Does anyone else think it is odd....

[kapunga]

...that the USFA logo appears to be a sabre fencer fleching? At least I assume it's a sabre fencer, otherwise the point is WAY off target as it is curved up. I know the logo has probably been around longer than the rule banning forward crossovers in sabre, but still....

[Philistine]

Yes, they do.

--Philistine

[Greybeard]

Are they left handed or right handed?

[Inquartata]

And what shoes are they wearing?

[RkfdFencer]

Are they using an Italian grip?!?

[VorpalCat]

What, no one's commenting on the pile of empty Red Bull cans in the background???

[Morale Officer]

What, no one's commenting on the pile of empty Red Bull cans in the background???

I thought they were beer cans...

[MBalderson]

But what if their opponent had Point in line?

[nyacfencing]

There is a very good reason for this: The USFA logo was designed before fleching was made illegal in sabre. Back then, every sabre action was a fleche.

The bouts went something like this:
Ready... Fence. Halt! Simultaneous.
Ready... Fence. Halt! Simultaneous.
Ready... Fence. Halt! Simultaneous.

Now you know why fleching is illegal in sabre.

Yes, the current logo with the fencer blended with the flag was created after the illegalization of fleching in sabre. But it is simply an update of the older logo which came about long before it.

[theLuz]

I pointed this out long ago and was told they changed the weapon to a foil. Doesn't work, because it's a sabre fencing fleching. I like the old way, but then, I'm old. Glad you noticed

[kapunga]

I kind of want to see a sabre bout with fleching, but I don't think many people know how to do them properly anymore. I hear at a high level that sabre fleches were spectacular to behold.

[Cappy]

I always like to imagine that he tripped and he's falling over.

[foibles]

I'd like to see the sabre fleche reinstated merely because I dislike the term "flunge".
Sounds like a tool/ technique a plumber might use.

[erooMynohtnA]

I kind of want to see a sabre bout with fleching, but I don't think many people know how to do them properly anymore. I hear at a high level that sabre fleches were spectacular to behold.

You heard wrong.

[theLuz]

I kind of want to see a sabre bout with fleching, but I don't think many people know how to do them properly anymore. I hear at a high level that sabre fleches were spectacular to behold.

If you can find any old films of Peter Westbrook, you will be amazed. The 1970's era was great fencing, before they just jumped at each other. Lots of tactics and really nice to see. I miss it.

[oiuyt]

Doesn't work, because it's a sabre fencing fleching.

Actually, the model used for the original design was a foilist. Granted, fleching with a sabre in hand.

-B

[contre-Sixte]

I kind of want to see a sabre bout with fleching, but I don't think many people know how to do them properly anymore. I hear at a high level that sabre fleches were spectacular to behold.

Non-electric officiating more so than fleching made sabre spectacular to watch.

[kapunga]

Non-electric officiating more so than fleching made sabre spectacular to watch.

Why is that? And if that is the case, would you say electric scoring killed sabre fleches?

[Allen Evans]

C'mon, c'mon....move along folks....nothing more to see here...

[SJCFU#2]

Why is that? And if that is the case, would you say electric scoring killed sabre fleches?

In the early days of electric saber almost everyone seemed to decide the best approach was to immediately attack you opponent with a fleche, trusting that the referee would recognize your attack as having priority over your opponent's counterattack (who of course had been doing the exact same thing with the exact same thought).

In an attempt to prevent saber from decaying into exactly the sort of bout which nyacfencing described the FIE decided to slow things down by disallowing forward crossing of the feet, thereby forcing fencers to take at least one step in order to close distance. IIRC the immediate response was little more than a switch from simultaneous fleche attacks to simultaneous advance-lunge attacks (which were arguably even more ugly) but over time people began to figure out how to use that extra bit of time to make their opponent's attack miss, thereby creating an opening for their own counterattack, or even parry and riposte (gasp!).