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foil |
| The most common of the three fencing weapons, the Foil has a 90cm long
blade of rectangular cross-section. Only hits with the point of the weapon
are valid and the target area is restricted to the torso. The head, arms,
and legs are considered off target.
The convention of foil fencing dictates that a right of way must be
established for an attack to be valid. Any attack must be blocked, or parried,
before a return attack is made. The Foil is the weapon that almost all
fencers are taught when they begin fencing. The skills acquired with the
Foil are trasferable to the other wapons.
An Electric Foil weighs about 450g and is fitted with a spring loaded
blunt point which depresses when a hit it made. Foil fencers wear a special
metallic jacket covering the torso, called a lame, so that hits arriving
on target will activate a coloured light on the scoring box. Hits off target
are not scored, but may annul an opponent's hit. |
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| epee |
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The Epeé is heavier (at 770g) and more robust than the Foil,
similar to the old Rapier. Like foil, hits are scored with the point only,
but unlike foil, the whole body is a target. The Epeé has a larger
guard than the Foil to protect the hand and forearm. There is no right
of way at epee and all hits count. This and the larger target area tend
to make epeé fencers more cautious and consequently epeé
fencing is slower than foil or sabre. |
|
sabre |
| The fencing Sabre is based on the Cavalry Sabre, and therefore hits
with the cutting edge are counted as valid, as are hits with the point.
All parts of the body above the waist, including the head, arms, and weapon
hand are valid targets. Like Foil, Sabre rules dictate that a right of
way must be established, but the need to block an incoming attack is not
as important. Contrary to popular belief, the modern fencing Sabre is a
light weapon, weighing less than the Foil. Because of its lightness, the
Sabre is the fastest of the three weapons. |
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