Fencing

What is fencing?

Fencing is a sport in which one fencer competes against another, using a sword to land hits on his/her opponent.

How to fence

Fencing is like sword play in movies about ancient times and battles. In the modern-day sport, the competitor uses a sword that is not sharp, but has an electronic sensor to note when one fencer scores a hit and point against an opponent. The opponent will try to block point attempts and score points of his/her own.

How to win

The first fencer to score 15 points wins. The competitors have as many as three 3-minute periods to score points.

Equipment

Foil – the sword
Mask – worn to protect the eyes and face from injury by the foil
Glove – protects the foil from going up a fencer’s sleeve
Chest protector – worn to protect the chest
Jacket – covers gaps in protective clothing and protects upper leg
Under arm protector – protects under arm area against injury from foil hits