|
Our Heritage
Our English ancestors were sword fighters - and famously good at it. So good, in fact, that they were invited to Britain as
mercenaries. They were initially based at Thanet.
Later in the 5th century, they put to the sword the native British government. All the native southern English fled the "ferocious" Kent swordsmen for the safety of the imperial Roman mainland. They founded
Brittany. Kent became the greatest of the early English kingdoms.
Our Sport
Over the years, fencing has developed into a formal martial art. Nowadays we don't kill for our sport; we don't even draw blood. We wear protective clothing - often made with Kevlar, the same material as is
used in bullet-proof vests - and in competition the sword tips record hits electronically. The weapons are lighter and therefore faster.
Fencing was one of the sports in the first modern Olympic Games, and has featured ever since. The electronic scoring equipment is quite sophisticated, and it's still developing, as are the rules, which change
slightly to adapt to modern fencing techniques and to overcome problems that arise. The basics remain true, though, and the techniques learned never go amiss.
There are three weapons used in modern fencing; Foil, Epee and Sabre. Click on the weapon name for more information on each weapon. The three have different rules and target areas, reflecting their history.
Almost all clubs will introduce people to fencing with the foil, because this was developed as a training weapon. If you're interested in trying fencing, click here for information on starting out.
|
