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Fencing FAQ (part 1) Archive-name: sports/fencing-faq/part1
Last-modified: 2002-Nov-18
Version: 5.46
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.
Here's a quick guide to some of the more persistent topics on
rec.sport.fencing:
- Finding equipment retailers - see section 3.2
- Finding a fencing club - see section 1.10
- Modern sport vs. classical martial art - see sections 1.2, 1.3
- Legality of Spanish and Italian grips - see section 2.7.1
- Analysis and priority - see sections 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16
- Flicks - see sections 1.14, 1.17
- Weapon maintenance and repair - see sections 2.8, 2.10, 2.12, 2.14, 2.15, 2.16, 2.17
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PART 1 : General
General:
1.1 What sports and martial arts comprise fencing?
1.2 How did fencing originate?
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 How long does it take to become good?
1.8 What qualities make a good fencer?
1.9 How much does it cost to get involved in fencing?
1.10 How do I find a good fencing club?
Training:
1.11 What kind of cross-training will help my fencing?
1.12 How can I improve my technique without the help of a coach?
Regulations:
1.13 What is right of way?
1.14 What constitutes an attack?
1.15 What constitutes a parry?
1.16 What constitutes a point-in-line?
1.17 What is the scoop on "flicks" and "whips"?
1.18 What are the latest rule changes?
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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 late 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.
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.
Rapiers evolved from cut-and-thrust military swords, but were
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 Spain and Italy to
northwest Europe, in spite of the objections of masters such as
George Silver who preferred traditional cutting weapons such the
English broad 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. 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 defence with the sword,
subtlety of movement, and complex attacks. When buttoned with a
leather safety tip that resembled a flower bud, 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. 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 was
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 made its first appearance in the 1998 World
Championships as a demonstration sport, and will likely appear in
the 2004 Olympics as part of a combined team event.
1.3 How is modern fencing different from the "real thing"?
If the "real thing" is a duel with sharps, then aside from the
mortal danger and related psychological factors, the primary
technical difference is that the duellist can win with only a
single good touch, whereas the athlete has to hit his opponent as
many as 15 times and so requires more technical and tactical
depth. Many inferior duellists have won their combats through
sheer dumb luck. This is far less likely in the sport. On the
other hand, the sport fencer takes many defensive risks that
would be unthinkable in a duel, since he has up to 15 "lives" to
work with.
Some purists 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.
Modern sabre fencing is performed with lightweight weapons and
techniques that do not translate well to military sabres and
broadswords. There is a certain amount of cross-over with
lighter turn-of-the-century duelling sabres, however.
Lastly, it just seems apparent to some that sport fencing has
evolved away from its bloody origins. Tactically and
psychologically, it is true that the sport is a vastly different
world from the duel. The sport fencer's life is never in
jeapordy, and with as many as 15 hits needed to secure victory,
there often isn't even much figurative danger. Since the quality
of a hit is immaterial, fencers will naturally prefer an easy
"wounding" hit over a difficult "fatal" one, and so glancing hits
will often win out over strong thrusts. Technically, however,
there have been few modern innovations, and the sport fencer
still possesses all the technical skills necessary to fight a
duel.
1.4 Which is the best weapon?
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
kendo or the SCA heavy lists.
Perhaps the question means "what is the best weapon for a
beginner to start with?" Foil is the most common starter weapon,
and its skills translate most easily to the other weapons. Sabre
is less ideal for students planning to try other weapons, due to
the higher cost of electric sabre gear, and the reduced use of
the point. Fencers who begin with epee may struggle with the
concept of right-of-way if they attempt to learn a second weapon
later. However, if the student is certain that they will stick
with sabre or epee, then there is no harm to starting with those
weapons immediately.
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 the present, and was
recently expanded to include Women's Epee. Since the IOC
perpetually changes its roster of Olympic sports, nothing is
certain in future games. 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
In the last decade fencing has undergone numerous revisions to
its rules and structure to improve its value as a 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 strained muscles
and joints. Proper warm-up and stretching before fencing will
minimize these occurences.
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, pants, and
masks are ideal, as they are made with puncture-resistant fabrics
such as ballistic nylon. If you cannot afford good fencing wear,
at least 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 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 (albeit badly) almost immediately.
Novice-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 a few years of regular practice
and competition. Penetration of the elite ranks (eg. world cup,
international 'A' level) 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, quality of instruction, and the age at
which they begin. Rapid progress normally requires at least
three practices per week, and regular competition against
superior fencers. With the increasing emphasis on athleticism in
the modern sport, fencers are getting younger, and the champions
are getting to the podiums faster.
1.8 What qualities make a good fencer?
All of them.
On the athletic side, speed and cardiovascular fitness rank
foremost. Other traits that can be exploited are strength (for
explosive power, not heavy handedness), manual dexterity, and
flexibility. Quick reaction time is extremely important. On the
mental side, a fencer must be adaptable and observant, and have a
good mind for strategy and tactics. Psychologically, he or she
must be able to maintain focus, concentration, and emotional
level-headedness under intense conditions of combat.
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 most useful in epee. 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 seem to enjoy a slight
advantage, especially against less experienced fencers. This may
account for the fact that lefties make up 15% of novice fencers,
but close to half of FIE world champions.
1.9 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. Used equipment
can also be bought from retiring or upgrading fencers. Many
clubs will provide basic equipment to their beginning
students.
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.
1.10 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://www.usfencing.org.
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. Look for a good range of skill levels, decent equipment
inventories, adequate scoring sets, emphasis on your favourite
weapon(s), a spirited competition ethic, access to personal
lessons, and a coach or master with a good record (ie. successful
students). If you still have a choice, count yourself lucky, and
choose the club that makes you feel comfortable and relaxed
without sacrificing the athletic spirit that is essential to
progress.
1.11 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 upper body 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.
Proper weight training can be of great benefit, if it emphasizes
power development in the legs and lower body, core trunk strength
for stability, speed, and flexibility. Improper weight training
can potentially be detrimental, if it develops strength but not
power, or sacrifices flexibility for muscle development.
Some fencers maintain that juggling improves reactions, hand-eye
coordination, and use of peripheral vision.
Some coaches and fencers suggest occasional fencing or workouts with
your opposite hand, both to improve skill and balance your muscular
development.
1.12 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 refereeing 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.
1.13 What is right-of-way?
Right-of-way (or priority) 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
t.56-t.60 (old 232-237) for foil, and t.75-t.80 (old 416-423)
for 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 threatening, while the other is
reacting to the threat
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 important one. The first fencer to
establish a threat has priority (right-of-way), even if the other
reacts by making a counter-threat. Any hit from the fencer with
priority takes precedence over a hit from the other. The job of
the referee is to decide which fencer did not have right-of-way,
and annul his touch. If he cannot decide, the referee should
abstain, annul BOTH hits, and resume the action where it left
off.
A proper threat can be either an attack (see question 1.14),
or a "point in line" (see question 1.16) that is
established before the opponent attacks.
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 then has "right
of attack" for a split second; if he returns the threat
immediately, he takes over right-of-way and the tables have
turned. If he hesitates, however, it becomes a toss-up; the
first fencer to establish a threat 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
1.14 What constitutes an attack?
According to Article t.7 (old 10) of the FIE rules of competition,
"the attack is the initial offensive action made by extending the
arm and continuously threatening the opponent's target."
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, a straight arm is not
an attack, but a point-in-line. The attack begins
when the arm begins extending, not once it is fully extended. It
is not even necessary that the arm become fully straight,
although that is normal for attacks at medium and longer
distances. Retraction of the arm, however, will usually be
interpreted as a break in the attack.
Another common misconception is that an attack does not threaten
unless the blade is aimed at the target. This is not generally
true. The definition of an attack is the same for cuts and
thrusts, so cuts and cut-like actions (including coupe's and
"flicks") must threaten while the blade
is still out of line. Generally, an attack threatens if it is
moving towards the target as part of a smooth, unbroken movement,
regardless of where the point is located when that movement begins.
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 his final movement, or else
arrive a fencing time ahead of his touch.
Sabre fencers must also consider Article t.75 (old 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.
1.15 What constitutes a parry?
According to Article t.7 (old 10) of the FIE Rules of Competition,
"the parry is the defensive action made with the weapon to
prevent the offensive action 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 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.
However, if the parry does not deflect the blade, or deflects
it onto another part of the target, then the attack retains the
right-of-way (mal-pare' by the defender). 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 (eg. a beat parry with the middle of the blade) 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. If the defender clearly
releases the attacking blade before the continuation of the
attack lands, then the benefit of the doubt is usually given to
the parry.
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.
1.16 What constitutes a point-in-line?
According to Article t.10 of the FIE Rules of Competition, the
in-line position is that "in which [the fencer's] sword arm is
straight and the point of his weapon threatens his opponent's
valid target."
Properly done, the arm should be extended as straight 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 movement obviates the line. These interpretations
are incorrect, although they may still constitute good advice if
you want to make the point-in-line more obvious to a referee. 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, was official policy in the USFA for a
while. However, the rulebook does not proscribe any footwork
movements at all, and other FIE rulings hold that footwork, even
a lunge or fleche, has absolutely no effect on the priority of
the point-in-line.
1.17 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 fencers' efforts to throw their points
around the parry. 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 if you're trying to kill someone 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 1.14)
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, no matter where it
was pointed at the start of that 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.
1.18 What are the latest rule changes?
The FIE Rules of Competition were completely revised for the 1998
season. Although the wording of the rules is for the most part
similar, the article numbers and locations of particular rules
are completely different.
DISCIPLINE:
- Crossing the boundary of the piste with one or both
feet results in a halt, and the loss of 1 metre of ground by
the offending fencer. Hits launched before the halt by
the offending fencer are valid only if one foot remains on the
piste. If both feet leave the piste, only the hit made by
the opposing fencer is counted, and only if one of their feet
remains on the piste. (2002)
- Falling is no longer an offence. (2002)
- Immediate penalty (Group I/yellow card) if a fencer
signals he/she is ready to fence with an illegal bend to
their blade. (2002)
- Only team members and trainer are permitted inside the
designated team zone during team competitions. Penalties
for violating this rule are directed against the team, and
remain valid for the duration of the match. (2002)
- Leaving the piste with one or both feet earns a verbal
caution for first offense, and group 1 penalties
thereafter. (1998) [This rule replaced by a new
out-of-bounds rule, above, in 2002.]
- 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:
- Scoring lamps must indicate who scored the touch, not
who received it. (2000)
- FIE2000 sabre blades required. (2000)
- Clear masks required in all FIE foil and epee events. (2000)
- 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:
- Pool and relay bouts are now of 3-minute duration. (2002)
- At sabre only, the first period of an elimination bout
will end when 3 minutes have elapsed, or the score of one
fencer has reached 8 touches. (2002)
- 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?)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 Goldgar,
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) 1993-2002 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 I
-
Fencing FAQ (part 2) Archive-name: sports/fencing-faq/part2
Last-modified: 2002-Nov-18
Version: 5.46
FENCING
PART 2 : EQUIPMENT
This is Part 2 of the 3-part rec.sport.fencing Frequently Asked
Questions list. 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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equipment & Maintenance:
2.1 Clothing
2.1.1 FIE Uniforms
2.1.2 Colours
2.2 Masks
2.2.1 Bibs
2.3 Shoes
2.4 Gloves
2.5 Metallic Vests and Jackets
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
2.14 Tools
Troubleshooting:
2.15 Foil
2.16 Epee
2.17 Sabre
NB: equipment merchants are listed in section 3.2.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.1 Clothing
Fencing clothing includes the jacket, pants, sous-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.
Jackets are cut differently for men and women, and also for
right- and left- handers. 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 Uniforms
FIE-certified (800 N) uniforms are fashioned from special fabrics
such as kevlar, Startex, or ballistic nylon. Some uniforms (in
particular, 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
FIE clothing.
The rules for FIE 'A' level competition demand FIE jacket
and pants. As of April 1, 1995, an additional 800N plastron is
required. CFF and USFA competitions have less stringent uniform
requirments.
FIE 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, 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,
or printed on the leg or sleeve. Club or association badges can
be stitched to the upper trailing arm.
2.2 Masks
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.
Masks with a clear lexan panel in front of the face are
available from several manufacturers. Although the FIE has been
encouraging the use of these masks, there has been resistance
from fencers concerned about safety, and their future remains
unclear.
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 as of 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 available from many vendors and manufacturers,
including Adidas, Asics, PBT, Estoc, Sport-Escrime, Starfighter,
and various vendor house brands. Prices typically range from
US$50 to over US$200 per pair. Distribution of certain brands is
often geographically limited, and limited to fencing equipment
vendors in any case. In other words, don't bother checking at
the mall. The best mass-market substitutes for fencing shoes are
lightweight indoor court shoes, such as for squash, badminton,
racquetball, or volleyball.
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
cuff onto the glove, 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 Metallic Vests and Jackets
The higher quality metallic vests are made of stainless steel,
which is much more corrosion resistant than copper. Your foil
vest should come to your hip bones, and be form-fitting but not
too tight. Most vests 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 vest in lukewarm water
following a tournament or rigourous practice will wash out most
of the sweat and salts that will damage it. 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 vest/jacket and prolonging its life. Some fencers
recommend neutralizing the alkaline deposits in the vest with
lemon juice added to the bath.
Rinse your vest 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 metallic jackets, cuffs,
and mask bibs.
With proper care, quality stainless steel vests and jackets
should last 3-5 years of regular use. Copper jackets will
usually not last more than 1-2 years under regular use.
2.5.1 Repair
Electric jackets 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 material to pass the
armourer's check. Sweat from vigourous fencing will have the
same effect. Some fabrics do not rely on conductive fibres, but
rather are coated with metallic powder; these 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 metallic fabric over the affected
areas. If no patch material is available, the fabric from one
dead vest 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. Careful testing with an ohmmeter will
determine where the dead zone exists. 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. Hard chest
protectors for men are also available from some suppliers, and
female groin protectors are 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 useful on 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 can
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". 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 (caveat emptor: 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 - although they cost
twice as much, they last much more than twice as long. 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.
FIE 2000 sabre blades are stiffer than older sabre blades, which
is intended to reduce the incidence of whip-over touches.
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. A few 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 point.
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 profile
shape, depth (3 - 5.5 cm), weight, and eccentricity (up to 3.5 cm
off of center).
Sabre guards come in left- and right-handed versions (the outside
of the guard being larger). Competition guards may include
attachments for a capteur sensor. If not done by the
manufacturer, sabre fencers may wish to insulate the edges of the
guard (and the pommel) 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. There
are many brands to consider, each with different qualities. Some
brands are cloned by Chinese and eastern manufacturers; you may
notice a difference in quality or durability when using
imitations.
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, cut down,
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
makes of epee point are adjusted using a small wrench or a single
screw in the tip. 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 2.15, 2.16), below.
Blade wires are typically insulated with cotton to facilitate
gluing and cleaning. Nevertheless, inexpensive wires can be made
at home using 26 to 36 guage wire-wrap or magnet 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. This is more difficult with epee wires; the contacts may
have to be removed from the plastic base before soldering -
whether this is possible depends on the brand of wire. In a
pinch, with foils you can spool a bit of wire in the bottom of
the cup; this will work for a short period, but eventually the
spooled wire gets fouled with the spring and causes faults.
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
sometimes has a reputation for being less reliable (depending on
the brand). On the other hand, bayonet designs have recently
also acquired a reputation for unreliability; this is probably
due to the arrival of cheap no-name bayonet body wires that give
unreliable performance. Brand-name body wires usually give
superior reliability.
Of course, 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. The
main reliability concern is how well the prongs maintain contact
over time. Some brands accumulate grime or corrosion, while
others simply wear down and become loose in the socket; sometimes
the prongs can be periodically re-bent to maintain firm contact.
2.12 Glue
Recycled blades must be cleaned before they are re-wired. 10
minutes with a utility knife to remove all traces of glue from
the groove is usually sufficient, although chemical solvents
(acetone, nail polish remover) may be helpful with some glues
such as super-glue. 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 (ie. 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. White glues can be
soaked in water to soften them.
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 canisters 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).
As of February 1, 2000, the scoring lamps indicate who scored the
touch. Older scoring boxes are wired to indicate who received
the touch. Reversing the cables on older boxes will cause them
to function in the new manner.
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. Modern sabre scoring boxes
should tolerate sabres without capteur sensors. Older boxes will
display white lights with capteurless sabres, unless the sensor
leads are shorted on the weapon.
It is possible to defeat older foil scoring circuits 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. 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
touch the opponent's lame'; white lights indicate a dead spot).
Reels are typically portable, spring-wound devices (either
"turtles" or "snails"). Less portable (but often more reliable)
systems involving pulleys and bungee cords are used at some
salles. These systems require firm anchor points at the ends and
middle of the piste, so are not as portable as reel systems.
2.13.1 Wireless Systems
Wireless scoring systems are currently prohibited in competition,
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 experimenting
with some systems, and is expected to rule on their use 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. Some manufacturers claim to sell advanced buzzboxes that
alleviate some of these problems (see, for example,
http://members.aol.com/phaedltd/foilmstr.htm).
2.14 Tools
Every fencer needs a small toolkit for equipment maintenance. The
following tools and supplies are essential:
-- precision screwdrivers for point maintenance and
assembly; also handy for body wire repair.
-- pliers for tightening points; wire cutters are also
useful, and are incorporated into many pliers.
-- Allen wrench, screwdriver, or socket wrench for pommel nuts.
-- quick-drying (eg. cyanoacrylate) glue for emergency wire repairs.
-- cloth tape for insulating foil tips.
Fencers who do a lot of maintenance will also find the following
tools useful:
-- metal file for fitting tangs into guards/grips.
-- hacksaw for cutting tangs down.
-- blade-bowing tool (see 2.12) for gluing.
-- scraping tool for cleaning old glue out of grooves; an
old jeweller's screwdriver will do, provided you don't mind
ruining it. Utility knives will also work.
-- Lighter for burning off wire insulation or softening springs.
-- vice-grip pliers for heavy-duty work away from a work bench.
-- Swiss-army knife for everything else.
-- weapon-tester box.
Serious armourers will need many other tools, including:
-- workbench with vise.
-- ohmmeter or multimeter.
-- mask tester.
-- metallic fabric tester.
-- body wire tester.
-- set of weights and shims.
-- soldering iron (light for wires; heavy duty for pistes).
-- Dremel tool.
2.15 Foil Troubleshooting
Weapon fails weight test.
1) The spring is too soft.
2) Friction between the barrel and point is overwhelming the
spring.
3) Too much tape on the end of your blade is jamming
against the hole in 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.
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.
2) Grit in the tip is breaking the circuit.
3) The barrel is loose.
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 body wire is insecurely clipped to the weapon.
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 pommel is loose.
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.
3) The 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.
3) Spring is too heavy.
4) Opponent is grounding his weapon to his lame'.
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.
2.16 Epee Troubleshooting
Weapon fails weight test.
1) The main spring is too soft.
2) Friction between the barrel and point is overwhelming the
spring.
Weapon fails shim tests.
1) The contact spring is too long.
2) Point and barrel are mismatched.
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.
2) Grit in the tip is shorting the circuit.
3) The blade wires are shorting to each other.
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.
3) Main spring is too heavy.
4) Contact spring is too short.
5) The barrel is loose.
6) Point contacts are dirty/corroded.
7) The blade wire is broken.
8) The blade 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.
2.17 Sabre Troubleshooting
Box displays white lights.
1) The box requires sensors; or the sabre is not shorted
for sensorless operation.
2) The sensor is malfunctioning or jammed.
3) The wire in the sabre is broken, or not fastened securely.
4) The mounting bracket for the sensor is loose.
5) The body wire is loose in the socket.
6) The body wire is broken. Switch to foil setting, and diagnose
as for foil.
7) 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 (with sensors).
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.
2) The floor cables are reversed at the box.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 Goldgar,
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) 1993-2002 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 II
-
Fencing FAQ (part 3) Archive-name: sports/fencing-faq/part3
Last-modified: 2002-Nov-18
Version: 5.46
FENCING
PART 3 : REFERENCES
This is Part III of the 3-part rec.sport.fencing Frequently Asked
Questions list. 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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.1 Fencing organizations
3.2 Equipment Vendors *** updated
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
Avenue Mon-Repos 24
CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
TEL: +41 21 320 31 15
FAX: +41 21 320 31 16
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/carnet/federation.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: 020 8742 3032
EMAIL: British_Fencing@compuserve.com
URL: http://www.britishfencing.com
CANADA:
Canadian Fencing Federation
2197 Riverside Dr. Suite 301
Ottawa ON K1H 7X3 CANADA
TEL: (613) 731-6149
FAX: (613) 731-6952
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.usfencing.org
EMAIL: info@USFencing.org
Contact your national fencing body to get the addresses and phone
numbers of your local/provincial/divisional fencing associations.
In addition to the above, there are also numerous associations for
fencing coaches and masters. Among these are:
British Academy of Fencing
EMAIL: jperry@easynet.co.uk
URL: http://www.baf-fencing.com
United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA)
URL: http://www.usfca.org
3.2 Equipment Vendors
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, Balwyn 48 Clara St
Victoria Australia 3103 Camp Hill QLD 4158
TEL: (03) 9483-3077 TEL: (07) 395 3852
FAX: +61 3 9816-4072
EMAIL: fencing@aladdinsports.com.au
URL: http://www.aladdinsports.com.au
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: 020 8747 9629
URL: http://www.konect.mcmail.com/merlin/ URL: http://www.duellist.com
Gladiators Leon Paul
Westerleigh Units 1 & 2, Cedar Way
North Littleton Camley St., London NW1 0JQ
Evesham TEL: 020 7388-8132
WR11 5QX FAX: 020 7388-8134
TEL: +44 (0)1386 830982 URL: http://www.leonpaul.com
TEL: (Mobile) +44 (0) 7970 642967
FAX: +44 (0)1386 833112
EMAIL: david.kirby@easynet.co.uk
CANADA:
Fencing Equipment of Canada Allstar (Herb Obst Agency)
2407 Bayview Place Box 31039
Calgary, Alberta T2V 0L6 Kelowna, BC, V1Z 3N9
TEL: (403) 281-1384 TEL: (250) 769-1810
FAX: (403) 281-0043 FAX: (250) 769-0464
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
Imex Sport (306) 244-5655
710 Marco-Polo Vancouver: Zbig Pietrusinski
Boucherville, Quebec J4B 6K7 (604) 984-2157
TEL/FAX: (514) 449-0651
Dela Escrime
706 Papineau
Gatineau, Quebec, J8P 3Z8
TEL: 819 669-4459
FAX: 819 669-5764
EMAIL: dela@cactuscom.com
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
D-72770 Reutlingen, Germany
TEL: +49 (0)7121 9500-0
FAX: +49 (0)7121 9500-99
EMAIL: info@allstar.de
URL: http://www.allstar.de
Uhlmann Fecht-Sport Fecht-Sport H.Lieffertz
Uhlandstrasse 12 Eibenweg 3
D-88471 Laupheim, Germany D-50767 Koln
TEL: +49 (0)7392 9697-0 TEL/FAX: +49 221 795254
FAX: +49 (0)7392 9697-79 EMAIL: hagen@netcologne.de
EMAIL: info@uhlmann-fechtsport.de
URL: http://www.uhlmann-fechtsport.de
ITALY:
Allstar-Italia di Mazzini Lucia Negrini Fencing Line
Via Nostra Signora di Lourdes 72 TEL: ++39-45-8001984
I-00167 Roma FAX: ++39-45-8002755
TEL/FAX: (39) 6 6638830 EMAIL: negrini@negrini.com
URL: http://www.negrini.com
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 Raeber und Co.
Habsburgerstrasse 26
CH-6003 Luzern
TEL: 041 / 210 22 40
FAX: 041 / 210 22 44
EMAIL: info@fechtshop.ch
URL: http://www.fechtshop.ch/
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 URL: http://www.santelli.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.zivkovic.com/
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. 1012A Greeley Avenue North
Hackensack, NJ 07601 Union, NJ 07083
TEL: (201) 343-3362 TEL: 800-FENCING (800-336-2464)
FAX: (201) 343-4175 FAX: (877) 650-3069
URL: http://www.blue-gauntlet.com EMAIL: service@physicalchess.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 H.O.M. Fencing Supply
TEL: 310-428-8585 P.O. Box 261121, Encino, CA 91426-1121
FAX: 310-428-8385 or, SwordPlay Fencing Studio,
EMAIL: letouchecl@aol.com 64 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91501
URL:http://members.aol.com/terykins/Fencing/Fencing.html
Allstar USA
TEL: 1-888-ALSTAR5
EMAIL: alstarusa@aol.com
URL: http://www.allstar-usa.com
Escrime Line International.
160 Constitution Drive, Suite B
Menlo Park, California, 94025
TEL: (408) 799-4646
FAX: (435) 304-8544 (Fax)
URL: www.shopeli.com
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
Eigertek (Eclipse 3-weapon 100% solid state scoring machine)
URL: http://www.sonic.net/~schlae/eigertek
EMAIL: schlae@sonic.net
3.3 Fencing Books
The following list of books on the sport of fencing is not
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.
Hank Pardoel published his Biliography of the Art and Sport of
Fencing in 1996 through the Queen's University School of Physical
Education. It contains a thorough index of thousands of fencing
books, articles, microfilms, and other resources dating from the
1400s to the present.
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 4th Ed. (Kendall/Hunt, 1995)
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.uncg.edu/student.groups/f...ericanFencing/.
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 their website at
http://www.britishfencing.com/The_Sword.html.
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)
Cutthroat Island (1995, Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, **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 Fencing Master (1992, !Pedro Olea, ***)
First Knight (1995, Sean Connery, Richard Gere, **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, ***)
Gladiator (2000, Russel Crowe, !Ridley Scott, ****)
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, ***)
Hamlet (1996, Kenneth Branagh, John Gielgud, Charlton Heston, ****)
Henry V (1944, Laurence Olivier, ****)
Henry V (1989, !Kenneth Branagh, ***1/2)
Highlander (1986, Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, **1/2)
The Hunted (1995, Christopher Lambert, **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 Man in the Iron Mask (1998, Leonardo di Caprio, Jeremy Irons, ***)
The Mark of Zorro (1920, Douglas Fairbanks, ***)
The Mark of Zorro (1940, Basil Rathbone, Tyrone Power, ***1/2)
The Mask of Zorro (1998, Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, ***)
The Messenger (1999, Milla Jovovich, !Luc Besson, ***)
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)
Robin and Marian (1976, Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn, ***1/2)
Rob Roy (1995, Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange, ****)
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, ***)
Six-String Samurai (1998, Jeffrey Falcon, Justin McGuire, ***)
The Spanish Main (1945, Maureen O'Hara, Paul Heinreid, ***)
Spartacus (1960, Kirk Douglas, !Stanley Kubrick, ****)
Sunshine (1999, Ralph Fiennes, William Hurt, ****)
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
Instructional video titles can be found in the catalogues of
several fencing equipment suppliers (see section 3.5).
The last time I checked, these included American Fencing Supply,
Triplette Competition Arms, and Physical Chess. The same sources
sometimes have videos with theatrical or period fencing
instruction.
Videos of competitions are available from some of the same fencing
suppliers, and also occasionally directly from national fencing
associations. http://www.fencingfootage.com offers a selection of
competition videos, taped by both professionals and amateurs.
See section 3.5 for movies and entertainment videos.
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
faster by hand.
Engarde is a French program (by J. F. Nicaud of Paris) that is
currently in wide use by the FIE, and is downloadable from the FIE
website. It is available in French, English, Spanish, German,
Portuguese, and Hungarian, and runs on Windows.
ATHOS is another French program (by Christian Coulon of Paris)
that has seen extensive use by the FIE. In runs in French or
English on PCs. ATHOS is commercial software, but the price
includes unlimited upgrades and support. Contact Marc Walch
(Marc.J.Walch@JPL.NASA.GOV, (818) 354 5688).
Xseed is an American program (by Dan McCormick of Hudson, Ohio),
supported by the USFA only. It runs on Windows and is
downloadable from the USFA website.
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.
Point Control is available for "what-it's-worth-to-you" at
http://www.pointcontrol.com. Some demos are also available at
that site.
FRED is the Fencing Registration and Events Database an online
system at http://www.askfred.net.
Fencing Time is tournament software that integrates into FRED (above).
See http://www.fencingtime.com for more info.
Cyrano, a package for notating fencing choreography and other
types of stage fights, is available at http://www.bergsoft.de.
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
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.usfencing.org
American Fencing Magazine:
http://www.uncg.edu/student.groups/f...ericanFencing/
British Fencing:
http://www.britishfencing.com
Canadian Fencing Federation:
http://www.fencing.ca
Fencing.net
http://www.fencing.net
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://sitka.triumf.ca/morgan/fencing.html
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypert...g-faq/top.html
FTP:
Iaido archive: ftp://fox.tcimet.net/pub/iaido
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://fox.tcimet.net/pub/iaido
Mailing Lists:
rec.sport.fencing digest:
send to "majordomo@cs.wisc.edu" with text "subscribe rsf".
Classical Fencing:
send a blank message to "classicalfencing-subscribe@egroups.com"
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.USFencing.org/Documents/Rules
3.9 Glossary of terms:
Not all terms have universal definitions. The meanings of some
terms will vary between schools or periods. If any bias exists in
the following glossary, it is towards the official FIE definitions
first, and traditional French school definitions next. Note that
only a few of these terms are rigidly defined for use by referees
in Articles t.2 to t.10 of the Rules of Competition.
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); a single-edged military sword.
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.
Blocking: electronic suppression of hits.
Bout: an assault at which the score is kept.
Broadsword: any later sword intended for cutting over thrusting; sabre.
Broken Time: a sudden change or hesitation 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'
Defensive Action: an action made to avoid being touched; parry.
Delayed: not immediate, following a hesitation.
Derobement: deception of the attack au fer or prise de fer.
Detached: a riposte executed without blade contact.
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'.
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.
Immediate: without any perceived hesitation between actions.
In Line: point in line.
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.
Mensur: German fraternity duel.
Middle: the middle third of the blade, between foible and forte,
sometimes held to be part of the foible.
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.
Offensive Action: an action in which the fencer attempts to touch
the opponent.
Offensive-defensive Action: an action that simultaneously attempts
to touch the opponent and avoid the opponents touch.
On Guard: also En Garde; the fencing position; the stance that
fencers assume when preparing to fence.
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: right-of-way; in sabre, the now-superceded rules that
decide which fencer will be awarded the touch in the event
that they both attack simultaneously.
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 a different line.
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.
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 with 3.5' blade and 10" guard.
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-19th 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 electrical connector used in fencing.
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 Goldgar,
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) 1993-2002 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
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