Introduction to Fencing

Welcome to the Introduction to Fencing, a new initiative to help people know more about the sport. I'll be your host for this part. Anyway, to those of you who don't know, Fencing is quite basically sword fighting made into a sport. It's a reflex based sport, react to the sword which is going to hit you in the face, etc, but there's an element of strength, speed and skill to it which you might not see in other sports. Ostensibly Fencing is a great option for guys and girls who want to avoid the outdoors sports, but don't expect something which requires no work at all. Fencing needs balance and thigh strength is a must in the 'En Garde' position. It might not have a great reputation in a Rugby based School but it is well worth the time people put into it.

There are three different disciplines in Fencing, each with its own rules and quirks. Firstly there's Foil; the training sword. This sword is thin and springy and has quite a few rules to it which fencers need to acquaint themselves with. It has rules of Right of Way which makes it more tactical than pure force based.You have to judge what your opponent will do, cater your reaction to do what he or she won't expect and then do it. It has a small target area, the trunk of the body including neck, torso and (sorry guys) groin area. If you don't hit this area then the match halts and is restarted with no point gained or lost.

Épee (normally spelt with an accent over the first 'e' and pronounced 'Ep-ay') is the simplest of the three and naturally the sword Wellingtonians specialise in. It has no target area (so you can hit anywhere on the body) and there are NO RULES, aside from the ones which will be related later. If two people hit at the same time, they both get the point unlike Sabre or Foil. Epee matches involve a lot more brute strength than the other two. It was the duelling sword so fights sometimes tend to devolve into two people standing next to each other, bent over and stabbing desperately at each other. The hilt is larger and heavier than the other two and the blade is thicker. Although the blade can bend, put enough force behind one of these and your opponent will really feel it. This is the sword we use for Inter-house Fencing simply because it requires no rules and very little skill to use, although it does help.

Sabre is the last discipline and very different to the other two. Whilst with the other two swords, you only score points by hitting your opponent with the point, in Sabre you can score with the blade as well by using cutting or slashing motions. It has the same Right of Way rules as Foil but a different target area as you can hit the arms and head as well as the trunk described in the foil section. Sabre points rarely last longer than a few seconds at our level, with both Sabreurs sprinting at each other with the winner being the first person to whip their arm downwards. There is accuracy required, but less so than the other disciplines and it is not a sword the college practices much. If a Sabreur comes to the club and actively asks to be taught Sabre then we have facilities to allow that, but we do not fence Sabre against other schools.

There is quite a bit of kit to put on, all of which is tailored to make fencing a safe sport. But be warned, these are all for your safety but you are still carrying around swords which can blind people and worse. Swords can snap and then those nice friendly points which are designed to spread the impact of the sword and not penetrate become sharp ends which can puncture skin and cause injuries. So never mess around with a sword without a trained individual present who can oversee the proper use of the weapons. Anyway, back to the kit. From the head down, we have the mask, an excellent if heavy and steamy piece of equipment. The fabric tends to absorb a little sweat leading masks to gain a character building fragrance, they protect the face, top and sides of the head as well as the neck. Next down we have the jacket, a thick tunic which covers the groin, torso and arms with a hot, thick but practically stab-proof fabric, cutting this is a lot harder than it seems. On the inside, underneath the jacket, is the under-plastron, a thin and slightly less resistant piece of kit which covers the side of your chest, shoulder and top of your dominant arm, to protect you in case the sword penetrates a seam on the side of your jacket. On your legs you wear thick socks, Rugby or Hockey socks will do, but thick enough to prevent the point of an Epee being too painful. You also wear Britches, made of the same fabric as the Jacket, these extend from your naval to just below your knees. On your feet you wear trainers or Fencing shoes, although those aren't essential. This kit is all designed to stop you from injuring yourself during fencing. Ladies are supplied with breast protectors of which there are two types. A thick plastic, bra-like protector or cups which can fit inside bras or into pockets in the chest areas of jackets.

There are several rules which always apply during fencing matches: #1 - Never take off your mask without first indicating to the Umpire that you wish to do so. #2 - Never turn your back on your opponent. It's both considered rude and by doing so you expose the back of your head, where the mask doesn't protect and coincidentally the weakest point of your skull. It can get messy. So the moral of the story is to never run. Always face your opponent. #3 - If you go off the end of the piste you can lose a point or your opponent gains a point depending on the Umpire's decision. Likewise, never go off the sides of the Piste (which is normally 1-2 metres wide) as you'll lose a point depending on the Umpire. #4 - Always salute each other before a match and shake ungloved hands afterwards, it's considered extremely bad form not to and people have been yellow carded for less. #5 - Swearing on the Piste is a yellow card offence. #6 - Putting a knee or hand on the floor is a yellow card offence. It also helps you practice balance by knowing that.

Remember those rules and it's unlikely you'll go wrong.

Fencing is on Tuesdays at 4:00 in the Dance Studio in the Sports Hall and Fridays at 4:30 in the Grubbies end of the Sports Hall. We welcome people of all levels of skill. Come along and try it out.

Tune in next time for match reports, event reports and general words of wisdom.

- Guy Bishop (B1 2010)