About Fencing

Fencing as a sport has its roots from sword fighting duels. It originated from ancient Egypt where swords were used in battles and duels. As it evolved, it became more of a contest than a fight, veering away from its violent origin. Today, the modern sport of fencing is known as Olympic fencing and regulated by the FIE (Federation Internationale d'Escrime).

The three main weapons (swords) of fencing are the foil, the epee and the saber. The foil is a light weapon with a quadrangular blade. It has a slightly circular guard. It is a point weapon. Hits are made only with the point of the blade. The foil's target area is the main torso from the crotch to the shoulders excluding the arms. The epee has a thick heavy blade with a triangular cross section and a groove in the center. The guard is large and bell-shaped. It uses the full body target area. The saber has a flexible v-shape blade with flat cross section. It has a large and curved guard. It is a cutting weapon. The edge of the blade is used to cut the target area – the head, the arms and the upper torso.