Fencing is a tremendous sport with huge appeal!
- It is one of the oldest Olympic sports.
- It is safe, lots of fun, excellent for fitness, toning, balance, coordination, control.
- Increases respect, good etiquette and all aspects of well-being.
- The whole point of fencing is to score as many hits on your opponent as you can without being hit yourself.
- Fencing is NOT an aggressive sport, it is about timing, control and out-witting your opponent.
- It is often referred to as being like physical chess.
There are 3 weapons used in fencing: Foil, Epee and Sabre.
Fencing can be enjoyed by all ages, from 6 - 106 and all levels of ability, for further information Fencing/
Foil
- Descended from the 18th century smallsword
- Thin, flexible blade with a square cross-section & a small guard
- Hits are scored with the point only on the torso of the opponent
- As with sabre hits are awarded according to which competitor has the "right of way" or "priority" when the hit is made
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Epee
- The Epee is a direct descendant of the duelling sword
- Epee fencing is probably the closest thing in the modern sport to actual duelling
- The whole body is valid target
- Epee is the weapon used in the Modern Pentathlon sporting event
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Sabre
- The cavalryman's weapon of choice
- Designed to remove the top of an enemy's skull while at the gallop on the back of a horse
- Sabre has a thin, straight, flexible blade
- The target area is anywhere above the waist
- Like foil it has the concept of priority with attacks
- Hits can be scored with the edge of the blade as well as the point
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