A Brief Overview
Modern Fencing is a sport derived from the practices of dueling and swordsmanship, and is one of only four sports to have been featured in every Summer Olympics program since their revival in 1896.A fencer may choose to specialize in any one (or more) of the three available weapons/disciplines: foil, épée, and sabre. Each weapon is very nearly its own sport, and each is characterized by a somewhat different set of rules and nuances.
FOIL
| Basis: 18th century
small-sword Type: thrusting only Max. weight: 0.500 kg Max. length: 110 cm - Blade: 90 cm - Hilt: 20 cm Valid Target Area: torso/trunk only |
The foil fencers' ("foilists")
goal is to strike the torso of an opponent with the tip
of the weapon with a force of at least 0.500 kg, while
also taking the conventions of "right of way" (see
below) into account. Due to its derivation from a blunted ("foiled") training weapon, the foil is usually (but not always) the first weapon introduced to aspiring fencers. |
ÉPÉE
| Basis: 16th/17th century
dueling sword Type: thrusting only Max. weight: 0.750 kg Max. length: 110 cm - Blade: 90 cm - Hilt: 20 cm Target Area: entirety of the body |
The épée fencers' ("épéeists")
goal is to strike the body of an opponent with the tip
of the weapon with a force of at least 0.750 kg. The conventions of "right of way" are not (explicitly) enforced during épée bouts. "Épée" (pronounced "eh-pay") is the French word for "sword". |
SABRE
| Basis: 19th/20th century
army officers' cavalry/dueling sword Type: cut-and-thrust Max. weight: 0.500 kg Max. length: 105 cm - Blade: 88 cm - Hilt: 17 cm Target Area: body above the waist, excluding the hands |
The sabre fencers' ("sabreurs")
goal is to make contact with the upper body of an
opponent with either the tip (with a thrust) or the
edges (with a cutting motion) of the weapon, while also
taking the conventions of "right of way" (see below)
into account. |
"Right of Way"
The Conventions of Priority, commonly known as "Right of Way"
(ROW), are a set of guidelines that describes how actions within
fencing relate to one another. ROW was originally designed to
both reward initiative and encourage a theoretical "best
practice" (by discouraging one from employing high-risk,
low-return tactics).
For example, if one fencer launches an attack against their
opponent (and, in taking the initiative, earns ROW), the
opponent is obliged to make a "parry" (a defensive action where
a fencer uses one's own weapon to block or deflect that of an
attacking opponent), that, if successful, causes the attacker
would lose ROW. A successful parry also earns the opponent the
opportunity to subsequently claim ROW by immediately initiating
a "riposte" (an attack that follows a parry). If the opponent
makes the immediate riposte, and the original attacker makes an
immediate continuation their original attack (called a
"remise"), and both strike one another, only the riposte counts
(even if the remise can be seen to land first and, in foil, even
if the riposte lands outside of the valid target area).
If, instead of parrying, the opponent launches a "counterattack"
(an attack launched into an oncoming initial attack), and both
strike one another, only the initial attack counts (even if the
counterattack can be seen to land first and, in foil, even if
the initial attack lands outside of the valid target area),
since failing to defend oneself against an oncoming attack (and
launching a "suicidal" counterattack into said attack) is an
example of bad practice.
Benefits of Modern Fencing
Fencing, despite it's the use of weapons, is a very safe sport, with the odds of sustaining anything more than a short-lived bruise (provided proper equipment is worn and behavior kept civil) being extremely low. The sport provides excellent cardiovascular exercise, as there is a great deal of emphasis placed on rapid, precise footwork as well as blade movement. Fencers can also often see some general improvement in hand-eye coordination, balance, overall speed, reaction times, concentration, and discipline as time progresses.
