What Is Fencing? And Essential Equipment During the Practice.

What is Fencing?

Fencing is a recreating sport of swordplay that can be enjoyed by many people with no age barrier. Fencing is played by two fencers. By using Sword to attack the opponent and to defend self. There are some rules and regulations are followed by the fencers while attack or defence.

Fencing is Both Physical and mental Workout, in which the Fencers try to touch each other with the tip of their sword. The objective is to touch the opponent Player and score a maximum point to win the game. There are different approved target zone.

Which Weapons are used?

Three different kinds of weapons are used in fencing which is

1.  Foil
2.  épée 
3.  sabre

 All three of them have a different set of rules and strategies to play with. Most of the players usually choose to play with and specialize in any one of these weapons. The FIE blades or official blades are made of Maraging steel, which is used to resist breaking.

Foil

It is a light thrusting weapon with a maximum weight of 500 grams. It is very thin with a foiled or blunted tip. These are flexible enough to bend upon touching the opponent to avoid injuries. The foil has a small circular hand guard that serves to protect the hand from the direct stab. The handguard is mostly used for safety

In foil fencing, a foil may target the torso (including back), neck and groin but not arms and legs. All the foil fencers wear a jacket that covers all the targeted areas, which is also called a lame. Touches are scored only with the foil tip.

Epee Fencing

In French, Epee means sword. Epee has a v-shaped blade and also a thrusting weapon like Foil, but a little heavier in weight and stiffer than Foil, with a maximum weight of 770 grams. The handguard in case of Epee is a large circle that is extended towards the pommel to guard hand effectively, which is a valid target in case of Epee. Epee fencer’s uniform doesn’t include a lame.

In the case of Epee, the entire body is the valid target. all hits have to be made with the tip and hits with the side of the blade are not counted as scores and they don’t even halt the action. 

Sabre

A sabre has similar weight and length as a foil. It is a thrusting weapon as well as a cutting weapon with a weight of 500 grams. The handguard in case of the sabre is extended from pommel to the base where the blade is connected with the hilt. During the game, the guard is generally kept outwards to protect the hand from touches.

In the case of sabre, hit with weapon point or by the side of the weapon, both are valid. Hits outside the target area are not valid. But off-target touch doesn’t stop the action.

Clothes that needed? 

Mask

The mask can be 12kg on the metal mesh. A bib, which is made of ballistic materials or Kevlar, is included in the mask to protect the neck area which supports 350 Newtons of penetration resistance on the bib. The official regulations dictate that the mask must withstand 25 kg on the mesh and it must have 1600 Newtons of penetration on the bib.

Jacket

These jackets are entirely designed for fencing and are close-fitting with a special strap that goes between the legs and is used to provide adequate protection to the fencers. In the case of sabre fencing, a different kind of jacket is used which is cut along the waist. A small gorget of folded fabric, i.e. a defensive material is sewn around the jacket’s collar to prevent opponents’ blade to slip in between the mask and jacket.

The plastron 

This is an underarm protector that is worn below the jacket and is used to provide extra protection to the sword arm, belly and some parts of the fencer’s backside. This is used as the last line of defence between your body and a broken weapon. Extremely strong to penetrate, these are mostly made of Kevlar.

Glove

The only glove is used to weapon side hand and is stretched around half of the forearm. A gauntlet in the glove prevents the blade from going into sleeves and causing injury. Easier to wear, gloves also protect the weapon hand and also provide a good grip.

Body Wire

When you are more competent in fencing, then fencing will be scored by electrics. This means that the fencer wears a body wire under their jacket which is connected to a box, so whenever a hit is scored a light shows up.