened from the mid-18th century, and was led by ], who established a fencing academy, Angelo's School of Arms, in ], ], ] in 1763.<ref>F.H.W. Sheppard, ed. ''Survey of London'' volume 33 ''The Parish of St. Anne, Soho (north of Shaftesbury Avenue)'', ], London: University of London, 1966, pp. 143–48, .</ref> There, he taught the ] the fashionable art of ]. His school was run by three generations of his family and dominated the art of European fencing for almost a century. | |||
| {{Main|Épée (Fencing)}} | |||
| <ref name="Evangelista">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TyJ8ebnS1HMC|title=The Encyclopedia of the Sword|author=Nick Evangelista|year=1995|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|pages=20–23|isbn=9780313278969}}</ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| ]'s instruction book. Angelo was instrumental in turning fencing into an athletic sport.]] | |||
| The ] is the heaviest of the three weapons (approaching the weight of an actual ]). However, ultra-lightweight blades can actually reduce the weight of an épée to below that of a foil <ref name=lightweight">Leon Paul created a 230g complete épée </ref>. On low-end weapons, the epee has a relatively stiff blade although new technology has resulted in a flexible blade comparable to the other weapons. The epee is characterized by a V-shaped or approximately triangular cross-section, and a large round guard which offers much more protection to the wrist than the foil guard. | |||
| He established the essential rules of ] and ] that still govern modern sport fencing, although his attacking and ]ing methods were still much different from current practice. Although he intended to prepare his students for real combat, he was the first fencing master to emphasise the ] and sporting benefits of fencing more than its use as a killing art, particularly in his influential book ''L'École des armes'' (''The School of Fencing''), published in 1763.<ref name="Evangelista"/> | |||
| Basic conventions were collated and set down during the 1880s by the French fencing master Camille Prévost. It was during this time that many officially recognised fencing associations began to appear in different parts of the world, such as the ] was founded in 1891, the Amateur Fencing Association of Great Britain in 1902, and the Fédération Nationale des Sociétés d’Escrime et Salles d’Armes de France in 1906.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/sports/fencing|title=Fencing|date=28 February 2024 }}</ref> | |||
| It seems that épée fencing was started at the beginning of the 16th century. After the two-handed broadsword was abandoned and the complete suit of armor was outdated, this new weapon was born in Spain. The rapier épée had a long fine blade with a sharper edge and the tip could be used to cut and thrust. The guard looked like a small basket drilled with holes, having a long, straight ramrod bored through it to be used in engaging and breaking the opponent's blade and point. With the change from heavy broadsword to lighter épée, swordsman were obliged to personalize fencing with trickery and artfulness. Like the foil, the épée is a thrusting weapon: to score a valid hit the fencer must fix the point of his weapon on his opponent's target. However, épée lacks the foil's most artificial conventions: the ''restricted target area'' and the ''priority rules''. In épée, a hit can be scored by landing a hit anywhere on the opponent's body. The fencer whose hit lands first receives the point, irrespective of what happened in the preceding phrase. If two hits arrive simultaneously (within 40 ] of each other), a ''double hit'' is recorded, and both fencers get a point (except for in ] one-hit épée , where both fencers immediately suffer a "double loss"). | |||
| The first regularised fencing competition was held at the inaugural ] in 1880, held at the ], in ] in June. The Tournament featured a series of competitions between ] officers and soldiers. Each bout was fought for five hits and the foils were pointed with black to aid the judges.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fencingmuseum.com/Large/2013/2013-01-latest-Essay.htm|title=The development of fencing weapons |author=Malcolm Fare}}</ref> The ] drew up an official set of fencing regulations in 1896. | |||
| In order for the scoring apparatus to register a hit, the push-button on the end of the weapon must remain fully depressed for 2-10 milliseconds. To register, the hit must arrive with a ] of at least 7.35 ]s (the equivalent of 750 ]s of stationary ]) - a slightly higher threshold than the foil's 4.9 newtons (500 grams). All hits register as valid, unless they land on a ] metal surface, such as a part of the opponent's weapon, in which case they do not register at all. At large events, grounded conductive pistes are often used in order to prevent the registration of hits against the floor. At smaller events and in club fencing, it is generally the responsibility of the referee to watch out for floor hits. These often happen by accident, when an épéeist tries to hit the opponent's foot and misses. In such cases, they are simply ignored. However, deliberate hits against the floor are treated as "dishonest fencing" and penalized accordingly (see "The Practice of Fencing" below). | |||
| Fencing was part of the Olympic Games in the ]. Sabre events have been held at every ]; foil events have been held at every Summer Olympics except 1908; épée events have been held at every Summer Olympics except in the ] because of unknown reasons. | |||
| In the pre-electric era, épéeists used a ''point d'arret'', a three-pronged point with small protruding spikes, which would snag on the opponent's clothing or mask, helping the referee to see the hits. The spikes caused épée fencing to be a notoriously painful affair, and épéeist could be easily recognized by the tears in their jacket sleeves. These days, the adherents of the point d'arret are few and far between, and non-electric weapons are generally fitted with foil-style rubber buttons. | |||
| Starting with épée in 1933, side judges were replaced by the Laurent-Pagan electrical scoring apparatus,<ref>Alaux, Michel. ''Modern Fencing: Foil, Epee, and Sabre''. Scribner's, 1975, p. 83.</ref> with an audible tone and a red or green light indicating when a touch landed. Foil was automated in 1956, sabre in 1988. The scoring box reduced the bias in judging, and permitted more accurate scoring of faster actions, lighter touches, and more touches to the back and flank than before.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/fencing-equipment3.htm|title=How Fencing Equipment Works|last=Freudenrich|first=Craig|date=2000-09-21|website=How Stuff Works}}</ref> | |||
| Épée fencing tends to be more conservative in style than the other weapons, and bouts tend to be somewhat more deliberate and slow-paced. | |||
| == |
==Weapons== | ||
| Each of the three weapons in fencing has its own rules and strategies. | |||
| {{Main|Sabre (fencing)}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ===Foil=== | |||
| The ] is the "cutting" weapon, with a curved guard and a triangular blade. However, in modern electric scoring, a touch with any part of the sabre, point, flat or edge, as long as it is on target, will register a hit. | |||
| ] | |||
| {{Main|Foil (fencing)}} | |||
| The foil is a light thrusting weapon with a maximum weight of 500 grams. The foil targets the torso, but not the arms or legs. The foil has a small circular hand guard that serves to protect the hand from direct stabs. As the hand is not a valid target in foil, this is primarily for safety. Touches are scored only with the tip; hits with the side of the blade do not register on the electronic scoring apparatus (and do not halt the action). Touches that land outside the target area (called an ''off-target touch'' and signalled by a distinct color on the scoring apparatus) stop the action, but are not scored. Only a single touch can be awarded to either fencer at the end of a phrase. If both fencers land touches within 300 ms (± 25 ms tolerance)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Material rules |url=https://static.fie.org/uploads/32/163442-book%20m%20ang.pdf |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=FIE International Fencing Federation |page=82}}</ref> to register two lights on the machine, the ] uses the rules of "right of way" to determine which fencer is awarded the touch, or if an off-target hit has priority over a valid hit, in which case no touch is awarded. If the referee is unable to determine which fencer has right of way, no touch is awarded. | |||
| ===Épée=== | |||
| The modern sabre took its origins and traditions from the cavalry sabre. It is believed that the Hungarians introduced sabre fencing in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. Their sabre, derived from oriental scimitars, had a flat, slightly curved blade and was not as wide and thick as the French cavalry sabre. The Hungarians could not perfect their sabre until they were influenced by the Italian school, which helped them to perfect their teaching. | |||
| ] | |||
| {{Main|Épée}} | |||
| The épée is a thrusting weapon like the foil, but heavier, with a maximum total weight of 775 grams. In épée, the entire body is a valid target. The hand guard on the épée is a large circle that extends towards the pommel, effectively covering the hand, which is a valid target in épée. Like foil, all hits must be with the tip and not the sides of the blade. Hits with the side of the blade do not register on the electronic scoring apparatus (and do not halt the action). As the entire body is a legal target, there is no concept of an off-target touch, except if the fencer accidentally strikes the floor, setting off the light and tone on the scoring apparatus. Unlike foil and sabre, épée does not use "right of way", simultaneous touches to both fencers, known as "double touches." However, if the score is tied in a match at the last point and a double touch is scored, the point is null and void. | |||
| The target area in sabre is everything from the waist up, except for the hands. | |||
| ===Sabre=== | |||
| Like foil fencing, sabre fencing uses right of way rules. However, the definition of an "attack" is different for the two weapons, and as a result, the right of way rules distinguish sabre and foil significantly. Sabre right of way rewards very fast fencing (on offense and defense), and so sabre fencing tends to be more aggressive in style than the other weapons. | |||
| ] | |||
| {{Main|Sabre (fencing)}} | |||
| The sabre is a light cutting and thrusting weapon that targets the entire body above the waist, including the head and both the hands. Sabre is the newest weapon to be used. Like the foil, the maximum legal weight of a sabre is 500 grams. The hand guard on the sabre extends from hilt to the point at which the blade connects to the pommel. This guard is generally turned outwards during sport to protect the sword arm from touches. Hits with the entire blade or point are valid. As in foil, touches that land outside the target area are not scored. However, unlike foil, these ''off-target'' touches do not stop the action, and the fencing continues. In the case of both fencers landing a scoring touch, the referee determines which fencer receives the point for the action, again through the use of "right of way". | |||
| ==Equipment== | |||
| Unlike in foil and épée fencing, the forward crossover (one foot of the fencer passing in front of the other) has been disallowed, as before both fencers could simply run and jump at each other at the start of a touch. This was done to improve the aesthetic qualities of the sport, in other words, to make it more appealing and interesting for the audience. It also provided a greater art to the sport for the fencer. Today, some sabre fencers use a "flying lunge", or "flunge" to produce a similar result without crossing over, but much of sabre fencing stays entirely on the ground. | |||
| ===Protective clothing=== | |||
| Most ] for fencing is made of tough ] or ]. ] was added to top level uniform pieces (jacket, breeches, underarm protector, lamé, and the bib of the mask) following the death of ] at the 1982 World Championships in ]. However, Kevlar is degraded by both ] and ], which can complicate cleaning. | |||
| Other ballistic fabrics, such as ], have been developed that ], and which do not degrade the way that Kevlar does. FIE rules state that tournament wear must be made of fabric that resists a force of {{convert|800|N}}, and that the mask bib must resist twice that amount. | |||
| == Protective clothing == | |||
| [[Image:Fencing equipment.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Equipment of a right-handed épée fencer: | |||
| 1-Jacket | |||
| 2-Glove | |||
| 3-Body wire | |||
| 4-Épée | |||
| 5-Breeches (Knickers) | |||
| 6-Mask | |||
| 7-Plastron<br> | |||
| Not pictured: socks and shoes]] | |||
| The complete fencing kit includes: | |||
| The clothing which is worn in modern fencing is made of tough ] or ]. ] was added to top level uniform pieces (jacket, knickers, underarm protector, and the bib of the mask) following the ] incident at the 1982 World Championships in Rome. However, kevlar breaks down in chlorine and UV light, so the act of washing one's uniform and/or hanging it up in the sun to dry actually damaged the kevlar's ability to do the job. | |||
| ;Jacket | |||
| In recent years other ballistic fabrics such as Dyneema have been developed that perform the puncture resistance function and which do not have kevlar's weakness. In fact, the FIE rules state that the entirety of the uniform (meaning FIE level clothing, as the rules are written for FIE tournaments) must be made of fabric that resists a force of 800 newtons (1600N in the mask bib). | |||
| :The jacket is form-fitting, and has a strap (''croissard'') that passes between the legs. In sabre fencing, jackets are cut along the waist.{{clarify|date=February 2016}} A small ] of folded fabric is sewn in around the collar to prevent an opponent's blade from slipping under the mask and along the jacket upwards towards the neck. Fencing instructors may wear a heavier jacket, such as one reinforced by plastic foam, to deflect the frequent hits an instructor endures. | |||
| ;Plastron | |||
| :A plastron is an underarm protector worn underneath the jacket. It provides double protection on the side of the sword arm and upper arm. There is no seam under the arm, which would line up with the jacket seam and provide a weak spot. | |||
| ;Glove | |||
| :The sword hand is protected by a ] with a gauntlet that prevents blades from going up the sleeve and causing injury. The glove also improves grip. | |||
| ;Breeches | |||
| :] or ] are short trousers that end just below the knee. The breeches are required to have 10 cm of overlap with the jacket. Most are equipped with suspenders (braces). | |||
| ;Socks | |||
| :Fencing socks are long enough to cover the knee; some cover most of the thigh. | |||
| ;Shoes | |||
| :Fencing shoes have flat soles, and are reinforced on the inside for the back foot, and in the heel for the front foot. The reinforcement prevents wear from lunging. | |||
| ;Mask | |||
| :The fencing mask has a bib that protects the neck. The mask should support {{convert|12|kg|lb}} on the metal mesh and {{convert|350|N}} of penetration resistance on the bib. FIE regulations dictate that masks must withstand {{convert|25|kg|lb}} on the mesh and {{convert|1600|N}} on the bib. Some modern masks have a see-through visor in the front of the mask. These have been used at high level competitions (World Championships etc.), however, they are currently banned in foil and épée by the FIE, following a 2009 incident in which a visor was pierced during the European Junior Championship competition. There are foil, sabre, and three-weapon masks. | |||
| ;Chest protector | |||
| :A chest protector, made of plastic, is worn by female fencers and, sometimes, by males. Fencing instructors also wear them, as they are hit far more often during training than their students. In foil fencing, the hard surface of a chest protector decreases the likelihood that a hit registers. | |||
| ;Lamé | |||
| :A lamé is a layer of electrically conductive material worn over the fencing jacket in foil and sabre fencing. The lamé covers the entire target area, and makes it easier to determine whether a hit fell within the target area. (In épée fencing the lamé is unnecessary, since the target area spans the competitor's entire body.) In sabre fencing, the lamé's sleeves end in a straight line across the wrist; in foil fencing, the lamé is sleeveless. A ] is necessary to register scoring. It attaches to the weapon and runs inside the jacket sleeve, then down the back and out to the scoring box. In sabre and foil fencing, the body cord connects to the lamé in order to create a circuit to the scoring box. | |||
| ;Sleeve | |||
| :An instructor or master may wear a protective sleeve or a leg leather to protect their fencing arm or leg, respectively. | |||
| <gallery caption="Elements of protective clothing" mode="packed" heights="155"> | |||
| The complete fencing kit includes the following items of clothing: | |||
| File:Fencing jacket.jpg|Jacket | |||
| *Form-fitting jacket, covering groin and with strap (''croissard'') which goes between the legs | |||
| File:Fencing glove.jpg|Glove | |||
| *Under-arm protector (plastron) which goes underneath the jacket and provides double protection on the sword arm side and upper arm. It is required to not have a seam in the armpit, which would line up with the jacket seam and provide a weak spot. | |||
| File:Fencing plastron.jpg|Sous-Plastron | |||
| *Glove, with a gauntlet that prevents swords going up the sleeve and causing injury, as well as protecting the hand and providing a good grip | |||
| File:Fencing knickers.jpg|Breeches/<wbr>Knickers | |||
| *Breeches (knickers), which are a pair of trousers. The legs are supposed to hold just below the knee. | |||
| File:Fencingmask.jpg|Mask | |||
| *Knee-length socks, which cover the rest of the leg. | |||
| File:Chest protector.jpg|Chest protector for women | |||
| *Mask, including a bib which protects the neck. For competition, the bib must be sewn into the mask frame to eliminate a hole that might admit a blade. Thus, masks with snap-in bibs are not legal for competition. | |||
| </gallery> | |||
| *Plastic chest protector, mandatory for female fencers to provide protection for the breasts. While male versions are also available, they were, until recently, primarily worn by instructors, who are hit far more often during training than their students. Since the change of the depression timing (see above), these are increasingly popular in foil, as the hard surface increases the likelihood of point bounce and thus a failure for a hit to register. Plastrons are still mandatory, though. | |||
| Traditionally, the uniform is white |
Traditionally, the fencer's uniform is white, and an instructor's uniform is black. This may be due to the occasional pre-electric practice of covering the point of the weapon in dye, soot, or coloured chalk in order to make it easier for the referee to determine the placing of the touches. As this is no longer a factor in the electric era, the FIE rules have been relaxed to allow coloured uniforms (save black). The guidelines also limit the permitted size and positioning of sponsorship logos. | ||
| *Fencing Masters wear a heavier protective jacket, usually reinforced by plastic foam to cushion the numerous hits an instructor has to endure. | |||
| *Sometimes in practice, masters wear a protective sleeve or a leg leather for protection of their fencing arm or leg. | |||
| == |
===Grips=== | ||
| {{main|Grip (sport fencing)}} | |||
| The following description pertains to the practice of modern competitive fencing, as governed by the ] and does not cover the many variations such as fencing within a circle popular with ] enthusiasts. | |||
| Some pistol grips used by foil and épée fencers | |||
| ===Piste=== | |||
| <gallery heights="150" mode="packed"> | |||
| A fencing bout takes place on a strip, or '']'', which, according to the current ] regulations, should be between 1.5 and 2 meters wide and 14 meters long. Two meters either side of the mid-point, there are two en-garde lines, where the fencers stand at the beginning of the bout. There are also two warning lines two metres from either end of the strip, to let a retreating fencer know that he is nearly out of space. Retreating off of the strip scores a touch for the opponent. | |||
| File:Absolute visconti.jpg|Visconti grip | |||
| File:Uhlmann Belgian.jpg|Belgian grip | |||
| File:Russian grip.jpg|Russian grip | |||
| File:Hungarian grip.jpg|Hungarian grip | |||
| </gallery> | |||
| === |
===Electric equipment=== | ||
| A set of electric fencing equipment is required to participate in electric fencing. Electric equipment in fencing varies depending on the weapon with which it is used in accordance. The main component of a set of electric equipment is the ]. The '''body cord''' serves as the connection between a fencer and a reel of wire that is part of a system for electrically detecting that the weapon has touched the opponent. There are two types: one for ], and one for ] and ]. | |||
| There are at least three people involved: two fencers and a referee. | |||
| Épée body cords consist of two sets of three prongs each connected by a wire. One set plugs into the fencer's weapon, with the other connecting to the reel. Foil and sabre body cords have only two prongs (or a twist-lock bayonet connector) on the weapon side, with the third wire connecting instead to the fencer's lamé. The need in foil and sabre to distinguish between on and off-target touches requires a wired connection to the valid target area. | |||
| The referee may be assisted by two or four ''side-judges''. This was common practice prior to the introduction of electronic scoring. Their function is somewhat similar to that of linesmen in ]. Their primary job used to be to watch for hits scored. Consequently, the arrival of the electronic scoring apparatus has rendered them largely redundant. Under current ] rules, a fencer may ask for two side-judges (one to watch him, one to watch his opponent) or request another director, if he thinks that the referee is failing to notice some infringement of the rules on his opponent's part (such as use of the unarmed hand, substitution of the valid target area, breaching the boundary of the piste etc.). | |||
| A body cord consists of three wires known as the A, B, and C lines. At the reel connector (and both connectors for Épée cords) The B pin is in the middle, the A pin is 1.5 cm to one side of B, and the C pin is 2 cm to the other side of B. This asymmetrical arrangement ensures that the cord cannot be plugged in the wrong way around. | |||
| ===Protocol=== | |||
| The referee stands at the side of the piste. The fencers walk on piste fully dressed, aside from the mask. If necessary, they plug their body wires into the spools connected to the electronic scoring apparatus and test their weapons against each other, to make sure everything is functioning. They then retreat to their en-garde lines. | |||
| In foil, the A line is connected to the lamé and the B line runs up a wire to the tip of the weapon. The B line is normally connected to the C line through the tip. When the tip is depressed, the circuit is broken and one of three things can happen: | |||
| Prior to starting a bout, the fencers must salute each other. Refusal to do so can result in a fencer's suspension or disqualification. They must also salute the president (referee) and their audience. In non-electric events the 4 judges are saluted also. There are many variations of the salute, including some fairly theatrical ones, but the common theme is that the fencer stands upright, mask off, facing whomever he is saluting and raises his sword to a vertical position with the guard either at or just below face level, and then lowers it again. Various apocryphal stories about the origin of the salute circulate, like ]s saluting each other in the arena, crusaders pointing their sword heavenward in pre-battle prayer, duellists showing each other that their swords are the same length, etc. The most likely source of the modern fencing salute is the "]" command from ], which originated in the ]. | |||
| ] | |||
| * The tip is touching the opponent's ] (their A line): Valid touch | |||
| * The tip is touching the opponent's weapon or the grounded strip: nothing, as the current is still flowing to the C line. | |||
| * The tip is not touching either of the above: Off-target hit (white light). | |||
| In Épée, the A and B lines run up separate wires to the tip (there is no lamé). When the tip is depressed, it connects the A and B lines, resulting in a valid touch. However, if the tip is touching the opponents weapon (their C line) or the grounded strip, nothing happens when it is depressed, as the current is redirected to the C line. Grounded strips are particularly important in Épée, as without one, a touch to the floor registers as a valid touch (rather than off-target as in Foil). | |||
| In Sabre, similarly to Foil, the A line is connected to the lamé, but both the B and C lines are connected to the body of the weapon. Any contact between one's B/C line (either one, as they are always connected) and the opponent's A line (their lamé) results in a valid touch. There is no need for grounded strips in Sabre, as hitting something other than the opponent's lame does nothing. | |||
| After the salutes are completed, the referee will call "En-garde!" The fencers put on their masks and adopt the fencing stance with the front foot behind the en-garde line and the blade in one of the orthodox fencing positions (generally sixte). They are now in the on-guard (en-garde) position. The referee then calls "Ready?" In some countries, the fencers are required to confirm that they are. Finally the referee will call "Play!" or "Fence!", and the bout will start. (In some circles, beginning the bout with the order "fence" is deemed incorrect and is contrary to the rules in certain countries). To interrupt the bout the referee calls "Halt!". A bout may be interrupted for several reasons: a hit has been scored, the rules have been breached, the situation is unsafe, or the action has become so disorganized that the referee can no longer follow it. Once the bout is stopped, the referee will, if necessary, explain his reasons for stopping it, analyse what has just happened and award points or give out penalties. If a point has been awarded, then the competitors return to their en-garde lines; if not, they remain approximately where they were when the bout was interrupted. The referee will then restart the bout as before. If the fencers were within lunging distance when the bout was interrupted and they are not required to return to their en-garde lines, the referee will ask both fencers to give sufficient ground to ensure a fair start. A common way of establishing the correct distance is to ask both fencers to straighten their arms and to step back to the point where their weapon tips are almost touching. | |||
| ] | |||
| In a professional fencing competition, a complete set of electric equipment is needed. | |||
| A complete set of foil electric equipment includes: | |||
| This procedure is repeated until either one of the fencers has reached the required number of points (generally, 1, 5, 10 or 15, depending on the format of the bout) or until the time allowed for the bout runs out. | |||
| * An electric ], which runs under the fencer's jacket on his/her dominant side. | |||
| * An electric blade. | |||
| * A conductive lamé or electric vest. | |||
| * A conductive bib (often attached to the mask). | |||
| * An electric mask cord, connecting the conductive bib and the lamé. | |||
| The electric equipment of sabre is very similar to that of foil. In addition, equipment used in sabre includes: | |||
| * A larger conductive lame. | |||
| * An electric sabre. | |||
| * A completely conductive mask. | |||
| * A conductive glove or overlay. | |||
| Épée fencers lack a lamé, conductive bib, and head cord due to their target area. Also, their body cords are constructed differently as described above. However, they possess all of the other components of a foil fencer's equipment. | |||
| ==Techniques== | |||
| Fencing bouts are timed: the clock is started every time the referee calls "Play!" and stopped every time he calls "Halt!". The bout must stop when the designated time has been reached (this again, varies, depending on the format of the bout, three minutes to every five points is the norm). If the bout goes to full time, the fencer who has scored more hits wins. If the fencers are drawn at full time, they will be given a minute of extra time. At the beginning of that minute a coin will be tossed to decide who is going to win if neither fencer scores during it. | |||
| {{See also|Fencing tactics|Glossary of fencing}} | |||
| Techniques or movements in fencing can be divided into two categories: offensive and defensive. Some techniques can fall into both categories (e.g. the beat). Certain techniques are used offensively, with the purpose of landing a hit on one's opponent while holding the right of way (foil and sabre). Others are used defensively, to protect against a hit or obtain the right of way.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bhutta|first=Omar|year=2016|title=USA Fencing Rules|url=http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0105/8552/2016-USA-Fencing-Rules.pdf|journal=United States Fencing Association|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131185541/http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0105/8552/2016-USA-Fencing-Rules.pdf|archive-date=2017-01-31|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| The attacks and defences may be performed in countless combinations of feet and hand actions. For example, fencer A attacks the arm of fencer B, drawing a high outside parry; fencer B then follows the parry with a high line riposte. Fencer A, expecting that, then makes his own parry by pivoting his blade under fencer B's weapon (from straight out to more or less straight down), putting fencer B's tip off target and fencer A now scoring against the low line by angulating the hand upwards. | |||
| ===Priority ("right of way") rules=== | |||
| Foil and sabre are governed by priority rules, according to which the fencer who is the first to initiate an attack or the last to take a successful parry receives ''priority''. When both fencers hit more or less simultaneously, only the fencer who had priority receives the point. If priority cannot be assigned unambiguously, no points are awarded. These rules were adopted in the ] as part of teaching practice. Their aim is to encourage "sensible" fencing and reward initiative and circumspection at the same time, in particular to reward fencers for properly made attacks, and penalize fencers for attacking into such an attack that lands, an action that could be lethal with sharp blades. The risk of both duellists charging onto one another's swords is kept to a minimum. At least in principle, in a prolonged phrase, the initiative passes smoothly from one fencer to the other, and back again, and so on. In practice most phrases are broken off quickly if neither fencer lands. | |||
| ===Offensive=== | |||
| Despite the simplicity of the underlying principles, priority rules are somewhat convoluted, and their interpretation is a source of much acrimony. Much of this acrimony is centered on the definition of attack. According to the ] rules, an ''attack'' is defined as "the initial offensive action made by extending the arm and continuously threatening the opponent's target..." The general consensus is that the referee should look for whose arm starts straightening first. In practice, referees, especially inexperienced ones, may go for the easy option and give priority to whichever fencer happened to be moving forwards. This is wrong, but, unfortunately, it is far from unusual. There is also a school of thought, subscribed to by a relatively small minority, that priority should be given to the fencer who was the first to straighten his arm fully. This, again, is out of line with the current rules. The adherents argue that this is the more classical way of doing things, but this claim is somewhat dubious, as actual practice decades ago based right of way on which fencer started straightening the arm (not which fencer completed the extension); and the reworded rules conform better to actual, traditional practice. | |||
| * ]: A basic fencing technique, also called a thrust, consisting of the initial offensive action made by extending the arm and continuously threatening the opponent's target. There are four different attacks (straight thrust, disengage attack, counter-disengage attack and cutover). In sabre, attacks are also made with a cutting action. | |||
| * Riposte: An attack by the defender after a successful parry. After the attacker has completed their attack, and it has been parried, the defender then has the opportunity to make an attack, and (at foil and sabre) take right of way. | |||
| * ]: A false attack with the purpose of provoking a reaction from the opposing fencer. | |||
| * ]: A thrust while extending the front leg by using a slight kicking motion and propelling the body forward with the back leg. | |||
| * Beat attack: In foil and sabre, the attacker beats the opponent's blade to gain priority (right of way) and continues the attack against the target area. In épée, a similar beat is made but with the intention to disturb the opponent's aim and thus score with a single light. | |||
| * Disengage: A blade action whereby the blade is moved around the opponent's blade to threaten a different part of the target or deceive a parry. | |||
| * Compound attack: An attack preceded by one or more feints which oblige the opponent to parry, allowing the attacker to deceive the parry. | |||
| * Continuation/renewal of Attack: A typical épée action of making a 2nd attack after the first attack is parried. This may be done with a change in line; for example, an attack in the high line (above the opponent's bell guard, such as the shoulder) is then followed with an attack to the low line (below the opponent's bell guard, such as the thigh, or foot); or from the outside line (outside the bell guard, such as outer arm) to the inside line (inside the bell guard, such as the inner arm or the chest). A second continuation is stepping slight past the parry and angulating the blade to bring the tip of the blade back on target. A renewal may also be direct (without a change of line or any further blade action), in which case it is called a remise. In foil or sabre, a renewal is considered to have lost right of way, and the defender's immediate riposte, if it lands, will score instead of the renewal. | |||
| * Flick: a technique used primarily in foil and épée. It takes advantage of the extreme flexibility of the blade to use it like a whip, bending the blade so that it curves over and strikes the opponent with the point; this allows the fencer to hit an obscured part of the target (e.g., the back of the shoulder or, at épée, the wrist even when it is covered by the guard). This technique has become much more difficult due to timing changes which require the point to stay depressed for longer to set off the light. | |||
| * Flèche: an offensive manoeuvre, in which the fencer leans forward past the point of balance, and then crosses their feet, running past the opponent after the touch is scored. | |||
| * Flunge: a technique used by sabreurs in which the attacker makes a flying lunge, as FIE rules state that crossing one's feet is illegal in Sabre. | |||
| ===Defensive=== | |||
| It is clear that an attack which has failed (i.e. has missed or been ]) is no longer an attack. The priority then passes to the defending fencer; he is now free to launch a ] (if he has just parried an attack) or a ] (if the attack missed of its own accord). Whatever he chooses to do, he must do it immediately, as hesitation also leads to loss of priority. A hesitant defender may lose priority and get hit with a ] of the initial attack. | |||
| * ]: Basic defence technique, block the opponent's weapon while it is preparing or executing an attack to deflect the blade away from the fencer's valid area and (in foil and sabre) to give fencer the right of way. Usually followed by a riposte, a return attack by the defender. | |||
| * Circle parry: A parry where the weapon is moved in a circle to catch the opponent's tip and deflect it away. | |||
| * Counter attack: A basic fencing technique of attacking one's opponent while generally moving back out of the way of the opponent's attack. Used quite often in épée to score against the attacker's hand/arm. More difficult to accomplish in foil and sabre unless one is quick enough to make the counterattack and retreat ahead of the advancing opponent without being scored upon, or by evading the attacking blade via moves such as the In Quartata (turning to the side) or Passata-sotto (ducking). Counterattacks can also be executed in opposition, grazing along the opponent's blade and deflecting it to cause the attack to miss. | |||
| * Point-in-line: A specific position where the arm is straight and the point is threatening the opponent's target area. In foil and sabre, this gives one priority if the extension is completed before the opponent begins the final action of their attack. When performed as a defensive action, the attacker must then disturb the extended weapon to re-take priority; otherwise the defender has priority and the point-in-line will win the touch if the attacker does not manage a single light. In épée, there is no priority; the move may be used as a means by either fencer to achieve a double-touch and advance the score by 1 for each fencer. In all weapons, the point-in-line position is commonly used to slow the opponent's advance and cause them to delay the execution of their attack. | |||
| ==Other variants== | |||
| A ], just like an attack, to be counted as valid must fulfill certain criteria. In foil any action that deflects a linear attack from its passage towards the target (i.e. temporarily removes the threat by deviating the point from the target) or breaks the momentum of an attack deliverd by a swinging motion will, generally, be given as a parry. Consequently, foilists often parry with a sharp beating motion which does not necessarily end in a full cover. In sabre, according to the ] rules, "the parry is properly carried out when, before the completion of the attack, it prevents the arrival of that attack by closing the line in which that attack is to finish". In practice, when blades clash, sabre referees tend to look at the point of blade contact: contact of a defender's ] with an attacker's ] is generally counted as a parry, and the priority passes to the defender; whereas contact of a defender's foible with an attacker's forte is counted as a ], and the priority stays with the attacker. Some fencers refer to a retreat that makes an attack fall short as a "distance parry", but this is informal use: an actual parry requires blade contact. | |||
| Other variants include ] for those with disabilities, chair fencing, ''one-hit épée'' (one of the five events which constitute ]) and the various types of non-Olympic competitive fencing.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.teamusa.org/home/us%20paralympics/sports/fencing.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531192037/http://www.teamusa.org/Home/US%20Paralympics/Sports/Fencing.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 31, 2012|title=U.S. Paralympics {{!}} Sports {{!}} Wheelchair Fencing|work=Team USA|access-date=2017-09-21}}</ref> Chair fencing is similar to wheelchair fencing, but for the able bodied. The opponents set up opposing chairs and fence while seated; all the usual rules of fencing are applied. An example of the latter is the ] (distinct from the ]): the format of competitions is different and the right of way rules are interpreted in a different way. In a number of countries, school and university matches deviate slightly from the FIE format. A variant of the sport using toy ]s earned national attention when ] acquired the rights to a selection of matches and included it as part of its "ESPN8: The Ocho" programming block in August 2018.<ref>{{cite web|first=Brian|last=Steinberg|url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/bold-strategy-cotton-espn-the-ocho-business-1202899209/#article-comments|title=Bold strategy, Cotton: Inside ESPN's crazy plans to turn 'The Ocho' into a business|work=Variety|date=August 8, 2018|access-date=August 8, 2018|quote=ESPN had to acquire the rights to show two of the most random events on the schedule (...) and high-level light-saber dueling.}}</ref> | |||
| Two handed fencing refers to a type of fencing where a ] or ] is used to parry attacks.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hebert |first=Justin |date=2014-09-09 |title=Two-Handed Fencing {{!}} Justin Hebert, SFF Author |url=https://justin-hebert.com/2014/09/09/two-handed-fencing/ |access-date=2024-03-07 |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
| ===Penalties=== | |||
| Modern fencing also includes the addition of cards/flags (or penalties). Each card has a different meaning. A fencer penalized with a yellow card is warned, but no other action is taken. A fencer penalized with a red card is warned, and a touch is awarded to his opponent. A fencer penalized with a black card is excluded from the competition, and may be excluded from the tournament, expelled from the venue, or suspended from future tournaments in the case of serious offenses. | |||
| ==In popular culture== | |||
| Offenses are broken down into four groups, and penalties are assesed based upon the group of the offense. Group 1 offenses include actions such as making bodily contact with the opposing fencer (in foil or sabre), delaying the bout, or removing equipment. The first group 1 offense committed by a fencer in a bout is penalized with a yellow card. Subsequent group 1 offenses committed by that fencer are penalized with a red card. Group 2 offenses include actions that are vindictive or violent in nature, or the failure to report to the strip with proper inspection marks on equipment. All group 2 offenses are penalized with a red card. Group 3 offenses include disturbing the order of a bout, or intentionally falsifying inspection marks. The first group 3 offense committed by a fencer is penalized with a red card, while any subsequent group 3 offense is penalized with a black card. Group 4 offenses include doping, manifest cheating, and other breaches of ], such as a refusal to salute. Group 4 offenses are penalized with a black card. | |||
| One of the most notable films related to fencing is the 2015 Finnish-Estonian-German film '']'', directed by ], which is loosely based on the life of ], an accomplished Estonian fencer and ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Reiljan |first=Kaire |title="Vehkleja". Kaks lugu, elu ja tõde filmis |language=et |trans-title="The Fencer". Two stories, life and truth in film |website=Lääne Elu |date=2024-07-29 |url=http://online.le.ee/2015/03/16/vehkleja-kaks-lugu-elu-ja-tode-filmis/ |access-date=2016-01-09}}</ref> The film was nominated for the ] in the ] category.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/fencer| title = The Fencer |website=]}}</ref> | |||
| In 2017, the first issue of the '']'' comic book series, which follows a fictional team of young fencers, was published by the US-based ]. | |||
| There is also a specific penalty for putting one or both feet off the side edge of the piste: halt is called, and the opponent may then advance one metre towards the penalised fencer. The penalised fencer must retreat to 'normal' distance before the bout can restart - that is, the distance where both fencers can stand on-guard, with their arms and swords extended directly at their opponent, and their blades do not cross. If this puts the fencer beyond the back edge of the piste, the fencer's opponent receives a point. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| ===Electronic scoring equipment=== | |||
| {{Portal|Martial arts}} | |||
| Electronic scoring is used in all major national and international, and most local, competitions. At Olympic level, it was first introduced to épée in ], to foil in ], and to sabre in ]. There are, however, still traditionalists within the fencing community who have fundamental objections to the practice (discussed later on in this section). | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==Notes== | |||
| The central unit of the scoring system is commonly known as "the box". In the simplest version both fencers' weapons are connected to the box via long retractable cables. The box normally carries a set of lights to signal when a touch has been made. (Larger peripheral lights are also often used.) In foil and sabre, because of the need to distinguish on-target hits from off-target ones, special conductive clothing must be worn. This includes a jacket of conducting (]) cloth (for both weapons) and (in the case of sabre) a conducting mask and cuff (]). | |||
| {{Reflist|30em}} | |||
| ==References== | |||
| Recently, reel-less gear has been adopted for sabre at top competitions, including the Athens Olympics. In this system, which dispenses with the spool (by using the fencer's own body as a grounding point), the lights and detectors are mounted directly on the fencers' masks. For the sake of the audience, clearly visible peripheral lights triggered by wireless transmission may be used. However, the mask lights must remain as the official indicators, as FIE regulations prohibit the use of wireless transmitters in official scoring equipment, to prevent cheating. Plans for reel-less épée and foil have not yet been adopted because of technical complications. | |||
| * Amberger, Johann Christoph (1999). ''The Secret History of the Sword''. Burbank: Multi-Media. {{ISBN|1-892515-04-0}} | |||
| * ] (1936). The Art of the Sabre and the Épée. 1936. reprint 2019. ISBN 9783964010056 | |||
| In the case of foil and épée, hits are registered by depressing a small push-button on the end of the blade. In foil, the hit must land on the opponent's lame to be considered on-target. (On-target hits set off coloured lights; off-target hits set off white lights.) At high level foil and épée competitions, grounded conductive pistes are normally laid down to ensure that bouts are not disrupted by accidental hits on the floor. In sabre, an on-target hit is registered whenever a fencer's blade comes into contact with the opponent's ] jacket, cuff or mask. Off-target hits are not registered at all in sabre. It has been proposed that a similar arrangement (non-registration of off-target hits) be adopted for foil. This proposal is due to be reviewed at the 2007 ] Congress. In épée the entire body is on-target, so the subject of off-target hits does not arise (unless you count the hits which miss the opponet entirely and land on an ungrounded section of the floor - needless to say doing so on purpose is considered cheating). Finally the competitors weapons are always grounded so hits against an opponent's blade or coquille do not register. | |||
| * British Fencing (September 2008). "". Official document. Retrieved 2008-12-16. | |||
| * Evangelista, Nick (1996). ''The Art and Science of Fencing''. Indianapolis: Masters Press. {{ISBN|1-57028-075-4}}. | |||
| In foil and sabre, despite the presence of all the gadgetry, it is still the referee's job to analyse the phrase and, in the case of simultaneous hits, to determine which fencer had the right of way. | |||
| * Evangelista, Nick (2000). ''The Inner Game of Fencing: Excellence in Form, Technique, Strategy, and Spirit''. Chicago: Masters Press. {{ISBN|1-57028-230-7}}. | |||
| * Gaugler, William M. (2004). "The Science of Fencing: A Comprehensive Training Manual for Master and Student: Including Lesson Plans for Foil, Sabre and Epee Instruction". Laureate Press. {{ISBN|1884528309}}. | |||
| "Electric" fencing has not been without its problems. One of the most talked about has been the registration of glancing hits in foil. Traditionally, a valid, "palpable" hit could only be scored, if the point were fixed on the target in such a manner, as would be likely to pierce the skin, had the weapon been sharp. However, the electric foil point (the push-button on the end of the blade) lacks directionality, so hits which arrive at a very high angle of incidence can still register. In the 1980s, this lead to a growing popularity of hits delivered with a whip-like action (commonly known as "the flick"), bending the blade around the opponent's parry. Many saw this as an unacceptable deviation from tradition. In fact, the disputes over the flick grew so bitter that a number of traditionalist advocated (and still continue to advocate) complete abandonment of electronic scoring as something detrimental to fencing as an art. In 2004-2005 the ] brought in rule changes to address such concerns. The dwell time (the length of time the point has to remain depressed in order to register a hit) was increased from 1 millisecond to 15 milliseconds. This change has been rather controversial. While it has not eliminated the flick altogether, it has made it technically trickier thereby denting its popularity. However, there have been some serious problems with apparently "palpable" hits not registering. Moreover, the imperative to make clear "square-on" hits has lead to a number of unforeseen results, which, it has been argued, have made foil less rather than more classical. The following have been reported: | |||
| * United States Fencing Association (September 2010). ''''. Retrieved 2011-10-03. | |||
| *Unwillingness to attack, leading to long periods of inactivity and loss of certain visually striking (but risky) maneuvers; | |||
| * Vass, Imre (2011). "Epee Fencing: A Complete System". SKA SwordPlay Books. {{ISBN|0978902270}}. | |||
| *Loss of popularity of the more sophisticated and technically demanding compound actions; | |||
| *A rise in the number of renewed offensive actions (at the expense of counter-ripostes) delivered with a decidedly unclassical pumping action; | |||
| *A rise in the number of counterattacks with avoidance (at the expense of ripostes); | |||
| *Increased popularity of unorthodox "cowering" on-guard positions among young fencers; | |||
| *Hard hitting. | |||
| Having said that, every one of the above claims is a subject of dispute. | |||
| In sabre, the inadequacy of existing sensors has made it necessary to dispense with the requirement that a cut must be delivered with either the leading or the reverse edge of the blade and that, once again, it must arrive with sufficient force to have caused an injury had the blade been sharp (but not so forcefully as to injure your opponent with a blunt weapon!) At present, any contact between the blade and the opponent's target is counted as a valid hit. Some argue that this has reduced sabre to a two-man game of tag; others argue that this has made the game more sophisticated. | |||
| The other serious problem in sabre (universally acknowledged as a problem) is that of "whip-over." The flexibility of the blades is such that the momentum of a cut can often "whip" the end of the blade around the defender's parry. The low success rate of parries (compared to other weapons) is seen by many as impoverishing the tactical repertory of the weapon. In 2000 the ] brought in rule changes requiring stiffer blades. This has improved matters but not eradicated the problem altogether. There has been talk of making the sabre guard smaller, in order to make attacks on preparation and counterattacks easier and thus slow down the momentum of the attack, giving the defender more of a chance. | |||
| Finally, the cut-out times deserve a mention. The cutout time is the maximum time allowed by the box between two hits registering as simultaneous (if this time is exceeded, only one light will appear). In épée this time is very short: 40 milliseconds. This means that, so far as human perception is concerned, the hits really do need to arrive at the same instant. In foil and sabre, where priority rules apply, the cutout times are considerably longer (hundreds of milliseconds). This was a source of two problems: | |||
| *Double lights are a frequent occurrence, making refereeing difficult. Too many decisions are disputed. | |||
| *Once again, the attacker gains an unreasonable advantage. It is possible to execute a long marching attack with only a hint of an arm extension, clearly inviting an attack on preparation, which is then followed by a delayed trompment. | |||
| For those reasons, in 2004-2005 the ] slashed the cut-out times for foil and sabre from 750 milliseconds to 350 milliseconds and from 350 milliseconds to 120 milliseconds respectively. While these changes were controversial at first, the fencing community now seems to have accepted them. Some concerns remain at sabre, where immediate renewals frequently "time out" indirect ripostes. | |||
| ===Non-electronic scoring=== | |||
| Prior to the introduction of electronic scoring equipment, the president of jury was assisted by four judges. Two judges were positioned behind each fencer, one on each side of the strip. The judges watched the fencer opposite to see if he was hit. | |||
| When a judge thought he saw a hit, he raised his hand. The president (] or ]) then stopped the bout and reviewed the relevant phases of the action, polling the judges at each stage to determine whether there was a touch, and (in foil and sabre) whether the touch was valid or invalid. Each judge had one vote, and the president had one and a half votes. Thus, two judges could overrule the president; but if the judges disagreed, or if one judge abstained, the president's opinion ruled. | |||
| Épée fencing was later conducted with red dye on the tip, easily seen on the white uniform. As a bout went on, if a touch was seen, a red mark would appear. Between the halts of the director, judges would inspect each fencer for any red marks. Once one was found, it was circled in a dark ] to show that it had already been counted. The red dye was not easily removed, preventing any ]. The only way to remove it was through certain acids such as ]. Thus, épée fencers became renowned for their reek of vinegar until the invention of electronic equipment. | |||
| == Footwork == | |||
| ].]] | |||
| In a fencing bout, a great deal depends on being in the right place at the right time. Fencers are constantly maneuvering in and out of each other's range, accelerating, decelerating, changing directions and so on. All this has to be done with minimum effort and maximum grace, which makes footwork arguably the most important aspect of a fencer's training regime. In fact, in the first half of the ] it was common practice to put fencers through six months to a year of footwork before they were ever allowed to hold a sword. (For better or for worse, this practice has now been largely abandoned.) | |||
| Modern fencing tends to be quite linear. To some extent this may be dictated by the practicalities of fitting the maximum number of fencers into a finite size gym and hooking them up to the electronic scoring apparatus. The main reason, however, is that the weapons are light and easy to redirect. Sideways movement, which was a common defense against an attack with a comparatively unwieldy weapon like the ], is now a pretty unreliable tactic against a competent opponent. These days, defense by footwork usually takes the shape of moving either directly away from your opponent (out of his range) or directly towards him (making the attack "overshoot"). | |||
| The way fencers stand and move often appears artificial to a novice, but it has evolved over centuries of trial and error and is, in fact, extremely pragmatic. The most basic requirement is to face your opponent in such a way that your weapon offers you maximum protection and your opponent maximum threat. Consequently fencers tend to stand somewhat side-on to the principal direction of movement (the ''fencing line''), leading with the weapon side (right for a right-hander, left for a left-hander). In ] and ] this has the added advantage of presenting the opponent with a sloping target surface, making it more difficult for him to land a sound hit. The second most important requirement is to maintain balance and ease of movement. In the ''fencing stance'' the feet are a shoulderwidth or more apart giving a wide base. They are also placed at right angles to one another: the front foot points along the fencing line, and the back foot perpendicular to it. This allows the fencer to "shuffle" backwards and forwards, which is the most common mode of movement (more about that in the next paragraph). Finally, the knees are well bent and the centre of gravity is kept mid way between the heels. The fencer is now in a position where he is well balanced, able to use his leg muscles to generate rapid bursts of speed and change directions with comparative ease. | |||
| As was already mentioned, fencers tend to move with series of "shuffling" steps, which allow them to stay in the fencing stance. In order to move forwards, the fencer picks up his front foot, puts it down a few inches ahead of its original position, then picks up his back foot and moves it by the same amount. To move backwards, the procedure is reversed. The order in which the feet are moved is important, and, if the fencer gets it wrong, he may end up with a dangerously narrow and unbalanced stance half way through the step. Having said that, like all rules, this one can sometimes be broken to great effect. | |||
| The most common way of delivering an attack in fencing is the ''lunge'', where the fencer kicks out with his front foot and rapidly straightens his back leg. This maneuver has a number of advantages: it is faster than a step, it allows the fencer to keep his own body as far away from the opponent as is possible without losing balance, and it is comparatively easy to return into the fencing stance. On the downside, the lunge puts the fencer in a comparatively static position, and any further movement backwards or forwards, while by no means impossible, does require extra effort. | |||
| Sometimes fencers do take the more "natural" kind of steps, where the back foot passes the front foot. These are usually referred to as ''cross-steps''. While cross-steps do have the advantage of range and speed, they put a fencer in an awkward and frequently unbalanced position mid-step, which is why experienced fencers tend to use them sparingly. A somewhat exaggerated version of the cross-step, sometimes used to deliver an attack in ] or ], is the '']'' ("arrow" in ]). In the flêche, the fencer leans forward and takes a long running cross-step, generating most of the thrust with his front leg. Ideally, the hit delivered with a fléche should arrive as or just before the fencer's front foot hits the ground. The best way to defend against this attack is by the use of a cedeing parry. This is where the defending fencer steps back whilst parrying his opponent's blade. This move is effective when performed well and can also turn the flêche to the defendant's advantage. When (as often happens) the flêching fencer runs past the defender after a cedeing parry, the defender can pivot 180° on their rear foot and hit the attacking fencer on the back in one swift movement. This movement is hard to perform and requires alot of practice as it is only legal when performed in one movment, otherwise the fencer would be penalised for turning their back. In ] cross-steps have been prohibited since the 1990s, because they make for very boring fencing. In a real fight (one involving sharp weapons), a running attack would be an extremely risky thing to try: there is always the possibility of a last-minute counterattack with both fencers ending up dead. Because of the priority rules (and the fact that the weapons are blunt), this issue does not come up in competitive sabre. Given the large scoring surface (the entire blade), a well delivered running attack is nigh impossible to defend against — it is impossible to move backwards fast enough. | |||
| Variations and portions of the above movements can also be used by themselves. For example, a ''check-step'' forward is performed by moving the back foot as in a retreat, then performing an entire advance. This maneuver can trick your opponent into thinking that you are retreating, when in reality you are about to close distance. | |||
| Other footwork actions include the ''appel'' (] for "call"), which is a stomp designed to upset the opponent's perception of rhythm, and the ''ballestra'', which is a "hopping" step commonly used as a preparation for attacks (the back foot leaves the ground, while the front foot is still in mid-air; both feet come down at the same time). | |||
| == National governing bodies == | |||
| ;Argentina: | |||
| In ], the sport of fencing is governed by the ] (FAE). Information about this organization can be found here: . | |||
| ;Australia : | |||
| Australia has the Australian Fencing Federation (AFF). The organization's website is located here: | |||
| ;Canada : | |||
| In ] the Canadian Fencing Federation (CFF) is the governing body of fencing. The website is located here: | |||
| ;Estonia : | |||
| In ], the sport of fencing is governed by ] (]). The organization's website is located here: . | |||
| ;France : | |||
| In ], the sport of fencing is governed by the ] (FFE). The organization's website is located here: . | |||
| ;Hungary : | |||
| In ], the sport of fencing is governed by the ] (]). The organization's website is located here: | |||
| ;Ireland : | |||
| The sport of fencing in ] is governed by the ]. | |||
| ;Italy : | |||
| In ], the sport of fencing is governed by the ] (FIS). The organization's website is located here: . | |||
| ;Mexico : | |||
| In ], the sport of fencing is governed by the ] (FME). Clubs affiliate to each state's association, who are affiliated with the FME. | |||
| ;New Zealand : | |||
| In ], the sport of fencing is governed by ] (]) | |||
| ;Turkey : | |||
| The governing body responsible for the sport of fencing in ] is ] (TEF). The organization's website is located here: | |||
| ;United States : | |||
| In the ], the sport of fencing is governed by the ] (USFA). | |||
| ;United Kingdom | |||
| In the ], fencing is governed by the ] (BFA). | |||
| The 'Home Nations' of Wales, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own governing bodies under the auspices of the BFA: , , the and respectively. | |||
| == Collegiate fencing == | |||
| Collegiate fencing has existed for a long time in the US. Some of the earliest programs came from the ] schools, but now there are over 100 fencing programs nation-wide. Both clubs and varsity teams participate in the sport, however only the varsity teams may participate in the ] championship tournament. Due to the limited number of colleges that have fencing teams, teams fence inter-division (teams from Division I schools to Division III), and all divisions participate in the NCAA Championships. In ] ] edged out ] to win their first ] in the sport. | |||
| Collegiate fencing tournaments are "team tournaments" in a sense, but contrary to what many people expect, collegiate meets are not run as 45-touch relays. Schools compete against each other one at a time. In each weapon and gender, three fencers from each school fence three fencers on the opposing team in five-touch bouts. (Substitutions are allowed, so more than three fencers per squad can compete in a tournament.) A fencer's individual results in collegiate tournaments and regional championships are used to select the fencers who will compete in NCAA championships. Individual results for fencers from each school are combined to judge the school's overall performance and to calculate how it should be placed in a given tournament. | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| ==Notable Fencers== | |||
| ===Fencers and coaches of the Olympic era=== | |||
| '''Belarus''' | |||
| * ] - foilist, one of the greatest fencers of the Soviet era, 1968 individual Olympic Champion, 1969 individual World Champion, member of the winning Soviet team at the 1968,1972 and 1976 Olympics and the 1970, 1971 and 1974 World Championships. | |||
| * ] - foilist, one of the most successful Soviet fencers, regarded by some as the greatest foilist of the ] | |||
| * ] - an extremely successful sabreur from the Soviet era, Olympic (1972) and World (1969) Champion, winner of the 1972 and 1973 World Cup, also a member of the winning team at the 1968, 1976 and 1980 Olympics and at the 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975 and 1979 World Team Championships, pupil of ] | |||
| '''China''' | |||
| * ] - Chinese fencer and coach, gold medallist for Women's Foil at the ] | |||
| '''Estonia''' | |||
| * ] - The most successful Estonian fencer at the Soviet era. Olympic gold medal for Women's Foil team event at the ], World champion at the Women's Foil team event at 1971, silver 1969, individual World Championships bronze medal 1969. | |||
| * ] - Estonian épéeist, bronze (1990) and gold (1991) at the World Championships team event (as a part of Soviet Union team). Individual World Championships bronze (1999). | |||
| '''France''' | |||
| * ] - twice World Champion (1905 and 1918), won four Gold and three Silver Olympic medals covering all three weapons | |||
| * ] - 4 times world champion, 2 olympic titles plus many team titles | |||
| * ] - French epeeist, who, with two gold, a silver and two bronze medals, is the current most successful female French sportswoman at the Winter or Summer Olympics. | |||
| '''Germany''' | |||
| * ] - a German-Jewish foilist, won Gold at the ] and the 1929 World Chamnpionship, left for the US in 1931, returned to represent Germany in the ] and won Silver, went back to the US and was granted US citizenship, returned to Germany in 1952 and died of cancer in 1953, won the US Championships a total of eight times | |||
| '''Great Britain''' | |||
| * ] - a five time British sabre Champion, best known today as the author of "By the Sword", a highly acclaimed book on the history of fencing | |||
| * ] - foilist, the most successful male British fencer for several decades, reached the quarter-finals (L8) at the ], in 2006 he won the silver medal in Mens Foil at the European championships, pupil of ] | |||
| * ] - sabreur, reached L16 at the ], known for his flamboyant fencing style and unbelievable fitness levels, recently retired from competitive fencing | |||
| '''Hungary''' | |||
| * ] - Hungarian master and Olympic coach | |||
| * ] - Hungarian sabreur who is the only athlete to win the same Olympic event six times. | |||
| * ] - six time Olympic and seven time World sabre Chapion | |||
| * ] - the Hungarian master who defined a system for developing coaches and wrote "Fencing and the Master", the only direct student of the legendary Italo Santelli to write of what he learned. Teacher of Olympic and World champions. | |||
| * ] - Hungarian master and Olympic coach | |||
| * ] - authored a widely read guide to épée fencing | |||
| * ] (1904-2003) - Hungarian fencing master and a legendary promoter and teacher of fencing in the post-war US; a student of Italo Santelli, he served as captain of the Hungarian fencing team at the London Olympics in 1948. He emigrated to the United States following the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956 and worked as a fencing coach at a number of colleges and universities, including the University of Southern California and Pomona College in Claremont, CA. He died in 2003 at the age of 99. | |||
| '''Israel''' | |||
| * ] (1945 – September 6, 1972) was a fencing master and coach of Israel's 1972 Summer Olympics team. He was one of 11 athletes and coaches taken hostage and subsequently killed by Palestinian extremists in the Munich massacre. | |||
| '''Italy''' | |||
| * ] of Italy has won more Olympic titles and World championships than any other fencer in the history of the sport, a member of the Mangiarotti fencing clan. | |||
| * ] - won gold and silver medallist at the ], during the Mussolini years emigrated to the US, where he penned the influential "On Fencing" and his autobiographical notes entitled "The Living Sword", son of ] and brother of ] | |||
| * ] - won 6 Olympic Gold medals: three foil, two sabre and one épée, son of ] and brother of ] | |||
| * ] - born in Hungary, son of ], won Gold at the ] as part of the Italian sabre team, emigrated to the US in 1924, coach to 5 U.S. Olympic teams, legendary fencing teacher and popularizer, founder of the Santelli salle in ]. | |||
| * ] - the fencing master who revolutionized sabre fencing and developed the modern Hungarian style in the ]. | |||
| '''Poland''' | |||
| * ] - a highly respected coach, coached the Polish national squad for many years, has written over 25 books, has successful pupils in all weapons, including ], ], ], ], ]. | |||
| * ] - three time Champion of Poland, member of the Polish Olympic squad at the ], defected to Great Britain in 1978, where he is renowned as a successful coach, pupils include ], ] and ]. As of 2005 he teaches part-time at ], London. | |||
| '''Russia''' | |||
| * ] - sabreur, a member of the winning Russian team at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics and the | |||
| * ] - épéeist, Olympic Champion ], five times World Champion (1991, 1993, 1994, 2002, 2005), twice Junior World Champion (1987, 1988), winner of the 1999 World Cup | |||
| * ] - sabreur, four-time Olympic Gold medalist (1976 and 1980 individual and team), twice individual World Champion (1978, 1982), twice winner of the World Cup (1976, 1979) | |||
| * ] - foilist, a member of the first generation of internationally successful Soviet fencers, took Gold at 1956 and 1960 Olympics as a part of the Soviet team, won four consecutive World Championships (1959-1962). | |||
| * ] - sabre fencer/coach, won the individual World Championship in 1975 and 1979 and the World Cup in 1975 and 1977, took team Gold at the 1968, 1976 and 1980 Olympics and at the 1967, 1969-1971, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979 World Championships, twice named the world's best sabre fencer by the ], currently head fencing coach of The Ohio State University fencing team. | |||
| * ] - modern pentathlete, individual silver medallist and team gold medallist in 1972, disqualified in 1976 for using a rigged weapon | |||
| * ] - sabreur, Olympic (1996) and World (1997, 2001, 2002) Champion, seven times winner of the World Cup (1994-1996, 1999-2002), member of the winning Russian sabre team at the 1992, ], 2000 and 2004 Olympics and at the 1994, 2001, 2002 and 2003 World Championships | |||
| * ] - sabreur, twice Olympic Champion (1964, 1968), World Champion in 1967, ]'s pupil and a highly successful coach in his own right (pupils include ], ] and ]) | |||
| * ] - sabreur, twice Olympic (1964, 1968) and three times World (1958, 1961, 1963) Champion, represented the USSR over a period of 14 years (1953-1966) | |||
| * ] - foilist, won individual Gold at the ], won the world championships in 1981, died at the 1982 World Championships in Rome, when a broken blade went through his mask causing a fatal brain injury (through the left eye orbit--not the eye itself); his death prompted an extensive review of safety standards in fencing. Most notably it prompted stronger masks (the mesh must withstand a 12kg probe on a regular mask, 25kg on an FIE mask. Smirnov's mask at the time of his injury was less than half as strong as the non-FIE masks of today when he obtained it. By the time of his injury, it had likely deteriorated from use and was even weaker) 800 Newton resistant fabric in the jacket, underarm protector, and knickers (1600N in the mask bib) maraging steel blades in foil and epee (which, contrary to fencing urban myth, are not designed to "break flat". They simply break less frequently than carbon steel blades) and various rules re-clothing overlap and placement of zippers and seams. All of these changes were designed to minimize the chance of a blade getting through the protective clothing. Tragic though his death was, it ultimately resulted in making the sport statistically safer than golf. | |||
| * ] - sabreur, a member of the first generation of internationally successful Soviet fencers, won medals at the ] and five World Championships, best known for his achievements as a coach, one of the founding fathers of the Soviet school of fencing, pupils include ], ] and ] | |||
| '''South Korea''' | |||
| * ] - Olympic foil Champion 2000. Additionally, was down 11-3 to Sergei Golubitsky in the third and final period of the men's foil gold medal bout at the 1997 World Championships. Since the necessary score to reach to win was 15 touches, most people would consider Kim to be fencing for pride at this point. Instead, he rallied and scored 8 touches in a row on Golubitsky -- seven of them being one-light hits -- to tie it up at 11 all. They then traded touches until Golubitsky won his first of three world titles 15-14...surely the most heroic loss at any world championsip. | |||
| '''Ukraine''' | |||
| * ] - World foil Champion 1997, 1998, 1999, Winner of the 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1999 World Cup | |||
| '''USA''' | |||
| * ], bronze medallist in the ] in Foil | |||
| * ], Olympian, U.S. Foil Fencer, Member of the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame | |||
| * ], 1976, 1980 Olympian U.S. Women's Foil Fencer (now Gay MacLellan) | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ], legendary coach to 6 U.S. Olympic teams, immigrated from Hungary | |||
| * ], specializes in early 20th Century fencing, calling it 'classical' to distinguish it from current sport fencing. | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] 5 x Olympian, Epee and Foil Coach, National Champion | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ], bronze medallist in the ] in Sabre; first American female to be ranked #1 in the world, and the second American ever to be ranked #1 in the world. | |||
| * ], U.S. National women's sabre team coach, formerly Polish national coach, coach to 7 x Jr. World Sabre Champion Mariel Zagunis, 2004 Cadet Sabre champion, Caitlin Thomas, coach to 2000 and 2005 U.S. World Champion sabre team. Coach to 2004 Olympic Gold medallist Mariel Zagunis. 2002 and 2003 World Veterans Champion in Men's sabre. | |||
| * ], 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968 Olympian U.S. Foil Fencer. | |||
| * Maitre Michel Sebastiani coached fencing at Princeton from 1982-2006, and before that coached fencing at Brooklyn College, NYU, and Cornell. He coached his teams to 11 national championships. In 1994 and again in 2006 he was named the most outstanding Coach of the Year by the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA). He developed 5 NCAA individual men's champions and 3 NCAA individual women's champions. He was a 1960 French Modern Pentathlon Olympic Team selection. | |||
| * ], first American to be ranked #1 in the World, member of 2004 gold medal US Men's Sabre team at World Cup | |||
| *], sabre student of U.S. National Coach Ed Korfanty. 2005 FIE Jr. World Champion at age 15. Part of the U.S. Sr. Women's Sabre team that took the 2005 World Championship title in Leipzig, Germany Oct. 2005 (other members were Sada Jacobson, Caitlin Thompson and Olympic Champion Mariel Zagunis. 2006 Cadet World Champion, 2006 Jr. World Champion, 2006 Jr. World Champion Team member, 2nd fencer in history to win 3 world titles in one season (Team-mate Zagunis was the first). | |||
| * ], bronze medallist in the ], 13-time ] National Men's Sabre Champion, author of ''Harnessing Anger'', founder of the Peter Westbrook Foundation, teaching and helping youth through sport. | |||
| * ], gold medallist in the first ever Women's Sabre event at the ] in Sabre; first American woman to win gold; first American to win gold since 1904 | |||
| ===Fencing masters of the pre-Olympic era=== | |||
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| ===Famous duellists and fencing enthusiasts=== | |||
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| * ] - General and U.S. Army Master of the Sword. Designer of the M1913 Cavalry Saber. 1912 Stockholm Olympics in the first modern pentathlon competition (Ranked 1st in fencing - 8th overall). | |||
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| ===Members of the contemporary classical fencing community=== | |||
| * - Portugal | |||
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| ===Members of the Historical fencing community=== | |||
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| ==See also== | |||
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| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| <!-- ATTENTION! Please do not add links without discussion and consensus on the talk page. Undiscussed links will be removed. --> | |||
| ; Governing bodies | |||
| {{Wiktionary|fencing}} | |||
| * The body responsible for all international fencing | |||
| {{Commons category|lcfirst=yes}} | |||
| * An international organization for traditional (classical & historical) fencing | |||
| * (PDF) | |||
| * | |||
| * | * from rec.sport.fencing | ||
| * from MIT OpenCourseWare as taught in Spring 2007 | |||
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| * IWFC Official Web Site | |||
| ; Other sites | |||
| * comprehensive fencing news site featuring articles on the state of the game, as well as an active forum for fencing discussion | |||
| * UK based fencing forum for fencing discussion | |||
| * | |||
| * An extensive directory of traditional fencing groups and prominent individuals listed by geographic location | |||
| * | |||
| * Mexican fencing website | |||
| * from rec.sport.fencing | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * NFA is an official club member of the United States Fencing Associaten (USFA) and the New Jersey Division (NJUSFA). NFA specializes in men's and women's saber, foil and epee. | |||
| * Official photographer of the International Fencing Federation | |||
| * Fencing overview | |||
| * | |||
| * Site with current results for most tournaments in the U.S.A., as well as info on upcoming tournaments. | |||
| * The official website of the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts (Historical Fencing) | |||
| * | |||
| * The argentine fencing site | |||
| * http://members.ozemail.com.au/~mprince/fencing/fencing.html The University of New South Wales Fencing Club Website | |||
| * Ancient Fencing Art Italian Institute | |||
| == References == | |||
| <references/> | |||
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Latest revision as of 23:46, 15 October 2024
Type of armed combat sport This article is about the sport. For the computing process, see Fencing (computing). For the act of building a fence, see Fence. For other uses, see Fence (disambiguation).
 Final of the Challenge Réseau Ferré de France–Trophée Monal 2012, épée world cup tournament in Paris | |
| Highest governing body | FIE |
|---|---|
| First played | Between the 17th and 19th centuries Europe |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Semi-contact |
| Team members | Singles or team relay |
| Mixed-sex | Yes, separate |
| Type | indoor |
| Equipment | Épée, foil, sabre, body cord, lamé, grip |
| Venue | Piste |
| Glossary | Glossary of fencing |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Worldwide |
| Olympic | Part of Summer Olympic programme since 1896 |
| Paralympic | part of Summer Paralympic programme since 1960 |
 | |
| Also known as | Épée fencing, foil fencing, sabre fencing |
|---|---|
| Focus | Weaponry |
| Hardness | Semi-contact |
| Olympic sport | Present since inaugural 1896 Olympics |
| Official website | fie |
Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. The three disciplines of modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also saber); each discipline uses a different kind of blade, which shares the same name, and employs its own rules. Most competitive fencers specialise in one discipline. The modern sport gained prominence near the end of the 19th century and is based on the traditional skill set of swordsmanship. The Italian school altered the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school later refined that system. Scoring points in a fencing competition is done by making contact with an opponent.
The 1904 Olympics Games featured a fourth discipline of fencing known as singlestick, but it was dropped after that year and is not a part of modern fencing. Competitive fencing was one of the first sports to be featured in the Olympics and, along with athletics, cycling, swimming, and gymnastics, has been featured in every modern Olympics.
Competitive fencing
Governing body
Further information: Fédération Internationale d'EscrimeFencing is governed by the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE), headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. The FIE is composed of 155 national federations, each of which is recognised by its state Olympic Committee as the sole representative of Olympic-style fencing in that country.
Rules
Main article: Fencing rulesThe FIE maintains the current rules used by major international events, including world cups, world championships and the Olympic Games. The FIE handles proposals to change the rules at an annual congress.
Bout scoring and duration
In fencing, a bout consists of a set number of hits or a certain duration, depending on the format of the competition.
- Individual bouts: In direct elimination bouts, the bout is for 15 hits or 9 minutes of effective fencing time, split into three 3-minute periods with a 1-minute break between each period. The timer is paused during stoppages, such as when a hit is scored.
- Team matches: In team events, each match consists of a series of nine bouts. Each bout lasts until one fencer scores 5 points, or three minutes have elapsed. The match continues until one team accumulates 45 points or the time limit is reached.
- Sudden death: If the scores are tied at the end of regulation time, then for a pool bout the score is recorded as a tie. For a direct elimination bout, a 1-minute sudden-death overtime period is fenced, with the priority determined by drawing lots. The first fencer to score a valid hit wins. If no hits are scored during overtime, the fencer with priority wins.
Universities and schools
See also: Collegiate Fencing and High School FencingUniversity students compete internationally at the World University Games. The United States holds two national-level university tournaments (the NCAA championship and the USACFC National Championships). The BUCS holds fencing tournaments in the United Kingdom. Many universities in Ontario, Canada have fencing teams that participate in an annual inter-university competition called the OUA Finals.
National fencing organisations have set up programmes to encourage more students to fence. Examples include the Regional Youth Circuit program in the US and the Leon Paul Youth Development series in the UK.
The UK hosts two national competitions in which schools compete against each other directly: the Public Schools Fencing Championship, a competition only open to Independent Schools, and the Scottish Secondary Schools Championships, open to all secondary schools in Scotland. It contains both teams and individual events and is highly anticipated. Schools organise matches directly against one another and school age pupils can compete individually in the British Youth Championships.
In recent years, attempts have been made to introduce fencing to a wider and younger audience, by using foam and plastic swords, which require much less protective equipment. This makes it much less expensive to provide classes, and thus easier to take fencing to a wider range of schools than traditionally has been the case. There is even a competition series in Scotland – the Plastic-and-Foam Fencing FunLeague – specifically for Primary and early Secondary school-age children using this equipment.
History
Main article: History of fencing See also: History of physical training and fitness
Fencing traces its roots to the development of swordsmanship for duels and self-defence. Described as "high-speed chess", each bout begins and ends with a salute. Good sportsmanship and honor are stressed at every level of training and competition.
The oldest surviving treatise on western fencing is the Royal Armouries Ms. I.33, also known as the Tower manuscript, written c. 1300 in present-day Germany, which discusses the usage of the arming sword together with the buckler. It was followed by a number of treatises, primarily from Germany and Italy, with the oldest surviving Italian treatise being Fior di Battaglia by Fiore dei Liberi, written c. 1400. However, because they were written for the context of a knightly duel with a primary focus on archaic weapons such as the arming sword, longsword, or poleaxe, these older treatises do not really stand in continuity with modern fencing.
From the 16th century onward, the Italian school of fencing would be dominated by the Bolognese or Dardi-School of fencing, named after its founder, Filippo Dardi, a Bolognese fencing master and Professor of Geometry at the University of Bologna. Unlike the previous traditions, the Bolognese school would primarily focus on the sidesword being either used alone or in combination with a buckler, a cape, a parrying dagger, or dual-wielded with another sidesword, though some Bolognese masters, such as Achille Marozo, would still cover the usage of the two-handed greatsword or spadone. The Bolognese school would eventually spread outside of Italy and lay the foundation for modern fencing, eclipsing both older Italian and German traditions. This was partially due to the German schools' focus on archaic weapons such as the longsword, but also due to a general decline in fencing within Germany.
The mechanics of modern fencing originated in the 18th century in an Italian school of fencing of the Renaissance, and under their influence, were improved by the French school of fencing. The Spanish school of fencing stagnated and was replaced by the Italian and French schools.
Development into a sport
The shift towards fencing as a sport rather than as military training happened from the mid-18th century, and was led by Domenico Angelo, who established a fencing academy, Angelo's School of Arms, in Carlisle House, Soho, London in 1763. There, he taught the aristocracy the fashionable art of swordsmanship. His school was run by three generations of his family and dominated the art of European fencing for almost a century.
He established the essential rules of posture and footwork that still govern modern sport fencing, although his attacking and parrying methods were still much different from current practice. Although he intended to prepare his students for real combat, he was the first fencing master to emphasise the health and sporting benefits of fencing more than its use as a killing art, particularly in his influential book L'École des armes (The School of Fencing), published in 1763.
Basic conventions were collated and set down during the 1880s by the French fencing master Camille Prévost. It was during this time that many officially recognised fencing associations began to appear in different parts of the world, such as the Amateur Fencers League of America was founded in 1891, the Amateur Fencing Association of Great Britain in 1902, and the Fédération Nationale des Sociétés d’Escrime et Salles d’Armes de France in 1906.
The first regularised fencing competition was held at the inaugural Grand Military Tournament and Assault at Arms in 1880, held at the Royal Agricultural Hall, in Islington in June. The Tournament featured a series of competitions between army officers and soldiers. Each bout was fought for five hits and the foils were pointed with black to aid the judges. The Amateur Gymnastic & Fencing Association drew up an official set of fencing regulations in 1896.
Fencing was part of the Olympic Games in the summer of 1896. Sabre events have been held at every Summer Olympics; foil events have been held at every Summer Olympics except 1908; épée events have been held at every Summer Olympics except in the summer of 1896 because of unknown reasons.
Starting with épée in 1933, side judges were replaced by the Laurent-Pagan electrical scoring apparatus, with an audible tone and a red or green light indicating when a touch landed. Foil was automated in 1956, sabre in 1988. The scoring box reduced the bias in judging, and permitted more accurate scoring of faster actions, lighter touches, and more touches to the back and flank than before.
Weapons
Each of the three weapons in fencing has its own rules and strategies.
Foil
The foil is a light thrusting weapon with a maximum weight of 500 grams. The foil targets the torso, but not the arms or legs. The foil has a small circular hand guard that serves to protect the hand from direct stabs. As the hand is not a valid target in foil, this is primarily for safety. Touches are scored only with the tip; hits with the side of the blade do not register on the electronic scoring apparatus (and do not halt the action). Touches that land outside the target area (called an off-target touch and signalled by a distinct color on the scoring apparatus) stop the action, but are not scored. Only a single touch can be awarded to either fencer at the end of a phrase. If both fencers land touches within 300 ms (± 25 ms tolerance) to register two lights on the machine, the referee uses the rules of "right of way" to determine which fencer is awarded the touch, or if an off-target hit has priority over a valid hit, in which case no touch is awarded. If the referee is unable to determine which fencer has right of way, no touch is awarded.
Épée
The épée is a thrusting weapon like the foil, but heavier, with a maximum total weight of 775 grams. In épée, the entire body is a valid target. The hand guard on the épée is a large circle that extends towards the pommel, effectively covering the hand, which is a valid target in épée. Like foil, all hits must be with the tip and not the sides of the blade. Hits with the side of the blade do not register on the electronic scoring apparatus (and do not halt the action). As the entire body is a legal target, there is no concept of an off-target touch, except if the fencer accidentally strikes the floor, setting off the light and tone on the scoring apparatus. Unlike foil and sabre, épée does not use "right of way", simultaneous touches to both fencers, known as "double touches." However, if the score is tied in a match at the last point and a double touch is scored, the point is null and void.
Sabre
The sabre is a light cutting and thrusting weapon that targets the entire body above the waist, including the head and both the hands. Sabre is the newest weapon to be used. Like the foil, the maximum legal weight of a sabre is 500 grams. The hand guard on the sabre extends from hilt to the point at which the blade connects to the pommel. This guard is generally turned outwards during sport to protect the sword arm from touches. Hits with the entire blade or point are valid. As in foil, touches that land outside the target area are not scored. However, unlike foil, these off-target touches do not stop the action, and the fencing continues. In the case of both fencers landing a scoring touch, the referee determines which fencer receives the point for the action, again through the use of "right of way".
Equipment
Protective clothing
Most personal protective equipment for fencing is made of tough cotton or nylon. Kevlar was added to top level uniform pieces (jacket, breeches, underarm protector, lamé, and the bib of the mask) following the death of Vladimir Smirnov at the 1982 World Championships in Rome. However, Kevlar is degraded by both ultraviolet light and chlorine, which can complicate cleaning.
Other ballistic fabrics, such as Dyneema, have been developed that resist puncture, and which do not degrade the way that Kevlar does. FIE rules state that tournament wear must be made of fabric that resists a force of 800 newtons (180 lbf), and that the mask bib must resist twice that amount.
The complete fencing kit includes:
- Jacket
- The jacket is form-fitting, and has a strap (croissard) that passes between the legs. In sabre fencing, jackets are cut along the waist. A small gorget of folded fabric is sewn in around the collar to prevent an opponent's blade from slipping under the mask and along the jacket upwards towards the neck. Fencing instructors may wear a heavier jacket, such as one reinforced by plastic foam, to deflect the frequent hits an instructor endures.
- Plastron
- A plastron is an underarm protector worn underneath the jacket. It provides double protection on the side of the sword arm and upper arm. There is no seam under the arm, which would line up with the jacket seam and provide a weak spot.
- Glove
- The sword hand is protected by a glove with a gauntlet that prevents blades from going up the sleeve and causing injury. The glove also improves grip.
- Breeches
- Breeches or knickers are short trousers that end just below the knee. The breeches are required to have 10 cm of overlap with the jacket. Most are equipped with suspenders (braces).
- Socks
- Fencing socks are long enough to cover the knee; some cover most of the thigh.
- Shoes
- Fencing shoes have flat soles, and are reinforced on the inside for the back foot, and in the heel for the front foot. The reinforcement prevents wear from lunging.
- Mask
- The fencing mask has a bib that protects the neck. The mask should support 12 kilograms (26 lb) on the metal mesh and 350 newtons (79 lbf) of penetration resistance on the bib. FIE regulations dictate that masks must withstand 25 kilograms (55 lb) on the mesh and 1,600 newtons (360 lbf) on the bib. Some modern masks have a see-through visor in the front of the mask. These have been used at high level competitions (World Championships etc.), however, they are currently banned in foil and épée by the FIE, following a 2009 incident in which a visor was pierced during the European Junior Championship competition. There are foil, sabre, and three-weapon masks.
- Chest protector
- A chest protector, made of plastic, is worn by female fencers and, sometimes, by males. Fencing instructors also wear them, as they are hit far more often during training than their students. In foil fencing, the hard surface of a chest protector decreases the likelihood that a hit registers.
- Lamé
- A lamé is a layer of electrically conductive material worn over the fencing jacket in foil and sabre fencing. The lamé covers the entire target area, and makes it easier to determine whether a hit fell within the target area. (In épée fencing the lamé is unnecessary, since the target area spans the competitor's entire body.) In sabre fencing, the lamé's sleeves end in a straight line across the wrist; in foil fencing, the lamé is sleeveless. A body cord is necessary to register scoring. It attaches to the weapon and runs inside the jacket sleeve, then down the back and out to the scoring box. In sabre and foil fencing, the body cord connects to the lamé in order to create a circuit to the scoring box.
- Sleeve
- An instructor or master may wear a protective sleeve or a leg leather to protect their fencing arm or leg, respectively.
- Elements of protective clothing
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Jacket
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Glove
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Sous-Plastron
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Breeches/Knickers -
Mask
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Chest protector for women
Traditionally, the fencer's uniform is white, and an instructor's uniform is black. This may be due to the occasional pre-electric practice of covering the point of the weapon in dye, soot, or coloured chalk in order to make it easier for the referee to determine the placing of the touches. As this is no longer a factor in the electric era, the FIE rules have been relaxed to allow coloured uniforms (save black). The guidelines also limit the permitted size and positioning of sponsorship logos.
Grips
Main article: Grip (sport fencing)Some pistol grips used by foil and épée fencers
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Visconti grip
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Belgian grip
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Russian grip
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Hungarian grip
Electric equipment
A set of electric fencing equipment is required to participate in electric fencing. Electric equipment in fencing varies depending on the weapon with which it is used in accordance. The main component of a set of electric equipment is the body cord. The body cord serves as the connection between a fencer and a reel of wire that is part of a system for electrically detecting that the weapon has touched the opponent. There are two types: one for épée, and one for foil and sabre.
Épée body cords consist of two sets of three prongs each connected by a wire. One set plugs into the fencer's weapon, with the other connecting to the reel. Foil and sabre body cords have only two prongs (or a twist-lock bayonet connector) on the weapon side, with the third wire connecting instead to the fencer's lamé. The need in foil and sabre to distinguish between on and off-target touches requires a wired connection to the valid target area.
A body cord consists of three wires known as the A, B, and C lines. At the reel connector (and both connectors for Épée cords) The B pin is in the middle, the A pin is 1.5 cm to one side of B, and the C pin is 2 cm to the other side of B. This asymmetrical arrangement ensures that the cord cannot be plugged in the wrong way around.
In foil, the A line is connected to the lamé and the B line runs up a wire to the tip of the weapon. The B line is normally connected to the C line through the tip. When the tip is depressed, the circuit is broken and one of three things can happen:
- The tip is touching the opponent's lamé (their A line): Valid touch
- The tip is touching the opponent's weapon or the grounded strip: nothing, as the current is still flowing to the C line.
- The tip is not touching either of the above: Off-target hit (white light).
In Épée, the A and B lines run up separate wires to the tip (there is no lamé). When the tip is depressed, it connects the A and B lines, resulting in a valid touch. However, if the tip is touching the opponents weapon (their C line) or the grounded strip, nothing happens when it is depressed, as the current is redirected to the C line. Grounded strips are particularly important in Épée, as without one, a touch to the floor registers as a valid touch (rather than off-target as in Foil).
In Sabre, similarly to Foil, the A line is connected to the lamé, but both the B and C lines are connected to the body of the weapon. Any contact between one's B/C line (either one, as they are always connected) and the opponent's A line (their lamé) results in a valid touch. There is no need for grounded strips in Sabre, as hitting something other than the opponent's lame does nothing.
In a professional fencing competition, a complete set of electric equipment is needed.
A complete set of foil electric equipment includes:
- An electric body cord, which runs under the fencer's jacket on his/her dominant side.
- An electric blade.
- A conductive lamé or electric vest.
- A conductive bib (often attached to the mask).
- An electric mask cord, connecting the conductive bib and the lamé.
The electric equipment of sabre is very similar to that of foil. In addition, equipment used in sabre includes:
- A larger conductive lame.
- An electric sabre.
- A completely conductive mask.
- A conductive glove or overlay.
Épée fencers lack a lamé, conductive bib, and head cord due to their target area. Also, their body cords are constructed differently as described above. However, they possess all of the other components of a foil fencer's equipment.
Techniques
See also: Fencing tactics and Glossary of fencingTechniques or movements in fencing can be divided into two categories: offensive and defensive. Some techniques can fall into both categories (e.g. the beat). Certain techniques are used offensively, with the purpose of landing a hit on one's opponent while holding the right of way (foil and sabre). Others are used defensively, to protect against a hit or obtain the right of way.
The attacks and defences may be performed in countless combinations of feet and hand actions. For example, fencer A attacks the arm of fencer B, drawing a high outside parry; fencer B then follows the parry with a high line riposte. Fencer A, expecting that, then makes his own parry by pivoting his blade under fencer B's weapon (from straight out to more or less straight down), putting fencer B's tip off target and fencer A now scoring against the low line by angulating the hand upwards.
Offensive
- Attack: A basic fencing technique, also called a thrust, consisting of the initial offensive action made by extending the arm and continuously threatening the opponent's target. There are four different attacks (straight thrust, disengage attack, counter-disengage attack and cutover). In sabre, attacks are also made with a cutting action.
- Riposte: An attack by the defender after a successful parry. After the attacker has completed their attack, and it has been parried, the defender then has the opportunity to make an attack, and (at foil and sabre) take right of way.
- Feint: A false attack with the purpose of provoking a reaction from the opposing fencer.
- Lunge: A thrust while extending the front leg by using a slight kicking motion and propelling the body forward with the back leg.
- Beat attack: In foil and sabre, the attacker beats the opponent's blade to gain priority (right of way) and continues the attack against the target area. In épée, a similar beat is made but with the intention to disturb the opponent's aim and thus score with a single light.
- Disengage: A blade action whereby the blade is moved around the opponent's blade to threaten a different part of the target or deceive a parry.
- Compound attack: An attack preceded by one or more feints which oblige the opponent to parry, allowing the attacker to deceive the parry.
- Continuation/renewal of Attack: A typical épée action of making a 2nd attack after the first attack is parried. This may be done with a change in line; for example, an attack in the high line (above the opponent's bell guard, such as the shoulder) is then followed with an attack to the low line (below the opponent's bell guard, such as the thigh, or foot); or from the outside line (outside the bell guard, such as outer arm) to the inside line (inside the bell guard, such as the inner arm or the chest). A second continuation is stepping slight past the parry and angulating the blade to bring the tip of the blade back on target. A renewal may also be direct (without a change of line or any further blade action), in which case it is called a remise. In foil or sabre, a renewal is considered to have lost right of way, and the defender's immediate riposte, if it lands, will score instead of the renewal.
- Flick: a technique used primarily in foil and épée. It takes advantage of the extreme flexibility of the blade to use it like a whip, bending the blade so that it curves over and strikes the opponent with the point; this allows the fencer to hit an obscured part of the target (e.g., the back of the shoulder or, at épée, the wrist even when it is covered by the guard). This technique has become much more difficult due to timing changes which require the point to stay depressed for longer to set off the light.
- Flèche: an offensive manoeuvre, in which the fencer leans forward past the point of balance, and then crosses their feet, running past the opponent after the touch is scored.
- Flunge: a technique used by sabreurs in which the attacker makes a flying lunge, as FIE rules state that crossing one's feet is illegal in Sabre.
Defensive
- Parry: Basic defence technique, block the opponent's weapon while it is preparing or executing an attack to deflect the blade away from the fencer's valid area and (in foil and sabre) to give fencer the right of way. Usually followed by a riposte, a return attack by the defender.
- Circle parry: A parry where the weapon is moved in a circle to catch the opponent's tip and deflect it away.
- Counter attack: A basic fencing technique of attacking one's opponent while generally moving back out of the way of the opponent's attack. Used quite often in épée to score against the attacker's hand/arm. More difficult to accomplish in foil and sabre unless one is quick enough to make the counterattack and retreat ahead of the advancing opponent without being scored upon, or by evading the attacking blade via moves such as the In Quartata (turning to the side) or Passata-sotto (ducking). Counterattacks can also be executed in opposition, grazing along the opponent's blade and deflecting it to cause the attack to miss.
- Point-in-line: A specific position where the arm is straight and the point is threatening the opponent's target area. In foil and sabre, this gives one priority if the extension is completed before the opponent begins the final action of their attack. When performed as a defensive action, the attacker must then disturb the extended weapon to re-take priority; otherwise the defender has priority and the point-in-line will win the touch if the attacker does not manage a single light. In épée, there is no priority; the move may be used as a means by either fencer to achieve a double-touch and advance the score by 1 for each fencer. In all weapons, the point-in-line position is commonly used to slow the opponent's advance and cause them to delay the execution of their attack.
Other variants
Other variants include wheelchair fencing for those with disabilities, chair fencing, one-hit épée (one of the five events which constitute modern pentathlon) and the various types of non-Olympic competitive fencing. Chair fencing is similar to wheelchair fencing, but for the able bodied. The opponents set up opposing chairs and fence while seated; all the usual rules of fencing are applied. An example of the latter is the American Fencing League (distinct from the United States Fencing Association): the format of competitions is different and the right of way rules are interpreted in a different way. In a number of countries, school and university matches deviate slightly from the FIE format. A variant of the sport using toy lightsabers earned national attention when ESPN2 acquired the rights to a selection of matches and included it as part of its "ESPN8: The Ocho" programming block in August 2018.
Two handed fencing refers to a type of fencing where a buckler or dagger is used to parry attacks.
In popular culture
One of the most notable films related to fencing is the 2015 Finnish-Estonian-German film The Fencer, directed by Klaus Härö, which is loosely based on the life of Endel Nelis, an accomplished Estonian fencer and coach. The film was nominated for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
In 2017, the first issue of the Fence comic book series, which follows a fictional team of young fencers, was published by the US-based Boom! Studios.
See also
Notes
- "Fencing | History, Organizations, & Equipment | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-01-19. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- "About FIE". FIE: International Fencing Federation. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- "About FIE". fie.org.
- "2022 FIE Congress Decisions and Rule Changes". fencing.net. 17 December 2022. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
The FIE Congress met on November 25 in Lausanne, Switzerland for their annual decisions regarding proposed rule changes as well as the additional decisions by the Executive Committee.
- "Technical rules" (PDF). FIE International Fencing Federation. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
- USACFC Retrieved on 2012-05-16.
- US Fencing Youth Development Website, Regional Youth Circuit Archived 2007-07-12 at the Wayback Machine.
- Home :: Public Schools Fencing Championships.
- The Plastic-and-Foam Fencing FunLeague Archived 2020-10-03 at the Wayback Machine website.
- Wells, Jonathan. "Fencing: A guide to the Olympics' most gentlemanly sport". Gentleman's Journal. Gentleman's Journal. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- Kellett, Rachel E (2012). "Royal Armouries MS I.33: The Judicial Combat And The Art Of Fencing In Thirteenth- And Fourteenth-Century German Literature". Oxford German Studies. 41 (1): 32–56. doi:10.1179/0078719112Z.0000000003. S2CID 161823139.
- Fencing Online Archived 2011-09-29 at the Wayback Machine. Fencing.net. Retrieved on 2012-05-16.
- A History of Fencing Archived 2012-09-06 at the Wayback Machine. Library.thinkquest.org. Retrieved on 2012-05-16.
- F.H.W. Sheppard, ed. Survey of London volume 33 The Parish of St. Anne, Soho (north of Shaftesbury Avenue), London County Council, London: University of London, 1966, pp. 143–48, online at British History Online.
- ^ Nick Evangelista (1995). The Encyclopedia of the Sword. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 20–23. ISBN 9780313278969.
- "Fencing". 28 February 2024.
- Malcolm Fare. "The development of fencing weapons".
- Alaux, Michel. Modern Fencing: Foil, Epee, and Sabre. Scribner's, 1975, p. 83.
- Freudenrich, Craig (2000-09-21). "How Fencing Equipment Works". How Stuff Works.
- "Material rules" (PDF). FIE International Fencing Federation. p. 82. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
- Bhutta, Omar (2016). "USA Fencing Rules" (PDF). United States Fencing Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-01-31.
- "U.S. Paralympics | Sports | Wheelchair Fencing". Team USA. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
- Steinberg, Brian (August 8, 2018). "Bold strategy, Cotton: Inside ESPN's crazy plans to turn 'The Ocho' into a business". Variety. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
ESPN had to acquire the rights to show two of the most random events on the schedule (...) and high-level light-saber dueling.
- Hebert, Justin (2014-09-09). "Two-Handed Fencing | Justin Hebert, SFF Author". Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- Reiljan, Kaire (2024-07-29). ""Vehkleja". Kaks lugu, elu ja tõde filmis" ["The Fencer". Two stories, life and truth in film]. Lääne Elu (in Estonian). Retrieved 2016-01-09.
- "The Fencer". Golden Globes.
References
- Amberger, Johann Christoph (1999). The Secret History of the Sword. Burbank: Multi-Media. ISBN 1-892515-04-0
- Barbasetti, Luigi (1936). The Art of the Sabre and the Épée. 1936. reprint 2019. ISBN 9783964010056
- British Fencing (September 2008). "FIE Competition Rules (English)". Official document. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- Evangelista, Nick (1996). The Art and Science of Fencing. Indianapolis: Masters Press. ISBN 1-57028-075-4.
- Evangelista, Nick (2000). The Inner Game of Fencing: Excellence in Form, Technique, Strategy, and Spirit. Chicago: Masters Press. ISBN 1-57028-230-7.
- Gaugler, William M. (2004). "The Science of Fencing: A Comprehensive Training Manual for Master and Student: Including Lesson Plans for Foil, Sabre and Epee Instruction". Laureate Press. ISBN 1884528309.
- United States Fencing Association (September 2010). United States Fencing Association Rules for Competition. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
- Vass, Imre (2011). "Epee Fencing: A Complete System". SKA SwordPlay Books. ISBN 0978902270.
External links
- FIE statutes (PDF)
- Fencing – FAQ from rec.sport.fencing
- Links to videos of basic fencing moves from MIT OpenCourseWare as taught in Spring 2007
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