Which fencing style is the hardest?

What is fencing?

Fencing is the historic art of offense and defense with the sword, in which the object is for one fencer to hit another without being hit first. The deadly martial art of swordsmanship developed into the sport of fencing, in which the objective became the touch and not the kill. Today much of the excitement and challenge of serious dueling remain as the fencer attempts to protect himself from his opponent’s blade while at the same time trying to find an opening in his opponent’s defense.

Modern fencing is a safe sport due to the protective clothing and flexible, blunted blade, which are always used while sparring or competing. The objective of fencing is no longer to inflict a serious or fatal injury, but to demonstrate an ability to outmaneuver and out think an opponent to get the touch. Fencing is now much faster and requires more refinement of technique than was possible with the heavier, longer, stiffer weapons used by the earlier duelist. The rules and manner of fencing reflect its original purpose, even though techniques and tactics have undergone many changes through the years.

The 3 Weapons

There are three weapons used in modern fencing: foil, sabre, and épée.

The Foil

The foil was originally designed in the mid 18th century as a training weapon. Foil is classically the first weapon taught. This does not mean that the foil is a beginner’s weapon to be discarded once a person becomes proficient in its use. The foil is considered by many fencers to be the most difficult weapon to master and offers a lifetime of challenge to its proponents.

In foil, only touches that arrive on the valid target are counted. The target for foil is confined to the torso. A touch may only be made with the point of the weapon. A touch that is made on a part of the body other than the target (whether directly or as a result of a parry) does not score a point, but stops the phrase and prevents further touches from being scored.

The Sabre

The sabre is a direct descendant of the cavalry sword, a single-edged slashing weapon, originally designed for use on horseback. The modern fencing sabre is more closely modeled after the late 19th century military officer’s dress sword. The valid target in sabre fencing is the entire body above the waist including head and arms. Touches may be scored with either the point or edge of the weapon. Modern sabre fencing requires precise foot and blade work, excellent speed, and focused aggression.

The Épée

The épée is a direct descendant of the dueling rapier. There is an old fencing saying that foil is art, sabre is fun, épée is truth. Both foil and sabre follow the convention of priority, or right of way, which states that only one fencer may score in any individual phrase d’armes. Double touches are either thrown out, or priority is determined according to the rules, and a single touch is awarded. In épée, the touches are scored as if the weapons were sharp. The entire body is good target, and if both fencers hit, both fencers score. If the fencers are tied at game point, the bout must continue until one fencer has scored a single touch.

The Game

In all three weapons, mastery of technique is a prerequisite to playing the game. Both offensive and defensive moves must be practiced and mastered before one is able to play the game at the tactical level. Once the basic movements are mastered, the game becomes more and more tactical as the fencer’s skill level advances. At the highest levels, fencing is often referred to as physical chess. Both opponents have mastered the technical aspects of the game, and those skills are employed to lead one’s opponent into making a tactical error that one can score on. This would be much easier if the other guy weren’t trying to do the same thing to you! At the highest level, both fencers are setting traps within traps.

In the area of the fencing sport there are different types of fencing weapons. This is, for example, the epee, the foil and sabre. Each weapon has its special features and is used in their own way in sports contests.

The epee as a fencing weapon

Under an epee refers to an elastic triangular/three-sided thrusting weapon. He has a semi-shaped bell on the handle which protects the own hand against your opponent. The bell has a diameter of 13.5 cm. The handle is designed either as a French grip or pistol grip. While the pistol grip is adapted to the hand, the French grip has a long and smooth shape. The blade is constructed in cross-section in a V-shape. In sporting uses there are two different sizes of this fencing weapon. The small epee, the so-called children's epee, has a length up to 90 centimeters. The great sword, however, reached a size up to 110 centimeters. In order to count a hit electrically, the tip is bedded resilient. When a force is more than 750 grams, the hit will be registered.

The foil as a fencing weapon

The metal handle of the foil can be either coated or wrapped with fabric. A distinction is made between the orthopedic, the french and the italian grip. The orthopedic grip is hand adapted. With a french grip, the rod is bent inwardly and the italian grip has a straight rod. In the front the handles ending with a hand guard, a bell. It is about 9.5 to 12 inches tall. The blade is made of resilient steel and up to 90 centimeters long. It may have a maximum curvature of one centimeter. The curvature determines the force of the offence. The electric foil is also referred to as e-foil. The tip is axially slidable and mounted resilient. The dome has a diameter of approximately 8 millimeters. In appearance of shocks of at least 500 grams, the pen tip moves to a sufficient extent, so that the hit will be triggered. Near of the back of the hand is fixed a plug connection to the fencing weapon, which is connected to a wire. This leads over the arm to the back. The wire is combined here with the cable clamp on the contact vest for torso hits and runs now backwards across the piste. In many tournaments nowadays already fenced wireless, particularly in international tournaments.

The sabre as a fencing weapon

The sabre is equipped with a flexible and flat blade. It has a rectangular cross-section. Their maximum length is 88 to 105 centimeters. The weight is limited to 500 grams, in most cases the fencing weapon is much lighter. Towards the tip, the blade is narrow. The bell has a hemispherical shape and looks different from the other fencing weapons. Striking is the temple, which is an additional protection against blows. The handle has no indentations for the fingers, so you are more free to keep.

The wearing parts of a fencing weapon

Due to the stress can cause wear on the top of the fencing weapon. The foil top head, for example, is replaceable, so you can quickly provide high-quality products for replacement. Also the bells and the handles can be replaced.
There are different levels of quality of the bell. So this could be made of titanium or aluminum. Similarly, the body cord can be changed due to buckling, wear or damage. For epee and sabre also appropriate wear parts like tips, bells and handles are offered.

Tips for choosing the right fencing weapon

The foil is characterized by its light weight and easy handling. It is considered the ideal fencing weapon for beginners so you can familiarize yourself with the fencing. Experienced fencers benefit from the elegant shape of the foil. This fencing weapon is also suitable for demanding exercises and is a pure thrusting weapon. The bell is to protect your hand. The epee is an evolution of the sword. It has usually the highest weight of the three variants. To have some basic knowledge in the field of sporting fencing is beneficial for using.
Traditionally, the foil was used due to its lower weight as a training weapon for the epee in the past. Today, the difference is not as serious as in the beginning of fencing. A significant difference has the sabre. It is not purely a thrusting weapon, there are also blows allowed. The overall length is usually slightly lower than the other two variants.

The different strike areas of the fencing weapon

In sports tournaments there are different areas of the body to hit. This depends on the chosen fencing weapon. When selecting the weapon you should also refer to this point, because of the target surface the fighting behavior changes. Is fought with the foil, then the entire body and the crotch are admitted for valid results. On the other hand competitions with the epee have a maximum impact area. Here, the whole body counts as valid range.
Tournaments that take place with a sabre, give the torso, head and arms free as a hit area.

The care and maintenance of fencing weapon

Because the fencing weapon consists largely of metal or steel, you must make regular checks. It is important that no moisture can form on the fencing weapon. This would lead to damage in the form of rust. Clean the fencing weapon therefore after use or when longer not in use. The storage location for the sabre, the foil and the epee must also be protected and dry.

Left-handed and right-handed fencing

Approximately 10 percent of the population is left-handed, while 90 percent among the right-handers. In fencing, you can fight with the left as well as with the right hand. Therefore, the fencing weapons are widely available in various designs that meet the respective requirements. When purchasing you must pay attention to whether it is a fencing weapon for left-handed or right-handed.

Select the appropriate fencing weapon

If you start with the fencing, you should make initially familiar with the three different types of weapons in a fencing club. Often preferences are identified and a fencing weapon initially preferred. In general, the foil is regarded as a good entry weapon, but also suitable are the epee, and the sabre. Because the possibilities of a sabre are more extensive, beginners often prefer the epee.

What type of fencing is the hardest?

Which type of fencing is the easiest?

Which style of fencing is best?

Which is better epee or foil?