Basically this is a place for people, fencers and admirers alike, to hang out and talk about the best sport in the world! You can do whatever you want, role play, fence imaginary bouts, chat about what weapon is better or bash the Japanese and early European types of swordplay. (We all know that our current form is the best.) So chat away and have fun discussing your powress with a blade.
So, what is fencing?
AlyaMyst
THE ANSWER "WHAT IS FENCING" - the art of deuling with special swords. The Foil, the Sabre, and the Epee.
tenshi_no_hikari wrote:
I do know what fencing is, I just am clueless when it comes to details. Because of all this talk, it got me interested. May I ask experienced fencers, what's the difference between the saber and foil?? I want to start fencing. Isn't it hard though??
A foil and a sabre are to totally different weapons and the game is played differently - though the foundations are the same.
In foil you have a very small bell guard and the target area is the waist to neck, no arms. The idea is to poke your opponent and "foil" or bend your blade onto them. I highly reccomend starting with foil as it will give you strong basics.
A sabre has a larger bell guard and has a strip that protects your knuckles by connecting the "bell" part of the guard with the pommel and they also have a slightly thicker blade that is ment for slashing and cutting. You can also stab with it, but the tip is not directly designed for that. The target area is everything from the waist up, including the arms and head and sometimes the hands (depending on who you fence with).
Then there is Epee
Everything is target in Epee, it has a bell gurad like a foil but much bigger so it nearly covers your whole hand. With an Epee you can only use point attacks.
Zealth has images of all three weapons.
There are other newer rules that limit certain types of footwork with certain weapons. This is the new Olympic style - not the older classical style.
Also, Foil and Sabre have something called "right-of-way" (epee has no right of way)
Right of way in fencing is the same idea as right of way in a car or on a bike - only in fencing it is more complex and can take some getting used to. The general idea is to take right of way then hit your opponent. This is how you score a touch. There are certain actions such as advancing or presenting your blade in a certain way that can give you right of way. You can also loose right of way by retreating or a number of other more complecated ways. You can take right of way from someone if you parry or dodge their attack and then you manage to hit them without getting hit. There are tons of concepts and rules and it can be quite a a pain to learn them but you don't have to know much to have fun in fencing, this is especially true if you have someone who is directing the bout and they will determine who has right of way and then announce the conclusion.
There is always more to learn in fencing, you can always push a little harder, move a little faster, have better control, there is always something to strive for. The best part about the whole thing is that you can make some really good friends - the kind of friends who will stand their ground and fight beside you should there ever be a need.
Also, I have a few notes about Sabre that are VERY important concepts.
Sabre fencers get a bad reputation for being heavy handed. The sabre was designed as a light weight calvary weapon. A weapon intended for cutting FLESH and TENDON. . . . . .NOT bone. If you had a sharp sabre in your hand and attack with too much force all you have done is stuck your weapon into the bone of your opponent, now you are weaponless. So have control, or fence foil.
Second note - If you whine and say "sabre isn't very realistic"
My reply is this: Sabre is VERY realistic. It was a calvary weapon. The people who used it were on horseback - their horses were armored. . .their LEGS were armored. . .this is why Sabre today has the target area that it does.
Please don't be afraid to ask if you have any questions!
tenshi_no_hikari wrote:
I do know what fencing is, I just am clueless when it comes to details. Because of all this talk, it got me interested. May I ask experienced fencers, what's the difference between the saber and foil?? I want to start fencing. Isn't it hard though??
A foil and a sabre are to totally different weapons and the game is played differently - though the foundations are the same.
In foil you have a very small bell guard and the target area is the waist to neck, no arms. The idea is to poke your opponent and "foil" or bend your blade onto them. I highly reccomend starting with foil as it will give you strong basics.
A sabre has a larger bell guard and has a strip that protects your knuckles by connecting the "bell" part of the guard with the pommel and they also have a slightly thicker blade that is ment for slashing and cutting. You can also stab with it, but the tip is not directly designed for that. The target area is everything from the waist up, including the arms and head and sometimes the hands (depending on who you fence with).
Then there is Epee
Everything is target in Epee, it has a bell gurad like a foil but much bigger so it nearly covers your whole hand. With an Epee you can only use point attacks.
Zealth has images of all three weapons.
There are other newer rules that limit certain types of footwork with certain weapons. This is the new Olympic style - not the older classical style.
Also, Foil and Sabre have something called "right-of-way" (epee has no right of way)
Right of way in fencing is the same idea as right of way in a car or on a bike - only in fencing it is more complex and can take some getting used to. The general idea is to take right of way then hit your opponent. This is how you score a touch. There are certain actions such as advancing or presenting your blade in a certain way that can give you right of way. You can also loose right of way by retreating or a number of other more complecated ways. You can take right of way from someone if you parry or dodge their attack and then you manage to hit them without getting hit. There are tons of concepts and rules and it can be quite a a pain to learn them but you don't have to know much to have fun in fencing, this is especially true if you have someone who is directing the bout and they will determine who has right of way and then announce the conclusion.
There is always more to learn in fencing, you can always push a little harder, move a little faster, have better control, there is always something to strive for. The best part about the whole thing is that you can make some really good friends - the kind of friends who will stand their ground and fight beside you should there ever be a need.
Also, I have a few notes about Sabre that are VERY important concepts.
Sabre fencers get a bad reputation for being heavy handed. The sabre was designed as a light weight calvary weapon. A weapon intended for cutting FLESH and TENDON. . . . . .NOT bone. If you had a sharp sabre in your hand and attack with too much force all you have done is stuck your weapon into the bone of your opponent, now you are weaponless. So have control, or fence foil.
Second note - If you whine and say "sabre isn't very realistic"
My reply is this: Sabre is VERY realistic. It was a calvary weapon. The people who used it were on horseback - their horses were armored. . .their LEGS were armored. . .this is why Sabre today has the target area that it does.
Please don't be afraid to ask if you have any questions!
