Dubai Fencing
Club-DFC
Fencing is a very old traditional and
prestigious Olympic sport that is a challenge to both body
and mind, requiring a blend of
patience, determination, discipline and competitiveness.
Fencing develops dexterity, endurance,
flexibility, grace, and overall fitness, while also allowing
participants the opportunity to hone the mind’s problem
–solving abilities. It is easily learning and, it has even
melded to fit the needs of the blind and individuals using
wheelchairs.
This is sport for everyone.
Objective
The main object of a
fencing bout (what an individual "game" is
called) is to effectively score 15 points (in direct
elimination play) or five points (in preliminary pool play)
on your opponent before he scores that number on you. Each
time a fencer scores a touch, he receives a point. Direct
elimination matches consist of three three-minute period
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Epee:
The epee is a light
duelling sword characterized by its large bell guard. Like
the foil, it is a thrust only weapon, and its real steel
counterpart would only have a sharp tip. Its large bell
guard is designed to assist in protecting the weapon hand
and arm. The epee differs from foil in its target area. The
epee's target area is the entire body from head to toe. The
target area of epee is intended to reflect the nature of a
real duel where anything goes, and your opponent will attack
any open target area. The epee is an unconventional weapon
and has no Right of Way. As a result double touches can be
scored in epee. The epee is unique as a sword because it was
only intended for use in duels. Unlike other swords, it had
no role in war or self-defense.
Foil:
The foil is the only
weapon used that does not have a real steel counterpart. It
was invented solely for the purpose of teaching and learning
fencing. In its earliest form, the foil was nothing more
than a sword that had been rendered safe or "foiled". Often,
foiling a sword was achieved by putting a piece of cork or a
ball on the tip of the blade. This process made fencing
lessons much safer and more successful. Later, specific
practice weapons were developed, and they were given the
name "foil". The foil's target area consists of the body's
torso excluding the arms, the legs, and the head. The foil's
target area is considered to be deadly, meaning a single hit
could kill an opponent. When fencing was still taught for
duelling practices, fencing masters thought it best to
assure their students the easiest and earliest possible
victory in hopes that they would have a repeat customer. The
foil is a thrust only weapon, if it were a real weapon only
the tip would be sharp and hits could only be made by
thrusting your opponent with the tip. The foil is also
considered a conventional weapon. Being a conventional
weapon means that the foil is governed by a rule called
"Right of Way".
Saber:
The saber is believed to
have descended from the Middle Eastern scimitar.
Historically, it came in three forms: the dueling saber, the
cavalry saber, and the naval saber (cutlass). Each type of
saber was specialized for a specific type of combat. The
dueling saber was lighter and more closely resembles the
form of saber fencing practiced today. The cavalry saber was
much heavier and was used from horseback. The naval saber
(cutlass) was shorter so that it could be more easily
maneuvered in the close quarters of fighting at sea. It was
also thick like a machete allowing it to be used to attack
the enemy's vessel as well as the enemy. If the rigging on
the enemy's ship was destroyed, victory could be attained by
sailing away and coming back with cannons firing on the
immobile ship. The saber's target area consists of
everything above the hips (including the arms and the head).
There are two theories for the purpose of the saber's target
area. Some believe it is leftover from when saber was
practiced on horseback. From the waist up is the only
accessible target on a mounted opponent. Others say it is a
matter of practicality. Attacking an opponent's legs leaves
you open and does nothing to stop your opponent from
attacking you. The saber is both a thrusting and a cutting
weapon. Its real steel counterparts have a sharp tip, a
sharp edge down the front, and a sharp edge a third of the
way down the back. The saber is a conventional weapon and is
governed by Right of Way.
When you are attacked, you
must defend or parry the attack.This parry gives you the
priority to hit back, called the riposte. It's this priority
system that gives fencing its sequences of attack and
defense, with the priority changing from side to side like a
rally in tennis. This physical exchange is practiced over
and over again, so that the fencer is constantly aware of
the changing priority, and can eventually achieve
split-second control of his/her reactions.
With such a well-designed
system of defense, you need more than just physical speed to
score touches. By bluffing and faking, you have to somehow
provoke and deceive this system of defense. You have to
fake, to convince your opponent you intend to attack, and
when he/she attempts to parry, you deceive to score.
Scoring
touches in fencing is more than just a matter of physical
speed, its a matter of tactics. Tactics are based on the
fact that every attack can be parried, but every parry can
be deceived! Fencing is a sport that not only physically
taxes the body for split-second control of attack and
defense, but also incorporates tactical cunning, to fake and
mislead, in an attempt to outsmart your opponent. Tactics
are as simple or as complex as each opponent, and those
tactics can change in the course of a bout. It's this
uncertainty that creates the challenge and the excitement of
this combative, modern Olympic sport.
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