Often referred to as “physical chess,” fencing has evolved over the centuries as a sport of measures and counter-measures, performed with grace and speed. Three different weapons are used: foil, epee and saber, all with different rules and strategies.

Foil: Of the three weapons, foil requires the most precision, as target area is limited to the torso. It is characterized by light footwork and agile blade work.


Epee: Epee, pronounced “ey-PEY”, closely simulates an actual duel. In epee, target area increases to the whole body. Epee fencing is characterized by careful evaluation of the opponent followed by fast and furious exchanges of blade play in which one or both fencers may be hit.


Sabre: Sabre is based on the cavalry sabre. Target area is restricted to the waist up (as to avoid hitting the “horse”). Saber is characterized by incredible speed and aggression, coupled with slashes using the full edge of the blade.

Fencing is one of the safest sports around. Though it involves weapons, swords have blunt tips and the sides of the blades are dull. For protection, fencers wear masks, gloves, plastrons (underarm protectors) and jackets.