Fencing

Fencing

Final of the Challenge Réseau Ferré de France–Trophée Monal 2012, épée world cup tournament in Paris
Highest governing body	FIE
First played	Between the 17th and 19th centuries Europe
Characteristics
Contact	Semi-contact
Team members	Singles or team relay
Mixed-sex	Yes, separate
Type	indoor
Equipment	Épée, foil, sabre, body cord, lamé, grip
Venue	Piste
Glossary	Glossary of fencing
Presence
Country or region	Worldwide
Olympic	Part of Summer Olympic programme since 1896
Paralympic	part of Summer Paralympic programme since 1960

Fencing

Also known as	Épée fencing, foil fencing, sabre fencing
Focus	Weaponry
Hardness	Semi-contact
Olympic sport	Present since inaugural 1896 Olympics
Official website	fie.org

Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting.^[1] The three disciplines of modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also saber); each discipline uses a different kind of blade, which shares the same name, and employs its own rules. Most competitive fencers specialise in one discipline. The modern sport gained prominence near the end of the 19th century and is based on the traditional skill set of swordsmanship. The Italian school altered the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school later refined that system. Scoring points in a fencing competition is done by making contact with an opponent.

The 1904 Olympics Games featured a fourth discipline of fencing known as singlestick, but it was dropped after that year and is not a part of modern fencing. Competitive fencing was one of the first sports to be featured in the Olympics and, along with athletics, cycling, swimming, and gymnastics, has been featured in every modern Olympics.