Fencing
Fencing is a sport for two people with different kinds of swords. The aim is to score hits on your opponent. There is also a referee.
Weapons
Foil
The foil is a light and easy to bend weapon, first made in mid 17th century as a weapon for practice. 'Hits' can only be scored by hitting the target area with the point of the sword. The target area is the torso.
Épée
The épée is the heaviest of the three weapons. To score a hit, the push-button on the end of the weapon must remain fully down for 2-10 milliseconds, and must arrive (hit) with a force of at least 7.35 newtons. The target area for Épée is the entire body. This includes the feet and the head.
Sabre
The sabre is the "cutting" weapon, with a curved guard (to protect the hand) and a triangular blade. However, in electric scoring, a touch with any part of the sabre, (point, flat or edge, as long as it is on target) will count as a hit. The target area in sabre is everything from the waist up, except for the hands.
Uniform
Fencers wear a uniform to avoid injury. They wear a mask of black mesh with a bib. Also, a jacket, short pants and a sort of half-a-shirt (called an underarm protector or plastron), all of white fabric. They must also wear socks that cover their legs. Women must wear a chest protector. These are collectively called "whites."
Fencing Media
Fencing School at Leiden University, Netherlands, 1610
Valid surfaces in foil fencing, to be enforced from January 2009 onwards.
A foil/sabre body cord. Left to right: alligator clip, connection to reel, connection to weapon.
A foil lamé conductive vest
Fencing uniform jacket. (Women's)
Fencing glove
Fencing plastron (underarm protector)
Related pages
Other websites
- Fédération Internationale d'Escrime The organisation responsible for all international fencing
