What is Fencing and How Do You Play it?
We’ve seen people fight with swords in movies and TV shows, right? You would be glad to know that it is a proper sport commonly called “fencing.” The sad part is that the sport is severely underrated. It is overshadowed by other sports, such as football, soccer, wrestling, etc.
Today, I thought I’d talk about fencing because, who knows, you might develop an interest by the end of this article. So make sure that you stick around till the end of the article! Here’s everything you need to know about fencing.
What is Fencing?
Fencing is easier to understand if you know what combat sports are. Combat sports include the ones like mixed martial arts (MMA), wrestling, and boxing. Just like that, in fencing, you have to go head-to-head against another opponent.
Both of the players make use of swords to strike each other to score points. The game is pretty fast-paced, which makes it exhilarating not only to play but to watch as well. This sport is the ultimate test of your balance, reflexes, and tactical skills.
What is the History of Fencing?
In case you didn’t know, fencing is an integral part of the Olympics. Fencing has been a part of the Olympics ever since 1896, which goes to show that it is an old sport. If you look back at the history of fencing, you would be surprised to know that the game dates back to 14th or 15th century Europe! Insane, isn’t it? Back then, the game was used as a military exercise but with time, civilians developed an interest in it as well– and the rest is history! Now, a lot of people take an interest in fencing, but it isn’t as hyped up as other mainstream sports.
How Do You Play?
The way wrestling and boxing have rounds, fencing has a specific round called a “bout.”The area is covered by a strip of matting that makes moving about easier. This can help the fencers dodge and move around the mat at their convenience whenever they try to score a point.
The goal of a match is to strike your opponent with a sword and score a point for each successful hit. The first player to make a certain amount of successful hits wins the bout. The final goal point is always pre-decided and the fencer has to reach that before the opponent.
Each bout is made up of a set number of periods during which the fighting continues. However, there is a break between each period so that the fencers can work out their strategies.
What are the Swords Like?
When I say swords, I don’t mean heavy-duty, medieval swords like the ones you see on TV shows. I mean, who wants to risk losing a limb, right? Fencing swords are typically thin and lightweight, easy to hold in one hand and swing around.
There are three distinct disciplines of fencing, foil, épée, and sabre. Each of these disciplines has its own swords and sets of rules. The most common disciplines include foil and épée. The foil is a thrusting weapon, and in the game, you have a smaller target area, which makes the game a lot more precise.
On the other hand, épée is also a thrusting weapon and the entire body is a scoring area. While this seems like it is easier, your defense has to be on par to defend against incoming attacks. Scoring a point might be easy, but defending yourself against an opposing point is a challenge.
How Do You Score Points?
When using the foil, you can only strike the torso, neck, groin, and back so that you can score a point. Do note that you can only use the tip of the weapon to strike these areas and not the entire length of the sword.
With the sabre, any strike below the waist does not count as a point. Even the hands don’t register as a legitimate hit, but the opponents can use both the tip and the length of the sword to score a point, which makes things slightly easier.
However, with the épée, there is no “right of way” rule, in which the referee decides the point according to who initiated the strike first. In the case of foil, both the opponents are supposed to attack at the same time, and this is where the right of way rule was first started. In épée, both of the fencers can score points simultaneously. Only the tip of the weapon may be used and the entire body is a target since you can score a point by striking anywhere.
Your defense has to be on point so that you don’t let your opponent score a point against you.
Can You Learn Fencing Online?
Yes, you can learn fencing online on websites such as LeonPaul.com, where you can also connect with online instructors for feedback as you learn. However, make sure you have a reliable internet connection so that you can have uninterrupted lessons. You can go for the super-fast Xfinity Internet in that case; all you’ll have to do is keep your practice regular and communicate with your online instructors to make sure you aren’t doing anything wrong. Happy fencing!