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