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The modern épée derives from the 19th-century épée de combat, [1] a weapon which itself derives from the French small sword. [2] As a thrusting weapon, the épée is similar to a foil (contrasted with a sabre, which is designed for slashing). It has a stiffer blade than a foil. It is triangular in cross-section with a V-shaped groove called ...
Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. [1] The three disciplines of modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also saber); each discipline uses a different kind of blade, which shares the same name, and employs its own rules.
A foil is one of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. It is a flexible sword of total length 110 cm (43 in) or under, rectangular in cross section, weighing under 500 g (18 oz), with a blunt tip. [1] As with the épée, points are only scored by making contact with the tip. The foil is the most commonly used weapon in fencing. [2]
Virtually all high level foil fencers use a pistol grip; in épée, both types are used. Both kinds of grip optimize hitting with the point of the sword (a 'thrust'), which is the only way to score a touch with a foil or épée. There are a number of grips which are no longer common or are currently illegal in competitive fencing.
The president (referee or director) then stops the bout and reviews the relevant phases of the action, polling the judges at each stage to determine whether there was a touch, and (in foil and sabre) whether the touch was valid or invalid. The judges answer "Yes", "Yes, but off-target" (in foil and sabre), "No", or "Abstain".
The entire weapon is generally 105 cm (41 in) long; the maximum weight is 500 g (18 oz), but most competition swords are closer to 400 g (14 oz). It is shorter than the foil or épée, and lighter than the épée, hence physically easier to move swiftly and decisively.
212 fencing quota places, with an equal distribution between men and women, were available for Paris 2024, similar to the Tokyo 2020 roster size. Qualified NOCs could enter a maximum of eighteen fencers (nine per gender), with each consisting of a trio, whether men's or women's, across all weapon-based team events (foil, épée, and sabre).
Fighting with shield and sword developed in the Bronze Age; bladed weapons such as the khopesh appeared in the Middle Bronze Age and the proper sword in the Late Bronze Age. The first historical evidence from archaeology of a fencing contest was found on the wall of a temple within Egypt built at a time dated to approximately 1190 B.C. [ 11 ]