Fencing

In the broadest possible sense, fencing is the art of armed combat involving cutting, stabbing, or bludgeoning weapons directly manipulated by hand, rather than shot, thrown or positioned. Examples include swords, knives, pikes, bayonets, batons, clubs, and similar weapons. more...

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This definition is a stretch of the word, however. \"Fencing\" wasn't invented until either the Renaissance or at the very end of the Late Middle Ages, depending on who you ask. For weapon styles pre-dating this origin, \"melee\" or \"Western Martial Arts\" are better descriptors. 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.

Fencing is one of the four sports which has been featured at every modern Olympic Games. Currently, three types of weapon are used in Olympic fencing:

Foil — a light thrusting weapon; the valid target is restricted to the torso; double hits are not allowed (see priority rules below).; Épée — a heavy thrusting weapon; the valid target area covers the entire body; double hits are allowed.; Sabre — a light cutting and thrusting weapon; the valid target area includes almost everything above the waist (excluding the back of the head and the hands); double hits are not allowed (see priority rules below).;

Etymology: The word 'fence' was originally a shortening of the Middle English 'defens', that came from an Italian word, 'defensio', in origin a Latin word. The first known use of defens in reference to English swordsmanship is in William Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor: 'Alas sir, I cannot fence.'

History

Renaissance

The first handbooks on fencing, especially the book written around the 12th century by De Serpente brothers, or the most complete Flos Duellatorum of 1409 by Fiore de Liberi, were published in Italy at the beginning of the Renaissance, that is the rebirth of Roman culture. In those days many Italian masters such as Marozzo taught their art in France and other countries, working as mercenaries and masters of defense.

In the 16th century, compendia of older Fechtbücher techniques were produced, some of them printed, notably by Paulus Hector Mair (in the 1540s) and by Joachim Meyer (in the 1570s).

In the 16th century German fencing had developed sportive tendencies. The treatises of Paulus Hector Mair and Joachim Meyer derived from the teachings of the earlier centuries within the Liechtenauer tradition, but with new and distinctive characteristics. The printed fechtbuch of Jacob Sutor (1612) is the last in the German tradition.

The Italian school is continued by the Dardi school, with masters such as Antonio Manciolino and Achille Marozzo. From the late 16th century, Italian rapier fencing attains considerable popularity all over Europe, notably with the treatise by Salvator Fabris (1606).

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