| Foil In both its modern and its classical
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| | must fix the point of his weapon on his
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| guise, fencing consists of three
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| | opponent’s target. However, épée
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| different weapons: foil, épée and
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| | lacks the foil’s most artificial
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| sabre.
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| | conventions: the restricted target area
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| These three weapons had become standard
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| | and the priority rules. In épée, a hit
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| by the late nineteenth century and all
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| | can be scored by landing a hit anywhere
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| are represented at Olympic-level
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| | on the opponent’s body. The fencer
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| competition. Additionally, in classical
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| | whose hit lands first receives the point,
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| academies, one will often find historical
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| | irrespective of what happened in the
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| fencing weapons, such as canne, bâton,
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| | preceding phrase. If two hits arrive
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| main-gauche or rapier and dagger, being
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| | simultaneously (within 40 milliseconds of
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| taught.
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| | each other), a double hit is recorded,
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| Foil used to be the first weapon taught
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| | and both fencers get a point (except for
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| to beginners, because the techniques of
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| | in modern pentathlon one-hit épée ,
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| foil teach, in abstract form, the
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| | where both fencers immediately suffer a
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| fundamentals of fencing. Additionally, in
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| | „double loss”).
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| the past, women were only allowed to
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| | In order for the scoring apparatus to
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| fence foil, and the lightness of the
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| | register a hit, the push-button on the
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| weapon made it easier to handle for
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| | end of the weapon must remain fully
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| children. Today, while it is still
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| | depressed for 2-10 milliseconds. To
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| adviseable to gain at least a fundamental
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| | register, the hit must arrive with a
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| grasp of foil before proceeding with
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| | force of at least 7.35 newtons (750
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| either of the other two weapons, fencers,
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| | grams) - a slightly higher threshold than
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| especially those who intend to fence
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| | the foil’s 4.9 newtons (500 grams). All
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| sabre, often begin with any of the three
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| | hits register as valid, unless they land
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| weapons. While the weapons fencers use
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| | on a grounded metal surface, such as a
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| differ in size and purpose some basic
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| | part of the opponent’s weapon, in which
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| parts of the weapon remain constant
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| | case they do not register at all. At
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| throughout the disciplines. The pommel, a
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| | large events, grounded conductive pistes
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| weighted piece of metal at the end of the
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| | are often used in order to prevent the
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| handle, holds the blade and handle
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| | registration of hits against the floor.
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| together and provides a counter-balance
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| | At smaller events and in club fencing, it
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| to the weight of the blade. The grip is
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| | is generally the responsibility of the
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| also somewhat universal, though several
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| | referee to watch out for floor hits.
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| styles exist, and most are inappropriate
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| | These often happen by accident, when an
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| for sabre fencing (for further discussion
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| | épéeist tries to hit the opponent’s
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| on grips, see grip (sport fencing)). The
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| | foot and misses. In such cases, they are
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| other parts of the weapons - the blades,
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| | simply ignored. However, deliberate hits
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| guards, and electric components - are
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| | against the floor are treated as
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| differentiated enough that they cannot
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| | „dishonest fencing” and penalized
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| legally be swapped between weapons of
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| | accordingly (see „The Practice of
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| different types. The modern foil is a
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| | Fencing” below).
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| light weapon, with a tapered, flexible,
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| | In the pre-electric era, épéeist used a
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| quadrangular blade, that scores only with
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| | point d’arret, a three-pronged point
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| the point. „Electric” foils, used in
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| | with small protruding spikes, which would
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| modern sport fencing, have a button on
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| | snag on the opponent’s clothing or
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| the end which much be depressed with a
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| | mask, helping the referee to see the
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| force of at least 4.90 newtons (500
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| | hits. The spikes caused épée fencing to
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| grams-force) to register a hit.
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| | be a notoriously painful affair, and
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| The valid target area at foil is limited
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| | épéeist could be easily recognized by
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| to only the trunk of the body, where the
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| | the tears in their jacket sleeves. These
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| vitals are located. A touch which lands
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| | days, the adherents of the point
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| on an invalid target stops the bout, but
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| | d’arret are few and far between, and
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| no point is scored.
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| | non-electric weapons are generally fitted
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| In addition to simply thrusting the point
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| | with foil-style rubber buttons.
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| of the weapon at the opponent, a fencer
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| | Épée fencing tends to be more
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| may score a foil touch by „flicking”
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| | conservative in style than the other
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| or „whipping” the blade towards the
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| | weapons, and the game tends to be
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| opponent, bypassing most classical
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| | somewhat slower and more contemplative.
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| parries and hitting on the back or
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| | Sabre The sabre is the „cutting”
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| shoulders. This technique is an
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| | weapon, with a curved guard and a
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| unintended result of the foil rules, and
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| | triangular blade.
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| is controversial as it is very far
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| | However, in modern electric scoring, a
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| removed from traditional, classical style
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| | touch with any part of the sabre, point,
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| fencing, but it is still perfectly legal.
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| | flat or edge, as long as it is on target,
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| To circumvent the flick, in 2005 the FIE
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| | will register a hit.
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| changed the „depression timing” of
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| | The target area in sabre is everything
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| the tip. This caused most „flick
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| | from the waist up, except for the hands.
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| touches” to be no longer detected by
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| | Like foil, sabre fencing uses right of
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| the scoring machines, thus favouring more
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| | way rules. However, the definition of an
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| classical, straight thrusts. Foil is one
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| | „attack” is different for the two
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| of the two weapons, the other being
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| | weapons, and as a result the right of way
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| sabre, that use the rules of „right of
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| | rules in the different weapons
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| way”.
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| | distinguish them significantly. Sabre
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| Épée The épée is the heaviest of the
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| | right of way rewards very fast fencing
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| three weapons (approaching the weight of
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| | (on offense and defense), and so sabre
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| an actual court sword). It has a
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| | fencing tends to be more aggressive in
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| comparatively stiff blade with a V-shaped
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| | style than the other weapons.
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| or approximately traingular
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| | Unlike in foil and épée, the forward
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| cross-section, and a large round guard
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| | crossover has been disallowed, as before
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| which offers much more protection to the
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| | both fencers could simply run and jump at
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| wrist than the foil guard.
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| | each other at the start of a touch.
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| The épée was developed in the late 19th
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| | Today, some sabre fencers use a „flying
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| century by a group of French fencers who
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| | lunge”, or „flunge”, to produce a
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| wanted a sporting weapon which gave a
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| | similar result without crossing over, but
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| closer approximation of an actual duel.
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| | much of sabre fencing stays entirely on
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| Like the foil, the épée is a thrusting
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| | the ground.
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| weapon: to score a valid hit the fencer
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