Fencing in details

Fencing is an Olympic sport, the essence of which is to fight with the use of various weapons. There are the following types of fencing: foils, sabers and epees. Fencing competitions are held between both men and women. Let us see what peculiarities fencing has.

Foil

The foil is a light and flexible weapon. It is 500 grams heavy and 90 to 110 cm long. The guard, which protects the palm, is small, and its diameter does not exceed 12 cm.

For the mass spectator rapier competitions are perceived more complicated than others because of more complex rules: here the rule of priority applies, in which the attacker is always in a more favorable position than the counter-attacker.

That is, here the athletes are always in a state that one attacks and the other defends. In order for the judges to score a point, it is necessary to be in the “attack”. The defender, for example, can back away from the opponent, but if he or she suddenly goes on the counterattack, such actions will not count. It is necessary to repulse the attack or to make the opponent miss, and only then go forward. Thus, the priority will be intercepted.

Saber

The saber is partly similar to the rapier. It is a small blade – no more than 105 cm – with a weight of up to 500 g. Unlike the rapier, it is allowed not only to stab, but also to slash the opponent. That is, it is possible to strike from the side, and consequently it is a little more difficult to parry.

As in rapier, the rule of “priority” applies here. However, more actions are permissible. It is allowed to “cut” the opponent in the neck, torso, arms and shoulders. Because of this, the view is somewhat more straightforward and, due to the bigger number of possible maneuvers, it is faster.

Epee

The epee is probably historically a more important weapon than the foil or the saber. For example, the foil was invented precisely to train swordsmen. The epee was one and a half times lighter, and the area of the body where it should be struck was limited to prevent injuries.

The epee is also a stabbing weapon weighing up to 770 g. The rules of fencing are the same here – chopping is prohibited. However, compared to foil competitions, there are two major differences:

• You can stab at any part of the body except the back of the head.
• There is no rule of precedence. The judges award a point to the one who pricks earlier.

Naturally, under such circumstances, defensive tactics are more important in epee than in foil and saber, and therefore the matches are longer.

Rules

Before the start of the duel, weapons must be checked for stiffness, length, micro-cracks, and equipment and mask must be checked for strength and electrical conductivity.

Victory in the fight is awarded to the athlete who is the first to give a certain number of shots to his opponent or give a greater number of shots in the allotted time. All shots are recorded by a special electronic system, after fixing the shot the sound signal goes off and a special lamp lights up. The arbiter may not count the shot or blow if it was made with violations of the rules.

For epee fencers, the fact of the hit is noted, and for foil and saber fencers, a certain color indicates whether the shot was delivered to the affected surface. Athletes who cross the back border are penalized with penalty shots. Penalty shots are not assigned for crossing the side boundaries of the track, but the fight is stopped, and the strikes are canceled.

Fencing strip

The size of the fencing strip is 14 meters long and 1.5-2 meters wide. It is made of electrically conductive material and is insulated from the system registering blows and punches. The track has the following markings:

• the center line;
• two baseline lines;
• the side borders;
• the back borders.

On each side of the track, 2-meter segments are marked to warn the retreating athlete that he or she is in dangerous proximity to his or her rear boundary.

Fencing equipment

A fencer’s protective outfit consists of a jacket and knee-length pants with suspenders made of lightweight material. Athletes wear long white gaiters and special shoes for fencing with a flat sole. On the head of fencers is a mask with a metal net and a collar that protects the throat of the athlete.

The epee fencers have the net of the fencing mask insulated inside and outside by a plastic shockproof material. Foil fencers’ masks are similar to epee fencers’ masks, but additionally have an electric collar. For saber fencers the mask net and collar are not insulated and are made of electrically conductive material. The saber glove has a conductive cuff.

Foil fencers wear special metalized conductive vests over their suits, and saber fencers wear jackets that reflect the athlete’s affected surface.

Judging

Refereeing in fencing is traditionally conducted in French. The judge, who has a certificate of national or international arbitrator, referees all fencing fights. His or her duties include the following:

• summoning participants;
• checking equipment before the fight;
• making sure that the apparatus is working properly;
• supervising the other members of the officiating board (assistants, timekeepers, secretaries, etc.);
• punishing athletes for violations;
• maintaining order.

The referee performs his or her duties with the help of an automatic jab detector and two assistants, who monitor the use of an unarmed hand, covering the affected surface, jabs made to the floor in epee fencing, and all other violations stipulated by the Rules.

Assistant referees are located at the opposite ends of the fencing track. Their duties include observation of the general course of the fight.

History

The first mention of this sport dates back to 3000 BC, when Pharaoh Ramses III, to commemorate his victory over the Libyan warriors, staged a fencing contest. Egyptian frescoes from that time clearly show the weapons that are still used in fencing today. Besides Egypt, such competitions were popular in Greece, India, China and other countries.

During the Middle Ages this sport was practiced exclusively by members of aristocratic society, rulers of states and other nobility. Ordinary people used sticks padded with iron and other simple.

If we talk about fencing as an art, it appeared in the 15th century in Spain. Around that time, a corporation of fencing teachers opened on the territory of modern Germany.

In the 16th century, Italy developed the rules for fencing sports, defining the moves and actions of opponents. It was then that varieties of edged weapons became popular. Spain is considered the birthplace of the foil.

In the fall of 1913, the International Fencing Federation was established in France. By the next year, the rules for this kind of sport had been worked out. In 1921, the first World Fencing Championship was held in Paris. Men’s epee events had been held annually since 1921.

The first European Championship was held in 1981, and the Fencing World Cup has been held since 1972. Nowadays, this sport is included in the Olympic Games. The World Fencing Championship is an annual international competition on foil, epee and saber.

All in all, fencing is a combination of sport and art.