Fencing
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Wikipedia-Article "Fencing"
- This article is about the sport. For the structures for dividing property, and the process of erecting them, see fence; or, for other meanings, see fence (disambiguation).
In the broadest possible sense, fencing is the practice of armed combat involving cutting, stabbing or bludgeoning weapons directly manipulated by hand, rather than shot or thrown (in other words, swords, knives, pikes, bayonets, batons, clubs, and so on). In contemporary common usage, fencing tends to refer specifically to European schools of swordsmanship and to the modern Olympic sport which has evolved out of them.
Also, stage fencing - the practice of representing sword-fights on stage or screen; academic fencing - a form of ritualised combat practiced by some German student fraternities.
For definitions of the fencing terminology used in this article, see the glossary.
The emergence of modern fencing
- See also Historical European Martial Arts
Fencing can be traced at least as far back as Ancient Egypt. The earliest known depiction of a fencing bout, complete with practice weapons, safety kit, judges and a score-card, is a relief in a temple near Luxor built by Rameses III around 1190 BC. [1] The Greeks and Romans had systems of martial arts and military training that included swordsmanship, and fencing-schools and professional champions were known throughout medieval Europe, the earliest surviving record of Western techniques of fencing is the manuscript known as MS I.33, which was created in southern Germany c. 1300 and today resides at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. Throughout the Middle Ages, masters continued to teach systems for using the sword (together with other weapons and grappling) to noble and non-noble alike. The wearing of the sword with civilian dress (a custom that had begun in late fifteenth century Spain) gradually gave rise to a new system of civilian swordsmanship based more on the thrust than on the cut, with the aim being to keep the adversary at a distance with the point, and slay him there. This gave rise to systems of using the sixteenth and seventeenth century rapier and the seventeenth and eighteenth century smallsword. Though swords ceased to be an article of everyday dress after the French Revolution, they continued to be used in warfare and to resolve disputes of honour in formal duels through the nineteenth century and into the twentieth.
Though antagonistic competition in fencing is as old as the art itself, the modern sport of fencing originated in the first Olympic games in 1896. The first few years of fencing as a sport were chaotic, with important rule disagreements among schools of fencing from different countries, notably the French and Italian schools. This state of affairs ended in 1913, with the foundation of the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE) in Paris. The stated purpose of the FIE is to codify and regulate the practice of the sport of fencing, particularly for the purpose of international competition. The foundation of the FIE is a convenient breaking point between the classical and the modern traditions of fencing.
Fencing philosophies
There are many different autonomous directions in contemporary fencing:
Sport Fencing
Sports fencing is also known as Olympic fencing. This is the sort of fencing you will see in most competitions (including the Olympic Games). It is conducted according to the rules laid down by the FIE (the international governing body), which are roughly based on the conventions of "practice" fencing developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (then a means of preparing for a duel). Due to technical developments and ideological disagreements, these rules are subject to frequent revisions and amendments.
Classical Fencing
Classical fencing. This type of fencing generally attracts people who feel that contemporary sports fencing has strayed too far from its martial arts origins. Some practitioners try to reconstruct old European systems of armed combat. Others only advocate a return to an earlier set of conventions in sports fencing.
Historical Fencing
Historical fencing is a type of fencing is based on the work of historical texts and traditions. Historical fencing can include longsword, single-handed cutting swords, pole arms, rapier and many other forms.
Stage Fencing
Stage fencing (l'escrime artistique) is a type of fencing that seeks to achieve the maximum theatrical impact. Fights are, generally, choreographed, and fencing actions are somewhat exaggerated. It is not an exclusive preserve of actors and stuntmen - some people do it as a hobby.
Academic Fencing
Academic fencing is a German student tradition. In many ways, it is similar to sports fencing: the combat takes place in accordance with a strictly delineated set of conventions, it involves specially designed weapons and protective gear, and the ultimate goal is the development of personal character strength and team spirit. The difference is that the weapons have a sharp edge, and the loser is the first one to bleed.
SCA Fencing
SCA fencing is the fencing conducted by members of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism), generally in a pre-1600s fashion while still using modern fencing safety gear, usually disguised to pass as period clothing.
The weapons
In both its modern and its classical guise, fencing consists of three different weapons: foil, épée and sabre. These three weapons had become standard by the late nineteenth century and all are represented at Olympic-level competition. Additionally, in classical academies, one will often find historical fencing weapons, such as grande canne, main gauche or rapier and dagger, being taught.
Foil used to be the first weapon taught to beginners, because the techniques of foil teach, in abstract form, the fundamentals of fencing. Additionally, in the past, women were only allowed to fence foil, and the lightness of the weapon made it easier to handle for children. Today, while it is often advised to gain at least a fundamental grasp of foil, fencers often begin with any of the three weapons.
Anatomy of the weapons
While the weapons fencers use differ in size and purpose some basic parts of the weapon remain constant throughout the disciplines. The pommel, a weighted piece of metal at the end of the handle, known as a grip, that holds the blade and handle together while providing a counter-balance to the weight of the blade (in actual combat situations, the pommel could be used as a sort of bludgeon). The grip can be one of several types: French, Italian, pistol grip, and derivatives thereof.
French Grip
The French grip is contoured to the curve of the hand and resembles in use the handles of most swords.
Italian Grip
The Italian grip is similar to the French with the addition of a metal bar through which the fingers slide; this grip has become antiquated due to the amount of torque it places on the wrist.
Pistol Grip
The pistol grip (otherwise known as the anatomical or orthopedic grip), originally developed for a nineteenth-century Belgian master who had lost fingers in a tram accident, contours entirely to one's hand and is held much like a pistol, hence the name. This grip became popular after World War II when it was used by returned soldiers missing fingers. The guard separates the grip from the blade and provides protection for the hand. There are several types of pistol grips, such as the basic Visconti (which is what most people refer to as a pistol grip), the American, Belgian, and Russian.
Other Grips
There are many offshoots of the French and pistol grips, some of which include the Spanish-offset which is much like a French grip with two orthopedic aids coming from the top and bottom.
Foil
The modern foil is descended from the training weapon for the small-sword, the common sidearm of the eighteenth-century gentleman. However, it has long since been altered to be similar in length to the épée (averaging 35" or 890 mm). (Rapier and even longsword foils are also known to have been used but they were very different in terms of weight and use.) It is a light weapon, with a tapered, flexible, quadrangular blade, that scores only with the point. (In modern sport fencing, which makes use of electrical scoring apparatus, one must hit the opponent with the tip of the blade, with a force of at least 4.90 newtons (500 grams-force).)
The valid target area at foil is limited, due to its origins in a time when fencing was practised with limited safety equipment. Hits to the face were dangerous, so the head was removed from valid target. The target was then further reduced to only the trunk of the body, where the vitals are located. A touch which lands on a invalid target stops the bout, but no point is scored.
During the nineteen-eighties,partly due of the introduction of the pistol grip, a technique was developed known as "flicking," a move with which the fencer whipped his/her blade in such a manner that it bent almost to a square angle in midair, the point hitting the opponent only afterwards. If executed properly, this move had the ability to bypass most classical parries, and to hit in unusual or difficult places (such as the back). This technique not only made the traditional "right-of-way" rules dependent on very subjective interpretations, but also made foil play lose all the resemblance of small-sword training that gave it historical substance. To circumvent this, in 2005 the FIE changed the "depression timing" of the tip. This caused most "flick touches" to be no longer detected by the scoring machines, thus favouring more classical, straight thrusts.
Épée
The modern épée is the closest weapon to an actual classical duelling weapon that is used in modern fencing, either descended from or inspired by the small sword as it had developed by the 18th Century. The épée is a long, straight and relatively heavy sword as compared to the foil, with a triangular, less flexible blade and a large, round, bell-shaped guard.
Like the foil, the épée is a point weapon. The reason for the large guard is that the hand is a valid target, as is the rest of the body. Since double-touches are a possibility — and, since there is no right-of-way (see below) — épée fencing tends to be more conservative in style than the other weapons. In electric fencing, in order for a point to register, one must hit the opponent with the point, registering at least 7.35 newtons (750 grams-force) of force. Classical fencers sometimes use a point d'arret, a three-pronged attachment that will actually catch the opponent's jacket.
Sabre
The modern sabre is descended from the classical northern Italian duelling sabre, a far lighter weapon than the cavalry sabre. The method and practice of sabre fencing is somewhat different from the other weapons, in that the sabre is an edged weapon. In modern electric scoring, a touch with the sabre, point, flat or edge, to any part of the opponent's valid target (head, torso, or arm) will register a hit.
Unlike foil and épée, in modern sport sabre, the cross-advance is not allowed. This rule change was made so that referees would not have to try to determine right of way when both fencers simply fleched, or ran at each other. However, recently some sabre fencers have been using a technique known as the "flying lunge", or "flunge" for short. This attack starts like a fleche, but the fencer pushes off from the ground, and flies forward. The legs almost cross at the high point of the jump, but then the front leg is brought forward to catch the fencer. Many referees, however, do not recognise the flunge as a valid attack.
The target area originates from dueling sabre training. To attack the opponent's leg would allow him to "slip" that leg back and attack one's exposed arm or head given that the higher line attack will outreach the low line (there is a classic example of the leg slip in Angelo's Hungarian and Highland Broadsword of 1790). The target area is from the waist up excluding the hands. Right-of-way applies, much as it does to foil.
A common misconception concerning the origin of sabre's target area is that the legs are removed as targets due to sabre's origin as a cavalry weapon. Essentially, the legs of a horseman were not a valid target in war, since cutting the leg of a man riding a horse would not stop that man from continuing his charge. This myth has largely been refuted and several older texts demonstrate low sabre parries to protect the mount's flanks and the fencer's legs. For more information on this topic consult Christoph Amberger's book "A Secret History of the Sword".
Right of way
The "right of way" principle in foil and sabre is that the first person to properly execute an attack has priority. Simply put, if one is attacked, one must defend oneself before counterattacking -- rather than attempting to hit one's opponent even at the risk of being hit oneself. Attacks can be made to fail either by bad luck, misjudgement or by action on the part of the defender. A properly executed parry (deflecting the incoming attack with one's own blade) causes priority to change and the defender has the opportunity to attack (riposte). The original attacker must parry the defender's riposte before attacking again. However, if the parry is ineffectual (malparry), if the riposte misses, or the defender hesitates before riposting, the attacker can continue his attack (this can be called a remise, a reprise or a redoublement) without himself parrying. None of these actions (remise reprise or redoublment) has the right of way so if the defending fencer hesitates that will be called a counterattack and will receive the touch.
For instance, if one fencer attacks, and the other immediately counter-attacks into the attack, and each hits the other, the first fencer's attack is considered successful, while the second is considered to have misjudged. If, however, the second fencer parried the first attack and then responded with an attack of his own (or if he had counter-attacked and managed to avoid being touched), they would have taken the right of way away from the first fencer. It would then be incumbent on the first fencer to defend him - or her - self.
When electrical scoring equipment is used in the modern sports of foil and sabre,(there is electrical epee scoring as well) both fencers will register a hit if they contact within a certain time of each other. Then the referee must decide who had right of way at the time of the hits, and therefore who gets a point. If the referee cannot tell, then he will declare the touches null, and restart the bout from where it stopped.
Double hits are possible in épée as well, but only if both fencers contact within a very short timeframe (40 milliseconds, or 1/25th of a second). In this case, both fencers will receive a point.
Protective clothing
The clothing which is worn in modern fencing is made of tough cotton or nylon. Kevlar was previously used but found insufficiently durable. The complete fencing kit includes the following items of clothing:
- Form-fitting jacket, covering groin and with strap (croissard) which goes between the legs
- Half jacket (plastron) which goes underneath the jacket and provides double protection on the sword arm side and upper arm. It is required not to have a seam in the armpit, which would line up with the jacket seam and provide a weak spot.
- Glove, which prevents swords going up the sleeve and causing injury, as well as protecting the hand and providing a good grip
- Breeches (knickers), to below the knee
- Knee-length socks
- Mask, including bib which protects the neck
- Plastic chest protector, typically worn by female fencers to protect the breasts. Versions for male fencers are also available.
Traditionally, the uniform is white in colour, to assist the judges in seeing touches scored (black being the traditional colour for masters). However, recently the FIE rules have been relaxed to allow coloured uniforms. The colour white might also be traced back to times before electronic scoring equipment, when the blades were sometimes covered in soot or coloured chalk to make a mark on the opponent's clothing.
The practice of fencing
Fencing takes place on a strip, or piste, with two fencers facing one another. In modern fencing, the piste is between 1.5 and 2 meters wide, and 14 meters long. There are designated points on the fencing strip; there is the en-garde line (this is where the fencers start), the center line, the two meter warning lines and the end of the strip. Prior to starting a bout it is required for fencers to salute each other as well as the director. Fencers technically must also salute the audience, but this is often not enforced. Some fencers choose to salute various other things (e.g. God). The fencer's salute has traditionally consisted of the blade going vertically before the fencer saluting with the bell guard at face level and back to en garde position, however, in recent fencing, a great deal of variance has emerged, with some fencers merely raising the blade toward their salutee, while others have incorporated elaborate motions, such as flourishes or crossing motions. Opponents start in the middle of the piste, 4 metres apart, in the en garde position.
A referee (formerly called president of jury, or director) presides over the contest, called a "bout." The referee's duties include keeping score, keeping time (sabre is usually fenced untimed because it moves very quickly), awarding points and maintaining the order of the bout. Often, another person will keep score or time. He or she stands on one side of the piste, watching the bout.
There are many types of modern fencing bouts, but in the two most common formats, the first fencer to score either 5 or 15 touches is declared the winner.
Modern fencing also includes the addition of cards/flags (or penalties). In foil and sabre, yellow cards are awarded for bodily contact between opponents - the penalty going to the aggressor. Two yellow cards equals one red card, and a touch for the opponent. Black cards can mean disqualification and are given out for overtly aggressive actions such as beating one's opponent with the pommel of the sword as well as breaches of protocol such as failure to salute.
It is also possible to fence "in the round," meaning that the bout takes place in a circular or square area instead of on a strip, and fencers can circle in addition to moving forward or backward. This style of fencing is mostly practised today by the SCA and does not exist in FIE tournaments.
Footwork
The most commonly used footwork is the advance and retreat. Other types of footwork include the cross-advance and cross-retreat.
Generally, feet are placed a shoulder-width apart at right-angles to each other. The front foot, the right, faces the opponent and the back foot faces to the left. The fencer's knees should be slightly bent to allow for more mobility. The feet are reversed if one is left-handed. This allows for fairly easy advances and retreats, while allowing the side of the torso to face the opponent. This makes one's target area less open to attack by the opponent. This is called the en garde, or on-guard, position.
To execute an advance, the front foot is moved forward, landing with the heel and rolling forward. Then the back foot is raised and moved forward so that the fencer returns to the en garde position. The process is reversed for a retreat. During this process, the back foot does not move forward of the front. However, in a cross-advance (also known as a cross-step advance or crossover advance), the back foot moves forward of the front, and then the front foot is moved forward so that the fencer returns to the en garde position. The reverse is called a cross-retreat. These steps allow the fencer to gain or close distance more quickly, but it is not as stable or as versatile as a standard advance or retreat.
Variations and portions of the above movements can also be used by themselves. For example, a check-step forward is performed by moving the back foot as in a retreat, then performing an entire advance. This maneuver can trick your opponent into thinking you are retreating, when in reality you want to close distance.
Other footwork actions include the appel (French for "call"), which is a stomp of the front foot; and the jump (also know as a balestra), which is a small jump forward used in conjunction with a variety of attacks.
Good footwork is essential to the performance of a fencer. Although fencing is the sport of bladework, it is very much a game of distance, and having superior footwork can easily determine the outcome of a bout. Even expert fencers almost always include a session of footwork drills in their practice sessions, some more so than bladework exercises.
Electronic scoring equipment
Electronic scoring is used in all major national and international, and most local, sport competitions. (Classical fencing does not use such devices, as classical fencers feel that such devices hurt the practice of the art.) The electrical scoring system requires additional clothing for foil and sabre: Foil fencers wear a conducting vest, called a lamé, which covers the torso and groin. Sabre fencers wear a conducting jacket (also called a lamé), mask, and a special sabre glove or manchette that goes over a regular glove, which is conducting up to but not exceeding the wrist. Fencers used to wear a gauntlet (wrist/forearm cuff) before the weapon hand became off-target. In both weapons, the fencers' weapons are also wired. When a fencer scores a touch on an opponent, this completes an electric circuit which turns on a light and an audible alarm to notify the referee that a touch has been scored. The referee observes the fencers and the scoring machine to determine which fencer has the right-of-way.
In épée and foil, the fencers carry special weapons with compressible tips. When a touch is scored, the tip of the weapon compresses, completing a circuit and signalling a touch. In foil fencing, the competitors wear special conductive vests covering the target area, called lamés, that allow a "valid" circuit to be completed, and a coloured light (usually red or green) turns on. If the touch lands off of the valid target area, an "off target" circuit is completed, and a white light turns on. In épée fencing, since target area is the entire body, the fencers do not wear special conductive clothing. In both, the strip itself must be grounded, to prevent a touch from scoring when the tip of a weapon hits the strip (as opposed to striking the opponent's toe, for example). In epee it is illegal to strike the floor next to the strip to make the light go on since the floor is not grounded out. This action would receive a yellow card.
Fencers connect their weapons to the scoring apparatus via a bodywire, which is threaded from a socket in the guard of the weapon, up the sleeve of the jacket and down to the waist. A spring-loaded spool of cable, placed at the end of the piste, then connects to this bodywire. The springs in the spool ensure that the wiring extends taut from the fencer's waist to the rear of the piste, and doesn't interfere with the fencer's movements. The same effect is sometimes produced by a series of overhead wires connected by elastic instead of a spool on the ground.
The electronic scoring system caused an unexpected side effect in foil: touches can be scored by using the blade like a whip and depressing the tip on the back and other obscured target areas on an opponent. The FIE recently adopted rules intended to remove this anomaly by changing how long you must hold the tip on valid target. The rule changes have been controversial, primarily on two accounts: some argue that "flicks" or "whip-hits" are a valid method of scoring a touch, and others contend that the changes cause scoring anomalies where touches which have obviously landed do not register. If their intention was to remove the flick, they have been only partly successful, as they are still possible, albeit more difficult. However, there has also been recent speculation that the change in depression timing was a direct result of the ambiguity of Right of Way. Changing the times and removing the flick makes it easier for referees to have less ambiguity in their decisions.
Recently, reel-less gear has been adopted for sabre at top competitions, including the Athens Olympics. In this system, which dispenses with the spool, the lights to indicate touches are mounted on the fencers' mask. FIE regulations prohibit the use of transmitters in official scoring equipment to prevent cheating; however, extension lights may be wirelessly connected to the fencers so long as the wired lights (on the fencers themselves) remain the official indicators. Plans for reel-less épée and foil have not yet been adopted.
Whenever possible, organizers use a metal mesh or panels to electrically ground the piste, although this is not always possible for small competitions. Each competitor's coquille (hand guard) is always grounded, as it is often hit when trying to strike at an opponent's hand. This allows the scoring apparatus to ignore touches on both items.
Electronic scoring was introduced to épée in 1936, to foil in 1957, and to sabre in 1988.
Non-electronic scoring
Prior to the introduction of electronic scoring equipment, the president of jury was assisted by four judges. Two judges were positioned behind each fencer, one on each side of the strip. The judges watched the fencer opposite to see if he was hit.
When a judge thought he saw a hit, he raised his hand. The president (referee or director) then stopped the bout and reviewed the relevant phases of the action, polling the judges at each stage to determine whether there was a touch, and (in foil and sabre) whether the touch was valid or invalid. Each judge had one vote, and the president had one and a half votes. Thus, two judges could overrule the president; but if the judges disagreed, or if one judge abstained, the president's opinion ruled.
Épée fencing was later conducted with red dye on the tip, easily seen on the white uniform. As a bout went on, if a touch was seen, a red mark would appear. Between the halts of the director, judges would inspect each fencer for any red marks. Once one was found, it was circled in a dark pencil to show that it had been already counted. The red dye was not easily removed, preventing any cheating. The only way to remove it was through certain acids such as vinegar. Thus, épée fencers became renowned for their reek of vinegar until the invention of electronic equipment.