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| Home » Sports Events in 2008 Olympic Games » Fencing |
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Fencing |
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Fencing is in other words known as the sword fights. It is a kind of combat where one has to cut, stab, bludgeon weapons in order to defeat the opponent. Fencing in the earlier days were played with weapons like batons, bayonets, swords, knives, clubs and pikes. However in the European terms, fencing is the sword fights by two or more individuals. In Olympics, fencing is done by swords. Fencing is played at all the Olympic games and is one of the most important events. There are three kinds of weapons in fencing. There are various kinds of separate techniques for each of the weapons in fencing. The weapons look different from one another and are used differently as well. The three kinds of weapons in fencing are foil, epee and sabre.
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In fencing, the foil is a weapon used for light thrusting. With the foil, the target is till the torso of the opponent. There is no scope of double hits at the opponent with the foil in fencing. The epee in fencing is the weapon used for heavy thrusts. With the epee, more expertise is required as the target is the entire body. With this weapon of fencing, there are scope of double hits. The sabre in fencing is used for both light cutting and thrusting. The target of sabre in fencing are everywhere above the waist except the back of the hands and heads. There are no scope for double hits in fencing with the sabre. There are many categories of fencing. In the Olympics, all the three weapons are used in the events. The categories of fencing are competitive fencing, fencing as martial art in the Western style.
All the games of fencing are conducted according to the rules and regulations decided by the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE). This is the international governing body in fencing. Another kind of fencing that is very popular is wheelchair fencing. In this kind even the disabled are allowed to use all the three weapons. However the techniques and other features differ accordingly due to the disability. There are more skills required in this type of fencing due to the disability. The other types of fencing are classical fencing, historical fencing, stage fencing and academic fencing. In the 18th century the weapons were heavier and bulkier compared to the ones that are made now. The weapons used now are faster and much lighter to use. The effort required to maneuver the weapons are much less compared to weapons of olden days.
All the weapons of fencing have a blade and hilt. The two fencers fight or compete wearing a coquille or bellguard. This protective gear protects the fingers of the fighter. The protective gear on the body are made of cotton or nylon. The protective gear consists of jackets that is of very close fittings, protector for underarm, breeches, mask, shoes and gloves. Female fencers have to wear plastic protector on the chest. All the uniform is white in color and the black color is reserved for those who are coaches and masters. There are strict guidelines about the placing of the logos of the sponsors on the uniform. The sport is played on a narrow strip otherwise known as the piste.
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