what sport is 'fencing'?

Question

fencing?

Answer 1

lol..don't we all love the french..lol...
it's a sport about duelling with 2 people holding a sword-like but thinner thing called a fleuret.
as soon as you touch the opponent of the signal you get a point...
and yes you wear some protective garnment.

Answer 2

In the broadest possible sense, fencing is the art and science of armed combat involving cutting, stabbing or bludgeoning weapons directly manipulated by hand, rather than shot or thrown (in other words, swords, knives, pikes, bayonets, batons, clubs, and so on). In contemporary common usage, fencing tends to refer specifically to European schools of swordsmanship and to the modern Olympic sport that has evolved out of them.

Answer 3

it's a sport where you basically have a weapon and try to get touches on the person your fencing. and yes it is sword fighting.you have to use your brain a lot. and you need to keep your focus.

Answer 4

Ah yes.

It is a ghetto sport. You buy and sell stolen goods.
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fencing

Answer 5

It's basically sword fighting - but there's a whole set of rules and it's very proper. No swashbuckling.

Answer 6

sword fighting

Answer 7

sword fighting thing

Answer 8

No. Its also know as rugby.

Answer 9

In the broadest possible sense, fencing is the art and science of armed combat involving cutting, stabbing or bludgeoning weapons directly manipulated by hand, rather than shot or thrown (in other words, swords, knives, pikes, bayonets, batons, clubs, and so on). In contemporary common usage, fencing tends to refer specifically to European schools of swordsmanship and to the modern Olympic sport that has evolved out of them.


History

The term fencing derives from the Middle English fense, circa 1330, ultimately deriving from the Latin defendere "ward off, protect," from de- "from, away" + fendere "to strike, push".[1] It was first used in writing as a verb in reference to swordsmanship by Shakespeare, in The Merry Wives of Windsor (1598): "Alas sir, I cannot fence." [2]

Fencing can be traced at least as far back as Ancient Egypt. The earliest known depiction of a fencing bout, complete with practice weapons, safety equipment, and judges, is a relief in a temple near Luxor built by Ramesses III around 1190 BC. [2] The Greeks and Romans had systems of martial arts and military training that included swordsmanship, and fencing-schools and professional champions were known throughout medieval Europe.

The earliest surviving record of Western techniques of fencing is the manuscript known as MS I.33, which was created in southern Germany c. 1300 and today resides at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. Throughout the Middle Ages, masters continued to teach systems for using the sword (together with other weapons and grappling) to noble and non-noble alike.

The wearing of the sword with civilian dress (a custom that had begun in the late fifteenth century on the Iberian Peninsula) gradually gave rise to a new system of civilian swordsmanship based more on the thrust than on the cut, with the aim being to keep the adversary at a distance with the point, and slay him there. This gave rise to sixteenth- and seventeenth-century systems of using the rapier and the seventeenth and eighteenth century smallsword. Though swords ceased to be an article of everyday dress after the French Revolution, they continued to be used in warfare and to resolve disputes of honour in formal duels through the nineteenth century and into the twentieth.

Though antagonistic competition in fencing is as old as the art itself, the modern sport of fencing originated in the first Olympic Games in 1896. The first few years of fencing as a sport were chaotic, with important rule disagreements among schools of fencing from different countries, notably the representatives of the French and Italian schools. This state of affairs ended in 1913, with the foundation of the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE) in Paris. The stated purpose of the FIE is to codify and regulate the practice of the sport of fencing, particularly for the purpose of international competition. The foundation of the FIE is a convenient breaking point between the classical and the modern traditions of fencing.

Philosophies


There are many autonomous directions in contemporary fencing:

* Sport fencing, also known as Olympic fencing, is the sort of fencing seen in most competitions (including the Olympic Games). It is conducted according to the rules laid down by the FIE (the international governing body), which are roughly based on a set of conventions developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to govern the practice of fencing as a martial art and a gentlemanly accomplishment. Due to technical developments and ideological disagreements, the details are subject to frequent revisions and amendments. This article is predominantly about sport fencing.
* Classical fencing is differentiated from sport fencing as being closer (in various degrees) to swordplay as a martial art. Those who call themselves classical fencers may advocate the modern sport's return to what they see as more authentic practices. In some quarters, this debate has been extremely bitter and has resulted in a virtual schism between the mainstream fencing community and a group of traditionalists who want to reinstate the "classical fencing" of the late 19th and early 20th century.
* Historical fencing is a type of historical martial arts reconstruction based on the surviving texts and traditions. Predictably, historical fencers study an extremely wide array of weapons from different regions and periods. They may work with bucklers, daggers, polearms, bludgeoning weapons etc.
* Academic fencing, or mensur, is a German student tradition. The combat, which uses a type of cutting saber known as the schlager, uses sharpened blades and takes place between members of different fraternities in accordance with a strictly delineated set of conventions, using special protective gear. The ultimate goal is the development of personal character, to show coolness and proper deportment in the face of a sharp blade.
* Stage fencing is a type of fencing that seeks to achieve the maximum theatrical impact. Fights are, generally, choreographed, and fencing actions are often somewhat exaggerated. It is not an exclusive preserve of actors and stuntmen - some people do it as a hobby.
* Wheelchair fencing an original paralympic sport was developed in post WWII England. In this sport, minor modifications to the rules allow disabled fencers to fence all three weapons. The most apparent change is fencers sit in a wheelchair fastened to a frame and make their attacks and retreats by leaning their bodies. The proximity tends to increase the pace of bouts and requires considerable skill.

Finally, fencing is often incorporated into recreational roleplay with a historical or a fantasy theme (for example, see The Society for Creative Anachronism or Live-action roleplaying games). Technique and scoring systems vary widely from one group to the next, as do the weapons: depending on the local conventions, participants may use modern sport fencing weapons, period weapons or weapons invented specifically for the purpose (like boffers).


Weapons


Three weapons survive in modern competitive fencing: foil, épée and sabre. The spadroon and the heavy cavalry-style sabre, both of which saw widespread competitive use in the 19th century, fell into disfavour in the early 20th century with the rising popularity of the lighter and faster weapon used today, based on the Italian duelling sabre. Bayonet fencing was somewhat slower to decline with competitions organized by some armed forces as late as the 1940s and 1950s. Today these weapons are the preserve of historical fencing.

While the weapons fencers use differ in size and purpose, their basic construction remains similar across the disciplines. Every weapon has a blade and a hilt. The tip of the blade is generally referred to as the point. The hilt consists of a guard and a grip. The guard (also known as the coquille, or the bellguard) is a metal shell designed to protect the fingers. The grip is the weapon's actual handle. There are a number of commonly used variants (see grip (sport fencing)). The more traditional kind tend to terminate with a pommel, a heavy nut intended to act as a counterwight for the blade.


In modern competitive fencing "electric" weapons are used. These have a push-button on the end, which allows hits to be registered by the electronic scoring apparatus. In order to register, the button must be depressed with a force of at least 4.90 newtons (500 grams-force) for at least 15 milliseconds. Fencers wear conductive (lamé) jackets covering their target area, which allow the scoring apparatus to differentiate between on and off-target hits.