- Foil: a light thrusting weapon, with a maximum weight of 500 grams.
The foil may target the torso (including the back), neck, and groin, but not the arms or
legs. The foil has a small circular hand guard that serves to protect the
hand from direct stabs. As the hand is not a valid target in foil, this
is primarily for safety. Touches are scored only with the tip; hits with
the side of the blade do not count, and do not halt the action. Touches
that land outside of the target area (called an off-target touch) stop the action, but
are not scored. Only a single touch can be scored by either fencer at one
time. If both fencers land valid touches at the same time, the referee uses the rules of "right of way" to determine
which fencer gets the point. If both fencers begin their attack at the
same time, or the referee is unable to determine who was first, neither
fencer scores a point. - Épée: a thrusting weapon like the foil, but heavier, with a maximum
total weight of 770 grams. In épée, the entire body is valid target. The
hand guard on the épée is a large circle that extends towards the pommel,
effectively covering the hand, which is a valid target in épée. Like
foil, all hits must be with the tip and not the sides of the blade. Hits
with the side of the blade do not halt the action. As the entire body is
legal target, there is not the concept of an off-target touch, except if
the fencer accidentally strikes the floor, setting off the electric tone.
Unlike foil and sabre, épée does not use "right of way", and
allows simultaneous hits by both fencers. However, if the score is tied
in a match at the last point and a double touch is scored, the point is
null and void. - Sabre: a light cutting and thrusting weapon that targets the entire
body above the waist, except the weapon hand. Like the foil, the maximum
legal weight of a sabre is 500 grams. The hand guard on the sabre extends
from pommel to the base of where the blade connects to the hilt. This
guard is generally turned outwards during sport to protect the sword arm
from touches. Hits with the entire blade or point are valid. As in foil,
touches that land outside of the target area are not scored. However,
unlike foil, these off-target touches do not stop the action, and the fencing continues.
In the case of both fencers landing a scoring touch, the referee
determines which fencer receives the point for the action, again through
the use of "right of way". - Offensive
- Attack: A basic fencing technique, also called a thrust, consisting of
extending the sword arm to declare an attack and attempt to land a touch
upon the opponent's valid area. In sabre, attacks are also made with a
cutting action. - Riposte: An
attack by the defender after a successful parry. After the attacker has
completed their attack, and it has been parried, the defender then has
the opportunity to make an attack, and take right of way (foil and
saber). - Feint: An attack with the purpose of provoking a reaction from the
opposing fencer. - Lunge: A thrust while extending the front leg by using a slight kicking
motion and propelling the body forward with the back leg. - Beat
Attack: In foil & sabre, the attacker beats the opponent's blade to
gain priority (right of way) and continues the attack against the target
area. In épée, a similar beat is made but with the intention to disturb
the opponent's aim and thus score with a single light. - Disengage:
Beginning an attack in one direction, then quickly moving the point down
in a semi-circle to attack a different location. This is used to trick
the opponent into blocking the wrong direction. For example, the fencer
could target the left side of the torso, and begin the lunge. As the
opponent moves to the left to parry, the fencer disengages and finishes
the attack on the right side of the torso. Commonly countered with a
circle-parry. - Continuation
of Attack: A typical épée action of making a 2nd after attack after the
first attack is parried. This may be done with a change in line; example,
an attack in the high line (above the opponent's bellguard, such as the
shoulder) is then followed with an attack to the low line (below the
opponent's bellguard, such as the thigh, or foot); or from the outside
line (outside of the bellguard, such as outer arm) to the inside line
(inside the bellguard, such as the inner arm or the chest). A second
continuation is stepping slight past the parry and angulating the blade
to bring the tip of the blade back on target. - Remise. A
second attack immediately after the first has missed or been parried. In
foil or sabre, a remise is considered to have lost right of way, and the
defender's riposte will always score instead of the remise. - Flick: a
technique used primarily in foil. It takes advantage of the extreme
flexibility of the blade to use it like a whip, bending the blade so that
it curves over and strikes the opponent with the point. This technique
has become much more difficult due to timing changes which require the
point to stay depressed for longer to set off the light. - Defensive
- Parry: Basic defence technique, block the opponent's weapon while it is
preparing or executing an attack to deflect the blade away from the
fencer's valid area and (in foil and sabre) to give fencer the right of
way. Usually followed by a riposte, a return attack by defender. - Circle
Parry: A parry where the sword is twisted in a circle to catch the
opponent's tip and deflect it away. It is commonly used to counter a
disengage. - Counter
Attack: A basic fencing technique of attacking your opponent while
generally moving back out of the way of the opponent's attack. Used quite
often in épée to score against the attacker's hand/arm. More difficult to
accomplish in foil and sabre unless one is quick enough to make the
counterattack and retreat ahead of the advancing opponent without being
scored upon, or by evading the attacking blade via moves such as the In
Quartata (turning to the side) or Passata-sotto (ducking). - Point In
Line: Extending the weapon and arm against the opponent's target area. In
foil and sabre, this gives one priority if the extension is made before
the opponent is approximately advance-lunge distance away. When performed
as a defensive action, the attacker must then disturb the extended weapon
to re-take priority; otherwise the defender has priority and the
counter-attack like action will win the touch if the attacker does not
manage a single light. When performed as an offensive action, the intent
is usually a means for the attacker to draw a defensive action that can
be deceived and the attack continued. In épée, there is no priority; the
move may be used as a means by either fencer to achieve a double-touch
and advance the score by 1 for each fencer.
So what about Rapiers?
You may also see references to
Rapier swords. These are the heavy, original 16th century swords that Foil and
Epee swords were based on.
So most of the Rapiers being
sold are reproductions for collectors and for use in re-enactments. Probably
not something you would actually want to fence with!
There are three weapons in
modern fencing: foil, épée, and sabre. Each weapon has its own rules and
strategies.
Techniques or movements in
fencing can be divided into two categories: offensive and quickly defensive.
Some techniques can fall into both categories (e.g. the
beat). Certain techniques are used offensively, with the purpose of landing a
hit on your opponent while holding the right of way (foil and sabre). Others
are used defensively, to protect against a hit or obtain the right of way.
**
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