Down East School of Fencing

ABOUT FENCING

Fencing is a modern Olympic sport and a martial art that combines fun healthy exercise, elegant physical technique, tactical gamesmanship and mental concentration. It is a lifetime sport that is safe, recreational and challenging competitively. Although unrecognized due to the "mega" sports in the United States, fencing for many Americans is as thrilling as baseball, basketball or football. Fencing, like most martial arts, maintains its traditional values of etiquette, honor and respect.

Three weapons are used in modern fencing: foil, epee and sabre. Each weapon has its own unique character comprising specific valid target areas, variations of technique, unique tactical games and specific rules of play. Accordingly, each weapon is exciting to fence and watch for its own particular aspects. A referee conducts the fencing "bouts" by determining the action and then awarding the "touch" (the term for when a fencer strikes the valid target surface). Standard fencing bouts are fenced to five touches. The first fencer to gain five touches against his/her opponent wins the bout. The time limit of an individual bout is four minutes. Bouts are fenced on a rectangular playing field (called the "strip") 18 meters long and two meters wide. All three weapons in modern competition are scored with electric equipment, although tournaments for beginners may be scored non-electrically using judges. In electric fencing, depending on the weapon, a specific target may be covered by a metallic material in order for scoring machines to register a valid touch. It is common to see an incredible range of fencing styles and techniques at a fencing tournament. Fencing is an exciting, challenging sport for all ages!