En Garde! Childhood Play Becomes Serious Sport 

When you were a kid, how many times did you pick up a stick and yell, "en garde" while lunging at your playmate?

I, for one, loved those backyard battles. Even though I was a girl, I still fancied myself a dashing swashbuckler, ala Errol Flynn or Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

It's no wonder that our imaginations were captured by the excitement and beauty of this ancient combat form now turned competitive sport.

The aggressive intensity and need for strength, agility and rapid response still remain but with the threat of death removed, the combatants now compete using their intellect to execute cunning attacks and skillful defenses.

Even though fencing is a team sport, I like the one-on-one nature of the competition. The anonymity created by fencing attire also adds a hint mystery and romance that I find appealing.

In a culture that celebrates hard-hitting, borderline-violent sporting competition, fencing doesn't enjoy the popularity of NFL football, or NBA basketball. However, fencing offers a level of fast-paced, offensive and defensive competition that can easily equal or exceed the excitement generated on a field or court.

The sport of fencing also embodies and promotes values of honor, fair-play and self-discipline, which are useful in every aspect of one's life.

Fencing is also an overlooked sport that can provide college scholarship opportunities. This sport can be an alternative for those students who don't have the size, speed or desire to risk injury playing traditional high-school sports.

So the next time you hear, "en garde," and see a couple of kids battling it out with sticks or toy swords, you might want to give the sport of fencing another look. Its all-around physical, mental, and character-building benefits can be enjoyed by you and your entire family.

Fencing: Steps To Success can teach you the highly technical sport of fencing, in nine cha...

Great Fencing Stuff on Amazon 

The Three Main Fencing Weapons 

* Foil - a light thrusting weapon; the valid target is restricted to the torso; double touches are not allowed.

* Épée - a heavy thrusting weapon; the valid target area covers the entire body; double touches are allowed.

* Sabre - a light cutting and thrusting weapon; the valid target area includes almost everything above the waist (excluding the back of the head and the hands); double touches are not allowed.

Fencing Video: Basic Footwork 

Sport Fencing Foot Work Part 1

Video produced in the 1980s. See all Videos at www.FencingAcademy-Tampa.org This video segment produced by the US Fencing Association Coaches College in the 1980s. Coaches College and Duke University Head Fencing Coach, Maestro Alex Beguinet demonstrates (more)

Runtime: 5:10 | 14373 views | 15 Comments

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Fencing Fun Facts List 

• Famous fencing masters include the philosopher Rene Descartes and the explorer, Sir Richard Burton (not the actor).
• Other famous fencing enthusiasts include:
  
  Winston Churchill ("public" schools foil champ)
  General George Patton
  President Theodore Roosevelt
  Neil Diamond
  Bruce Dickinson (of Iron Maiden)
  Ezra Pound (poet)
  Alexandre Dumas (author of the Three Musketeers)
• Although the electricity used to score fencing bouts is very safe (about 500 milliamps), a Hungarian fencer is reported to have electrocuted himself by stepping barefoot onto a copper fencing strip that was accidentally grounded to the wall socket.
• Fencers show the greatest leg strength for a given muscle size of any Olympic athlete.
• Fencers develop very strong hand-eye reflexes as evidenced by tests administered to athletes.
• Not surprising is the fact that many of the ballet positions are derived from fencing. These movements were used in 17th century dances at the French court because they were easy to learn and the combination of strength and grace were appealing.
• The plot of the film "The Duellists" by Ridley Scott, based on a story by Conrad, is, in turn, based very closely upon on a real rivalry during the Napoleonic wars.

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Fencing DVD Men's Epee World Championships Leipzig 2005

Men's Epee Leipzig, Germany:
2005 World Championsh more...1 point

Men's Epee Leipzig, Germany:
2005 World Championships

Two unbeatable fencers collide in the individual finals, Pavel Kolobkov (Rus) versus Fabrice Jeannet (Fra). Both are prior World Champions, but Kolobkov (2004 Olympic Bronze) is returning from a year with few competitions -- can he overcome Jeannet's momentum? Team final: Germany brings its A-Team to meet France's overwhelming combination of Eric Boisse and the Jeannet brothers. With commentary by Alex Ripa and Paul Soter.

Featured fencing...1 point

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Mens Budget cotton foil/epee/sabre back zip fencing jacket

For club classes or beginners. Do not be misled by more...0 points

For club classes or beginners. Do not be misled by the tag "budget". This is a full quality jacket, made of 100% cotton, a strong canvas. It is durable and will server many generations of starters. Constructed according to USFA regulations with a double ply front and both sleeves double-ply as well, it has a back zip so that it works for both lefties and righties, and an adjustable groin strap. Don't be put of by the off-white color. It is a fine jacket, built specifically for beginner...0 points

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Fencing: Techniques of Foil, Epee and Sabre by Brian Pitman

This guide to fencing includes over 100 action pho more...0 points

This guide to fencing includes over 100 action photographs, demonstration sequences, and line drawings to help the reader put its advice into practice. It introduces the weapons and clarifies the rules governing them, explains the basics of the grip and the on-guard position, covers the strokes used in attack and defense, and explores tactics in depth.0 points

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BMV Quantum Subliminal CD: Improve Fencing Skills- Fencer Sword Mastery (Sabre Foil Epee) - Athletic Sports Peak Performance Athlete Fencing Training Mind Program with NLP, Brainwave Entrainment Technology and Ultrasonic Ultra-Silent Subliminal Programmin

CREATE POSITIVE RESULTS using this state-of-the-ar more...0 points

CREATE POSITIVE RESULTS using this state-of-the-art BMV QUANTUM SUBLIMINAL CD. Powerful affirmations, hypnotic suggestions and thousands of positive subliminal messages program your subconscious mind for positive lasting results. The first 3 tracks contain ocean sounds with embedded subliminal messages, brainwave entrainment and ultrasonic subliminals. All you consciously hear is the sound of soothing ocean waves. Track 4 is the ULTRASONIC ULTRA-SILENT SUBLIMINAL TRACK with no ocean sounds at al...0 points

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2004 Epee: London World Cup

Footage from the final 4 of the 2004 Epee Club Tro more...0 points

Footage from the final 4 of the 2004 Epee Club Trophy event held in London. This DVD features the following bouts: Semi-final bouts Rota (ITA) vs. Robatsch (AUT) - Picked up at 8-5. Moerch (NOR) vs. Martinelli (ITA) Final Match Robatsch (AUT) vs. Martinelli (ITA) This DVD is similar in editing and replays to the 2002 Men's Epee World championships DVD. This DVD includes slow motion replays and indicators superimposed on the screen to show which fencer scored. edited by Jose Cavazos0 points

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Reader Feedback 

jackclee Great lens. Here is my squidbook on the art of epee fencing - http://www.squidoo.com/epee_fencing_1 -Jack Posted June 04, 2008

joshel Nice site Posted May 04, 2008

Showpup Oh how I wish I had somewhere near me where I could take fencing lessons!! Posted April 28, 2008

LeslieBrenner I've always been fascinated by fencing and wanted to learn. Posted April 24, 2008

GramaBarb Thank you for the link to curling! Great lens! Posted April 18, 2008

 

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