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The sport of
fencing is fast and athletic, a far cry from the choreographed bouts
you see on film or on the stage. Instead of swinging from a
chandelier or leaping from balconies, you will see two fencers
performing an intense dance on 6-feet by 44-feet strip. The movement
is so fast the touches are scored electrically – a lot more like
Star Wars than Errol Flynn.
The Bout
Competitors
win a fencing bout (what an individual “game” is called) by being
the first to score 15 points (in direct elimination play) or 5
points (in preliminary pool play) against their opponent, or by
having a higher score than their opponent when the time limit
expires. Each time a fencer lands a valid hit - a touch - on their
opponent, they receive one point. The time limit for direct
elimination matches is nine minutes - three three-minute periods
with a one-minute break between each.
Fencers are
penalized for crossing the lateral boundaries of the strip, while
retreating off the rear limit of their side results in a touch
awarded to their opponent.
Team matches
feature three fencers squaring off against another team of three in
a "relay" format. Each team member fences every member of the
opposing team in sequence over 9 rounds until one team reaches 45
touches or has the higher score when time expires in the final
round.
Fencing at the
Olympic Games will feature a single-elimination table format, much
like that used in Tennis. There will be no preliminary rounds, as
the initial seeding into the table will be determined by World
Rankings.
The Weapons
Foil, epee and
saber are the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. While some
fencers compete in all three events, elite generally choose to focus
their energies on mastering one weapon.
Foil - The
Sport of Kings
The foil is a
descendant of the light court sword formerly used by nobility to
train for duels. It has a flexible, rectangular blade approximately
35 inches in length and weighing less than one pound. Points are
scored with the tip of the blade and must land on valid target:
torso from shoulders to groin in the front and to the waist in the
back. The arms, neck, head and legs are considered off-target - hits
to this non-valid target temporarily halts the fencing action, but
does not result any points being awarded. This concept of on-target
and off-target evolved from the theory of 18th-century fencing
masters, who instructed their pupils to only attack the vital
areas of the body - i.e. the torso. Of course, the head is also a
vital area of the body, but attacks to face were considered
unsporting and therefore discouraged.
Although top
foil fencers still employ classical technique of parries and
thrusts, the flexible nature of the foil blade permits the modern
elite foil fencer to attack an opponent from seemingly impossible
angles.
Competitors
often "march" down the fencing strip at their opponent, looking to
whip or flick the point of their blade at the flank or back of their
opponent. Because parrying (blocking) these attacks can be very
difficult, the modern game of foil has evolved into a complicated
and exciting game of multiple feints, ducking and sudden, explosive
attacks.
Rules:
Understanding "Right-of-Way"
For newcomers
to foil fencing, one of the challenging concepts to grasp is the
rule of right-of-way. Right of Way is a theory of armed combat that
determines who receives a point when the fencers have both landed
hits during the same action. The most basic, and important, precept
of right of way is that the fencer who started to attack first will
receive the point if they hit valid target. Naturally, fencer who is
being attacked must defend themselves with a parry, or somehow cause
their opponent to miss in order to take over right of way and score
a point. Furthermore, a fencer who hesitates for too long while
advancing on their opponent gives up right-of-way to their opponent.
A touch scored against an opponent who hesitated to long be called
an attack in preparation or a stop-hit, depending on the
circumstances.
Additionally,
the referee may determine that the two fencers truly attacked each
 other
simultaneously. This simultaneous attack is a kind of tie - no
points are awarded, and the fencers are ordered back en grade by the
referee to continue fencing While it may be difficult to follow the
referee's calls (not helped by the fact that the officiating is
performed in French!), the referee always clearly raises their hand
on the side of the fencer.
For whom they
have awarded a point. Watching for these hand signals can make it
easier for newcomers to follow the momentum of a fencing bout
without understanding all the intricacies of the rules.
Fencing
Equipment
Because foil
actions often occur at blinding speed, an electrical scoring system
was devised to detect hits on valid target. Each foil has a blunt,
spring-loaded button at the point of the blade that must be
depressed with a pressure of 500 grams or better to register a hit.
The foil fencer’s uniform features an electrically wired metallic
vest called a lamé - a hit to the lamé causes the scoring machine to
display a colored light on the side of the fencer that scored
the touch. Meanwhile, a hit off target - on the arms, legs or head,
which are not covered by the lamés - causes the machine to display a
white light. As mentioned earlier, hits off target stop the action
of the match temporarily, but do not result in a touch being
awarded. If the scoring machine displays both a colored light and a
white light, it means the fencer quickly hit off target and then hit
on target before the machine could lock out. In such situations, the
fencer's hit is ruled off target and no touch is awarded.
Another part
of the fencer's equipment is a special cable called a body cord.
This plugs into his foil and runs though the sleeve of his arm out
the back of his uniform, connecting to a retractable reel which is,
in turn, connected to the scoring machine. Of course, with all this
equipment a lot can go wrong, so before each foil bout commences,
both fencers ceremoniously test each other's lamés to ensure they
are working properly.
Epee -
Freestyle Fencing
The epee
(pronounced “EPP-pay” - literally meaning "sword" in French) is the
descendant of the dueling sword, but is heavier, weighing
approximately 27 ounces, with a stiffer, thicker blade and a larger
guard. As in foil, touches are scored only with the point of the
blade, however in epee the entire body, head-to-toe, is valid target
- much like in an actual duel.
Similar to the
foil, the point of the epee is fixed with a blunt, spring-loaded
button. However, the epee tip requires more than 750 grams of
pressure to register a touch with the scoring machine (basically,
epee fencers have to hit harder). Because the entire body is a valid
target area, epee fencers do not have to wear a metallic lamé. There
is no concept of "off-target" in epee - anything goes.
Rules
Unlike foil, epee does
not employ a system of "right-of-way”. Fencers score a point by
hitting their opponent first. If the fencers hit each other within
1/25th of a second, both receive a point - this is commonly referred
to as a double touch. The lack of right-of-way combined with a
full-body target naturally makes epee a game of careful strategy and
patience - wild, rash attacks are quickly punished with solid
counter-attacks. So, rather than attacking outright, epeeists often
spend several minutes probing their opponent's defenses and
maneuvering for distance before risking an attack. Others choose to
stay on the defensive throughout the entire bout.
1996 was the first Olympics to feature team and individual Women's
Epee events.
Saber - Hack
and Slash
The saber is
the modern version of the slashing cavalry sword. As such, the major
difference between saber and the other two weapons is that saberists
can score with the edge of their blade as well as their point. In
saber, the target area is the entire body above the waist, excluding
the hands. The lower half is not valid target, which is meant to
simulate a cavalry rider on a horse. In addition, saber employs
rules of right of way which are very similar to foil but with subtle
differences. Like foil, the fencer who starts to attack first is
given priority should his opponent counter-attack. However, saber
referees are much less forgiving of hesitation by an attacker. It is
common to see a saber fencer execute a stop cut against their
opponent's forearm during such a moment of hesitation, winning right
of way an the point.
Again, as in
foil, the saber fencer’s uniform features an electrically wired
metallic lamé, which fully covers their valid target area. Because
the head is valid target area, the fencer's mask is also
electrically wired. One significant departure from foil is that
off-target hits do not register on the scoring machine, and
therefore do not halt the fencing action. Saber fencing is also the
first of the three weapons to feature a wireless scoring system.
If epee is the
weapon of patient, defensive strategy, then saber is its polar
opposite. In saber, the rules of right of way strongly favor the
fencer who attacks first, and a mere graze by the blade against the
lamé registers a touch with the scoring machine. These circumstances
naturally make saber a fast, agressive game, with fencers rushing
their opponent from the moment their referee gives the instruction
to fence. In fact, a lopsided saber match can literally be over in
seconds. As fending off the attack of a skilled opponent is
nearly impossible, saber fencers very rarely purposely take the
defensive. However, when forced to do so, they often go all-out
using spectacular tactical combinations in which victory or defeat
is determined by a hair's breadth.
Athens was the
first Olympics to feature a Women's Saber event.
How to Watch a
Fencing Bout
For those new
to fencing, it can often be challenging to follow the lightning
speed of the fencers’ actions. To become more comfortable in
watching a fencing bout, it often helps focus on the actions of just
one fencers. The fencer being attacked defends himself by use of a
parry, a blocking-motion used to deflect the opponent’s blade, after
which they may attempt to score with a riposte (literally "answer"
in French). In fact, you may notice a particular cadence to the bout
as the fencers rhythmically alternate roles as attacker and
defender.
Fencers seek
to maintain a safe distance from each other – that is, out of range
of the other’s attack. Then, one may try to close this distance to
gain the advantage for an attack. At times, a fencer will make a
false attack - a feint - to probe the types of reactions and
possible defenses by the opponent. Much of the fencing bout consists
of this preparation, during which a fencer simultaneously determine
their opponent's true intentions while feeding them false
information of their own. The complexity of this deadly
"conversation" between the two opponents represents one of the more
subtle beauties of the sport
Of course;
eventually one or both fencers will land a valid hit. When this
occurs, the referee stops the bout and - in foil and saber -
determines who was the attacker, if their opponent successfully
defended themselves, and which fencer should be awarded a touch, if
any.
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Glossary of Fencing Terms |
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Advance |
Taking a step towards one's opponent. |
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Attack |
Movement or series of movements by which a fencer tries to
score a point. In foil and saber, the fencer who attacks
first acquires the "right-of-way." In order to execute a
attack properly (i.e. one that the referee will
acknowledge), the fencer's hand must be clearly extending
towards their opponent's valid target in a threatening
manner. |
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Beat |
Sharp tap on the opponent's blade to initiate an attack or
provoke a reaction. |
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Disengage |
Evasive action in which the fencer avoids the opponent's
attempt to take their blade. |
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Engagement |
Contact between the fencers' blades - often as the prelude
to an attack. |
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En Garde |
Position taken before fencing commences. |
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Feint |
A
false attack intended to get a defensive reaction from the
opposing fencer, thus creating the opportunity for a genuine
attack ("feint-disengage attack") |
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Fleche |
Explosive, running attack (Foil and Epee only) |
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Flunge |
Action unique to saber - a combination of a lunge and a
fleche. Evolved recently after the FIE modified saber rules
in 1992 to prohibit running attacks. |
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Guard |
Part
of the weapon between the blade and handle; protects the
hand (also: "bell-guard") |
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Parry, Counter-Parry |
Defensive action in which a fencer blocks his opponent's
blade. |
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Lunge |
Most
common attacking technique, in which the fencer launches
themselves at their opponent by pushing off from their back
leg (which generally remains stationary). |
|
Opposition |
"Thrust with Opposition" - To simultaneously deflect the
opponent's point with one's guard while making an attack of
one's own. Commonly used in epee to avoid a double touch. |
|
Piste |
French term for the fencing strip. |
|
Point-in-Line |
Action in which the fencer, who is generally out of
attacking range, points their weapon at their opponent with
their arm fully extended. A fencer who establishes a point
in line has right of way, and their opponent cannot attack
until they remove the blade from line by executing a beat. |
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Recover |
The
return to the en guarde position after lunging. |
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Remise |
Attacking again immediately after the opponent's parry of an
initial attack. |
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Riposte |
Defender's offensive action immediately after parrying their
opponent's attack. |
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Second Intention |
A
tactic in which a fencer executes a convincing, yet false,
action in hopes of drawing a true, committed reaction from
their opponent. |
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Stop Hit, Stop Cut
(saber) |
A
counter-action made at the moment of an opponent's
hesitation, feint, or poorly executed attack. To be awarded
the point, the fencer attempting a stop hit must
clearly catch their opponent's tempo. Hence, if their
Stop Hit is not "in time," the referee may award the touch
to their attacker. |
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Strip |
Fencing area, 14 meters long by 2 meters wide. |
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