FENCING This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) with answers, compiled for the UseNet newsgroup rec.sport.fencing. It is intended to reduce repetitive discussions on the Net by addressing commonly raised topics. This document is maintained by Morgan Burke (morgan@sitka.triumf.ca). Contributions, corrections, and suggestions are welcome. Most of the questions and answers pertain to FIE (Olympic) Fencing; Japanese fencing (kendo, kenjustsu, iaido, etc.) is treated in a separate FAQ list ("Japanese Sword Arts") that can occasionally be found in the newsgroups rec.sport.fencing or rec.martial-arts, or on the IAIDO-L mailing list (see section 3.8 for details). The Japanese Sword Arts FAQ is maintained by Neil Gendzwill (gendzwill@SEDSystems.ca). The Fencing FAQ is presented in three parts: 1. GENERAL: common questions about starting fencing, training, and rules of competition 2. EQUIPMENT: fencing equipment, maintenance, and troubleshooting 3. REFERENCE: organizations, suppliers, reading materials, net resources, glossary, etc. All parts can be found on the UseNet newsgroups rec.sport.fencing, rec.answers, or news.answers. Otherwise, consult section 3.8 for information on finding archived copies of this document. An HTML version is available on request. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART 1 : General General: 1.1 What sports and martial arts comprise fencing? 1.2 How did fencing originate? *** revised 1.3 How is modern fencing different from the "real thing"? 1.4 Which is the best weapon? 1.5 Is fencing going to be eliminated from the Olympics? Getting Started: 1.6 Does it hurt? 1.7 What is the best weapon for a beginner to start with? 1.8 How long does it take to become good? 1.9 What qualities make a good fencer? 1.10 How much does it cost to get involved in fencing? 1.11 How do I find a good fencing club? Training: 1.12 What kind of cross-training will help my fencing? 1.13 How can I improve my technique without the help of a coach? Regulations: 1.14 What is right of way? 1.15 What constitutes an attack? 1.16 What constitutes a parry? 1.17 What constitutes a point-in-line? ***revised 1.18 What is the scoop on "flicks" and "whips"? 1.19 What are the latest rule changes? ***revised ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.1 What sports and martial arts comprise fencing? The Olympic sport of fencing is comprised of three weapons: foil, epee, and sabre. All are fenced on a long rectangular strip, and electronic scoring aids are normally used to assist in the detection of touches. The rules governing these three weapons are determined by the FIE (Federation Internationale d'Escrime). Briefly, the FIE weapons are described as follows: Foil: Descended from the 18th century small sword, the foil has a thin, flexible blade with a square cross-section and a small bell guard. Touches are scored with the point on the torso of the opponent, including the groin and back. Foil technique emphasizes strong defense and the killing attack to the body. Epee: Similar to the duelling swords of the mid-19th century, epees have stiff blades with a triangular cross section, and large bell guards. Touches are scored with the point, anywhere on the opponent's body. Unlike foil and sabre, there no rules of right-of-way to decide which attacks have precedence, and double hits are possible. Epee technique emphasises timing, point control, and a good counter-attack. Sabre: Descended from duelling sabres of the late 19th century, which were in turn descended from naval and cavalry swords, sabres have a light, flat blade and a knuckle guard. Touches can be scored with either the point or the edge of the blade, anywhere above the opponent's waist. Sabre technique emphasises speed, feints, and strong offense. The most popular of eastern fencing techniques is kendo, the Japanese "Way of the Sword". Kendo is fought with a bamboo shinai, intended to resemble a two-handed Japanese battle sword. Combatants wear armour, and strike to the top or sides of the head, the sides of the body, the throat, or the wrists. Accepted technique must be observed, and judges watch for accuracy, power, and spirit. See the Japanese Sword Arts FAQ for more information. Other martial arts that include elements of swordsmanship are: Aikido -- self defence against armed and unarmed attackers. Includes using and defending oneself against Japanese sword techniques. Arnis, Escrima, Kali -- Phillipino stick and knife disciplines. Iaido -- the Japanese art of the sword draw (also Iaijutsu and batto-jutsu, more combat-oriented variants of the same). Jogo do Pau -- a Portuguese stick-fighting discipline. Jojutsu -- a Japanese stick-fighting discipline. Kalaripayitt -- includes sword and weapons techniques from south India. Kenjutsu -- the unadulterated Japanese martial art of the sword. Krabi Krabong -- a Thai martial art that includes many sword forms. Kumdo -- A Korean variant of Kendo. Kung-fu -- a Chinese martial art that includes many sword techniques. La Canne -- French Boxing, with a single-handed stick, using rules similar to classical fencing. Le Baton -- similar to La Canne, but with a longer, 2-handed stick. Maculele -- Afro-Brazilian machete forms, related to Capoeira. Mensur -- German fraternity "duelling", with schlagers. Modern Pentathlon -- the "soldier's medley", a sport that recreates demands placed on a pre-20th century military messenger: running, swimming, shooting, equestrian jumping, and epee fencing. Pentjak Silat -- Indonesian arts that include sword and stick forms. Single Stick -- an ancestor of sabre fencing, fought with a basket-hilted wooden rod. SCA duello -- rapier-like fencing in the round, with off-hand techniques. Additional info on the SCA can be found in the newsgroup rec.org.sca. SCA heavy lists -- medieval-style heavy combat, with rattan weapons, armour, and shields. Additional info on the SCA can be found in the newsgroup rec.org.sca. Shinkendo -- real-sword-oriented variant of Kendo. Tai Chi -- another Chinese martial art that includes many sword techniques. Lastly, it should be pointed out that stick/baton fighting, shield use, and related infantry tactics continue to be a part of modern riot police training. 1.2 How did fencing originate? Swordfighting as sport has existed since ancient Egypt, and has been practiced in many forms in various cultures since then. Although jousting and tournament combat was a popular sport in the European middle ages, modern FIE fencing owes more to unarmoured duelling forms that evolved from 16th century rapier combat. Although rapier combat had a nominal military role (for thrusting into the chinks of heavy armour), it was most popular amongst civilians who used it for self-defence and duelling. Rapiers were edged, but the primary means of attack was the thrust. Rapier fencing spread from Italy to Spain and northwest Europe, in spite of the objections of masters such as George Silver who preferred traditional cutting weapons such the English long sword. The Spanish school, under masters such as Narvaez and Thibault, became a complicated and mystical affair whose geometrical theories required much practice to master. Italian masters like Agrippa and Capo Ferro developed a more pragmatic school in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, introducing innovations such as linear fencing and the lunge. By the 18th century, the rapier had evolved to a simpler, shorter, and lighter design that was popularized in France as the small sword, or court sword. Although the small sword often had an edge, it was only to discourage the opponent from grabbing the blade, and the weapon was used exclusively for thrusting. The light weight made a more complex and defensive style possible, and the French masters developed a school based on subtlety of movement, double-time parries, and complex attacks. When buttoned with a leather safety tip that resembled a flower, the small sword was known as le fleuret, and was identical in use to the modern foil (still known as le fleuret in French). Indeed, the French small sword school forms the basis of most of modern fencing theory. By the mid-19th century, duelling was in decline as a means of settling disputes, partially because victory could lead to a jail term for assault or manslaughter. Emphasis shifted to defeating the opponent without necessarily killing him, and less fatal duelling forms evolved using the duelling sword, or epee de terrain, an unedged variant of the small sword. Later duels often ended with crippling thrusts to the arm or leg, and fewer legal difficulties for the participants. This is the basis of modern epee fencing. Cutting swords had been used in bloodsports such as backsword prizefights at least as far back as the 17th century. Broadswords, sabres, and cutlasses were used extensively in military circles, especially by cavalry and naval personell, and saw some duelling application in these circles as well. Training was performed with wooden weapons, and stick fighting remained popular until Italian masters formalized sabre fencing into a non-fatal sporting/training form with metal weapons in the late 19th century. Early sport sabres were significantly heavier than the modern sport sabre and necessitated a strong style with the use of moulinets and other bold movements. As with thrusting swords, the sabre evolved to lighter, less fatal duelling forms such as the Italian sciabola di terro and the German schlager. Hungarian masters developed a new school of sabre fencing that emphasized finger control over arm strength, and they dominated sabre fencing for most of the 20th century. Duelling faded away after the First World War. A couple of noteworthy duels were fought over disputes that arose during Olympic games in the 1920s, and there have been rare reports of sword duels since then. In October 1997, the Mayor of Calabria, Italy, publicly challenged certain Mafiosos to a duel. German fraternity duelling (mensur) still occurs with some frequency. The first modern Olympic games featured foil and sabre fencing for men only. Epee was introduced in 1900. Single stick was featured in the 1904 games. Epee was electrified in the 1936 games, foil in 1956, and sabre in 1988. Early Olympic games featured events for Masters, and until recently fencing was the only Olympic sport that has included professionals. Disruptions in prevailing styles have accompanied the introduction of electric judging, most recently transforming sabre fencing. Foil fencing experienced similar upheavals for a decade or two following the introduction of electric judging, which were further complicated by the new, aggressive, athletic style coming out of eastern Europe at the time. Women's foil was first contested in the 1924 Olympic games, and Women's epee was only contested for the first time in 1996, although it has been part of the World Championships since 1989. Women's sabre is making its first appearance in the 1998 World Championships as a demonstration sport. 1.3 How is modern fencing different from the "real thing"? Different people mean different things by "real" fencing. For some, "real" fencing is a duel with sharp swords and lives on the line. Other than the fear/courage factor, the primary technical difference here is that with live blades you only need to hit your opponent once, and therefore only require one good move (which explains the prevalence of "secret thrusts" in the bad old days). The sport fencer, by comparison, has to hit his opponent as many as 15 times (even more if the officiating is poor!), and so requires considerably more depth than the duellist. On the other hand, the sport fencer takes many more defensive risks, since he has up to 15 lives to work with. Some purists will equate "real" fencing with classical fencing, ie. the prevalent styles of the traditional French and Italian schools of fencing that predominated before electric fencing was popularized. By comparison, modern fencing is more mobile and athletic, while classical fencers were known for their more sophisticated phrasing and bladework. A few fans of heavy metal think real fencing is only done with big, strong swords, and that light duelling-style weapons are toys. Historically, however, lighter thrusting swords evolved because they were considerably more deadly than heavy cutting weapons. Many masters of the 17th century disliked the new schools of fencing precisely because they were too murderous. However, the light duelling sabres that arose near the end of the 19th Century did lack offensive punch on the cut compared with their more military antecedents. Military sabre fencing required more arm strength, and the use of moulinets. Lastly, it just seems apparent to some that sport fencing has evolved away from its bloody origins. Technically, this is untrue, at least for the thrusting weapons; the theory, methods, and techniques of fencing have not seen significant innovation since at least the last century. The modern fencer remains well-equipped, skill-wise, to fight a duel. Tactically and psychologically, however, the sport is a vastly different world from the duel. Obviously there is no real danger to getting hit, and with up to 15 hits needed to secure victory, there often isn't even much figurative danger. In addition, since the quality of a hit (eg. fatal vs. serious wound vs. minor scratch) is immaterial, fencers will naturally prefer an easy "wounding" hit over a difficult "fatal" one, and glancing hits will often win out over strong thrusts. 1.4 Which is the best weapon? Such a question is an open invitation to religious warfare. Everybody loves to participate, but nothing is ever settled. If the question means "what kind of fencing is the most fun?" then the answer is: it depends what aspects of fencing you enjoy the most. If you are fascinated by technique, bladework, and tactics, you will probably get a lot of satisfaction from foil fencing. More visceral fencers who want to experience the adrenaline rush of a fast, agressive sword fight will want to try some sabre. Most epee fencers consider themselves practical, no-nonsense sword fighters who rely on as few artificial rules as possible. Enthusiasts of more medieval combat styles, involving armour and heavy weapons, should consider joining the SCA or a kendo dojo. On the other hand, if the question means "which weapon is the most deadly?" the answer will depend on a lot of factors, not the least of which are the skill of the combatants, the presence of armour, the military and cultural context, and the rules of the fight (ie. is this a street fight, a gentlemen's duel, or open field warfare?). Most swords are highly optimized for performance in a specific environment, and will not perform well outside it. Comparing two swords from completely different historical contexts is therefore extremely difficult, if not downright silly. Then again, perhaps the question means "which style of fencing is the most realistic?" It must be said that questions of realism have little relevance to an activity that has almost no practical application in the modern world other than sport and fitness. Historically, however, epees have the closest resemblance (among FIE weapons) to real duelling swords, and the rules closely parallel those of actual duels (sometimes being fought to only a single point). 1.5 Is fencing going to be eliminated from the Olympics? Olympic fencing appears to be safe for Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, and has even been expanded to include Women's Epee. Since the IOC perpetually changes its roster of Olympic sports, nothing is certain beyond then. Although fencing is one of only four sports to have been involved in every modern Olympic Games since their inception in 1896, it has been mentioned in the past as one of the disciplines that may be eliminated from future Games. According to Gilbert Felli, Sports Director of the International Olympic Committee, the IOC plans to refine future games in various ways, including: -- limiting the number of athletes to 15000 -- increasing participation by women -- eliminating "so-called artificial team events" -- limiting sports of a similar type -- modernizing the Olympic program -- encouraging sports that provide a good television spectacle Fencing recently underwent numerous revisions to its rules and structure to improve its value as a (televised?) spectator sport, perhaps in the hopes of improving its Olympic viability. 1.6 Does it hurt? Not if done properly. Although executed with appreciable energy, a good, clean fencing attack hurts no more than a tap on the shoulder. The force of the blow is normally absorbed by the flex of the blade. Reckless and overly aggressive fencers can occasionally deliver painful blows, however. Fencing *is* a martial art, so you should expect minor bruises and welts every now and again. They are rarely intentional. The most painful blows tend to come from inexperienced fencers who have not yet acquired the feel of the weapon. The primary source of injury in fencing is from pulled muscles and joints. Proper warm-up and stretching before fencing will minimize these occurances. There is a risk of being injured by broken weapons. The shards of a snapped blade can be very sharp and cause serious injury, especially if the fencer doesn't immediately realize his blade is broken, and continues fencing. Always wear proper protective gear to reduce this risk. FIE homologated jackets, britches, and masks are ideal, as they are made with puncture-resistant fabrics such as kevlar. If you cannot afford good fencing wear, use a plastron (half-jacket worn beneath the regular fencing jacket), and avoid old and rusty masks. Always wear a glove that covers the cuff, to prevent blades from running up the sleeve. Fencing is often said to be safer than golf. Whether or not this is true, it is an extraordinarily safe sport considering its heritage and nature. 1.7 What is the best weapon for a beginner to start with? Foil is the most common starter weapon. It is an excellent weapon to begin with if you have no preferences or want to learn generalized principles of swordfighting. Because most skills learned with the foil can be applied to the other weapons (the reverse is not true), it is the best choice for anyone not sure where their interests lie. There is little disadvantage to beginning with epee or sabre if the student is certain that they will stay with that weapon. However, if the student wants to take up another weapon, he may find the transition more difficult if he begins with the sabre or epee. Sabre students typically have problems with point control at first, and the epee student may struggle with the concept of right-of-way. Cost may also be an issue; dry sabre is becoming increasingly rare, so the initial investment in a full set of competition sabre equipment is the highest of all the weapons. Because no electric jacket is required in epee, on the other hand, epee is the least expensive to compete in. 1.8 How long does it take to become good? There is a saying that it takes two lifetimes to master fencing. By the time anyone has come close to "mastering" the sport, they are long past their athletic prime. Some may feel that this is a drawback to the sport, but most fencers see it as a great strength: fencing never becomes dull or routine; there are always new skills to master, and new grounds to conquer. In times past, students often were not permitted to hold a weapon until they had completed a year or two of footwork training. Modern training programs rarely wait this long, and in many cases students will be fencing (badly) within a few days of starting lessons. Low-level competition is feasible within 3-6 months. Competition at this point should be viewed as a learning aid, not as a dedicated effort to win. Serious attempts at competing will be possible after 2-3 years, when the basic skills have been sufficiently mastered that the mind is free to consider strategy. A moderate level of skill (eg. C classification) can take 3-5 years of regular practice and competition. Penetration of the elite ranks (eg. world cup, A classification) demands three to five days per week of practice and competition, and usually at least 10 years of experience. Progress can be faster or slower, depending on the fencer's aptitude, dedication, and quality of instruction. Rapid progress normally requires at least three practices per week, and regular competition against superior fencers. The average world champion is in his late 20s to early 30s and began fencing as a child. 1.9 What qualities make a good fencer? There are many. On the athletic side, speed and endurance must rank foremost. Other traits that can be exploited are strength (for explosive speed, not heavy handedness), precision, and flexibility. Quick reaction time is extremely important. On the mental side, a good mind for strategy and tactics is essential. The ability to quickly size up your opponent and adapt your style accordingly is essential. Psychologically, a fencer must be able to maintain focus, concentration, and emotional level-headedness under intense conditions of combat. Stress management, visualization, and relaxation techniques are all helpful to putting in winning performances. As far as body type goes, it is always possible to adapt your style to take advantage of your natural traits. Even so, height seems to be useful in epee, but not necessarily in sabre. Small or thin people are harder to hit in foil. A long reach helps in epee, and long legs are an asset in foil. It should be noted that left handers usually enjoy a slight advantage, especially against inexperienced fencers. This may account for the fact that lefties make up 15% of novice fencers, but half of FIE world champions. 1.10 How much does it cost to get involved in fencing? A beginner's dry fencing kit (cotton jacket, glove, dry weapon, mask) will cost about US$100-200. A full set of FIE-spec competition gear (FIE jacket, pants, mask, 2 weapons, wires, glove, shoes, plastron, electric jacket) will run at least US$500-1000. FIE equipment is recommended both in terms of safety and quality, but clothing costs can be as much as halved by purchasing regular cotton or synthetic knits. Do not expect such equipment to be accepted at national or international levels of competition, however. Used equipment can also be bought from retiring or upgrading fencers. Club costs vary widely, depending on the quality of the space, the equipment provided to its members, and the amount of coaching included in the club fees. Advanced lessons are usually purchased separately. 1.11 How do I find a good fencing club? Start with your local Provincial or Divisional fencing association. If you don't know how to find them, contact your national fencing body (see section 3.1). Your national body may maintain a list of known fencing clubs in the country. Otherwise, your local association will be able to tell you about recognized clubs in your area. Many universities and colleges also sponsor fencing clubs and teams that will often accept non-students as members. You might also check out courses or camps offered by local community centers. Fencers with Web access can find a list of U.S. fencing clubs at http://sarah.rsip.lsu.edu/fencing/fencing.clubs.html or at http://www.usfa.org and a list of Canadian Fencing clubs at http://www.fencing.ca/fra_dire.htm Once you have a list of potential clubs, you will want to evaluate them and your needs. Desirable qualities vary, depending on your skill level and what you want to get out of fencing. Ask the following questions when selecting your club (if you're not sure what you want, "yes" is a good answer to all these questions): Does it have an active beginners' program? Are there enough fencers of your own skill level? Are there some fencers above your skill level? If you don't have your own equipment, does the club provide it? Does the club have ample electric scoring boxes and reels? Does the club emphasize the same weapons that you are interested in? Do club members compete regularly? Does the club have a master or coach? Has he/she had many competitive successes either fencing or coaching? Can you get individual lessons and instruction? At no extra cost? Lastly, atmosphere is important to any social endeavour. Choose a club that makes you feel comfortable and relaxed without sacrificing the athletic spirit that is essential to progress. 1.12 What kind of cross-training will help my fencing? The best training for fencing is fencing. Fencing development is asymmetrical and few other sports use the same muscle groups, so this is a difficult question whose answer depends largely on what aspect of your training you really want to focus on. Cardiovascular fitness and leg strength always help, so anything that enhances these will be beneficial. Cycling, swimming, aerobics, and skating are good examples. Running, sprinting, soccer, basketball, and similar sports can also be helpful, although some athletes dislike the stresses they put on the knees. Racquet sports like tennis, badminton, squash, racquetball, and table tennis are also excellent, and will exercise your weapon arm in addition to your legs. Circuit or period training (short bursts of high-heart-rate exercise followed by brief recovery periods) has been put forward as particularly relevant to the demands of fencing. Many martial arts have physical and mental demands that are similar to fencing, and can improve both your fitness and your intellectual approach to the sport. Technique and tactics very rarely translate, however. Weight training can help, if done properly, but the athlete must remember that flexibility, speed, and technique are more important than raw strength, although proper strength training (especially of the lower body and legs) can improve speed significantly. Otherwise, endurance training should have priority over bodybuilding. Excessive weight training of the upper body can adversely affect point control, according to some masters, who prefer weighted wrist straps worn during regular practice. Some fencers maintain that juggling improves reactions, hand-eye coordination, and use of peripheral vision. Many coaches and fencers suggest occasional fencing or workouts with your opposite hand, both to improve skill and balance your muscular development. 1.13 How can I improve my technique without the help of a coach? It is very easy to acquire bad habits and poor technique if you do not have the guidance of a knowledgable fencing master, coach, or fellow fencer. If you are serious about improving your fencing, quality coaching is always your best investment. However, a disciplined fencer still has options if decent instruction is not available on a regular basis. Firstly, a solid knowledge of fencing theory and regulations is a must. Freelance fencers should study the FIE Rules of Competition and a good fencing manual (see Section 3.3). They should test and apply this knowledge by presiding whenever possible. An appreciation of good fencing style is also essential, so that they can readily identify weaknesses in their own and other fencers' techniques. Observation and comparison of skilled or accomplished fencers will develop this ability. Training videotapes and videotapes of high-level competitions (see Section 3.6) are also helpful in this regard. Freelance fencers must be open-minded and critical of their own technique, so that they can recognize problems before they develop into habits. Discussion of their weaknesses with training opponents will help them clarify the areas that need work. If possible, they should videotape their bouts and review them to spot defects in their tactics and technique. Fencers should seek out opponents who will strenuously test their weaknesses. More experienced fencers, left-handers, those whose tactics are particularly effective, and even those with annoying (ie. difficult) styles should be courted on the practice strip. When fencing less skilled opponents, fencers should restrict their tactics to a small set that require practice, and resist the temptation to open up if they should start losing. The opportunity to participate in footwork and line drills should never be passed up. When they can find agreeable partners, fencers can do more personalized drills to exercise their weak areas. (Of course it is courteous to indulge the needs of your partners when they in turn work on their own training.) Lastly, fencers should remain aware of their bout psychology and mental state when fencing, and try to cultivate the mindset that in their experience produces good fencing. 1.14 What is right-of-way? Right-of-way is the set of rules used to determine who is awarded the point when there is a double touch in foil or sabre (ie. both fencers hit each other in the same fencing time). It is detailed in the FIE Rules of Competition, Articles 232-237 (foil) and 416-423 (sabre). The core assumption behind right-of-way is that a fencing bout is always in one of three states: -- nothing significant is happening -- the fencers are conceiving and executing their actions simultaneously -- one fencer is controlling the action and tempo and the other is trying to gain control. Since no points will be scored in the first situation, we can ignore it. In the second situation, the fencers' actions have equal significance, and it is impossible to award a touch. Both touches will be annulled and the bout will be resumed where it was stopped. The third situation is the tricky one. The controlling fencer has the right-of-way, and his hit has precedence over any hit from the other fencer. The job of the referee is to decide which fencer was NOT controlling the action, and annul his touch. If he cannot decide, the referee should abstain, annul BOTH hits, and resume the action where it left off. Control (and right-of-way) is taken whenever one fencer threatens the other with his blade. A threat can be either an attack (see question 1.15), or a "point in line" (see question 1.17) that is established before the opponent attacks. Control (and right-of-way) is lost when the threat misses, falls short, is broken off, or is deflected away from the target by a parry or other engagement from the defender. The defender has a split-second window of opportunity to return the attack (ie. riposte) before the attacker recovers; if he does so, he takes over right-of-way and the tables have turned. Otherwise it is a toss-up; the first fencer to initiate an attack will sieze the right-of-way anew. The right-of-way relationships between common fencing actions are as follows: - derobement has right-of-way over attacks on the blade - attacks on the blade have right-of-way over the point in line - point in line has right-of-way over the attack - the simple attack has right-of-way over the stop-hit - the stop-hit has right-of-way over the renewal of the attack - the stop-hit in time has right-of-way over the compound attack - the riposte has right-of-way over the renewal of the attack - the counter-riposte has right-of-way over the renewal of the riposte - the remise of the attack has right-of-way over the delayed riposte 1.15 What constitutes an attack? According to Article 10 of the FIE rules of competition, "the attack is the initial offensive action made by extending the arm and continuously threatening the valid target of the opponent." A threatening weapon is normally interpreted to be one that will or could hit the opponent if no defensive action is taken. In other words, a weapon threatens if it is moving towards the target in a smooth, unbroken trajectory. This trajectory can be curved, especially if the attack is indirect, compound, or involves a cutting action. Hesitations and movements of the blade away from the target will usually be perceived as a break in the attack or a preparation of the attack. One common misconception is that a straight or straightening arm is required to assert the attack. However, neither the strict wording nor the prevailing interpretation of the above rule require that the attacker's arm become straight or even nearly so. It is sufficient if the arm extends, even just slightly, from its normal on-guard position. A long arm at the moment of the touch is still good style, though, since it gives superior reach and clearly shows the fencer's intent. While the attack can often be asserted with only slight extension, retraction of the arm will usually be interpreted as a break in the attack. Another common misconception is that a point attack does not threaten unless the point is aimed at the target. This is not generally true. An out-of-line point does threaten if it is moving towards the target on a smooth, unbroken trajectory. The most common example of this is the coupe' (cut-over), in which the blade is pulled away from the target to avoid the the opponent's blade, and then returned into line to finish the attack. Coupe' takes the right-of-way immediately, even though the point is initially pulled away. So-called "flicks", relatives of the coupe' that involve whipping the foible of the blade around parries or blocking body parts, can also take the right-of-way when the blade starts its final forward stroke. Many fencers are under the mistaken impression that a bent arm or out-of-line point constitutes a preparation, and therefore that they can rightfully attack into it. If the bent arm is extending and the out-of-line point is moving towards the target, however, this assumption is usually false under modern fencing conventions. A successful attack on the preparation must clearly precede the opponent's initiation of the phrase or a break in his attack, or else arrive a fencing time ahead of his touch. Sabre fencers must also consider Article 417 of the Rules of Competition, which states when the attack must land relative to the footfalls of a lunge, advance-lunge, (and fleche, historically). Attacks that arrive after the prescribed footfall are deemed continuations, and do not have right-of-way over the counter-attack. Sabre fencers must also remember that whip-over touches can be interpreted as remises, and not mal-pare's. 1.16 What constitutes a parry? According to Article 10 of the FIE Rules of Competition, "the parry is the defensive action made with the weapon to prevent the attack from arriving". A successful parry deflects the threatening blade away from the target. It is normally not sufficient to merely find or touch the opponent's blade; the fencer must also exhibit control over it (although the benefit of the doubt usually goes to the fencer making the parry). If the attack continues without any replacement of the point and makes a touch, it retains the right-of-way (mal-pare' by the defender). If the attacker must replace the point into a threatening line before continuing, it is a remise (renewal of the attack) and does not have right-of-way over the riposte. In practice, very little deflection is needed with a well-timed parry. A well-executed parry should take the foible of the attacker's blade with the forte and/or guard of the defender's. This provides the greatest control over the opponent's blade. In other cases the parry can still be seen as sufficient if the attacking blade is sufficiently deflected. In ambiguous cases, however, the benefit of the doubt is usually given to the fencer who used his forte/guard. For example, if a fencer attempts to parry using his foible on his opponent's forte, it will often be interpreted in the reverse sense (eg. counter-time parry by the attacker), since such an engagement does not normally result in much deflection of the attack. A foible to foible parry could potentially be seen as a beat attack by the opposing fencer depending on the specifics of the action. At foil, the opponent's blade should not only be deflected away from the target, but away from off-target areas as well. An attack that is deflected off the valid target but onto invalid target can still retain right-of-way. At sabre, the opponent's blade need only be deflected away from valid target, since off-target touches do not stop the phrase. Cuts are considered parried if their forward movement is checked by a block with the blade or guard. Contact with the blade or guard may be interpreted as a parry, even if a whip-over touch results. Avoiding whip-over touches altogether requires exceptionally clean and clear parries. At epee, a good parry is simply any one that gains enough time for the riposte. Opposition parries and binds are commonly used, since they do not release the opponent's blade to allow a remise. 1.17 What constitutes a point-in-line? According to Article 233 section 6 of the FIE Rules of Competition, a point-in-line is a position "with the arm straight and the point threatening the valid target". Properly done, the arm should be extended as far as possible, and form a more or less continuous line with the blade, with the point aimed directly at the high lines of the target. Excessive angulation at the wrist or fingers negates the point-in-line. Superfluous movement of the point also risks negating the line, especially in sabre. Derobements/trompements, however, are permitted. In foil and sabre, the point-in-line has priority over attacks that are made without first taking the blade. With these weapons (but not with epee) it is forbidden to assume the point- in-line position before the command to fence has been given. In sabre, a point-in-line that hits with the edge is passe'; if a touch is registered with the edge, it is properly analyzed as a remise or counter-attack, except in the case of a derobement. There are wildly differing opinions on the role of the feet in the point-in-line. Some claim that any movement forward or backward invalidates the point in line, while others claim that only forward movment obviates the line. These interpretations are incorrect. It was widely held to be an official ruling that steps or jumps forward or backward maintained the point-in-line, but lunges or fleches obviated it. This ruling, apparently based on a directive from the FIE, has been official policy in the USFA for some time. However, the rulebook does not proscribe any footwork movements at all, and some high-level FIE referees insist that footwork has absolutely no effect on the priority of the point-in-line, even lunges or fleches. 1.18 What is the scoop on "flicks" and "whips"? Flicks are whip-like attacks that can score against very oblique and even concealed targets. Sometimes thought of as a recent corruption, flicks actually have a long history that stems from coupe' (the cut-over) and epeeists efforts to throw their points around the bell. Properly executed and judged, they are effective and beautiful attacks; poorly executed and judged, they can be painful and annoying. One common criticism of the flick is that it would cause minor injury with a real weapon. The obvious, if flippant, response to this is not to flick when fencing with a real weapon. Another common criticism is that flicks are difficult to defend against. One must simply remember to parry them as if they were cuts, not thrusts (using auxiliary parries like tierce, quinte, and elevated sixte). The flick is also highly sensitive to distance, and a well-timed break in the measure will cause it to land flat. A third criticism is that flicks are usually given the priority, even though the attack often begins with the point aimed at the ceiling. However, the definition of an attack (see question 1.15) says nothing about where the point is aimed, only what it is threatening. It is normally true that an attack that scores must have threatened in at least its final tempo. Sabre fencing has suffered from a related and more serious scourge, the whip-over. In this case, the foible bends around the opponent's blade or guard following a parry, to contact the target and register a touch. The scoring machines attempt to reduce these false touches by blocking hits within a certain time window following weapon contact, but this is of limited effectiveness and also has the unfortunate effect of blocking the occasional attack through the blade. Referees have tried to help out by analyzing whip-over touches as remises, but they still score over composed or delayed ripostes. The FIE has been considering and trying various possible fixes, including varying the timeouts and mandating stiffer sabre blades. 1.19 What are the latest rule changes? The FIE Rules of Competition were completely re-written for the 1998 season. Although the wording of the rules is for the most part similar, the article numbers and locations of the rules are completely different. DISCIPLINE: - Leaving the piste with one or both feet earns a verbal caution for first offense, and group 1 penalties thereafter. (1998) - In sabre, any action in which the rear leg is crossed in front of the fore is a group 1 penalty, with the hit annulled. A correctly executed touch from the opponent is still valid. (1994) - Salute of opponent, referee, and audience is mandatory at the start and end of the bout. Failure to do so is a group 3 penalty (if by one fencer at start of bout), group 4 penalty (if by both fencers at start or end of bout), suspension (if by loser at end of bout), or annullment of hit (if by winner at end of bout). (1994) EQUIPMENT: - 800N underarm protector (plastron) is required in addition to the regular 800N jacket. (1994) - Clothing may be of different colours, but those on the body must be white or light-coloured. (1994) - Minimum width of the strip is now 1.5 metres. (1994) - The proposed rule extending the foil target to include the bib has been dropped. BOUT FORMAT: - Coin flip to determine winner in the event of a tie shall be made at end of regulation time, and one additional minute shall be fenced. The winner of the coin toss shall be recorded as the victor if the bout is not resolved by sudden death in the extra minute. (1994) - No more 1-minute warning, although fencers can request the time remaining at any normal halt in the action. (1994) - Fencers shall be placed at the en garde lines at the commencement of each 3-minute period in 15-touch elimination bouts. (1994) SCORING: - When time runs out, scores are recorded as is, rather than elevating the winner to 5 and the loser by an equivalent amount. (1997) - Following pools, fencers are sorted by V/M, HS-HR, HS. (1997) - In sabre, simultaneous attacks that both arrive on the valid target do not result in any points being scored. (1994) - In the team relay, the first pair of fencers fence to 5 points or 4 minutes, whichever comes first. The next pair continue from this score up to 10 points within 4 minutes, and so on up to a total score of 45 points. (1995?) FENCING PART 2 : EQUIPMENT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equipment & Maintenance: 2.1 Clothing 2.1.1 FIE Homologated Clothing 2.1.2 Colours 2.2 Masks 2.2.1 Bibs *** revised 2.3 Shoes 2.3.1 Inserts 2.4 Gloves 2.5 Lame's 2.5.1 Repair 2.6 Armour 2.7 Grips 2.7.1 Traditional 2.7.2 Pistol 2.8 Blades 2.8.1 FIE & Maraging Blades 2.8.2 Tangs 2.8.3 Bends and Curvature 2.9 Guards 2.10 Points & Blade Wires 2.11 Body Wires 2.12 Glue 2.13 Scoring Apparatus 2.13.1 Wireless Systems Troubleshooting: 2.14 Foil 2.15 Epee 2.16 Sabre NB: equipment merchants are listed in section 3.2. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1 Clothing Fencing clothing includes the jacket, pants, plastron (underarm protector), and socks. Some companies manufacture unitards (combined jacket and pants). Inexpensive practice gear is fashioned of synthetics or heavy cotton, but competition clothing is required to pass an 800 N puncture test. Casual and beginner fencers can rely on cotton or synthetic jackets, but should consider using a plastron for extra protection. Track pants or baseball knickers are also thrifty alternatives to genuine fencing clothing, although they afford little protection. Most jackets are left- or right-handed. Women's jackets are not only cut differently, but have pockets for breast protectors. Ambidextrous (back-zip) jackets are available, but generally not with homologated fabrics. Ambidextrous (double-sided) plastrons are available from some manufacturers. Knee-high sport socks (such as for soccer/football or baseball) can be purchased from most sporting goods stores. Skin should not show between the socks and pant legs nor the cuff and glove of the weapon hand. The trailing hand and back of the head should be the only areas of exposed skin on the fencer's body. 2.1.1 FIE Homologated Clothing 800N homologated clothing is fashioned from special fabrics such as kevlar, Startex, or ballistic nylon. Some uniforms (especially older uniforms of kevlar construction) offer partial 800N coverage in vital areas with lighter 350N fabrics used elsewhere. Full-coverage 800N uniforms are now the norm in homologated clothing. The rules for FIE 'A' level competition demand homologated jacket and pants. As of April 1, 1995, an additional 800N plastron is required. The CFF currently requires a minimum of 800/350N uniforms for all elite tournaments. No plastron is required in conjunction with FIE clothing. 800N uniforms are not required in USFA competition; a regulation plastron is compulsory with all types of uniform, however. (USFA clothing regulations can be found at http://www.usfa.org/Documents/Policy/Uniform.asp). 800N clothing generally provides the highest degree of quality and protection available. It is strongly recommended for serious competitors, and for anyone else concerned about their safety. Although considerably more expensive than practice gear, many fencers find it well worth the price. Kevlar clothing should be washed with mild detergent-free soap, and no bleach. Hang dry away from sources of ultraviolet light (especially direct sunlight). Store in a dark place (a closet or your fencing bag, for example). 2.1.2 Colours Traditionally, fencing clothing is all white (for historical reasons that probably had to do with detection of hits), but the rules have recently been relaxed to allow "light" colours on the body. Other colours are permitted on the limbs. The fencer's last name and country can appear on the back or the trailing leg in block blue letters; this is required in international competition. National colours can be worn on an armband on the trailing arm. Club or association badges can be stitched to the upper trailing arm. 2.2 Masks Although most manufacturers advertise 2- and 3-weapon masks, there are different requirements for each. Foil masks should be well-insulated to prevent touches to the head from conducting to the lame' and registering as a touch. Electric sabre masks must be conductive, on the other hand, to allow head touches. Masks usually come in 3 or 5 sizes, depending on the manufacturer. When sizes are numbered, 5 is usually the largest. Sizes are often indicated by the position of a metal tag or rivet on the rear portion of the mesh. Clear plastic masks are available (eg. from Zivkovic), with a small lexan panel in front of the eyes, and normal wire or other material elsewhere. The lexan is supposed to be shatterproof, and can be replaced when scratched. Masks must pass a 12 kg punch test to be certified for competition. Consider subjecting a used mask to such a test before using/purchasing it. Older masks can have smaller bibs and weaker mesh (rated to 7 kg), making them less safe. When punch testing a mask, depress the punch perpendicular to the mesh without wiggling it. Do not apply more than the required amount of pressure. Pay particular attention to parts of the mesh that have already been dented or bent, including the center crease line. Unnatural dents in the mesh can and should be pushed or hammered out. 2.2.1 Bibs The best masks have FIE homologated bibs to protect the throat, and are required in high-level competition. 1600N bibs are standard in FIE competition for the 1995/96 season. The CFF requires 800N bibs as a minimum in elite competition, while the USFA has no FIE bib requirement. Although it was announced that the bib would become part of the foil target in the 1995-96 season, those plans were dropped. 2.3 Shoes Fencing shoes are ideal, but often expensive. They characteristically have leather "skid pads" on the inside front of the shoe, and a sole that wraps back over the heel. Adidas makes low- and high-top models that are known for their quality, but can be quite expensive and hard to find in North America. Other brands include (but are not limited to) PBT (Hungarian), Estoc (French), Sport-Escrime (French), Dowin (Chinese), and Starfighter (?). Lightweight indoor court shoes (such as for squash, badminton, racquetball, or volleyball) make excellent low-cost alternatives. Asics, Hi-Tec, Reebok, Etonic, and Adidas have all been recommended by rec.sport.fencing readers for manufacturing models that are useful for fencing. Some fencers claim that wrestling shoes can be adapted for fencing, although they may not offer much support. Many outdoor athletic shoes and running shoes are too bulky or heavy for fencing, or provide poor lateral stability. 2.3.1 Inserts Hard heel cups are widely used to absorb the impact of lunges. They are integrated into some models of fencing shoe, but can be purchased separately from specialty athletic and orthopedics stores for other shoes. Softer rubber (eg. Sorbothane) inserts are also commonly used to provide extra cushioning or prevent chronic injuries from flaring. 2.4 Gloves Gloves should have leather or equivalent construction in the fingers and palm, have a long cuff to cover the sleeve opening, and have an opening for the bodywire. They should not fit too snugly, or they will be more susceptable to tearing. Varying degrees of padding are available in the back of the hand and fingers, which can be useful for epee and sabre fencers. Gloves can deteriorate rapidly under heavy use, often lasting a single season or less. Some gloves are washable; saddle soap or other leather treatment can extend the lives of other gloves somewhat. Economical alternatives to genuine fencing gloves include precision welding gloves, motorcycle gloves, and even common workman's gloves available at any hardware store, provided the fingers and palm are unpadded and supple enough to maintain the feel of the blade. It may be prudent to hand-stitch a longer gauntlet onto the cuff, if the normal one doesn't cover the sleeve opening (the cuff should run halfway up the forearm). In all these cases, a small wire opening may have to be cut into the wrist. 2.5 Lame's The higher quality lame's are made of stainless steel, which is much more corrosion resistant than copper. Your lame' should come to your hip bones, and be form-fitting but not too tight. Most lame's come in right and left-handed versions, but ambidextrous (back-zip) versions are also available and sometimes have higher hips. Careful rinsing of your stainless steel lame' in lukewarm water following a tournament or rigourous practice will wash out most of the sweat and salts that will damage your lame'. Old sweat turns alkaline and can be quite damaging to the lame' fabric. The salt crystals left behind from dried sweat can also be abrasive and conducive to corrosion. Occasional handwashing in lukewarm water with a mild detergent (eg. Woolite or dishsoap) and a small amount of ammonia is an excellent way of cleaning your stainless steel lame' and prolonging its life. Some fencers recommend neutralizing the alkaline deposits in the lame' with lemon juice added to the bath. Rinse your lame' after washing and hang dry on a wooden or plastic hanger. Avoid folding, crumpling, wringing, or abrading it. All of these will fatigue the metallic threads in the fabric. Similar care should be taken with sabre cuffs and mask bibs. 2.5.1 Repair Lame's can go dead for several reasons, including high electric resistance due to oxidation and corrosion (usually accompanied by visible discolouration), broken metal fibres, or tears in the fabric. High-resistance areas that are due to oxidation can often be temporarily resucitated by moistening them with water. As the moisture soaks up salts and other deposits in the fabric, conductivity will increase enough for the lame' to pass the armourer's check. Sweat from vigourous fencing will have the same effect. Some models that do not rely on conductive fibres (eg. from Triplette) will lose conductivity when dirty, and require regular washing. Small dead spots can be "field-repaired" with a paper stapler or metallic paint. Larger dead areas and tears in the fabric can only be reliably repaired by stitching new lame' fabric over the affected areas. If no patch material is available, the fabric from one dead lame' can be cut up and used to repair another (the material from the back is generally in better shape). Note that large areas can go dead due to broken fibres in a relatively small patch. Patching only the region of broken fibres can re-activate the entire dead area. Patches should be folded over at the edges, and the stitch should overlap the edge to prevent flaps that will catch points. 2.6 Armour Padded jackets, plastrons, and gloves are available to take the sting out of hard hits. Most coaches will use special heavily-padded jackets or sleeves when giving lessons, but these are not intended for competitive use. Some masks have extra coverage at the back of the head to protect against whip-overs. Elbow protectors are also commonly worn by sabreurs. Athletic cups are important for men, and breast protectors are essential for women. The latter can take the form of individual bowls to cover each breast, or more complete full-chest protectors that cover the ribs up to the collarbone. Female groin protectors are also available from some martial arts suppliers. Neck gorgets for additional throat protection can be found from some hockey equipment suppliers. 2.7 Grips For foil and epee, there are a wide variety of grips available that fall into two broad categories, traditional and pistol. Sabre grips are all fundamentally of the same design. Most grips are fashioned of aluminum or plastic; the latter, while lighter, are also much more fragile and prone to cracking. Some metal grips are insulated with a layer of enamel (colour coded by size) or rubber paint. Such insulation will turn an epee grip into valid target, but it is important for foils to prevent grounding. Many traditional grips are surfaced with leather, rubber, or twine. 2.7.1 Traditional These are the French, Italian, and Spanish grips. All consist of a relatively simple handle, a large, exposed pommel, and in the case of the Italian and Spanish grips, crossbars or similar prongs for extra grip. The French grip is the simplest of all fencing grips in construction, and the most economical. It emphasizes finger control over strength, and provides considerable flexibility, and a variety of possible hand positions. It is the most common grip used by novices, and remains popular (especially in epee) among advanced fencers. The Italian grip is noted for its strength, but is fairly rare, partially because it requires a special tang on blades that are used with it. It is the only ambidextrous fencing grip. Italian grips are often used with a wrist strap, and contrary to rumour, they remain legal in modern competition. The Spanish grip is a compromise between the French and Italian grips, but is illegal in modern fencing competition, due to a technicality that forbids grips with orthopaedic aids from being grasped in more than one manner. There are modern variants of the Spanish grip that do not use the French pommel, and these may be legal in competition if they fix a single hand position. 2.7.2 Pistol These are modern, orthopedic grips, shaped vaguely like a pistol, but still grasped in the traditional way. They provide a pronounced strength advantage over the traditional grips, but tend to encourage wrist movement over finger movement. Pistol grips all have the features of a large protuberance below the tang for the aids to grasp, a curved prong above the tang that fits in the crook of the thumb, and a large prong that extends along the inside of the wrist. There are many variations in shape, size, sculpting for the fingers, extra prongs, and so on, although certain designs enjoy wide popularity. Most pistol grip designs have names (eg. Visconti, Belgian, German, etc.) but these are not always consistent between manufacturers or regions. 2.8 Blades There are a large number of variables to consider when shopping for blades, including stiffness, length, durability, flex point, weight, balance, corrosion resistance, and (of course) price. Stiff blades provide better point control, but less "flickability". A flex point less than 1/3 of the length from the tip indicates a strong middle, but may also indicate a whippy or less durable foible. A lower flex point may make the blade feel spongy, slow, or tip-heavy, but may also indicate a stronger foible that is more durable and less easily dominated. Some brands of blades (eg. Allstar) are sold in different flexibility grades. Blades that feel heavy in the tip often provide better point control, while those that are light in the tip often make for faster parries. Blades generally come in 5 sizes, 5 being the longest (90 cm for foil and epee, not including tang) and by far the most common. Shorter blades are somewhat lighter and quicker of action, and can be useful for children, fencers who prefer the lighter balance, or those who often provoke infighting in which a long blade can be disadvantageous. Cheap blades (including some Eastern European and Chinese brands) are typically not very durable or of poor temper, being inclined to snap, bend, and rust easily. Fencers who are gentle with their blades and clean, sand, or oil them regularly may nevertheless find them to be a good value. Blades typically break at the flex point in the foible. Less commonly the tips will break off, or the tang will snap at the base of the blade (this latter failure mode is fairly common in sabre). Other serious modes of failure include sharp bends in the middle of the blade and S-bends in the foible, both of which are difficult to remove and will rapidly lead to fatiguing and eventual breaking of the blade. 2.8.1 FIE & Maraging Blades FIE-certified blades have the FIE logo stamped at the base of the blade, along with the code letters for the forge that produced the blade (be warned: some disreputable forges have been known to falsify these marks). They are mandatory at official FIE and other high-level competitions. Maraging steel foil blades have a reputation for lasting considerably longer than regular steel blades, and are supposed to break more cleanly. They are made of a special alloy steel (incorporating iron, nickel, and titanium) that is only 5% as likely to develop the microcracks that lead to eventual breakage. Many fencers find them a superior value, in spite of their high price. As they vary in character in the same way as regular blades, similar caution should be exercised when purchasing them. Maraging epee blades are also available, although there are alternative steels that have also received FIE certification. Leon Paul produces a non-maraging FIE epee blade worth mentioning; it is stamped from a sheet of steel, rather than forged whole. These blades are lightweight and flexible; some older ones passed the wire through a hole to the underside of the blade. Maraging sabre blades do not seem to be so well received, and are not required for FIE competition. 2.8.2 Tangs The length and thread of the tang may be an issue; some blades are threaded for French or pistol grips only, and some blades with French grip tangs require an extra fitting for the thread. Italian grips may require a special tang, since part of it is exposed in the hilt. Metric 6x1 threading is standard, but not universal (esp. in the USA, where a 12x24 thread may be encountered); dies to re-thread the tang can be found at most hardware stores. If the tang must be cut to fit the grip, be very careful to leave enough thread to screw on the pommel nut. Tangs often have to be filed down to fit in tight grips. Tangs are attached by an exterior pommel on traditional grips, or by a pommel nut in pistol grips. Pommel nuts are typically fitted for a 6mm Allen wrench or hex key, 8mm socket wrench, or a standard screwdriver. 2.8.3 Bends and Curvature Many foil and epee fencers prefer a bend at the join of the tang and blade, so that the blade points slightly inside when held in sixte. Such a bend is best applied with a strong vise to avoid bowing the tang. Some fencers prefer to put this bend into the forte of the blade instead. Be gentle; blades will snap if handled with too much force. A gentle curve in the middle and foible of the blade is also common, and helps to square the point against oblique surfaces. Such a bend must be smooth and gradual. Sharp kinks are prohibited. Foible bends are best worked into the blade using the sole of one's shoe and the floor. For foil and epee, the total curvature of the blade is measured at the widest separation between the blade and an imaginary line drawn between the the join of the forte and tang and the join of the foible and barrel. The blade can be laid across a flat surface such as a table top to measure the arch. Epees must not rise more than 1 cm above the surface, while foils are allowed 2 cm. If the objective is to angle the point to hit oblique surfaces better, this is a significant amount of curvature. If the objective is to "hook" the blade around blocking parries or body parts, however, these limits are fairly restrictive. Remember that the wire groove on epee and foil blades goes on the top (thumb side) of the blade, and the outside of the blade curvature. Sabre curvature is handled differently, it being the deflection of the point from the line of the forte. 4 cm is all that is tolerated. 2.9 Guards Foil guards vary mostly in diameter, being between 9.5 and 12 cm across. The largest guards (eg. Negrini) may fail the weapon guage check if they are dented or misshapen. Epee guards are almost always the maximum diameter (13.5 cm) for best protection, although they can vary considerably in shape, depth (3 - 5.5 cm), weight, and eccentricity (up to 3.5 cm off of center). "Mini epee" guards are available from some vendors, but they are recommended only for children or possibly Pentathletes. Sabre guards come in left- and right-handed versions (the outside of the guard being larger). Competition guards include attachments for the capteur sensor. Sabre fencers may wish to insulate the outer edges of their guards to prevent it from shorting to their cuff. 2.10 Points & Blade Wires Many fencers have experienced trouble mixing their points, barrels, and wires. They are best used in matched sets. Points are regularly tested in competition. Both foil and epee points must pass a weight test, by lifting a mass (500g for foil; 750g for epee) after the point is depressed. (Technically, epees only have to lift the mass 0.5 mm, whereas foils must lift it to the top of the point travel.) In addition, epees must pass two shim tests, the first to make sure that there is at least 1.5 mm of travel in the tip, and the second to make sure that the point doesn't light until the last 0.5 mm. If the weight test fails, the main spring can be replaced or made heavier by lightly stretching it. If the fencer thinks his point is too heavy, the spring can be replaced, compressed, or softened by heating one end in a flame. If the epee 0.5 mm shim test fails, the secondary contact spring is too long. It should be adjusted or compressed. If the 1.5 mm shim test fails, your point may be improperly set up, or may be mismatched with the barrel. Most points are held together by a pair of screws on the side of the barrel, and adjusting the springs requires disassembly. Some (Italian and Russian?) epee points are screwless and are adjusted using a small wrench. FIE epee points use a solid contact in place of the secondary spring. Lighting distance can be increased by carefully filing the contact. Epee points work by closing the circuit between the two blade wires when they are depressed. Dirty or faulty points will normally cause the weapon to fail to register touches. Foil points work in the opposite manner, by opening a closed circuit between the blade wire and blade. Dirty or faulty points will usually cause the weapon to produce spurious off-target lights. See Troubleshooting (sections 2.14, 2.15), below. Blade wires are typically insulated with cotton to facilitate gluing and cleaning. Nevertheless, inexpensive wires can be made at home using plastic-coated wire-wrap wire from an electronics store. Use the cup from an old wire, and attach the new wire by heating the solder connection with a soldering iron. Blade tips are threaded metric 3.5 x 0.60 for foils and 4.0 x 0.70 for epees. Rethreading with a die is difficult, but possible with adequate preparation. Pre-filing the tip into a long, blunt cone (5.5 mm long with the top 1.5 mm narrower than the inside diameter of the die) will assist in guiding the die through the initial turns; the extra metal left behind can later be removed with a file. The leading edge of the wire groove should be rounded and the groove filled with epoxy putty or similar hard compound to prevent the die from jamming on the groove edge. The putty must be removed afterwards, of course. No more than 4 mm of threading is needed to affix the barrel. 2.11 Body Wires The primary question with foil and sabre body wires is bayonet (eg. Paul brand) vs. two-prong (eg. Uhlmann brand). They are equally functional; the primary difference is in cost and maintenance. Two-prong is a simpler design, and usually less expensive, but also has a reputation for being less reliable (depending on the brand). Naturally choice of body wire also determines the choice of weapon socket (or vice versa). One of the primary considerations in deciding which format to go with should be the prevalent format in your club or region. Going with the local favourite will make it easier to borrow weapons or wires when yours fail. Epee body wires are all of the same basic 3-prong design. Some (French) designs have metal sheaths on the prongs that can accumulate grime underneath them over the years. If not cleaned, the dirt can break the circuit at inopportune times. 2.12 Glue Recycled blades must be cleaned before they are re-wired. Solvents such as acetone can help, but 10 minutes with a utility knife (foil) or wire brush (epee) to remove all traces of glue residue from the wire groove also works. New blades sometimes require a small amount of cleaning as well, to remove grease and grit from the machining process. Popular wiring glues include Duco cement, 5-minute epoxy, and cyanoacrylate glues (eg. super-glue). Some fencers have reported success using rubber cement, silicone, and white glue. Cleaning and gluing techniques will vary depending on your choice. Thin, quick-drying glues such as cyanoacrylates are best put down over top of the wire as the wire is held in the groove. If you use a thicker glue such as epoxy, you can carefully prepare one surface first. For foil wires, coat the wire in glue, and then gently pull it tight and lay it into the groove. For epees you can alternatively lay a bed of glue down before setting the wire in the groove, then make a second run of glue over the wire to seal it in place. Top glue the blade, and let it dry while the blade is held in a flexed position with the point in the air. An acetone bath for cleaning blades can be constructed from a length of copper tubing, sealed at one end. Fill with acetone, drop in your blades, and let soak overnight. A blade-bowing tool for holding blades flexed while the glue dries can be constructed from a length of cord or chain attached to some small cups (film cannisters work well). Place the cups over either end of the blade, and the tension of the cord will hold the blade bent for as long as you need it. Alternatively, stand the blade up with the point bent under the rim of a counter or table. 2.13 Scoring Apparatus The scoring apparatus consists of the reels, floor wires, and indicator box, and optionally a timer and scoring tower(s). In sabre, the capteur sensors can also be considered part of the scoring apparatus, since they are provided by the tournament organizers. Modern foil scoring boxes should display only a coloured light or a white light for each fencer. Older boxes (or ones with older firmware) may display both if an off-target touch is immediately followed by an on-target touch. It is possible to defeat the foil scoring circuit by grounding your own weapon to your lame' (your opponent's touches will fail to register, but yours will register). This is illegal, and scoring boxes must be equipped with a grounding light to detect when fencers do this. Some newer boxes have an anti-fraud feature to eliminate this hazard and allow touches to be scored in spite of grounding. Boxes without such an anti-fraud circuit are useful for detecting dead spots on lame's (ground the lame', and then poke the opponent in various locations; white lights indicate a dead spot). Many sabre scoring boxes come with a variety of special options or programs for variations on the standard rules; for example, fencing without sensors, or with modified whipover timeouts. Reels are typically portable, spring-wound devices (either "turtles" or "snails"), although some salles have permanent overhead installations involving pulleys and bungee cords. The overhead variety is normally more reliable, since it has fewer mechanics and no electrical brushes. The Parcival, K.U.Leuven Fencing Club has a schematic and instructions for constructing a scoring box at their website: http://lcbdindy.fys.kuleuven.ac.be/fencing/fencing.html 2.13.1 Wireless Systems Wireless scoring systems are currently prohibited, largely due to the difficulties in distinguishing between real and forged signals. Various modern electronics technologies hold the promise of circumventing these problems, and some wireless designs are currently in development. The FIE is expected to rule on the use of these wireless scoring systems in the near future. Simple "buzzboxes", compact battery-powered devices that signal touches with a light or buzzer, are available from various sources, but have very limited functionality. As a rule, they cannot distinguish between targets (on/off, bell hits, etc.), or distinguish the timing of hits, and do not work with sabre at all.. 2.14 Foil Troubleshooting Weapon fails weight test. 1) The spring is too soft. Get a new spring or stretch the old one. 2) Friction between the barrel and point is overwhelming the spring. Clean the inside of the barrel, or replace the entire tip if the barrel or point is bent/warped. 3) Too much tape on the end of your blade is jamming against the sides of the weight. Hitting the strip produces a light. 1) The strip is not grounded, or is dirty/corroded. 2) The exterior of the foil point is dirty/corroded. Valid touch produces a white light. 1) Opponent's lame' is not connected. 2) Opponent's body wire is broken. Diagnose by testing at the lame' clip and at the reel wire connection. 3) Opponent's lame' has a dead spot. With some boxes, dead spots can be diagnosed by grounding the fencer's weapon to his suspect lame', and then probing the lame' with the other fencer's weapon. This does not work with boxes that have an anti-fraud feature. 4) Your foil body wire polarity is reversed. Disassemble and reverse the connections. 5) The exterior of your foil point is dirty/corroded. 6) Foil circuit is breaking just before the touch (see below). Foil produces white lights when the tip is not depressed. 1) The tip is jammed shut. Spin the point or slap on the floor to free it. 2) Grit in the tip is breaking the circuit. Spin the point or slap on the floor to dislodge the grit. 3) The barrel is loose. Tighten carefully with pliers. 4) The foil wire is broken. If the lights are intermittent, try flexing the blade to trigger the white lights; success means the blade wire is probably broken. If the lights are triggered by shaking the blade, the point or clip may be to blame. 5) The circuit is breaking at the clip. Check that the body cord is held securely by the clip. 6) The body wire is broken. Diagnose by shorting the two connections on the weapon end of the body wire. If the lights continue, the body wire or reel is at fault. Short the two close prongs at the other end of the body wire; if the lights stop, the body wire is to blame. If not see (7). 7) The scoring apparatus is broken. The connections, reel wire, reel contacts, floor wire, or scoring box may be at fault. Short the same wires as in (6) at the various points of connection to successively eliminate each. 8) The guard is loose. Tighten the pommel or pommel nut. Foil produces coloured lights when the tip is not depressed but is in contact with the opponent's lame'. 1) The circuit is broken; see previous problem. 2) The circuit is breaking when the blade flexes as it contacts the lame' or when the point is jarred. Could be caused by grit in the tip, a broken wire whose ends normally remain in contact, or a separated wire and cup. There is no light when a touch is made. 1) You are not hitting properly. 2) Friction between the barrel and point is preventing the point from depressing. Slap on the floor to loosen it; otherwise clean or replace the tip. 3) Spring is too heavy. Compress it or heat one end with a match. 4) Opponent is grounding his weapon to his lame'. Tell him to stop; it's illegal. 5) You are grounding your own foil to your opponent's lame'. Improve the insulation on your foible (15 cm is required). 6) The foil wire is shorting to the weapon. Check the integrity of the insulation along the wire and beneath the cushion. Also make sure no wire ends at the clip are touching the rest of the weapon. 7) The scoring box is on the wrong weapon setting. 8) There is a short in your body wire. If there are no lights when the weapon is unplugged, but there are lights when the body wire is unplugged from the reel, the body wire is at fault. 9) There is a short in the scoring apparatus. If there are no lights when the fencer unplugs from the reel, this is the problem. It can be isolated by successively unplugging connections to the box. Wrong lights go off when a touch is made. 1) The scoring box is on the wrong weapon setting. 2) The floor wires are reversed. 2.15 Epee Troubleshooting Weapon fails weight test. 1) The main spring is too soft. Get a new spring or stretch the old one. 2) Friction between the barrel and point is overwhelming the spring. Clean the inside of the barrel, or replace the entire tip if the barrel or point is bent/warped. Weapon fails shim tests. 1) The contact spring is too long. Adjust or compress it. 2) Point and barrel are mismatched. Replace. Hitting the strip produces a light. 1) The strip is not grounded, or is dirty/corroded. 2) The tip is dirty/corroded. A touch to the guard produces a light. 1) The guard is dirty/corroded. 2) The exterior of the tip is dirty/corroded. 3) The body wire (in particular the ground) is faulty (test against the ground pin of the body cord; if the lights continue, the body wire or reel is at fault). 4) The contact between the clip and weapon is faulty or corroded. 5) The guard is loose. 6) The ground pin socket is loose in the weapon clip. Epee produces lights when the tip is not depressed. 1) The tip is jammed shut. Slap on the floor to free it. 2) Grit in the tip is shorting the circuit. Slap on the floor to dislodge the grit, or disassemble and clean the point. 3) The blade wires are shorting to each other. Check the insulation, especially inside the guard. 4) The scoring box is on the wrong weapon setting. There is no light when a touch is made. 1) You are not hitting properly. 2) Friction between the barrel and point is preventing the point from depressing. Slap on the floor to loosen it; otherwise clean or replace the tip. 3) Main spring is too heavy. Compress it or heat one end with a match. 4) Contact spring is too short. Adjust or stretch it. 5) The barrel is loose. 6) Point contacts are dirty/corroded. 7) The epee wire is broken. Re-wire the blade. 8) The epee wire is shorting to the weapon. 9) Something has come unplugged between you and the box. 10) The wires are improperly fastened to the weapon clip. 11) The body wire is broken. 12) The reel or floor wire is broken. 13) The scoring box is on the wrong weapon setting. 2.16 Sabre Troubleshooting Box displays white lights. 1) The sensor is malfunctioning or jammed. 2) The wire in the sabre is broken, or not fastened securely. 3) The mounting bracket for the sensor is loose. 4) The body wire is loose in the socket. 5) The body wire is broken. Switch to foil setting, and diagnose as for foil. 6) The scoring apparatus is broken. Switch to foil setting and diagnose as for foil. There is no light when a touch is made. 1) You are not hitting hard enough. 2) The opponent's lame' has dead spots. 3) The opponent's lame' or mask is not connected. 4) The sensor is malfunctioning. 5) The clip is not properly wired to the weapon. 6) The opponent's body wire is broken. 7) There is a break in the scoring apparatus on the opponent's side. This may be in the reel, floor cable, or scoring box. 8) There is a short in the body wire. Switch to foil setting and diagnose as for foil. 9) There is a short in the scoring apparatus. Switch to foil setting and diagnose as for foil. Box indicates a touch following weapon contact or a parry. 1) You aren't parrying well enough. 2) The weapon is shorting to the lame'. Insulate the edges of the guard and the pommel, or hold the weapon in such a way as to prevent the contact. Wrong lights go off when a touch is made. 1) The scoring box is on the wrong weapon setting. PART 3 : REFERENCES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.1 Fencing organizations 3.2 Equipment suppliers *** revised 3.3 Fencing Books 3.4 Fencing Magazines 3.5 Fencing Films 3.6 Fencing Videos 3.7 Fencing Software 3.8 Fencing Online 3.9 Glossary of terms ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.1 Fencing Organizations The FIE head office is located at: Federation Internationale d'Escrime 32, Rue La Boetie 75008 Paris, France TEL: 33 1 45.61.14.72 FAX: 33 1 45.63.46.85 URL: http://www.fie.ch A complete list of current FIE member nations and their head offices is available at the FIE website, http://www.fie.ch/Federation/default.htm. The head offices of the fencing federations of English-speaking countries are: AUSTRALIA: Australian Fencing Federation P.O. Box 7517 Melbourne VIC 3004, AUSTRALIA TEL: (61) 3 9510 8399 FAX: (61) 3 9510 2722 BRITAIN: British Fencing (Amateur Fencing Association) 1 Barons Gate 33-35 Rothschild Road London W4 5HT TEL: 0181 742-3032 URL: http://www.britishfencing.com CANADA: Canadian Fencing Federation 1600 Prom. James Naismith Drive Gloucester, ON K1B 5N4 TEL: (613) 748-5633 FAX: (613) 748-5742 URL: http://www.fencing.ca IRELAND Irish Amateur Fencing Federation Branksome Dene, Frankfort Park Dundrum Dublin 14 TEL/FAX: 353-1-2984039 EMAIL: ddonegan@iol.ie UNITED STATES: United States Fencing Association One Olympic Plaza Colorado Springs, CO 80909-5774 TEL: (719) 578-4511 FAX: (719) 632-5737 URL: http://www.usfa.org EMAIL: usfencing@aol.com, massik@aol.com (Michael Massik, Executive Director) Contact your national fencing body to get the addresses and phone numbers of your local/provincial/divisional fencing associations. 3.2 Equipment suppliers & outfitters Many of the following businesses will mail you a catalogue if requested. Presence in the FAQ does not imply endorsement by the author. AUSTRALIA: Aladdin Sports Fentec Sports PO Box 13 48 Clara St Balwyn Victoria 3103 Camp Hill QLD 4158 TEL: +61 3 9483-3077 TEL: (07) 395 3852 FAX: +61 3 9816-8149 EMAIL: pears@cs.latrobe.edu.au URL: http://www.cs.latrobe.edu.au/~pears/aladdin/Master.html Fencing International Equipment Angelo Santangelo, Maestro of Arms 47 Dalrymple Avenue, Chatswood, NSW, 2067 TEL: +61-2-419-8968 AUSTRIA: Fechtsport Michael Martin Dr. Gohren-Gasse 22 A-2340 Mvdling TEL: (43) 2236 471370 FAX: (43) 2236 471378 BELGUIM: Frank Delhem Sport Gijsbrecht van Deurnelaan 31 Bus 6, B-2100 Deurne TEL: (32) 3 6442676 FAX: (32) 3 6442707 URL: http://www.synec-doc.be/escrime/materiel/delhem.htm Bambust 625 Brusselse steenweg 1900 Overijse - Jesus-Eik TEL: (0)2 657 42 89 or (0)2 687 65 71 URL: http://www.synec-doc.be/escrime/materiel/bambust.htm BRITAIN: Blades Rome Fencing Equipment 35 Edinburgh Drive 29 Grange Way Staines, Middlesex TW18 1PJ Broadstairs, Kent TEL: 01784 255-522 CT10 2YP FAX: 01784 245-942 TEL/FAX: (01843) 866588 Merlin Enterprises Duellist Enterprises 24 Prices Lane 1 Barrowgate Road York, YO2 1AL Chiswick, London W4 TEL/FAX: 01904 611537 TEL: 0181 747 9629 URL: http://www.konect.mcmail.com/merlin/ White Knights Gladiators Freepost DL780 Westerleigh Spennymoor North Littleton Co. Durham Evesham DL16 6BR WR11 5QX TEL: 0941 159598 or 01388 811352 TEL: +44 (0)1386 830982 FAX: 01388 811352 TEL: (Mobile) +44 (0) 7970 642967 EMAIL: Knights@joust.demon.co.uk FAX: +44 (0)1386 833112 EMAIL: david.kirby@easynet.co.uk Leon Paul Units 1 & 2, Cedar Way Camley St., London NW1 0JQ TEL: (0171) 388-8132 FAX: (0171) 388-8134 URL: http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/afa/leonpaul/lp1.htm#cat CANADA: Fencing Equipment of Canada Allstar (Herb Obst Agency) 2407 Bayview Place CP 788 Succursdale NDG Calgary, Alberta T2V 0L6 Montreal, Quebec H4A 3S2 TEL: (403) 281-1384 TEL: (514) 482-2140 FAX: (403) 281-0043 FAX: (514) 485-9283 Agents: Prieur-PBT Halifax: Barbara Daniel Vijay Prasad (902) 457-9228 383 Tamarack Dr. Winnipeg: Stephen and Joan Symons Waterloo, Ontario N2L 4G7 (204) 233-4795 TEL: (519) 885-6496 Ottawa: Ron Millette FAX: (519) 888-6197 (613) 235-2226 Regina: John Brunning (306) 244-5655 Vancouver: Zbig Pietrusinski (604) 984-2157 DENMARK: Allstar-Danmark Skoldhoj Alle 6F DK-2920 Charlottenlund TEL: (45) 39638463 FAX: (45) 39623760 FRANCE: Prieur Soudet 18 rue Nemours 31 Boulevard Voltaire 75011 Paris (metro Parmentier) 75011 Paris (metro Oberkampf) TEL: (0)1 43 57 89 90 TEL: (0)1 48 06 48 48 FAX: (0)1 43 57 80 11 Uhlmann/Allstar Uhlmann/Allstar 7, rue Leonard de Vinci 138 rue de Chevilly 69120 Vaulx-en-Velin, Lyon 94240 L'Hay-les-Roses, Paris TEL: (0)4 78 79 28 96 TEL: (0)1 46 87 26 70 FAX: (0)4 78 80 11 33 FAX: (0)1 46 87 24 68 Escrime Technologies/Fencing Technologies (see Scoring Machines subsection, below, for contact information) GERMANY: Allstar Fecht-Center Carl-Zeiss Strasse 61 72700 Reutlingen TEL: +49 7121 9500-0 (central line) +49 7121 9500-22 or -25 (English, French, Spanish) +49 7121 9500-15 (Italian) FAX: +49 7121 9500-99 EMAIL: allstar@t-online.de (Management) allstar1@t-online.de (Export Dept.) URL: http://home.t-online.de/home/allstar/homepage.htm Uhlmann Fecht-Sport Fecht-Sport H.Lieffertz Uhlandstrasse 12 Eibenweg 3 88471 Laupheim D-50767 Koln TEL: (49) 7392 6018 TEL/FAX: +49 221 795254 FAX: (49) 7392 2373 EMAIL: hagen@netcologne.de ITALY: Allstar-Italia di Mazzini Lucia Via Nostra Signora di Lourdes 72 I-00167 Roma TEL/FAX: (39) 6 6638830 NETHERLANDS: Stichting Topschermen Den Haag Van Galenstraat 14M NL-2518 EP Den Haag TEL/FAX: (31) 70 3640624 PORTUGAL: Joao Firmino Paulino Cabral Av. Curry Cabral 9 1Esq. Venda-Nova P-2700 Amadora TEL: (351) 1 4744040 FAX: (351) 1 3978376 SPAIN: Es.Fid SA Av. Madrid 171-177 Esc. Isda 3070 E-08028 Barcelona TEL: (34) 3 2112933 FAX: (34) 3 4186844 SWITZERLAND: Fechtsport Rdber & Co. Blattliring 7 CH-6403 K|ssnacht am Rigi TEL: (41) 41 816759 USA: Blade Fencing Equipment, Inc. George Santelli, Inc. 245 West 29th St. 465 South Dean St. NY, NY 10011 Englewood, NJ 07631 TEL: (212) 244-3090 TEL: (201) 871-3105 FAX: (212) 244-3034 FAX: (201) 871-8718 URL: http://www.blade-fencing.com Triplette Competiton Arms American Fencers Supply 101 E. Main St. 1180 Folsom St. Elkin, NC 28621 San Francisco, CA 94103 TEL: 336-835-7774 TEL: (415) 863-7911 FAX: 336-835-4099 FAX: (415) 431-4931 URL: http://www.triplette.com URL: http://www.amfence.com Colonial Distributing Uhlmann International Fencing Equipment Wolf Finck, Pres. USA Headquarters PO Box 636 330 N. Fayette Drive Cedarburg, Wisconsin 53012 Fayetteville, GA 30214 TEL: (414) 377-9166 TEL: (770) 461-3809 FAX: (414) 377-9166 The Fencing Post Zivkovic Modern Fencing Equipment 2543 Monticello Way 77 Arnold Road Santa Clara, CA 95051 Wellesley Hills, MA 02181 TEL: (408) 247-3604 TEL: (617) 235-3324 FAX: (408) 243-1918 FAX: (617) 239-1224 URL: http://www.thefencingpost.com URL: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~zivkovic EMAIL: saul@thefencingpost.com Cheris Fencing Supply Southern California Fencers Equipment 5818 East Colfax Avenue 16131 Valerio Street Denver, CO 80220 Van Nuys, CA 91406 TEL: (303) 321-8657 TEL: (818) 997-4538 1-800-433-6232 FAX: (818) 998-8385 FAX: (303) 321-8696 Hours: 4:30pm - 7:30pm Wed & Thurs Alexandre Ryjik Fencing Equipment Belle and Blade 4094 Majestic Lane Suite 163 124 Pennsylvania Ave. Fairfax, VA 22033 Dover, NJ 07801 TEL: (703) 818-3106 TEL: (201) 328-8488 Blue Gauntlet Physical Chess 246 Ross Ave. 336 West 37th St. Hackensack, NJ 07601 New York, NY 10018 TEL: (201) 343-3362 TEL: (212) 216-9684 or 800-FENCING FAX: (201) 343-4175 FAX: (212) 216-9540 EMAIL: physchess@aol.com URL: www.physicalchess.com M.A.S. Weapons 5600 E. 36th St. N. #7 Vintage Sporting Equipment Tulsa, OK 74115-2101 P.O. Box 364 TEL: (918) 835-0467 Sheboygan, WI 53082 FAX: (918) 835-6663 TEL: (800) 690-4867 contact: Kevin Mayfield FAX: (414) 459-9666 Le Touche of Class TEL: 310-428-8585 FAX: 310-428-8385 EMAIL: letouchecl@aol.com URL:http://members.aol.com/terykins/Fencing/Fencing.html SCORING MACHINES: Commodore Systems (Saber 3-weapon box) P.O. Box 22992 Nashville, TN 37202 TEL: 1-800-627-4903 (615) 329-9398 FAX: (615) 329-0640 EMAIL: howardef@macpost.vanderbilt.edu Escrime Technologies/Fencing Technologies 1 rue Danton Besancon 25000 FRANCE TEL: 011 (33) 3 81-61-16-05 FAX: 011 (33) 3 81-61-13-67 EMAIL: EscrimeTec@aol.com, richard-marciano@uiowa.edu, marciano@sdsc.edu 3.3 Fencing Books The following list of books on the sport of fencing should not be thought of as complete. Books on historical methods, stage fighting, Japanese fencing, and other eastern martial arts are not listed here. Online bookstores and databases (eg. www.amazon.com) are a good resource to search for more information. Alaux, Modern Fencing (Charles Scribner, 1975) Anderson, All About Fencing (Arco, 1970) Anderson, Tackle Fencing (Paul, ?) Angelo, The School of Fencing (Land's End Press, 1971) Barbasetti, The Art of the Foil (EP Dutton, 1932) de Beaumont, All About Fencing (Coles, 1978) de Beaumont, Fencing: Ancient Art and Modern Sport (ES Barnes, 1978) de Beaumont, Teach Yourself Fencing (McKay, 1968) de Beaumont, Your Book of Fencing (Transatlantic, 1970) Beke & Polgar, The Methodology of Sabre Fencing (Corvina Press, 1963) Bower, Foil Fencing 7th Ed. (Brown & Benchmark, 1993) Campos, The Art of Fencing (Vantage Press, 1988) Castello, The Theory and Practice of Fencing (Charles Scribner, 1933) Castello, Fencing (Ronald Press, 1962) Castle, The Schools and Masters of Fence (Arms & Armour Press, 1969) Crosnier, Fencing with the Foil (Faber & Faber, 1951) Curry, Fencing (Foresman, 1969) Curry, The Fencing Book (Human Kinetics, 1983) Deladrier, Modern Fencing (U.S. Naval Institute, 1948, reprint 1954) Evangelista, The Art and Science of Fencing (Masters Press, 1996) Evangelista, Encyclopedia of the Sword (Greenwood, 1995) FIE, Rules of Competition (AFA, CFF, USFA, etc., every year) Garret, Foil Fencing (Penn State, 198?) Garret et al, Foil, Sabre, and Epee Fencing (Penn State, 1994) Gaugler, Fencing Everyone (Hunter, 1987) Gaugler, History of Fencing (Laureate, 1997) Hutton, The Sword and the Centuries (Charles E. Tuttle, 1980) Kogler, Planning to Win (CounterParry, ?) Lukovich, Electric Foil Fencing (Corvina Press, 1971) Lukovich, Fencing (Corvina Press, 1986) Manley, Complete Fencing (Doubleday, 1979) Morton, A-Z of Fencing (Queen Anne, 1988) Nadi, The Living Sword: A Fencer's Autobiography (Laureate Press, 1995) Nadi, On Fencing (G.P. Putnam, 1943) (Laureate Press, 1994) Nelson, Winning Fencing (Henry Regnery, 1975) Norcross, Fencing: the foil (Ward Lock, ?) Palffy-Alpar, Sword and Masque (FA Davis, 1967) Pitman, Fencing, Techniques of Foil, Epee, and Sabre (Crowood, 1988) Manley, Compleate Fencing (Doubleday, 198?) Selberg, Foil (Addison-Wesley, 1976) Selberg, Revised Foil (Spotted Dog Press, 1993) Shaff, Fencing for All (Scribner, 1981) De Silva, Fencing: The Skills of the Game (Crowood, 1992) Simmonds and Morton, Start Fencing (Sportman's Press, 1989) Simmonds and Morton, Fencing to Win (Sportman's Press, 1994) Simonian, Basic Foil Fencing 2nd Ed. (Kendall/Hunt, 1982) Skipp, Fencing (Know the Sport) (Stackpole, 1997) Szabo, Fencing and the Master (Corvina Kiado, 1982) Bac Tau, Fencing (self published, 1994) Vass, Epee Fencing (Corvina, 1976) Wyrick, Foil Fencing (W.B. Saunders, 1971) 3.4 Fencing Magazines Hammerterz Forum - A quarterly publication focussing on the practical traditions and literature of swordplay. US$35/year, US$60/2 years. Hammerterz Verlag, P.O. Box 13448, Baltimore, MD, 21203, USA. Cut and Thrust - A journal dedicated to the history, research and development of edged weapons. Published 4 times/year by Ronin M/A Publications, 34-3 Shunpike Road, Dept 162 Cromwell, CT 06416 USA. Subscription cost: $20/year. Veteran Fencers Quarterly - A quarterly publication focussing on veteran's fencing. Subscriptions are $8/year. Contact zippydav@aol.com for more information. Academy of Arms Online Quarterly - A Web-zine "dedicated to the True Art, Science, and Spirit of the Sword." Subscriptions are US$20 per year. See http://www.clarityconnect.com/webpages/ifv/v1n1.html for information. Japanese Sword Society of the United States Newsletter - on collecting and appreciating Japanese Swords. Published by JSS/US Box 712 Breckenridge, Texas USA 76024. Subscription cost: $25/yr in USA, $35/yr foreign. Gekkan Kendo Nippon (monthly Japan Kendo) - Japanese sword arts magazine, published in Japanese by Ski Journal Co. Ltd. 3-11 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Japan. Subscription cost: 8106 yen/year. Fencing Association Magazines/Newsletters: Escrime Internationale - published by the FIE (see section 3.1 for contact information. Prices are 170 FF or $35 US for subscribers outside of France (150 FF/$30 otherwise). A subscription form can be found on the FIE web page. American Fencing - published quarterly by USFA (see section 3.1 for contact information). Subscriptions for non-members of the USFA are $12 in the US and $24 elsewhere. USFA members subscribe through their dues. Subscriptions also include the quarterly National Newsletter. Back issues available at http://www.ucng.edu/fencing. Escrime - published 6 times/year by Federation Francaise d'Escrime, in French. Subscription cost: approx 230 FF/yr + 75 Fr for Air Mail. See section 3.1 for telephone/address info. The Sword - published quarterly by Amateur Fencing Association. Subscription cost: 12 pounds/yr (domestic?). See section 3.1 for telephone/address info, or visit the AFA webpage at http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/afa/index.htm. Fäktning - published by the Swedish Fencing Association, in Swedish; c/o Ingerdal, Torsgatan 78-113 37 STOCKHOLM, FAX: Int.+46 8 21 33 80, or visit http://www.ronnerdal.se/faktning/ 3.5 Fencing Films The following films involve some amount of swordfighting or swashbuckling. They are rated on a four-star system, which is a general critics' opinion of the film as a whole (taken from commercial movie databases), not an indicator of the quality or quantity of the film's fencing. Major actors and occasionally the director (denoted by a '!') are named. Films with 2 stars or less have been omitted, as have recent films that have not yet been widely released or reviewed. The Adventures of Don Juan (1949, Errol Flynn, Raymond Burr, ***) The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938, Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone, ****) Against All Flags (1952, Errol Flynn, Anthony Quinn, **1/2) Barry Lyndon (1975, Ryan O'Neal, Patrick Magee, !Stanley Kubrick, ***1/2) Black Arrow (1985, Oliver Reed, **1/2) Black Pirate (1926, Douglas Fairbanks, ***1/2) Black Swan (1942, Tyrone Power, Anthony Quinn, ***1/2) Blind Fury (1990, Rutger Hauer, **1/2) Bob Roberts (1992, Tim Robbins, ***1/2) Braveheart (1995, Mel Gibson, ***1/2) By the Sword (1993, F. Murray Abraham, Eric Roberts, **1/2) Captain Blood (1935, Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone, ***1/2) The Challenge (1982, Toshiro Mifune, Scott Glenn, **1/2) The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936, Errol Flynn, David Niven, ****) Conan the Barbarian (1982, Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, **1/2) The Corsican Brothers (1941, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, **1/2) The Count of Monte Cristo (1934, Robert Donat, ***) The Count of Monte Cristo (1975, Richard Chamberlain, Tony Curtis,***) The Court Jester (1956, Danny Kaye, Basil Rathbone, **1/2) Crossed Swords (1978, Raquel Welch, Charlton Heston, **1/2) Cyrano de Bergerac (1950, Jose Ferrer, ***1/2) Cyrano de Bergerac (1990, Gerard Depardieu, ****) Dangerous Liaisons (1988, John Malkovich, Glenn Close, ***1/2) Don Juan de Marco (1995, Johnny Depp, Marlon Brando, ***1/2) The Duellists (1978, Harvey Keitel, Keith Carradine, !Ridley Scott, ***) El Cid (1961, Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, ***) The Empire Strikes Back (1980, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, ****) Excalibur (1981, Nicol Williamson, !John Boorman, ***1/2) The Flame and the Arrow (1950, Burt Lancaster, Virginia Mayo, ***) Flesh and Blood (1985, Rutger Hauer, !Paul Verhoeven, **1/2) The Four Musketeers (1975, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, ***) Frenchman's Creek (1944, Basil Rathbone, Joan Fontaine, ***) Glory (1989, Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, ***1/2) Hamlet (1948, !Laurence Olivier, ****) Hamlet (1969, Anthony Hopkins, ***1/2) Hamlet (1990, Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, !Franco Zeffirelli, ***) Henry V (1944, Laurence Olivier, ****) Henry V (1989, !Kenneth Branagh, ***1/2) Highlander (1986, Chistopher Lambert, Sean Connery, **1/2) Ivanhoe (1953, Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, ***1/2) Ivanhoe (1982, James Mason, **1/2) Ladyhawke (1985, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, **1/2) Long John Silver (1954, Robert Newton, Kit Taylor, ***) Macbeth (1948, Orson Welles, Roddy McDowall, ***) Macbeth (1971, Jon Finch, ***1/2) The Magic Sword (1962, Basil Rathbone, **1/2) The Man in Grey (1946, James Mason, Stewart Granger, ***1/2) The Mark of Zorro (1920, Douglas Fairbanks, ***) The Mark of Zorro (1940, Basil Rathbone, Tyrone Power, ***1/2) Morgan the Pirate (1961, Steve Reeves, **1/2) Othello (1996, Lawrence Fishburne, Kenneth Branaugh, ***1/2) The Prince and the Pauper (1937, Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, ***) The Princess Bride (1987, Mandy Patinkin, Cary Elwes, !Rob Reiner, ***) The Prisoner of Zenda (1937, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, David Niven, ****) The Prisoner of Zenda (1952, Stewart Granger, James Mason, ***) The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939, Errol Flynn, ***) Ran (1985, Tatsuya Nakadai, !Akira Kurosawa, ****) The Return of the Jedi (1983, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, ***1/2) Rob Roy (1995, Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange, ****) Robin and Marian (1976, Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn, ***1/2) Romeo and Juliet (1935, Basil Rathbone, Leslie Howard, ***1/2) Romeo and Juliet (1954, Laurence Harvey, ***) Romeo and Juliet (1968, Michael York, !Franco Zeffirelli, ***1/2) Royal Flash (1975, Malcolm McDowell, ***) Sanjuro (1962, Toshiro Mifune, !Akira Kurosawa, ***) Scaramouche (1952, Stewart Granger, Janet Leigh, ***) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1935, Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, ***1/2) The Sea Hawk (1940, Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, ****) The Seven Samurai (1954, Toshiro Mifune, !Akira Kurosawa, ****) The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958, Kerwin Matthews, ***) Shogun (1980, Toshiro Mifune, Richard Chamberlain, **1/2) Sinbad the Sailor (1949, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Maureen O'Hara, ***) The Spanish Main (1945, Maureen O'Hara, Paul Heinreid, ***) Spartacus (1960, Kirk Douglas, !Stanley Kubrick, ****) Star Wars (1977, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, ****) Sweet Liberty (1986, Alan Alda, Michael Caine, **1/2) The Sword of Sherwood Forest (1961, Richard Greene, Peter Cushing, **1/2) The Three Musketeers (1935, Walter Abel, **1/2) The Three Musketeers (1948, Gene Kelley, Lana Turner, ***) The Three Musketeers (1974, Michael York, Raquel Welch, ***) The Three Musketeers (1993, Tim Curry, Charlie Sheen, **1/2) Throne of Blood (1957, Toshiro Mifune, !Akira Kurosawa, ****) Tom Jones (1963, Albert Finney, Suzannah York, ****) Under the Red Robe (1937, Raymond Massey, ***) The Vikings (1958, Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, **1/2) The Warriors (1955, Errol Flynn, **1/2) Willow (1988, Val Kilmer, !Ron Howard, ***) The Yakuza (1975, Robert Mitchum, Takakura Ken, ***) Yojimbo (1962, Toshiro Mifune, !Akira Kurosawa, ****) Young Sherlock Holmes (1985, Nicholas Rowe, **1/2) 3.6 Fencing Videos This list of instructional and promotional video titles is taken from catalogues for American Fencing Supply, Triplette Competition Arms, the Canadian Fencing Federation, Physical Chess Inc., and www.artoffencing.com. See section 3.5 for movies and entertainment videos. Introduction to Modern Fencing (67 min.) Evolution of the Sword (90 min.) Group Lessons and Footwork, Part 1 (90 min.) Group Lessons and Footwork, Part 2 (85 min.) Footwork, Foil (120 min.) Individual Foil Lesson, Part 1 (55 min.) Individual Foil Lesson, Part 2 (85 min.) Individual Epee Lesson (60 min.) Footwork, Sabre (90 min.) Individual Sabre Lesson, Part 1 (90 min.) Individual Sabre Lesson, Part 2 (95 min.) Right of Way (115 min.) Angulated Attacks (90 min.) The Electric Foil and Its Use (90 min.) The Electric Epee and Its Use (105 min.) The Saber and Its Use (105 min.) Advanced Foil Lesson (75 min.) Advanced Saber Lesson (60 min.) Exercise and Conditioning, Yoga for Fencers (80 min.) The Lefted Handed Fencer (65 min.) Instructional Tape for Teachers of Fenciing, Part 1, The 7 Stages of Learning (70 min.) The Dueling Sword and the Individual Lesson with Maestro Arthur W. Lane (73 min.) Basic Training Exercises Relating to Distance, Time, & Tempo with Maestro Len Carnighan (55 min.) Standard Foil Maintenance and Repair with Gregor Puziss, Armorer (60 min.) Electric Foil Maintenance and Repair with Gregor Puziss, Armorer (90 min.) Basic Foil Parries and Lines of Defense with Maestro Arthur W. Lane (92 min.) Selberg Fencing Workshop, Part 1 (120 min.) Selberg Fencing Workshop, Part 2 (120 min.) Selberg Fencing Workshop, Part 3 (120 min.) The Blow by Blow Guide to Swordfighting in the Renaissance Style, by Michael Loades, London (96 min.) Mark Berger's School of Fencing The Leading Edge Foil I (Maestro Tyshler) Foil II (Maestro Tyshler) Epee I (Maestro Tyshler) Epee II (Maestro Tyshler) Russian School of Fencing: Epee I (Maestro Berger) The Art of Fencing with Maestro George Pogosov: Volume One. 3.7 Fencing Software There are numerous software packages available for the administration of fencing tournaments. They generally provide for automated seeding, pooling, and elimination tableau organization, with the ability to display/print out intermediate and final results. They are best suited for events with 15 to 250 or more entrants. With less than 15 entrants, organization is generally just as fast by hand. ATHOS is a French program (by Christian Coulon of Paris), although the display and manuals are in French or English. ATHOS is widely used at world levels of competition, including the 1993 and 1994 U-20 World Championships. It runs on DOS PCs. It is the only official fencing software recognized by the CFF. In the USA, the price is $250 (includes unlimited upgrades and support). Contact Marc Walch (Marc.J.Walch@JPL.NASA.GOV, (818) 354 5688). Engarde is another French program (by F. F. Nicaud of Paris), and runs on Apple or PC. Like ATHOS, it sees extensive use at international levels of competition, including the 1994 World Championships. It is available in French only, and is freely reproducible. Contact your national fencing organization for more information. Xseed is an American program (by Dan McCormick of Hudson, Ohio), supported by the USFA only. It runs on DOS PCs. Contact the USFA for more information. Shipshape is a British program that runs on PCs. Contact Colin Hillier at 3 Elm Close, Shipham, Somerset, BS25 1UG, UK, Tel: +44 (0) 1934 843984. The Director is an Australian program for MS-Windows (3.1, 95). Contact Powerbyte at 9/26 Stirling Street, Thebarton, South Australia, Australia 5031, Tel: +61-8-8303 3519, Fax: +61-8-8303 4363. Fencomp 1.0 is a shareware DOS program that is available from http://www.jjdstaff.demon.co.uk/fencomp/index.htm. Craig Lancaster is offering a Windows-based program for free evaluation. Contact him at craigl@waverider.co.uk, or visit his web page (http://wavespace.waverider.co.uk/~craigl) for more info. There are other programs that are more common in other countries and languages, such as German and Italian. Contact the national fencing organizations of such countries to find out more. 3.8 Fencing Online Known cyberspace fencing resources include: UseNet: rec.sport.fencing - discussion on all subjects rec.martial-arts - some discussion of Eastern styles and history rec.org.sca - some discussion of history, SCA heavy and light weapons styles, armoury, and weaponsmithy alt.military.collecting - arms and armour WWW: I've given up trying to keep on top of Web fencing sites. Instead, here is a selection of major fencing web sites to start your surfing from: FIE fencing: F.I.E. (en francais): http://www.fie.ch USFA: http://www.usfa.org American Fencing Magazine: http://www.uncg.edu/student.groups/fencing/AmericanFencing/ The Sword in Cyberspace (British AFA): http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/afa/index.htm Canadian Fencing Federation: http://www.fencing.ca Fencing Suppliers: See section 3.2. Period & SCA Fencing: Arte of Defense: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~wew/fencing.html La Donna Rapera: http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/bjm10/rapier.html Ring of Steel Theatrical Combat: http://maniac.deathstar.org/groups/ros/index.html SCA/Current Middle Ages: http://www.sca.org Japanese Fencing: Kendo: http://www.kendo.or.jp/ LFowler's Martial Arts Page: http://www.afternet.com/~lfowler/home2.html Sei Do Kai (Iaido): http://www.uoguelph.ca/~iaido/ Shidokan Kendo: http://www.cam.org/~hiro/english/hypertext/index_e.html The Japanese Sword: http://www.gemlink.com/rstein/nihonto.htm The Fencing FAQ is archived at: http://www.triumf.ca/people/morgan/fencing.html http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/sports/fencing-faq/top.html FTP: Iaido archive: rudolf.nscl.msu.edu /pub/iaido Online rules: users.aol.com /amcbain/rules95.zip (PageMaker 5.0) /amcbain/rule_wrd.zip (Word 6.0) The Fencing FAQ is archived at the following locations, among others: North America: ftp.uu.net /usenet/news.answers rtfm.mit.edu various directories Europe: ftp.uni-paderborn.de /pub/FAQ ftp.Germany.EU.net /pub/newsarchive/news.answers grasp1.univ-lyon1.fr /pub/faq ftp.win.tue.nl /pub/usenet/news.answers Asia: nctuccca.edu.tw /USENET/FAQ The Japanese Sword Arts FAQ is archived at: ftp://rudolf.nscl.msu.edu/pub/iaido Mailing Lists: rec.sport.fencing digest: send to "majordomo@cs.wisc.edu" with text "subscribe rsf". Stage Combat: send to "majordomo@mattress.atww.org" with text "subscribe stage-combat". Touche: send to "listserv@ricevm1.rice.edu" with text "SUBSCRIBE TOUCHE Your Name". (Low activity.) Harvard Fencing Announcements: send to "majordomo@hcs.harvard.edu" with text "subscribe fencing-friends your_email_address". (max. 30 messages/year) Iaido: send to "listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca", with text "SUBSCRIBE IAIDO-L your@email.address". (Moderate to high activity.) Nihonto: sent to "nihonto-request@northcoast.com" with text "subscribe" Martial Arts and Swords in TV/Film: send to "listserv@psuvm.psu.edu" with text "SUBSCRIBE MASTVF-L Your Name". (Moderate to high activity.) Online Rules: The FIE has the definitive version, in French of course: http://www.fie.ch/reglement/default.htm The USFA Rulebook is available at: http://www.usfa.org/Documents/Rules/index.html 3.9 Glossary of terms: Absence of blade: when the blades are not touching; opposite of engagement. Advance: a movement forward by step, cross, or balestra. Aids: the last three fingers of the sword hand. Analysis: reconstruction of the fencing phrase to determine priority of touches. Assault: friendly combat between two fencers. Attack: the initial offensive action made by extending the sword arm and continuously threatening the valid target of the opponent. Attack au Fer: an attack that is prepared by deflecting the opponent's blade, eg. beat, press, froissement. Backsword: an archaic, edged, unpointed sword used in prizefighting; also singlestick. Balestra: a forward hop or jump, typically followed by an attack such as a lunge or fleche. Bayonet: a type of electrical connector for foil and sabre. Beat: an attempt to knock the opponent's blade aside or out of line by using one's foible or middle against the opponent's foible. Baudry point: a safety collar placed around a live epee point to prevent dangerous penetration. Bind: an action in which the opponent's blade is forced into the diagonally opposite line. Black Card: used to indicate the most serious offences in a fencing competition. The offending fencer is usually expelled from the event or tournament. Bout: an assault at which the score is kept. Broadsword: any sword intended for cutting instead of thrusting; sabre. Broken Time: a sudden change in the tempo of one fencer's actions, used to fool the opponent into responding at the wrong time. Button: the safety tip on the end of practice and sporting swords. Change of Engagement: engagement of the opponent's blade in the opposite line. Commanding the blade: grabbing the opponent's blade with the off-hand, illegal in sport fencing. Compound: also composed; an action executed in two or more movements; an attack or riposte incorporating one or more feints. Conversation: the back-and-forth play of the blades in a fencing match, composed of phrases (phrases d'armes) punctuated by gaps of no blade action. Counter-attack: an offensive action made against the right-of-way, or in response to the opponent's attack. Counter-disengage: a disengage in the opposite direction, to deceive the counter-parry. Counter-parry: a parry made in the opposite line to the attack; ie. the defender first comes around to the opposite side of the opponent's blade. Counter-riposte: an attack that follows a parry of the opponent's riposte. Counter-time: an attack that responds to the opponent's counter-attack, typically a riposte following the parry of the counter-attack. Corps-a-corps: lit. "body-to-body"; physical contact between the two fencers during a bout, illegal in foil and sabre. Coule': also graze, glise', or glissade; an attack or feint that slides along the opponent's blade. Coup lance': a launched hit; an attack that starts before a stop in play but lands after. Valid for normal halts, but not valid at end of time. Coupe': also cut-over; an attack or deception that passes around the opponent's tip. Croise: also semi-bind; an action in which the opponent's blade is forced into the high or low line on the same side. Cross: an advance or retreat by crossing one leg over the other; also passe' avant (forward cross), passe' arriere (backwards cross). Cut: an attack made with a chopping motion of the blade, normally landing with the edge. Deception: avoidance of an attempt to engage the blades; see disengage, coupe' Derobement: deception of the attack au fer or prise de fer. Direct: a simple attack or riposte that finishes in the same line in which it was formed, with no feints out of that line. Disengage: a circular movement of the blade that deceives the opponent's parry, removes the blades from engagement, or changes the line of engagement. Displacement: moving the target to avoid an attack; dodging. Double: in epee, two attacks that arrive within 40-50 ms of each other. Double-time: also "dui tempo"; parry-riposte as two distinct actions. Double': an attack or riposte that describes a complete circle around the opponent's blade, and finishes in the opposite line. Dry: also steam; fencing without electric judging aids. Engagement: when the blades are in contact with each other, eg. during a parry, attack au fer, prise de fer, or coule'. En Garde: also On Guard; the fencing position; the stance that fencers assume when preparing to fence. Envelopment: an engagement that sweeps the opponent's blade through a full circle. Epee: a fencing weapon with triangular cross-section blade and a large bell guard; also a light duelling sword of similar design, popular in the mid-19th century; epee de terrain; duelling sword. False: an action that is intended to fail, but draw a predicted reaction from the opponent; also, the back edge of a sabre blade. Feint: an attack into one line with the intention of switching to another line before the attack is completed. Fencing Time: also temps d'escrime; the time required to complete a single, simple fencing action. FIE: Federation Internationale d'Escrime, the world governing body of fencing. Finta in tempo: lit. "feint in time"; a feint of counter-attack that draws a counter-time parry, which is decieved; a compound counter-attack. Fleche: lit. "arrow"; an attack in which the aggressor leaps off his leading foot, attempts to make the hit, and then passes the opponent at a run. Flick: a cut-like action that lands with the point, often involving some whip of the foible of the blade to "throw" the point around a block or other obstruction. Florentine: an antiquated fencing style where a secondary weapon or other instrument is used in the off hand. Flying Parry or Riposte: a parry with a backwards glide and riposte by cut-over. Foible: the upper, weak part of the blade. Foil: a fencing weapon with rectangular cross-section blade and a small bell guard; any sword that has been buttoned to render it less dangerous for practice. Forte: the lower, strong part of the blade. French Grip: a traditional hilt with a slightly curved grip and a large pommel. Froissement: an attack that displaces the opponent's blade by a strong grazing action. Fuller: the groove that runs down a sword blade to reduce weight. Glide: see coule'. Guard: the metal cup or bow that protects the hand from being hit. Also, the defensive position assumed when not attacking. Hilt: the handle of a sword, consisting of guard, grip, and pommel. Homologated: certified for use in FIE competitions, eg. 800N clothing and maraging blades. In Quartata: a counter-attack made with a quarter turn to the inside, concealing the front but exposing the back. In Time: at least one fencing time before the opposing action, especially with regards to a stop-hit. Indirect: a simple attack or riposte that finishes in the opposite line to which it was formed. Insistence: forcing an attack through the parry. Interception: a counter-attack that intercepts and checks an indirect attack or other disengagement. Invitation: a line that is intentionally left open to encourage the opponent to attack. Italian Grip: a traditional hilt with finger rings and crossbar. Judges: additional officials who assist the referee in detecting illegal or invalid actions, such as floor judges or hand judges. Jury: the 4 officials who watch for hits in a dry fencing bout. Kendo: Japanese fencing, with two-handed swords. Lame': a metallic vest/jacket used to detect valid touches in foil and sabre. Line: the main direction of an attack (eg., high/low, inside/outside), often equated to the parry that must be made to deflect the attack; also point in line. Lunge: an attack made by extending the rear leg and landing on the bent front leg. Mal-parry: also mal-pare'; a parry that fails to prevent the attack from landing. Manipulators: the thumb and index finger of the sword hand. Maraging: a special steel used for making blades; said to be stronger and break more cleanly than conventional steels. Marker Points: an old method of detecting hits using inked points. Martingale: a strap that binds the grip to the wrist/forearm. Match: the aggregate of bouts between two fencing teams. Measure: the distance between the fencers. Middle: the middle third of the blade, between foible and forte. Moulinet: a whirling cut, executed from the wrist or elbow. Neuvieme: an unconventional parry (#9) sometimes described as blade behind the back, pointing down (a variant of octave), other times similar to elevated sixte. Octave: parry #8; blade down and to the outside, wrist supinated. Opposition: holding the opponent's blade in a non-threatening line; a time-hit; any attack or counter-attack with opposition. Parry: a block of the attack, made with the forte of one's own blade; also parade. Pass: an attack made with a cross; eg. fleche. Also, the act of moving past the opponent. Passata-sotto: a lunge made by dropping one hand to the floor. Passe': an attack that passes the target without hitting; also a cross-step (see cross). Phrase: a set of related actions and reactions in a fencing conversation. Pineapple tip: a serrated epee point used prior to electric judging. Piste: the linear strip on which a fencing bout is fought; approx. 2m wide and 14m long. Pistol Grip: a modern, orthopaedic grip, shaped vaguely like a small pistol; varieties are known by names such as Belgian, German, Russian, and Visconti. Plaque': a point attack that lands flat. Plastron: a partial jacket worn for extra protection; typically a half-jacket worn under the main jacket on the weapon-arm side of the body. Point: a valid touch; the tip of the sword; the mechanical assembly that makes up the point of an electric weapon; an attack made with the point (ie. a thrust) Point in Line: also line; an extended arm and blade that threatens the opponent. Pommel: a fastener that attaches the grip to the blade. Preparation: a non-threatening action intended to create the opening for an attack; the initial phase of an attack, before right-of-way is established. Presentation: offering one's blade for engagement by the opponent. Press: an attempt to push the opponent's blade aside or out of line; depending on the opponent's response, the press is followed by a direct or indirect attack. Prime: parry #1; blade down and to the inside, wrist pronated. Principle of Defence: the use of forte against foible when parrying. Priority: in sabre, the now-superceded rules that decide which fencer will be awarded the touch in the event that they both attack simultaneously; also used synonymously with right-of-way. Prise de Fer: also taking the blade; an engagement of the blades that forces the opponent's weapon into a new line. See: bind, croise, envelopment, opposition. Quarte: parry #4; blade up and to the inside, wrist supinated. Quinte: parry #5; blade up and to the inside, wrist pronated. In sabre, the blade is held above the head to protect from head cuts. Rapier: a long, double-edged thrusting sword popular in the 16th-17th centuries. Red Card: used to indicate repeated minor rule infractions or a major rule infraction by one of the fencers; results in a point being given to the other fencer. Redoublement: a new action that follows an attack that missed or was parried; renewal of a failed attack in the opposite line; alternatively see Reprise. Referee: also director, president; the mediator of the fencing bout. Remise: immediate replacement of an attack that missed or was parried, without withdrawing the arm. Reprise: renewal of an attack that missed or was parried, after a return to en-garde; alternatively see Redoublement. Retreat: step back; opposite of advance. Ricasso: the portion of the tang between the grip and the blade, present on Italian hilts and most rapiers. Right-of-way: rules for awarding the point in the event of a double touch in foil or sabre. Riposte: an offensive action made immediately after a parry of the opponent's attack. Sabre: a fencing weapon with a flat blade and knuckle guard, used with cutting or thrusting actions; a military sword popular in the 18th to 20th centuries; any cutting sword used by cavalry. Salle: a fencing hall or club. Salute: with the weapon, a customary acknowledgement of one's opponent and referee at the start and end of the bout. Schlager: German fraternity duelling sword, used with cuts to the face and no footwork. Second Intention: a false action used to draw a response from the opponent, which will open the opportunity for the intended action that follows, typically a counter-riposte. Seconde: parry #2; blade down and to the outside, wrist pronated. Septime: parry #7; blade down and to the inside, wrist supinated. Simple: executed in one movement; an attack or riposte that involves no feints. Simultaneous: in foil and sabre, two attacks for which the right-of-way is too close to determine. Single Stick: an archaic form of fencing with basket-hilted wooden sticks. Single-time: also "stesso tempo"; parry-riposte as a single action. Sixte: parry #6; blade up and to the outside, wrist supinated. Small Sword: a light duelling sword popular in the 17th-18th centuries, precursor to the foil. Stop Hit: a counter-attack that hits; also a counter-attack whose touch is valid by virtue of it's timing. Stop Cut: a stop-hit with the edge in sabre, typically to the cuff. Three Prong: a type of epee body wire/connector; also an old-fashioned tip that would snag clothing, to make it easier to detect hits in the pre-electric era. Thrown Point: a "flick". Thrust: an attack made by moving the sword parallel to its length and landing with the point. Tierce: parry #3; blade up and to the outside, wrist pronated. Time Hit: also time-thrust; old name for stop hit with opposition. Trompement: deception of the parry. Two Prong: a type of body-wire/connector, used in foil and sabre. Whip-over: in sabre, a touch that results from the foible of the blade whipping over the opponent's guard or blade when parried. Whites: fencing clothing. Yellow Card: also advertissement, warning; used to indicate a minor rule infraction by one of the fencers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Author: Morgan Burke (morgan@sitka.triumf.ca) Contributors: special thanks to Suman Palit, Guy Smith, Greg Dilworth, Kevin Taylor, Eric Anderson, Blaine Price, Steve Hick, Kim Moser, David Glasser, Bryan Mansfield, Donald Lane, Ann McBain, Hagen Lieffertz, Mark C. Orton, Mike Buckley, Dirk Goldar, Scott Holmes, Arild Dyrseth, David Airey, Renee Mcmeeken, Marc Walch, Eric Speicher, Anton Oskamp, Bernard Hunt, Francis Cordero, Kent Krumvieda, David Van Houten, John Crawford, Kim Taylor, Brendan Robertson, Ivo Volf, Kevin Wechtaluk, Frank Messemer, Benerson Little, Mark Crocker, Eileen Tan, Mark Tebault, Tim Schofield, Peter Gustafsson, Kevin Haidl, Peter Crawford, Camille Fabian, Matt Davis, Fernando Diaz, Anders Haavie, Rüdiger Schierz, Todd Ellner, George Kolombatovich, Padraig Coogan, Steve Lawrence, Bryan J. Maloney, Colin Walls (C) 1993-99 Morgan Burke Permission is granted to copy and distribute all or part of this document for non-profit purposes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of rec.sport.fencing FAQ part III