What’s the Point of Fencing?

By Lori Hall-McNary

Did you know a temple built by Ramses III around 1190BC near Luxor, Egypt boasts a relief depicting a foil-fencing match? The sparring swordsmen depicted were wearing shields strapped to their left arm, masks, protective padding over their ears, large bibs and their sword points were covered.

The popular past time of the ancient fencers all but disappeared from the fall of the Roman Empire through the European Middle Ages, thanks to the heavy swords and massive armor used in battle.

Encouraged by royalty in 15th century throughout Europe elite guilds of fencing masters were formed. But it wasn’t until the 19^th century that fencing became a competitive sport for the masses appearing in the Olympics in 1896.

Women fencers were first included in the 1924 Olympics in individual dual foil. In 1960 a team event was introduced and in 1996 women’s team and individual èpèe made their Olympic debut.

FOIL

So what is a foil? It’s not something you use to wrap left over meatloaf, but a point-thrusting weapon. The foil’s rectangular blade is flexible, with a length of about 35", weighing in at less than a pound.

Épée

Pronounced EPP-pay, is not one of those fancy lady shavers, but a hefty sword that tips the scales at 27 ounces and has a larger hand guard.

FENCING BOUT:

In direct elimination play, the individual to score the first fifteen points wins. The valid target area in a foil bout is the entire torso, front and back, shoulders to groin. No points for hits on arms, legs, head (mask), or neck.

During a épée bout the entire body is a point-scoring target.

If you missed watching the 2000 Olympics then you missed the Italians winning several medals including team gold in the women’s foil (Americans’ placed forth in the team foil—their highest placing overall in women’s fencing for the games). Judges don’t circle the players watching for Zorro type strikes. Star Wars flash and dash is the fencing of today played out on a six by forty-foot mat strip. The lightning fast movements of the modern fencers’ hits are now scored electronically.

HOW SCORING WORKS:

The foil fencer’s uniform includes a lame’ (metallic vest) which covers the valid point scoring area. A tiny spring-loaded tip is attached to the point of the foil connected to a wire inside the blade. The fencer wears a body cord inside his uniform, connecting the foil to a reel wire, leading to the scoring machine. If her opponent strikes in the valid target area a green light indicates a hit. A red light on the fencer who was hit will also show up on the scoreboard. A white light indicates a miss or a touch outside the target area.

Electronic scoring works the same way using a épée, except the fencer does not wear the lame’ since the entire body is the target and will indicate a hit if touched with the tip of the sword.

So what’s the point of fencing? Matching one’s skill, speed, and tactical knowledge of ancient swordplay while not suffering severe or permanent injuries—now that’s a sport to watch!