When was fencing created

From the 16th to the 18th century, duels were common, with combatants using a variety of weapons, including quarterstaffs and backswords. Such bouts were bloody and occasionally fatal. Fencing began the move from a form of military training to a sport in either the 14th or 15th century. Both Italy and Germany lay claim to its origins, with German fencing masters organising the first guilds in the 15th century, the most notable being the Marxbruder of Frankfurt, formed in This was a highly dangerous weapon and even practice versions with buttoned tips could cause serious accidents to the face in the days before masks.

What was needed was a way of demonstrating the skills of swordplay in relative safety, and so the flexible foil with conventions governing its use emerged.

This new sporting weapon could be manipulated with great precision. In the second half of the 18 th century, the wire mask was invented. This revolutionised foil technique, allowing the instant parry-riposte and making fencing much more mobile.

Although experiments with various electrical systems took place from the late 19 th century, it was not until that the foil events at the world championships were fenced electric for the first time. Epee fencing was introduced in France in the s as a reaction against the artificial conventions of foil. Many fencers wanted to recreate the conditions of a duel, but without the potentially fatal consequences, and masters responded by teaching pupils how to concentrate on hitting the hand and arm rather than the body.

Since the whole body was target, there was no need to differentiate between valid and non-valid hits. As a result epee became the easiest weapon to electrify and, when this happened in the s speed became of paramount importance. After the advent of gunpowder and firearms, armor became obsolete and lighter swords gained popularity as the sidearm of choice for European officers and gentlemen.

The Italians, Spanish, and French all claim parentage for modern fencing, but throughout Europe during the Renaissance the discipline took on the aura of high art, with masters refining and passing on to a select few their secret techniques.

In the 18th century, treatises appeared in print setting forth the current system of rules and scoring, and prescribing the foil, a metal mask with eye slit, and protective jacket or vest as equipment for use. The rules were intended to simulate real combat while protecting the safety of the combatants.

Fencing was a clear choice for inclusion in the Olympic program from onwards. At the time, the sword was still considered an important military weapon, and sword fighting remained a well-established European custom backed by centuries of tradition. In addition to the foil, contested weapons were the epee, descendent of the dueling sword, and the sabre, which evolved from the weapon of choice for cavalry troops.

Fencing remains one of just six sports to have appeared in every modern Olympic Games. In the first decades of competition, Europeans dominated, with France, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, and the Netherlands all boasting champions. Aladar Gerevich of Hungary is considered fencing's greatest champion, with seven gold medals in sabre competition to his credit. Foil, epee, and sabre are the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. While it is not unusual for fencers to compete in all three events, they generally choose to develop their skills in one weapon.

Until recently, women were permitted to compete only in foil, but now the USFA offers national competitions for women in epee and sabre. Women's epee was added to the World Championships in and will be held for the first time at the Olympic Games in The history of this sport is very eloquent, it often relates that of humankind through that of the sword and, if we analyse the feature of the art of weapons, we immediately notice that it corresponds to the customs of the era in which it appears.

The history of fencing gives a marvellous account of all that. The Pharaohs invent the mask and the competition. The weapons - certainly sticks with bronze plates in the end - are buttoned. Hands are protected by a guard similar to that of sabre, and some of the fencers have the face protected by a mask, whose chin rolling pad, covering both ears, is attached to the wig. The non-sword arm is used for parrying blows and is protected by a kind of shield. The translation of hieroglyphs teaches us that the opponents shouted at each other « On guard … and admire what my valiant hand is going to make!

O excellent fighter! The winner salutes with his weapon and hand the Pharaoh who is accompanied by his suite. The public is composed of Assyrians, Libyans and. Egyptians; the jury and the organisers are recognizable thanks to their feather. A scribe notes on a papyrus the results of the competition.

It is necessary to cross ages and transport ourselves in Greece to find in the hoplomachie fight with weapons one to one the tracks of a competition where prizes were proposed to the winners, « grown men or children ».

Many of us know that fencing was included in the programme of the first games of the new era, in , but many ignore that it was certainly included in the first Olympic Games in BC.

Sensitive to the equal education of the body and the soul of their youth, the Greeks honoured all the games preparing to the profession of arms. Olympic combats in which athletes word derived from the Greek « combat » had to be Greek, free and beyond reproach. In BC, the education of fencing, or armatura , was introduced into theRoman camps by the consul Rutilius, in order that « the courage joins the art, and the art the courage ».

So, fencingstrengthened itself of the impetuosity of courage, while courage borrowed from fencing the science and the skill. Fencing was practised with two hands : one was parrying the thrusts with the help of a shield, the other one was hitting with the two -edged sword.

Their « doctores armorum » established rules to avoid thrusts or execute thrusts more skillfully. In particular, they recommended thrust with the point, which is more mortal than the thrust with the edge. For the knight or the equerry, fencing was part of the good education which he had to receive before his consecration by « dubbing », « investiture ». The profession of arms was long and painful for the young noble, until the solemn day when, finally, the blessed sword, symbol of glory, justice and moral value, was handed to him together with the shield and the spear.

Once the initiation over and the accolade given, we let the noble knight go towards single combat for the defence of the weak and the oppressed, but also towards tournaments which represented a source of profit : the knight received the horse and the armor of the opponent which he had defeated with courtesy or dulled weapons.

The arrival of firearms and the invention of Gutenberg were determining for fencing, which saw its weapons become lighter and its techniques popularised. Before these inventions, this main occupation of the nobility and the elite of the society was especially an occult science and the secret strikes were as popular as the philosopher's stone or the long life elixir.

From this knowledge depended more than life, justice and honour. Fencing for honour, justice and faith. In the XII th and XIII th centuries, we already meet in France « givers of lessons » and advice in fencing, whose function was to prepare to the judicial duel and, sometimes, against very high sum, replace on the spot the parties in presence.