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What is Fencing?
(Taken in part from the USFA Media Guide)


USA Olympian Sabre Fencer Ivan Lee (left) on the attack at the 2004 New York
Grand Prix of Fencing

A Modern Sport
 The sport of fencing is fast and athletic, a far cry from the choreographed bouts you see on film or on the stage. Instead of swinging from a chandelier or leaping from balconies, you will see two fencers performing an intense dance on a 6-feet by 44-feet strip. The movement is so fast the touches are scored electrically  a lot more like Star Wars than Errol Flynn.

Winning
Competitors win a fencing bout (what an individual game  is called) by being the first to score 15 points (in direct elimination play) or 5 points (in preliminary pool play) against their opponent, or by having a higher score than their opponent when the time limit expires. Each time a fencer lands a valid hit - a touch - on their opponent, they receive one point. The time limit for direct elimination matches is nine minutes - three three-minute periods with a one-minute break between each.

Fencers are penalized for crossing the lateral boundaries of the strip, while retreating off the rear limit of their side results in a touch awarded to their opponent.

Team matches feature three fencers squaring off against another team of three in a "relay" format. Each team member fences every member of the opposing team in sequence over 9 rounds until one team reaches 45 touches or has the higher score when time expires in the final round.

In tournament play, fencers participate in a preliminary pool round with pools of 5-7 fencers who all fence each other. Based on their win-loss records and the touches scored by and against the fencers, the competitors are then seeded into a direct elimination tableau, much like Olympic Hockey or NCAA Basketball. Direct elimination matches then are fenced until one fencer is left standing. Direct Eliminations are usually by single-elimination (most events) or by double-elimination or 'repecharge' (used in specific circumstances at national events).

The Weapons
Foil, epee and saber are the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. While some fencers compete in all three events, most fencers generally choose to focus their energies on mastering one weapon. Here at Cutting Edge Fencing Club, we train with and compete in the discipline of Sabre.


Saber - speed, tactics and determination
 The saber is the modern version of the slashing cavalry sword. As such, the major difference between saber and the other two weapons is that saberists can score with the edge of their blade as well as their point. In saber, the target area is the entire body above the waist, excluding the hands. The lower half is not valid target, which is meant to simulate a cavalry rider on a horse. In addition, saber employs rules of right of way which are very similar to foil but with subtle differences. Like foil, the fencer who starts to attack first is given priority should his opponent counter-attack. However, saber referees are much less forgiving of hesitation by an attacker. It is common to see a saber fencer execute a stop cut against their opponent's forearm during such a moment of hesitation, winning right of way and the point.
 Sada Jacobson, US Women's Saber
Bronze Medalist, 2004 Olympic Games

The tactics in sabre reward an agressive, determined fencer with a clear picture in his or her mind of the action to perform. In saber, the rules of right of way strongly favor the fencer who attacks first, and a mere graze by the blade against the lamé registers a touch with the scoring machine. These circumstances naturally make saber a fast, agressive game, with fencers rushing their opponent from the moment their referee gives the instruction to fence. In fact, a lopsided saber match can literally be over in seconds. As fending off the attack of a skilled opponent is nearly impossible, saber fencers very rarely purposely take the defensive. However, when forced to do so, they often go all-out using spectacular tactical combinations in which victory or defeat is determined by a hair's breadth. Another tactic that sabre fencers use is to present a false attack that falls short in order to draw a specific response from an opponent.

Equipment
Because sabre actions often occur at blinding speed, an electrical scoring system was devised to detect hits on valid target. The saber fencer s uniform features an electrically wired metallic lamé, which fully covers their valid target area. Because the head is valid target area, the fencer's mask is also electrically wired. A hit to the lamé or mask causes the scoring machine to display a colored light on the side of the fencer that scored the touch. Meanwhile, a hit off target - on the arms, legs or head, which are not covered by the lamés - do not register on the scoring machine and therefore do not halt the fencing action (foil is different) or cause a touch being awarded.

Another part of the fencer's equipment is a special cable called a body cord. This plugs into his foil and runs though the sleeve of his arm out the back of his uniform, connecting to a retractable reel which is, in turn, connected to the scoring machine. Of course, with all this equipment a lot can go wrong, so before each bout commences, both fencers ceremoniously test each other's masks to ensure all the connections are working properly.

Hand signals employed by Fencing Officials
Rules: Understanding "Right-Of-Way"
For newcomers to fencing, one of the challenging concepts to grasp is the rule of right-of-way. Right of Way is a theory of armed combat that determines who receives a point when the fencers have both landed hits during the same action. The most basic, and important, precept of right of way is that the fencer who started to attack first will receive the point if they hit valid target. Naturally, fencer who is being attacked must defend themselves with a parry, or somehow cause their opponent to miss in order to take over right of way and score a point. Furthermore, a fencer who hesitates for too long while advancing on their opponent gives up right-of-way to their opponent. A touch scored against an opponent who hesitated to long is called an attack in preparation or a stop-hit, depending on the circumstances.

Additionally, the referee may determine that the two fencers truly attacked each other simultaneously. This simultaneous attack is a kind of tie - no points are awarded, and the fencers are ordered back en garde by the referee to continue fencing.

While it may be difficult to follow the referee's calls (not helped by the fact that the officiating is taking place in a loud, noisy gym!), the referee always clearly raises their hand on the side of the fencer for whom they have awarded a point. Watching for these hand signals can make it easier for newcomers to follow the momentum of a fencing bout without understanding all the intricacies of the rules.

How to Watch a Fencing Bout
 Mariel Zagunis, US Women's Saber
Gold Medalist, 2004 Olympic Games
For those new to fencing, it can often be challenging to follow the lightning speed of the fencers  actions. To become more comfortable in watching a fencing bout, it often helps focus on the actions of just one fencers. The fencer being attacked defends himself by use of a parry, a blocking-motion used to deflect the opponent s blade, after which they may attempt to score with a riposte (literally "answer" in French). In fact, you may notice a particular cadence to the bout as the fencers rhythmically alternate roles as attacker and defender.

Fencers seek to maintain a safe distance from each other  that is, out of range of the other s attack. Then, one may try to close this distance to gain the advantage for an attack. At times, a fencer will make a false attack - a feint - to probe the types of reactions and possible defenses by the opponent. Much of the fencing bout consists of this preparation, during which a fencer simultaneously determine their opponent's true intentions while feeding them false information of their own. The complexity of this deadly "conversation" between the two opponents represents one of the more subtle beauties of the sport.

Of course, eventually one or both fencers will land a valid hit. When this occurs, the referee stops the bout and determines who was the attacker, if their opponent successfully defended themselves, and which fencer should be awarded a touch, if any.

Fencing Glossary
Advance Taking a step towards one's opponent.
Attack Movement or series of movements by which a fencer tries to score a point. In foil and saber, the fencer who attacks first acquires the "right-of-way." In order to execute a attack properly (i.e. one that the referee will acknowledge), the fencer's hand must be clearly extending towards their opponent's valid target in a threatening manner.
Beat Sharp tap on the opponent s blade to initiate an attack or provoke a reaction.
Disengage Evasive action in which the fencer avoids the opponent's attempt to take their blade.
Engagement Contact between the fencers' blades - often as the prelude to an attack.
En Garde Position taken before fencing commences.
Feint A false attack intended to get a defensive reaction from the opposing fencer, thus creating the opportunity for a genuine attack ("feint-disengage attack")
Fleche Explosive, running attack (Foil and Epee only). Banned in Sabre since 1992.
Flunge Action unique to saber - a combination of a lunge and a fleche. Evolved recently after the FIE modified saber rules in 1992 to prohibit running attacks.
Guard Part of the weapon between the blade and handle; protects the hand (also: "bell-guard")
Parry, Counter-Parry Defensive action in which a fencer blocks his opponent s blade.
Lunge Most common attacking technique, in which the fencer launches themselves at their opponent by pushing off from their back leg (which generally remains stationary).
Opposition "Thrust with Opposition" - To simultaneously deflect the opponent's point with one's guard while making an attack of one's own. Commonly used in epee to avoid a double touch.
Piste French term for the fencing strip.
Point-in-Line Action in which the fencer, who is generally out of attacking range, points their weapon at their opponent with their arm fully extended. A fencer who establishes a point in line has right of way, and their opponent cannot attack until they remove the blade from line by executing a beat.
Recover The return to the en guarde position after lunging.
Remise Attacking again immediately after the opponent s parry of an initial attack.
Riposte Defender s offensive action immediately after parrying their opponent's attack.
Second Intention A tactic in which a fencer executes a convincing, yet false, action in hopes of drawing a true, committed reaction from their opponent.
Stop Hit, Stop Cut (saber) A counter-action made at the moment of an opponent's hesitation, feint, or poorly executed attack. To be awarded the point, the fencer attempting a stop hit must clearly catch their opponent's tempo. Hence, if their Stop Hit is not "in time," the referee may award the touch to their attacker.
Strip

Fencing area, 14 meters long by 2 meters wide.

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