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The first known English use of fence in reference to Renaissance swordsmanship is in William Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor, (act i, scene 1), "with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence," , [8] and later, (act 2, scene 3) "Alas sir, I cannot fence" [9] the term "fencer" is used in Much Ado About Nothing, "blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not."
Mar 8, 2024 · In 1896, fencing was included in the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, with events featuring foil, sabre, and masters-only épée. Women’s fencing debuted in the 1900 Paris Olympics. This Olympic spotlight brought fencing to a wider audience and laid the foundation for its global success in the 20th century and beyond.
- Overview
- Early history
- Emergence of swordsmanship and weapons
fencing, organized sport involving the use of a sword—épée, foil, or sabre—for attack and defense according to set movements and rules. Although the use of swords dates to prehistoric times and swordplay to ancient civilizations, the organized sport of fencing began only at the end of the 19th century. For information on the art of Japanese sword f...
The earliest depiction of swordplay is a relief in the temple of Medīnat Habu, near Luxor in Egypt, built by Ramses III about 1190 bce. This relief must depict a practice bout or match, as the sword points are covered and the swordsmen are parrying with shields strapped to their left arms and are wearing masks (tied to their wigs), large bibs, and padding over their ears. Swordsmanship, as a pastime and in single combat and war, was also practiced widely by the ancient Persians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans as well as by the Germanic tribes.
The Romans brought sword combat to a highly systematic art that was taught to both their legions and their gladiators. Gladiators were trained in schools (ludi) by professional instructors (doctores). Beginners practiced with a wooden sword called a rudis. More-advanced training took place with weapons that were somewhat heavier than those used in actual combat.
From the time of the fall of Rome through the Middle Ages, the practice of sword fighting continued unabated, although sword training became less uniform and began to reflect the ideas of the individual masters-at-arms. At this time, schools of sword fighting also developed a somewhat unsavoury quality, attracting members from the criminal element of society who wanted to learn the skilled use of weapons. Many communities found that the only way to deal with this problem was to outlaw fencing schools within their boundaries. For example, in London in 1286 King Edward I passed an edict that decried “the most unheard-of villainies” perpetrated by swordsmen and threatened swift justice for teaching sword-related skills. Despite such laws, fencing schools flourished.
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Among the nobility of Europe during the Middle Ages, the adept handling of a sword was hindered by the use of armour, which was virtually the only means of protection. Swords were heavy and used primarily to broach the protective armour. With the introduction of gunpowder in the 14th century, however, armour fell into disuse (musket balls easily pierced the armour, rendering it ineffective in battle). The sword was still the only weapon that could be worn on the body for self-defense, but the demise of armour required that the wearer learn to manipulate a sword skillfully—a matter that grew to be of paramount importance both in times of war and in a gentleman’s daily life.
By the 15th century, guilds of fencing masters had been formed throughout Europe, the most notable of which was the Marxbrüder (the Association of St. Marcus of Löwenberg), which was granted letters patent by the Holy Roman emperor Frederick III in 1480. Early fencing methods as taught by the guilds were somewhat rough-and-tumble and included wrestling moves. The guilds jealously guarded their secret moves so that they could make use of the unexpected to defeat an enemy. Fencing was first supported in England by Henry VIII, who, sometime before 1540, granted letters patent to several fencing masters that allowed them to teach there. The early English style of fighting with a cutting sword and a buckler (a small shield worn on the free arm) ultimately gave way to the continental European rapier combat.
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The Italians discovered the effectiveness of the dexterous use of the point rather than the edge of the sword. By the end of the 16th century, their lighter weapon, the rapier, and a simple, nimble, and controlled fencing style, emphasizing skill and speed rather than force, had spread throughout Europe. Most of the wrestling tricks were abandoned, the lunge was developed and adopted, and fencing became established as an art.
The long rapier was beautifully balanced, excellent in attack, and superb for keeping an opponent at a distance, but it was too heavy for all the movements of combat. Defense when fighting with a rapier was effected by parrying with the left hand, which was protected by a gauntlet or cloak or equipped with a dagger. Opponents’ thrusts were often avoided by ducking or sidestepping.
Although he intended to prepare his students for real combat, he was the first fencing master to emphasise the health and sporting benefits of fencing more than its use as a killing art, particularly in his influential book L'École des armes (The School of Fencing), published in 1763. [15]
The sport of fencing made its Olympic debut in the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Initially, only men were allowed to compete in fencing events, with women’s fencing being introduced much later in the 1924 Paris Olympics. Since then, fencing has been a regular fixture in every edition of the Olympic Games ...
Nov 29, 2023 · The first fencing match is believed to have taken place in the Byzantine Empire during the late sixth century. Early fencing techniques were born out of military dueling strategies used in Egypt ...
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Dec 20, 2021 · The History of Fencing really started with the Greeks when they developed the first fencing schools, and created a number of different styles of swordsmanship which are still used today. 16th century Italian Fencing masters. In the 16th century, fencing masters in Italy developed the three styles of fencing that are still practiced today.
