Union: FIE (International Fencing Federation)
First Played: Not exactly known. Modern fencing 18th century Italy
Team Members: 1
Equipment: Foil, ep and sword
Area: Indoors
Olympics played: 1896
Description:
Fencing is a sport played with swords and is based on the art of sword fighting. The development of fencing as a sport is closely related to duels with swords in the Middle Ages. Fencing is done with three types of weapons: Foil, ep and sabre (sabr). The numbering systems of these three forms of fencing are the same, but they have different aspects in the matches. Fencing is done in special durable clothing. A mask woven with steel wires, a protective vest, a jacket made of strong linen or canvas, and soft gloves are worn. These clothes protect the fencer from injuries. Fencing matches are held on a track that is 1.5 meters wide and 14 meters long.
History:
The history of fencing, the art of using swords, is very old. It is known that studies on the art of using swords were carried out in Egypt and China, especially in the years 2000 BC. If we skip the historical swordsmanship arts a little and approach the present day, the first birth of modern fencing was in Spain. Especially with the intensive use of firearms, the use of heavy armor and indirectly long double-handed swords began to decrease. Long and heavy swords began to be replaced by lighter weapons aimed at stabbing rather than cutting (15th century). These weapons, in particular, required thinner sword techniques, as well as body flexibility and speed. A weapon called rapier, which would be the ancestor of today's fencing weapons, also began to be used in Spain during this period. This movement, which started in Spain, gradually spread to other European countries, France and Italy. The period when modern fencing technically took off was in 18th century Italy. Many fencing masters were trained, technical books were written and fencing, so to speak, went through a period. The fencing competition between Italy and France began during this period and has continued to this day. Even today, when we look at it, these two schools, the French Fencing School and the Italian Fencing School, are constantly competing and contribute to the continuous development of fencing. Fencing matches are held under the management of the International Fencing Federation (FIE). Fencing has been one of the sports branches in the Olympic Games since 1896.
Field Measurements:
The track field is at least 12 m long and 1.8-2 m wide.
