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Fencing (Olympic sport since 1896)
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History |
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Equipment |
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Glossary |
About
Take the romantic, swashbuckling epics of Errol Flynn, add some rules, protective clothing and an electronic scoring system, and you have fencing at the Olympic Games. Two rivals stand opposite each other and feint, lunge, parry and riposte until one scores the required number of hits to win.
Evolved from the ancient form of combat, fencing is one of only four sports that has been featured at every modern Olympic Games. It was the first to include recognised professionals in a medals competition after modern Olympic Games founder Pierre de Coubertin arranged special events for professional fencing "masters" in the original 1896 and 1900 competitions.
The clothing has become so protective, though, that officials modified masks a few years ago to return a "human face" to the event. Fine, but for intense reality, the 1924 team foil competition still wins: After the Olympic Games, an Italian and a Hungarian settled a scoring controversy with a real duel.
Competition
Three types of fencing weapons - the foil, ¨¦p¨¦e and sabre - are used at the Olympic Games. Bouts are held on a 14-metre by 1.5-metre piste, or playing area. Through wires and special clothing, fencers are connected to an electronic scoring system that indicates if a hit has occurred.
Each competition has a single-elimination format. Teams consist of three fencers, and each duels each member of the opposing team.
List of events
-- ¨¦p¨¦e individual Men
-- ¨¦p¨¦e team Men
-- foil individual Men
-- foil team Men
-- sabre individual Men
-- sabre team Men
-- ¨¦p¨¦e individual Women
-- foil individual Women
-- sabre individual Women
-- sabre team Women
History
Discipline's origin
Fencing began as a form of combat and is known to have been practised well before the birth of Christ. Relief carvings in the temple of Madinet-Habu near Luxor, Egypt, dating from approximately 1190 BC depict fencers competing. Many other ancient civilisations, including China, Japan, Persia, Babylonia and Greece, practised swordplay as training for combat.
As a sport, fencing began in either the 14th or 15th century and both Italy and Germany lay claim to the origins of the sport. German fencing masters organised the first guilds in the 15th century, notably the Marxbruder of Frankfurt in 1480. In 1570 Henri Saint-Didier of France gave names to fencing's major movements and most of that nomenclature remains. From the 16th to the 18th century, sword fights and duels were common. Combatants in these duels used a variety of weapons, including singlesticks, quarterstaffs, and backswords, and the bouts were often bloody and occasionally fatal.
Three innovations in the 17th century led to the popularity of fencing as a sport. The first was the development of a light practice weapon with a flattened or "foiled" tip that was also padded to reduce the risk of injury. This weapon was soon called the foil. Second was the development of a set of rules that limited the target to certain areas of the body. The final innovation was the quadrille wire-mesh mask which protected the face and made fencing a safe activity.
Olympic history
Fencing was one of the few sports that admitted professionals prior to the 1980s. In fact, the original Olympic rules, written by Baron Pierre de Coubertin (founder and second President of the International Olympic Committee), specifically stated that fencing professionals, called masters, could compete. Events for masters at the Olympics were held in the foil in 1896 and 1900. Masters also competed in ¨¦p¨¦e and sabre events at both the Olympics in 1900 and the Intercalary Olympic Games in 1906.
Fencing was first contested during the 1896 Olympics and is one of the few sports to have been contested at every Olympic Games. Women's fencing first appeared in the Olympics in 1924. Today, men compete in both team and individual events at the Olympics using three types of swords - the foil, the ¨¦p¨¦e and the sabre. Women compete in both team and individual events at the Olympics using the foil and ¨¦p¨¦e. Women's ¨¦p¨¦e events were first added to the Olympic programme during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Equipment
Blade
The hitting part of a sword from the guard to the point.
Chest guard
Used to protect the chest.
Epee
A thrusting sword descended from the duelling sword, similar in length to a foil but heavier, with a larger guard and a much stiffer blade.
"Fil de corps"
Foible
The weaker part of a sword blade, between the middle and the point.
Foil
A thrusting sword with a flexible rectangular blade and a smaller guard than the epee.
Grip
The handle of a sword; also called the "hilt".
Gloves
Guard
The part of a sword between the blade and handle that protects the duelling hand.
Hilt
The handle of a sword; also called the "grip".
Mask
Piste
French for the field of play where a fencing bout occurs; also called a "strip".
Point
The end of the blade, which must touch the opponent's target area to score a point.
Rapier
A thrusting sword with an elaborate hilt and a long, slender, pointed blade, developed in the 16th century and the precursor to the epee.
Sabre
The modern version of the slashing cavalry sword, similar in length and weight to the foil but able to cut with the blade as well as hit with the point.
Strip
The field of play where a fencing bout occurs; also called a "piste".
Glossary
Advance: To step forward.
Beat: A sharp tap on an opponent's blade to initiate or threaten an attack.
Black card: A card from the referee signifying a fencer has been expelled.
Bout: A contest in its entirety between two fencers.
Centre line: A line across the piste, or field of play, dividing it into two equal halves.
Compound: An attack or counterattack involving several moves.
Corps-a-corps: A move involving body contact, where two fencers are engaged in a way that allows neither to use his or her weapon.
Counter-parry: A defensive move where a fencer makes a circular movement around the opponent's blade and moves it away.
Disengage: To break contact between blades, done by one fencer passing his or her blade under the opponent's blade.
Double hit: Successful contact with the sword by both fencers within .04 of a second, counted only in epee competition.
En garde: French for "on guard", the position that fencers take before a bout begins or after a break in the action.
Engage: To make contact blade-to-blade.
Feint: A false attack designed to force an opponent into a reaction that opens the way to a genuine attack.
Fleche: A running attack.
Hit: A point scored by a touch with the tip of the blade or, in sabre, the edge of the blade against any part of the opponent's body in the target area.
Lunge: The basic attack in fencing where a fencer closes the distance between foes by moving the front leg forward while the back leg remains stationary and straightens out.
Octave: The eighth of eight defensive positions in fencing.
One-metre penalty: A penalty where the action is moved a metre further back on the piste for the offending fencer before a bout is restarted.
On-guard line: A line on each side of the centre line where a fencer stands to begin or resume a bout after a hit has been awarded.
Parry: A defensive action where a fencer blocks the opponent's blade.
Penalty hit: A hit credited to a fencer when the opponent commits an offence after a warning.
Plastron: Protective clothing worn under a fencer's jacket.
Prime: The first of eight defensive positions in fencing.
Quarte: The fourth of eight defensive positions in fencing.
Quinte: The fifth of eight defensive positions in fencing.
Recover: To return to the en garde position after lunging.
Red card: A card from the referee signifying a penalty hit has been charged against a fencer for a rules violation.
Redouble: To attack an opponent a second time after the opponent fails to counterattack.
Remise: To attack again immediately after the opponent has blocked an initial attack.
Right of way: A rule established to eliminate virtually simultaneous attacks between two fencers in foil or sabre by allowing a referee to determine who was on offence at that moment and had "right of way" to score a point.
Riposte: A counterattack by a fencer who just has blocked an attack by the opponent with a parry.
Seconde: The second of eight defensive positions in fencing.
Septime: The seventh of eight defensive positions in fencing.
Simple: In one move, as in an attack or riposte involving a single move.
Simultaneous: A ruling of no hit when two fencers in foil and sabre hit each other at the same time with an attack, redouble or remise.
Sixte: The sixth of eight defensive positions in fencing.
Stop-thrust: A sudden counterattack made by extending without lunging.
Target: The portion of the opponent's body which may be touched with the sword to score points.
Thrust: To extend the arm and sword toward the opponent.
Tierce: The third of eight defensive positions in fencing.
Touch: A hit with the point of the weapon or a cut with the edge of the sabre, scoring a point.
Warning line: A line two metres inside the rear line warning a fencer he or she is near the end of the piste.
Yellow card: A card from the referee signifying a warning has been issued to a fencer for violating a rule.
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