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Weapons

The weapons used in fencing dictate the set of rules which will be applied to the arbitration of the match. Some weapons, such as the foil and epee, require that the tip be placed on the target with sufficient force to cause a plunger/button on the tip to be pressed. Other weapons, such as the sabre, require only that the scoring edge of the blade be brought into contact with a valid target area on the opponent.

The Foil

The Foil is all about agility and establishing clear advantage. It is a light, easy to use weapon whose original purpose was to teach young boys the fundamentals of sword handling. As such, it shares an odd set of rules with the sabre where hits that are scored simultaneously are arbitrated and awarded to the fencer who first establishes a distinct technical advantage over their opponent. Most beginners start with the foil.

The Epee

The Epee is all about strategy and technical application. It is a much heavier weapon then the foil, with a triangular blade cross-section and heavy metal guard. Historically the epee was designed to teach gentlemen the art of dueling and the rules for fencing it are designed around duels of honour fought to the first draw of blood. As such, any part of the body is a valid target (including the pinky toe!) and points on simultaneous hits are awarded to both fencers. Purists consider the Epee an intermediate weapon but more modern thought puts it as the ideal beginner weapon given the simplified rules and cheaper startup costs. At RDFC, we teach it as our first weapon.

The Sabre

The Sabre is all about speed and agression. It is a light, fast cutting weapon whose historical purpose was to teach the application of sword technique on horseback. It has a thin, flexible, flat blade and long curving knuckle-guard to protect the fingers and forearm from attack. It's rules are designed around the same priority system as the foil but is often fenced with great abandon to proper technique given the extreme difficulty in effectively stopping a strong cut. Touches must be delivered with the forward cutting edge and only hits above the waist are considered valid. The Sabre is a completly different weapon then both the foil and the epee and is not considered a good beginner weapon given the difficult rules, different motions and painful welts.