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- The Art of
Fencing
Fencing, art of attack and defense with a sword or similar weapon.
Modern fencing is a recreational and competitive sport, but its
rules and techniques are derived from those originally developed
for efficient swordplay in dueling.
History
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- During the Middle
Ages (5th century to 15th century) the sword was an offensive
weapon used for cracking armor, and the shield was used as a
defense. After gunpowder came into general use, heavy defensive
armor became obsolete, and the sword became a defensive as well
as an offensive weapon. In the 16th century the rapier was introduced
in Italy, and the art of fencing was rapidly systematized in
fencing schools. A dagger in the other hand, and later a folded
cloak, replaced the shield. Eventually the non sword arm was
left free and held away from the sword arm to minimize the target
area. The use of the rapier and the Italian fencing technique
spread throughout Europe. In France and England, the size and
shape of the rapier were constantly modified because its length
and weight made it clumsy to carry. During the 18th century the
small sword, or épée, was invented and popularized
in France; the new weapon resulted in distinct Italian and French
styles of fencing. The Italians used the rapier in a bravura
manner, with pronounced, vigorous gestures. The French used the
épée in a more formal manner, with great restraint
of movement. The French style of fencing became by far the more
prominent. Its rules govern most modern competition, and the
vocabulary of traditional fencing is composed largely of French
words.
In the 19th century dueling was generally outlawed, and the fencing
schools turned to teaching fencing for purposes of sport. Much
of the equipment still used by fencers was developed at this
time, including the glove worn on the sword hand, the plastron
(chest protector), and the mask of wire netting.
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- Foil, Épée,
and Saber
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- Three weapons
are used in the modern sport of fencing: foil, épée,
and saber. The blades of these weapons are made of tempered steel,
and each has a maximum blade length of about 89 cm (35 in); the
maximum weight of foil and saber is about 500 g (about 17.6 oz),
that of épée about 770 g (about 27.2 oz). Developed
originally as a practice and sporting weapon, the foil is light
and flexible and is considered the basic weapon. Its use is generally
taught to all beginning fencers. Touches are scored by thrusting
with the blunted point; the blade is rectangular in cross section.
The modern épée is descended from the French small
sword. Like the foil it is a thrusting weapon, but has a larger
bell, or hand guard, and is heavier and more rigid in construction.
Handles, or grips, for foil and épée vary and are
chosen according to individual preference. They include the French
grip, slightly curved and with a pommel at the end; the Italian
grip, which has a crossbar and is used with a wrist strap; and
various pronged handles gripped much like a pistol. The modern
saber is derived from the weapon formerly used by cavalrymen.
It has a protective, scoop-shaped hand guard that curves under
the hand and, like the épée, a blade roughly triangular
in cross section. Touches are scored by thrusting with the weapon
or, chiefly, by cutting in a slashing motion with the edge of
the blade.
Attack
and Defense
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- Tactics vary
among the three weapons, but certain fundamental techniques are
common to all. Motions of attack and defense are initiated from
the basic on-guard position, a crouch assumed with both knees
flexed, the rear arm crooked upward, and the sword arm partially
extended toward the opponent. The basic attacking action is the
lunge, executed by stabbing with the sword arm at the target
and thrusting forward on the front leg. The attack is successful
if a touch is scored on the valid target area. In foil fencing,
only touches on the torso are counted. In épée
competition the entire body, head to foot, is a valid target.
In saber fencing the valid target is the part of the body above
an imaginary line, called the saddle line, drawn across the top
of the hips (this includes the head, arms, and torso). A movement
of the blade designed to block an attack is called a parry. Fencing
has eight principal parries, designated by the Old French ordinal
numbers: prime, seconde, tierce, quarte, quinte, sixte, septime,
and octave. Each parry is designed to protect a different part
of the target against attack. A riposte is the return thrust
made immediately following a parry. The fencer who takes the
offensive may employ different kinds of attacks to circumvent
the various parries used by an opponent. A simple attack is made
with one motion-that is, a cut or thrust of the blade-and is
intended to hit the target before the defender can parry. A compound
attack involves two or more blade movements. The initial movements
are feints, designed to mislead the opponent into parrying in
a direction other than that in which the attack finally develops.
Other techniques, such as beating or pressing the opponent's
blade aside, may be used to create an opening for an attack.
A running attack, or fleçhe, may be used to catch an opponent
by surprise. A competitor under attack may also resort to a stop-thrust,
a sudden counterattack made by thrusting without lunging. Bouts
are conducted on a strip approximately 1.5 to 2 m (4.9 to 6.6
ft) wide and 14 m (46 ft) long. The first fencer to score five
touches wins a bout. In formal competition the weapons are wired
and connected to an electrical scoring apparatus, so that when
a touch is scored a light flashes on the sidelines signaling
the touch. These electrical weapons were instituted to facilitate
the exacting scoring of bouts. Foil and saber competitions are
based on complicated right-of-way rules regarding mutual touches,
whereas in épée competitions only the timing of
the touch is considered. Bouts are judged by a referee who applies
the right-of-way rules and awards the touches with the aid of
the scoring apparatus.
Organized
Competition
Fencing has been one of the events in the Olympic Games since
1896, and épée fencing is one of the five events
in the modern pentathlon. International competitions are sanctioned
by the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (International
Federation of Fencing), the world governing body of the sport.
A world championship is held annually to determine individual
and team champions of each weapon. In the United States, competitions
are organized on a local, regional, and national basis by the
U.S. Fencing Association, formerly known as the Amateur Fencers
League of America (founded in 1891). Competitions on the collegiate
level are held under the auspices of the National Collegiate
Athletic Association (NCAA).
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and all rights reserved by Robert W. Cabell 1996, 1997,1998,1999,2000
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