In the sport of fencing, saber fencing is the most like the sword battle of yore. Sabers weigh the most and are the biggest of all fencing equipment. The saber is truly a sword with a honed edge along the sides, different than the epee and fencing foil.
The only parts of the body that do not score a strike in sabre fencing are the back of the head, hands and wrist, and below the waist. Double touches are also prohibited. Because side touches are allowed, fencers must adapt. Defensive strategies become complex and the scores tend to be much higher.
The use of swords in combat gave rise to the sport of fencing. Note that such swords had blades that were doubly functional, both useful for piercing and slashing. The blade most similar to the fighting sword is the sabre blade, which is slightly firmer than most other types of swords.
Fencing is a sport that is very unusual as it relies less on brute strength and more on speed, agility and strategy whcih makes it available as a sport to both large and small athletes. Women almost always compete with men because size is not an advantage by itself but arm length can be a huge plus.
The main difference in fencing equipment for men and women is an option for a special chest protector to shield the breasts, but the weapons are the same and the strategies don't depend much on gender. Women are more likely to compete with epee and foil, though, possibly because they are seen as less aggressive.
Sabre fencing is a very formal sport, relying on footwork, rules and etiquette, as do other forms of fencing such as epee and foil. Much of the terminology of sabre fencing is spoken in French, and rules of right of way are determined by who initiates a move. The term "parrie" refers to defensive moves, while attacking motions are called thrusts and slashes and a touch refers to a score.
Epee, foil and sabre fencing all enjoy popularity as high school and college sports. Sabre fencing, in fact, is an Olympic event. Matches are timed, commonly three minutes or eight 'touches' long for sabre. When played as a team sport, the fencing team consists of three fencers with an alternate, who is only permitted to participate if one of his teammates withdraws due to injury or some other reason.
Kyle loves swordplay for both the stage and the sport and has been sharing his passion for fencing for several years. Among the favorite sites for getting more fencing information and news is www.fencing.net/.
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