| Swordfighting as sport has existed since
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| | Cutting swords had been used in
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| ancient Egypt, and has been practiced in
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| | bloodsports such as backsword prizefights
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| many forms in various cultures since
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| | at least as far back as the 17th century.
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| then. Although jousting and tournament
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| | Broadswords, sabres, and cutlasses were
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| combat was a popular sport in the
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| | used extensively in military circles,
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| European middle ages, modern FIE fencing
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| | especially by cavalry and naval
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| owes more to unarmoured dueling forms
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| | personell, and saw some dueling
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| that evolved from 16th century rapier
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| | application in these circles as well.
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| combat. Rapiers evolved from
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| | Training was performed with wooden
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| cut-and-thrust military swords, but were
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| | weapons, and stick fighting remained
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| most popular amongst civilians who used
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| | popular until Italian masters formalized
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| it for self-defence and dueling. Rapiers
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| | sabre fencing into a non-fatal sporting/
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| were edged, but the primary means of
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| | training form with metal weapons in the
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| attack was the thrust. Rapier fencing
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| | late 19th century. Early sport sabres
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| spread from Spain and Italy to northwest
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| | were significantly heavier than the
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| Europe, in spite of the objections of
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| | modern sport sabre and necessitated a
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| masters such as George Silver who
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| | strong style with the use of moulinets
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| preferred traditional cutting weapons
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| | and other bold movements. As with
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| such the English broad sword.
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| | thrusting swords, the sabre evolved to
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| The Spanish school, under masters such as
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| | lighter, less fatal dueling forms such as
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| Narvaez and Thibault, became a
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| | the Italian sciabola di terro and the
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| complicated and mystical affair whose
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| | German schlager. Hungarian masters
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| geometrical theories required much
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| | developed a new school of sabre fencing
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| practice to master. Italian masters like
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| | that emphasized finger control over arm
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| Agrippa and Capo Ferro developed a more
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| | strength, and they dominated sabre
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| pragmatic school in the late 16th and
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| | fencing for most of the 20th century.
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| early 17th centuries, introducing
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| | Dueling faded away after the First World
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| innovations such as linear fencing and
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| | War. A couple of noteworthy duels were
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| the lunge.
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| | fought over disputes that arose during
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| By the 18th century, the rapier had
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| | Olympic games in the 1920s, and there
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| evolved to a simpler, shorter, and
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| | have been rare reports of sword duels
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| lighter design that was popularized in
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| | since then. In October 1997, the Mayor of
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| France as the small sword. Although the
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| | Calabria, Italy, publicly challenged
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| small sword often had an edge, it was
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| | certain Mafiosos to a duel. German
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| only to discourage the opponent from
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| | fraternity dueling (mensur) still occurs
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| grabbing the blade, and the weapon was
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| | with some frequency.
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| used exclusively for thrusting. The light
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| | The first modern Olympic games featured
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| weight made a more complex and defensive
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| | foil and sabre fencing for men only. Epee
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| style possible, and the French masters
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| | was introduced in 1900. Single stick was
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| developed a school based on defence with
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| | featured in the 1904 games. Epee was
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| the sword, subtlety of movement, and
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| | electrified in the 1936 games, foil in
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| complex attacks. When buttoned with a
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| | 1956, and sabre in 1988. Early Olympic
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| leather safety tip that resembled a
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| | games featured events for Masters, and
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| flower bud, the small sword was known as
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| | until recently fencing was the only
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| le fleuret, and was identical in use to
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| | Olympic sport that has included
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| the modern foil (still known as le
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| | professionals. Disruptions in prevailing
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| fleuret in French). Indeed, the French
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| | styles have accompanied the introduction
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| small sword school forms the basis of
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| | of electric judging, most recently
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| most of modern fencing theory.
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| | transforming sabre fencing. Foil fencing
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| By the mid-19th century, dueling was in
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| | experienced similar upheavals for a
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| decline as a means of settling disputes,
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| | decade or two following the introduction
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| partially because victory could lead to a
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| | of electric judging, which was further
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| jail term for assault or manslaughter.
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| | complicated by the new, aggressive,
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| Emphasis shifted to defeating the
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| | athletic style coming out of eastern
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| opponent without necessarily killing him,
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| | Europe at the time.
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| and less fatal dueling forms evolved
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| | Women’s foil was first contested in the
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| using the dueling sword, or epee de
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| | 1924 Olympic games, and Women’s epee
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| terrain, an unedged variant of the small
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| | was only contested for the first time in
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| sword. Later duels often ended with
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| | 1996, although it has been part of the
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| crippling thrusts to the arm or leg, and
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| | World Championships since 1989. Women’s
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| fewer legal difficulties for the
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| | sabre made its first appearance in the
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| participants. This is the basis of modern
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| | 1998 World Championships as a
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| epee fencing.
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| | demonstration sport.
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