Fencing is an exciting and challenging sport that is not only fun to participate in but can also be rewarding for the mind. There are several types of fencing available, including historical and modern Olympic-style sport.
The most common weapon in fencing is the foil. This type of sword can be stabbed with incredible speed. It is an incredibly technical weapon that requires lightning-fast reflexes.
Foil
Foil is one of the oldest swords and is a sport that has only improved throughout its hundreds of years. It differs from other types of fencing through its different rules, target areas, and even the sword itself. It is a lightweight, flexible blade of rectangular cross section tapering to a blunt point.
Foils were designed as a practice weapon for the smallsword fashionable in the 17th century and to enable skills of swordplay to be demonstrated without serious injury. The basic conventions have changed little since a work describing them, by Labat, was published in 1734.
In foil, points are scored by touching with the tip of your sword to your opponent’s target area. The target is the torso from the shoulders to the groin in front and to the waist in back. Hits to the arms, head, or legs are considered off-target and halt the fencer’s action but do not award points. During a bout, the player with the most points wins. If the score is tied, a one-minute priority minute is conducted.
Epee
Unlike foil and sabre, the target area for epee covers the entire body, head to toe. This makes it a fast weapon, although it can also be slow and tactical. Also, it doesn’t have a right of way rule; a touch is awarded on the basis of which fencer touches first and with the point of his or her blade.
Epee fencers wear a mask, bib, chest protector, plastic armour and gloves for their hands and sword hand and a pair of trousers or shorts that stop just before the knee. They also wear a weapon holder called a lame and a body cord which connects the lame to the foil or sabre.
The body cord, which is also used for sabre, leads from the weapon to a scoring box at the end of the piste. It is connected to a reel which can retract the cord so that the fence builder doesn’t trip over it.
Saber
This is a more flexible and lighter sword than the foil or epee. It can be used for close-quarters fighting, such as cutting ropes. It was also a popular choice for sailors and was first used in 16th century Germany. Its ancestor is the cutlass, which was also used to fight pirates.
Sabre fencing is a fun and challenging sport for both men and women. It is one of the few sports where women can compete on equal terms with men, and it is often referred to as the “sport of queens.” The sport requires a lot of speed, skill, and endurance.
The rules are simple – the fencer who makes the most valid hits wins. There are four lights that indicate when a hit has been made. Green means a valid attack, blue indicates a counterattack, red indicates an off-target attack, and white signals an invalid attack. This system helps judges keep track of the action during a match.
Kevlar
Kevlar is an aramid fiber that is very strong and heat resistant. It is also very lightweight. It is used in bullet proof vests and other protective gear. It is also used in racing tires and to make modern marching drumheads withstand high impact.
Kevlar has good chemical resistance, but long exposure to UV light will cause it to degrade over time. It can also withstand most organic solvents but is intolerant to strong acids and bases.
Kevlar is produced by a polymerisation reaction of a phenol with a diamine. This produces poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide). It has a very high degree of alignment between its molecules and this contributes to its strength. The polar groups on the molecules are accessible for hydrogen bonding, which helps reduce its flammability. This is important because it can be used in life protection applications such as bullet proof vests, in ropes and cables, protective apparel and marine sporting goods. It is also used in the manufacture of fine gauge cables for electronic devices.