Five Things You Didn't Know About Fencing
Fencing is a sport which is based around offensive manoeuvres and clever defensive play which allows you to score a hit when your opponent advances. its all about the win and a variety of tactics are used to get them in quick succession. While fencing used to be a blood sport, thanks to the use of an electronic score box it is now a much faster sport with less stoppages but now the ten things you didn't know about fencing.
In the Olympic Games, fencing is one of the most time honoured sports alongside three others. If you are into competitive fencing, you are never likely to miss out on competition at this upper mote tier or recognition and combat.
Fencing was a blood sport and in being so, an opponent would have known he was hit by the blood showing on his skin or from torn clothing. Invariably the cut was so clean, no pain would be felt immediately. However the move away form duels such as these amongst the upper classes, saw white suits and body armour follow, because ink dabs were used on the weapons to show a strike. The white remained even though the competitions allowed electronic score boxes.
The longest ever fencing bout was in the Masters Championship in 1930's New York. It lasted seven hours based on the old scoring system. Now there is a time limit of 3 minutes for 5-touch bouts and 9 minutes for 15 touches, however the norm in-between was thirty minutes which many would still prefer to be the case.
One of the three sports within Fencing is the Sabre which gains its historic use from being a Cavalry weapon. Rather than simply being a variation, its waste high only hit scoring is because cavalry men would sit atop a horse. Striking an horse during battle was deemed unchivalrous.
If you thought fencing was a simple sport to engage in, consider that the tip of a weapon is second only in speed to a marksmen's bullet in the realm of sport. Its flexible blade adds to the speed of the flick which is why knowing and reading manoeuvres, body postures and hand movements is far more advantageous rather than keeping an eye on the tip of your opponent's weapon.
There are of course many more facts about fencing you didn't know. Why not take in a local fencing course or join a fencing club near you to find out what you're really missing!