Leisure Kicks - The essencial sport and leisure guide

Fencing has three weapons each of which have their own unique rules. The foil and sabre are ‘weapons of convention’ which essentially means that the referee has to decide who the attacking fencer is. In foil, you can only strike with the tip of the weapon and only on the torso. The sabre is a cutting weapon which means that you can hit with the side of the blade as well as the tip and the target area is everything above the waist. Epee is the purest form of duelling as it is all about hitting your opponent (again with the tip) before they hit you and the entire body is a target. All fights or bouts take place on a 14m long piste and every weapon is a combination of lightning fast and accurate blade work and quick feet.

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