Fencing Academy of Boston will hold 4 weeks of all-day Fencing Camp for youths 6-18 this summer! Sign up early to save! Register by Jun 01 for only $450 per week!
Fencing is the recreational sport of swordplay that can be enjoyed by people of any age, and offers a multitude of benefits. Fencing is both a physical and a mental workout, in which fencers learn to hone their strategies against opponents of varying skill levels, and build up physical endurance, agility, and accuracy. Confidence and sportsmanship are gained through participation in fencing and extend throughout other areas of life. You can begin fencing as a youth or an adult – for fun, for fitness, or to train to compete. Best of all are the friends you’ll make.
The three weapons of fencing are foil, saber, and epeé. The object of fencing is to score a point or touch by hitting your opponent’s target with your weapon before they get the scoring touch on you, but the rules, strategies, and target areas differ with each weapon to make the games distinct. As such, most fencers develop a preference and a proficiency for one weapon over the others, but many enjoy the challenge and diversion of taking on a bout in another weapon every once in a while, or even develop competence in a second weapon. A rare fencer is expert in all three weapons!
General conduct of play:
A fencing bout takes place on what is called a “strip” or “piste”, about 14 meters long and 2 meters wide. Two fencers’ weapons are each wired by a cord through their sleeve to an electric scoring machine paired with their opponent, and they next test that their weapons and cords are functioning correctly by touching their opponent on their target, a metallic garment called a lamé (except in the case that epeéists, who do not wear a lamé, test by touching the point to the guard of their opponent’s weapon). They return to their respective starting lines 4 meters apart, salute their opponent, put on their mask, and get in the en garde position, facing their opponent and ready to fence. The referee then calls the beginning of the bout. Fencers remain facing the direction of their opponent and are not to leave the strip during the bout.
The director decides which fencer scored the touch according to the rules of right-of-way.
The referee halts play when an action is completed, and determines each time which fencer won a touch until a winner is determined. In regular/preliminary competition between two fencers, the bout continues until one fencer has scored five touches, and in the direct elimination (DE) round of a tournament, it can go to 15 points, though the DE round can vary, depending on age classification of a competition or in team events. When the bout is over, both fencers return to their starting lines, remove their masks, salute each other, and approach to shake hands. Good sportsmanship maintains the dignity of the sport.