All About Fencing

[ChiefKiasu]

phantom:

Compare to those judo and other martial arts which is much cheaper, what does fencing offers that are different from those?

I guess it's kind of like golf versus hockey. It is a weapons sport, so you need to compare it with things like kendo. It is not a contact sport like judo, but still requires a substantial level of physical endurance with all the leg work. You need to focus all the time. With electrical fencing, it is really like navigating in a mine field... one wrong move and you lose a point to the opponent. There is a lot of strategy and mind games going on... you need to learn your opponent's strengths and weakness quickly and adapt on the fly. Lots of probes, feints, scare tactics, plots within a plot stuff. You choose if you wish to attack or defend. Fencing is one of the very few sports where both men and women can compete as equals.

[phantom]

ChiefKiasu:

I guess it's kind of like golf versus hockey. It is a weapons sport, so you need to compare it with things like kendo. It is not a contact sport like judo, but still requires a substantial level of physical endurance with all the leg work. You need to focus all the time. With electrical fencing, it is really like navigating in a mine field... one wrong move and you lose a point to the opponent. There is a lot of strategy and mind games going on... you need to learn your opponent's strengths and weakness quickly and adapt on the fly. Lots of probes, feints, scare tactics, plots within a plot stuff. You choose if you wish to attack or defend. Fencing is one of the very few sports where both men and women can compete as equals.

I know fencing have lots of sparring during training. Does the kid get injured easily during such sparring session?

[ChiefKiasu]

phantom:

I know fencing have lots of sparring during training. Does the kid get injured easily during such sparring session?

Hard to get hurt if you are wearing that many layers of protection. The head mask is made of steel, and provides protection for the neck. The only time my son got bruised was in his competition last month when his opponent hit him on his arm, and that was the first after almost a couple of years of fencing.

[super_dad]

ChiefKiasu:

phantom:

I know fencing have lots of sparring during training. Does the kid get injured easily during such sparring session?

Hard to get hurt if you are wearing that many layers of protection. The head mask is made of steel, and provides protection for the neck. The only time my son got bruised was in his competition last month when his opponent hit him on his arm, and that was the first after almost a couple of years of fencing.

Just wondering...is the long skinny sword (whatever you call it), sharp and pointy?

[ChiefKiasu]

The weapons range from foil to epee and sabre. The way points are scored are different with each weapon. Beginners normally start with the foil. Yes, it is skinny and pointy, but the tip is actually a flat spring-loaded top (like that of an FM radio antenna) which, when depressed, registers a hit during electric fencing on the board.

[super_dad]

Hmmm....so cannot make the Z mark? :lol:

[phantom]

ChiefKiasu:

The weapons range from foil to epee and sabre. The way points are scored are different with each weapon. Beginners normally start with the foil. Yes, it is skinny and pointy, but the tip is actually a flat spring-loaded top (like that of an FM radio antenna) which, when depressed, registers a hit during electric fencing on the board.

You have any pictures of how they look like? Can't make them up in my mind :oops:

[ChiefKiasu]

As always, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foil_%28fencing%29 saves the day.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/06/Anatomyoffoil.jpg/800px-Anatomyoffoil.jpg\">

For those lazy to click, here's an excerpt:

\"Foils are designed for thrusting, and score a point by depressing a button on the end of the shaft to complete an electric circuit. The blade is very thin, with a blunted (or foiled) tip. Modern competitive fencers often use a technique known as a flick, which uses the foil's flexibility to bend around the blade of an opponent (often in response to an attempted parry) and plant a hit upon the back.

Foil blades are flexible enough to bend upon striking an opponent, in order to prevent injuries. There are three main types of foil grips: the French style, with a grip (handle or hilt) designed to facilitate greater finesse, the Italian style, which is designed more for control and power, and the orthopedic, or pistol-grip, which is the most popular among modern competitive sport fencers.\"

[ChiefKiasu]

super_dad:

Hmmm....so cannot make the Z mark? :lol:

Can... if you tie a pen to it.

[phantom]

Wow, my son saw that fencing picture and the first though is it is a weapon to kill people. Wow, wonder where my kid got those idea from :?