The 3 weapons of fencing
Foil: Based on the court sword or the small sword, these weapons were developed for safe training. They are flexible and light, developed only for thrusting attacks. 'Dry' or non-electric weapons have the tip hammer flat and a rubber stopper fixed to the end for extra protection. Electric weapons have a grooved blade with a screw thread on the tip. A button tip is screwed on the end and a wire connecting the tip to a coupler behind the guard is glued into the grove in the blade. The fencer's body wire is then plugged into the coupler and allows the weapon to connect to the scoring equipment.
Epee: This is weapon is the exact practice equivalent of a dueling sword developed in the mid to late 18th century. The blade is heavier and stiffer than the foil, as it was not designed to penetrate deeply, only to draw blood. As with the foil, epees' exist as either dry or electric, with similar tip and electric scoring arrangements.
Sabre: This is a much lighter version of the military sabre, the sword employed by most armies since the later half of the 17th century. It is the only modern fencing weapon that employs a cutting edge. Because of this dry and electric blades are exactly the same. Sabre blades are flexible and light, and made to represent the design of the actual weapon. The cutting edges are flat and broad (comparatively) and the square tip is folded over for safety. When fencing sabre electrically the entire blade is electrified for scoring (at a safe level of course).
The different styles of grips and guards
| Traditional French grip - Foil or Epee | Orthopedic "Pistol" grip - Foil or Epee | ||
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| Another variety of "pistol" grip | Italian Grip | ||
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| Sabre Grip and guard | The "Bell" guard that distinguishes the Epee | ||
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Foils: Foils may be used with any of the 3 main styles of grip: Italian, French and Pistol. Each grip lends itself to a particular style of fencing. Italian and French are classic grips and function well for classical fencers. The Italian style is strong and aggressive, French technical and elegant. Pistol grips on the other hand lend themselves to the explosive power of modern 'Olympic' style fencing which uses more strength and speed than finesse.
Epee: Like Foil the Epee can be found with any of the three main grip styles. Because of the weight and nature of the Epee blade, the effects of the grips is less obvious and there is a wider mix of usage. Each grip is seen to offer an advantage in either strength or reach. The least used and seen would be the Italian style. In all cases the 'Bell' guard remains the same. Sabre: What you see is what you get. There are no official variants on the sabre grip. Some fencers have had customized orthopedic style grips made, but too greater deviation from the standard actually inhibits the fencers ability to use the weapon.
Body Wires
The import link between a fencers weapon, lame and scoring equipment. They are worn under the fencing jacket, fed up through the sleeve and out via the glove. Most fencers carry at least 2 of these as they can take a lot of punishment and can not be quickly repaired.
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The foil and saber body wires are the same. They connect the fencer's weapon and lame to the ground wire/scoring box. |
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In epee the body wire only has to connect the weapon to the ground wire/scoring |
Training Times 2023 |
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Monday |
4.30pm to 6.00pm: Private Tuition |
Tuesday |
5.00pm to 6.00pm: Private Tuition |
WEDNESDAY |
9.00am till 10.00am: Private Tuition |
Thursday |
4.30pm till 7.00pm : Private Tuition |
Saturday |
8.00am to 9.00am: Private Tuition |
Protective clothing comes in two standards
There are 2 standards of protective clothing and equipment used in fencing:
FFE (350N) or 'club' equipment used for training, interclub and state level competition. Entry level equipment and less expensive. Perfect for the social fencer and most junior fencers.
FIE (800N) equipment used in national and international competition. When investing in your equipment it is best to first ask what you want to do with your fencing. If necessary, talk to your coach to get more information.
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If you have never fenced before then you will need to complete a beginner's course before you are able to join the club as a full members. This course provides you with training in the core skills required to fence, and prepares you to be able to fence with others in a regular training environment. The Beginner's course runs every Tuesday night from 6pm to 7.30pm. The course costs $250.00 and includes the following:
Graduates from the beginner's course are eligible to become full members and can move to the Intermediate's training group 7-9pm Tuesday night, to help them continue to develop their skills and smooth their transition to full club fencing. Confident new fencers are welcome to join extra training groups and should talk to the coach about more training sessions to suit them. Intermediate's group runs every Tuesday night from 7.00pm to 9pm. This training group is free for full members. |
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The history of fencing and how the modern art of fencing evolved is a bit like trying to follow a family tree. Fencing has evolved amongst many different European cultures according to the period and technology and materials available at the time. These developments were then spread and forced into continual evolution by wars, cultural migrations (invade and settle) and metallurgic/scientific developments. As such a wide variety of designs and modes of employment were gradually narrowed down by their practical effectiveness against other styles of swords and swordsmanship. Fencing as it is practised today is based on the peak of sword development for actual sword fighting, the late Renaissance period. The three weapons used in modern fencing reflect the 3 styles of sword that were used in individual dueling: The foil (small sword/court sword), the Sabre (military weapon used in battle as well as duels) and the Epee (used to replace the court sword in duels of honour when duels to the death were outlawed).
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Foil reflects the life and death struggle of two nobles engaged in a duel of honour. Defence is as important as offence, if you are attacked or threatened, you must defend yourself before trying to hit your opponent in return. Hits are to the vital regions of the body (stomach and chest) and only one fencer will be awarded a point based on the order of attack, defence and counterattack, otherwise known as the 'priority'.
Sabre was a weapon used in battle. The ability to cut and thrust and the stronger but heavier blade make it a superior choice over the eligant court sword for the maelstrom of war. For many military officers and a lot of central European countries, it was also the weapon of choice for duels of honour. Disabling an opponent was just as important as delivering a mortal wound, so hits anywhere above the waste are counted as valid in modern sabre. Once again, however, personal safety is of the utmost importance and sabre shares the same priority rules as foil.
Epees are the most modern fencing weapon, developed as they were to replace the foil in duels of honour when duelling to the death was outlawed. With a perceived need to satisfy honour with blood, the nobility conceived a blade that was heavier than the foil and had more difficulty penetrating the body. While not completely safe the epee generally caused superficial flesh wounds, drawing blood without killing. As mortal wounds were no longer the intention the whole body became valid target, while hitting each other at the same time became acceptable.
At this point, duelists began scoring - as if wounding your opponent was not enough. Duels were often to a pre-decided number of hits or 'bloods'. A famous epee duel, and one of the last officially recorded in the early 20th century, was between renowned Italian Maestro Aldo Nadi and a journalist who disputed his reputation. While the first blood went to the journalist it was the only touch he made in the duel. After bandaging his 10 wounds he sat down with Maestro Nadi and shared a bottle of wine. They became good friends from that moment on.