In the broadest possible sense, fencing is the practice of armed combat involving cutting, stabbing or bludgeoning weapons directly manipulated by hand, rather than shot or thrown (in other words, swords, knives, pikes, bayonets, batons, clubs, and so on). In contemporary common usage, fencing tends to refer specifically to European-originated schools of swordsmanship and to the modern Olympic sport which has evolved out of them.

Also, stage fencing - the practice of representing sword-fights on stage or screen; academic fencing - a form of ritualised combat practiced by some German student fraternities.

For definitions of the fencing terminology used in this article, see the glossary.

Etymology
From fence - a shortening of the Middle English defens, from Latin defensum "thing protected or forbidden", from defendere "ward off, protect," from de- "from, away" + fendere "to strike, push". [1]

First used in writing as a verb in reference to swordsmanship by Shakespeare, in The Merry Wives of Windsor (1598): "Alas sir, I cannot fence." [2]


The emergence of modern fencing
See also Historical European Martial Arts 
Fencing can be traced at least as far back as Ancient Egypt. The earliest known depiction of a fencing bout, complete with practice weapons, safety kit, judges and a score-card, is a relief in a temple near Luxor built by Rameses III around 1190 BC. [3] The Greeks and Romans had systems of martial arts and military training that included swordsmanship, and fencing-schools and professional champions were known throughout medieval Europe, the earliest surviving record of Western techniques of fencing is the manuscript known as MS I.33, which was created in southern Germany A.D. 1300 and today resides at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. Throughout the Middle Ages, masters continued to teach systems for using the sword (together with other weapons and grappling) to noble and non-noble alike. The wearing of the sword with civilian dress (a custom that had begun in the late fifteenth century on the Iberian Peninsula) gradually gave rise to a new system of civilian swordsmanship based more on the thrust than on the cut, with the aim being to keep the adversary at a distance with the point, and slay him there. This gave rise to systems of using the sixteenth and seventeenth century rapier and the seventeenth and eighteenth century smallsword. Though swords ceased to be an article of everyday dress after the French Revolution, they continued to be used in warfare and to resolve disputes of honour in formal duels through the nineteenth century and into the twentieth.

Though antagonistic competition in fencing is as old as the art itself, the modern sport of fencing originated in the first Olympic games in 1896. The first few years of fencing as a sport were chaotic, with important rule disagreements among schools of fencing from different countries, notably the French and Italian schools. This state of affairs ended in 1913, with the foundation of the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE) in Paris. The stated purpose of the FIE is to codify and regulate the practice of the sport of fencing, particularly for the purpose of international competition. The foundation of the FIE is a convenient breaking point between the classical and the modern traditions of fencing.


Fencing philosophies
There are many different autonomous directions in contemporary fencing:


Sport fencing
Sports fencing is also known as Olympic fencing. This is the sort of fencing seen in most competitions (including the Olympic Games). It is conducted according to the rules laid down by the FIE (the international governing body), which are roughly based on the conventions of "practice" fencing developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (then a means of preparing for a duel). Due to technical developments and ideological disagreements, these rules are subject to frequent revisions and amendments.


Classical fencing
Classical fencing. This type of fencing generally attracts people who feel that contemporary sports fencing has strayed too far from its martial arts origins. A growing body of fencing masters continue to teach the more martial forms of the Classical period as handed down from their masters' masters. Some practitioners try to reconstruct old European systems of armed combat. Others only advocate a return to an earlier set of conventions in sport fencing, with some success.


Historical fencing
Historical fencing is a type of fencing based on the work of historical texts and traditions. Historical fencing can include longsword, single-handed cutting swords, pole arms, rapier and many other forms. Only a few fencing masters still exist who have been taught and continue to teach these weapons and techniques in an unbroken lineage (techniques being passed from master to student through the centuries).


Stage fencing
Stage fencing (l'escrime artistique) is a type of fencing that seeks to achieve the maximum theatrical impact. Fights are, generally, choreographed, and fencing actions are somewhat exaggerated. It is not an exclusive preserve of actors and stuntmen - some people do it as a hobby.


Academic fencing
Academic fencing is a German student tradition. In many ways, it is similar to sports fencing: the combat takes place in accordance with a strictly delineated set of conventions, it involves specially designed weapons and protective gear, and the ultimate goal is the development of personal character strength and team spirit. The difference is that the weapons have a sharp edge, and the loser is the first one to bleed.


SCA fencing
SCA fencing is the fencing conducted by members of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism), generally in a pre-1600s fashion while still using modern fencing safety gear, usually disguised to pass as period clothing.


The weapons
In both its modern and its classical guise, fencing consists of three different weapons: foil, épée and sabre. These three weapons had become standard by the late nineteenth century and all are represented at Olympic-level competition. Additionally, in classical academies, one will often find historical fencing weapons, such as canne, bâton, main-gauche or rapier and dagger, being taught.

Foil used to be the first weapon taught to beginners, because the techniques of foil teach, in abstract form, the fundamentals of fencing. Additionally, in the past, women were only allowed to fence foil, and the lightness of the weapon made it easier to handle for children. Today, while it is still adviseable to gain at least a fundamental grasp of foil before proceeding with either of the other two weapons, fencers, especially those who intend to fence sabre, often begin with any of the three weapons.


Anatomy of the weapons
While the weapons fencers use differ in size and purpose some basic parts of the weapon remain constant throughout the disciplines. The pommel, a weighted piece of metal at the end of the handle, known as a grip, that holds the blade and handle together while providing a counter-balance to the weight of the blade (in actual combat situations, the pommel could be used as a sort of bludgeon). The grip can be one of several types: French, Italian, pistol grip, and derivatives thereof.


French gripThe French grip is contoured to the curve of the hand and resembles in use the handles of most swords. Compared to the other primary grip used in modern sport fencing, the pistol grip, the French is thought to have greater speed and maneuverability, but lesser strength and stability. The French grip allows the fencer to "post", holding the grip towards the base, called the pommel, instead of correctly holding the weapon near the bell guard. This gives the fencer a longer and more deceptive range while lessening speed, manueverability, strength and stability.


Italian grip
The Italian grip is similar to the French with the addition of a metal bar through which the fingers slide; this grip has become largely antiquated due to the amount of torque it places on the wrist and is rarely used in modern fencing. Its few modern users say that it has most of the French grip's agility while possessing a slightly greater degree of stability.


Pistol grip
The pistol grip (otherwise known as the anatomical or orthopedic grip), originally developed for a nineteenth-century Belgian master who had lost fingers in a tram accident, contours entirely to one's hand and is held much like a pistol, hence the name. This grip became popular after World War II when it was used by returned soldiers missing fingers. There are several types of pistol grips, such as the basic Visconti (which is what most people refer to as a pistol grip), the American, Belgian, and Russian. The various pistol grips all provide a somewhat firmer hold for the user of the weapon than would be possible with the French grip. This endows the user with a more stable grip on the weapon. Advantage in comparison to a more traditional grip is largely based on correct form and execution of movements designed to overpower the opponent, using the fingers to manipulate the weapon instead of the slower forearm muscles.


Other grips
There are many offshoots of the French and pistol grips, some of which include the Spanish-offset which is much like a French grip with two orthopedic aids coming from the top and bottom.


Foil
The modern foil is descended from the training weapon for the small-sword, the common sidearm of the eighteenth-century gentleman. However, it has long since been altered to be similar in length to the épée (averaging 35" or 890 mm). (Rapier and even longsword foils are also known to have been used but they were very different in terms of weight and use.) It is a light weapon, with a tapered, flexible, quadrangular blade, that scores only with the point. In modern sport fencing, which makes use of electrical scoring apparatus, one must hit the opponent with the tip of the blade, with a force of at least 4.90 newtons (500 grams-force).

The valid target area at foil is limited, due to its origins in a time when fencing was practised with limited safety equipment. Hits to the face were dangerous, so the head was removed from valid target. The target was then further reduced to only the trunk of the body, where the vitals are located. A touch which lands on an invalid target stops the bout, but no point is scored.

During the 1980s, partly due of the introduction of the pistol grip, a technique was developed known as "flicking," a move with which the fencer whipped his/her blade in such a manner that it bent almost to a square angle in midair, the point hitting the opponent only afterwards. If executed properly, this move has the ability to bypass most classical parries, and to hit in unusual or difficult places (such as the back). This technique is contoversial, in that it departs from traditional, classical style fencing. To circumvent the flick, in 2005 the FIE changed the "depression timing" of the tip. This caused most "flick touches" to be no longer detected by the scoring machines, thus favouring more classical, straight thrusts.

Foil is often seen as the most "mental" of the three weapons. Its limited target area makes it difficult for the attacking fencer to score, so complicated attacks (or defenses against the same) must often be planned well in advance of the attack's actual delivery. Thus, many people compare foil fencing (or fencing generally) to a sort of physical chess match.


Épée
The modern épée is the closest weapon to an actual classical duelling weapon that is used in modern fencing, either descended from or inspired by the small sword as it had developed by the 18th Century. The épée is a long, straight and relatively heavy sword as compared to the foil, with a triangular or V-shaped, less flexible blade and a large, round, bell-shaped guard.

Like the foil, the épée is a point weapon. The reason for the large guard is that the hand is a valid target, as is the rest of the body. Since double-touches are a possibility — and, since there is no right-of-way (see below) — épée fencing tends to be more conservative in style than the other weapons. In electric fencing, in order for a point to register, one must hit the opponent with the point, registering at least 7.35 newtons (750 grams-force) of force. Classical fencers sometimes use a point d'arret, a three-pronged attachment that will actually catch the opponent's jacket.




Sabre
The modern sabre is descended from the classical northern Italian duelling sabre, a far lighter weapon than the cavalry sabre. The method and practice of sabre fencing is somewhat different from the other weapons, in that the sabre is an edged weapon. In modern electric scoring, a touch with the sabre, point, flat or edge, to any part of the opponent's valid target (head, torso, or arm) will register a hit.

Unlike foil and épée, in modern sport sabre, the crossover is not allowed. This rule change was made so that referees would not have to try to determine right of way when both fencers simply fleched, or ran at each other. However, recently some sabre fencers have been using a technique known as the "flying lunge", or "flunge" for short. This attack starts like a fleche, but the fencer pushes off from the ground, and flies forward. The legs almost cross at the high point of the jump, but then the front leg is brought forward to catch the fencer.

The target area originates from dueling sabre training. To attack the opponent's leg would allow him to "slip" that leg back and attack one's exposed arm or head given that the higher line attack will outreach the low line (there is a classic example of the leg slip in Angelo's Hungarian and Highland Broadsword of 1790). The target area is from the waist up excluding the hands. Right-of-way applies, much as it does to foil.

A common misconception concerning the origin of sabre's target area is that the legs are removed as targets due to sabre's origin as a cavalry weapon. Essentially, the legs of a horseman were not a valid target in war, since cutting the leg of a man riding a horse would not stop that man from continuing his charge. This myth has largely been refuted and several older texts demonstrate low sabre parries to protect the mount's flanks and the fencer's legs. For more information on this topic consult Christoph Amberger's book "A Secret History of the Sword".


Right of way
The "right of way" principle in foil and sabre is that the first person to properly execute an attack has priority. An "attack" is defined inconsistently by modern fencing directors: most use a newer definition which sees one fencer extending his or her arm as an attack, but a few still adhere to the classical principle that an attack is not established until the arm is fully extended. Either way, if one is attacked, one must defend oneself before counterattacking -- rather than attempting to hit one's opponent even at the risk of being hit oneself. This is the basic principle of right-of-way. Attacks can be made to fail either by bad luck, misjudgement or by action on the part of the defender. A properly executed parry (deflecting the incoming attack with one's own blade) causes priority to change and the defender has the opportunity to attack (riposte). The original attacker must parry the defender's riposte before attacking again. However, if the parry is ineffectual (malparry), if the riposte misses, or the defender hesitates before riposting, the attacker can continue his attack (this can be called a remise, a reprise or a redoublement) without himself parrying. None of these actions (remise, reprise or redoublment) has the right of way so if the defending fencer hesitates that will be called a counterattack and will receive the touch.

For instance, if one fencer attacks, and the other immediately counter-attacks into the attack, and each hits the other, the first fencer's attack is considered successful, while the second is considered to have misjudged. If, however, the second fencer parried the first attack and then responded with an attack of his own (or if he had counter-attacked and managed to avoid being touched), they would have taken the right of way away from the first fencer. It would then be incumbent on the first fencer to defend him - or her - self.

When electrical scoring equipment is used in the modern sports of foil and sabre, (there is electrical epee scoring as well) both fencers will register a hit if they contact within a certain time of each other. Then the referee must decide who had right of way at the time of the hits, and therefore who gets a point. If the referee cannot tell, then he will declare the touches null, and restart the bout from where it stopped.

Double hits are possible in épée as well, but only if both fencers contact within a very short timeframe (40 milliseconds, or 1/25th of a second). In this case, both fencers will receive a point.

Right-of-way in foil and sabre exists to force the fencers to fence in a manner consistent with sharp-weapon fencing. A fencer being attacked with a sharp weapon would not be very likely to simply launch a simultaneous attack in hopes of splitting the "point" (thus killing both fencers). Instead, fencers attacked with a sharp weapon would be likely to ensure their own safety with a good defense before counterattacking.


Protective clothing
The clothing which is worn in modern fencing is made of tough cotton or nylon. Kevlar was previously used but found insufficiently durable. The complete fencing kit includes the following items of clothing:

Form-fitting jacket, covering groin and with strap (croissard) which goes between the legs 
Half jacket (plastron) which goes underneath the jacket and provides double protection on the sword arm side and upper arm. It is required not to have a seam in the armpit, which would line up with the jacket seam and provide a weak spot. 
Glove, with a cuff that prevents swords going up the sleeve and causing injury, as well as protecting the hand and providing a good grip 
Breeches (knickers)These are a pair of pants. The legs are supposed to hold just below the knee. 
Knee-length socks, which cover the rest of the leg. 
Mask, including bib which protects the neck 
Plastic chest protector, mandatory for female fencers to provide protection for the breasts. While male versions are also available, they were until recently primarily worn by instructors, who are hit far more often during training than their students; since the change of the depression timing (see above), these are increasingly popular in foil and épée, for they protect the users chest better than the plastron. Plastrons are still mandatory though. 
Traditionally, the uniform is white in colour, to assist the judges in seeing touches scored (black being the traditional colour for masters). However, recently the FIE rules have been relaxed to allow coloured uniforms. The colour white might also be traced back to times before electronic scoring equipment, when the blades were sometimes covered in soot or coloured chalk to make a mark on the opponent's clothing.

Fencing Masters wear a heavier protective jacket. This is so they are not hurt while a student is still learning. 
Sometimes in practice masters wear a protective sleeve, or a leg leather which guards their fencing arm or legs. This is used primarily in épée and sabre. 

The practice of fencing
Fencing takes place on a strip, or piste, with two fencers facing one another. In modern fencing, the piste is between 1.5 and 2 meters wide, and 14 meters long. There are designated points on the fencing strip; there is the en-garde line (this is where the fencers start), the center line, the two meter warning lines and the end of the strip. Prior to starting a bout it is required for fencers to salute each other as well as the director. Fencers technically must also salute the audience, but this is often not enforced. Some fencers choose to salute various other things (e.g. God). The fencer's salute has traditionally consisted of the blade going vertically before the fencer saluting with the bell guard at face level and back to en garde position, however, in recent fencing, a great deal of variance has emerged, with some fencers merely raising the blade toward their salutee, while others have incorporated elaborate motions, such as flourishes or crossing motions. Opponents start in the middle of the piste, 4 metres apart, in the en garde position.

A referee (formerly called president of jury, or director) presides over the contest, called a "bout." The referee's duties include keeping score, keeping time (sabre is usually fenced untimed because it moves very quickly), keeping track of right-of-way, awarding points and maintaining the order of the bout. Often, another person will keep score or time. He or she stands on one side of the piste, watching the bout.

There are many types of modern fencing bouts, but in the two most common formats, the first fencer to score either 5 or 15 touches is declared the winner.

Modern fencing also includes the addition of cards/flags (or penalties). In foil and sabre, yellow cards are awarded for bodily contact between opponents - the penalty going to the aggressor. Two yellow cards equals one red card, and a touch for the opponent. Black cards can mean disqualification and are given out for overtly aggressive actions such as beating one's opponent with the pommel of the sword as well as breaches of protocol such as failure to salute.

It is also possible to fence "in the round," meaning that the bout takes place in a circular or square area instead of on a strip, and fencers can circle in addition to moving forward or backward. This style of fencing is mostly practised today by the SCA and does not exist in FIE tournaments.


Footwork
The most commonly used footwork is the advance and retreat. Other types of footwork include the cross-advance and cross-retreat.

Generally, feet are placed a shoulder-width apart at right angles to each other. The front foot (the right foot for a right-handed fencer, the left foot for a left-handed fencer) faces the opponent, and the back foot faces to the left (or to the right for a left-handed fencer). The fencer's knees should be slightly bent to allow for more mobility. The feet are reversed if one is left-handed. This allows for fairly easy advances and retreats, while allowing the side of the torso to face the opponent. This makes one's target area less open to attack by the opponent. This is called the en garde, or on-guard, position.

To execute an advance, the front foot is moved forward, landing with the heel and rolling forward. Then the back foot is raised and moved forward so that the fencer returns to the en garde position. The process is reversed for a retreat. During this process, the back foot does not move forward of the front. However, in a cross-advance (also known as a cross-step advance or crossover advance), the back foot moves forward of the front, and then the front foot is moved forward so that the fencer returns to the en garde position. The reverse is called a cross-retreat. These steps allow the fencer to gain or close distance more quickly, but it is not as stable or as versatile as a standard advance or retreat.

Variations and portions of the above movements can also be used by themselves. For example, a check-step forward is performed by moving the back foot as in a retreat, then performing an entire advance. This maneuver can trick your opponent into thinking you are retreating, when in reality you want to close distance.

Other footwork actions include the appel (French for "call"), which is a stomp of the front foot; and the jump (also know as a balestra), which is a small jump forward used in conjunction with a variety of attacks.

Good footwork is essential to the performance of a fencer. Although fencing is the sport of bladework, it is very much a game of distance, and having superior footwork can easily determine the outcome of a bout. Even expert fencers almost always include a session of footwork drills in their practice sessions, some more so than bladework exercises.


Electronic scoring equipment
Electronic scoring is used in all major national and international, and most local, sport competitions. (Classical fencing does not use such devices, as classical fencers feel that such devices hurt the practice of the art.) The electrical scoring system requires additional clothing for foil and sabre: Foil fencers wear a conducting vest, called a lamé, which covers the torso and groin. Sabre fencers wear a conducting jacket (also called a lamé), mask, and a special sabre glove or manchette that goes over a regular glove, which is conducting up to but not exceeding the wrist. Fencers used to wear a gauntlet (wrist/forearm cuff) before the weapon hand became off-target. In both weapons, the fencers' weapons are also wired. When a fencer scores a touch on an opponent, this completes an electric circuit which turns on a light and an audible alarm to notify the referee that a touch has been scored. The referee observes the fencers and the scoring machine to determine which fencer has the right-of-way.

In épée and foil, the fencers carry special weapons with compressible tips. When a touch is scored, the tip of the weapon compresses, completing a circuit and signalling a touch. In foil fencing, the competitors wear special conductive vests covering the target area, called lamés, that allow a "valid" circuit to be completed, and a coloured light (usually red or green) turns on. If the touch lands off of the valid target area, an "off target" circuit is completed, and a white light turns on. In épée fencing, since target area is the entire body, the fencers do not wear special conductive clothing. In both, the strip itself must be grounded, to prevent a touch from scoring when the tip of a weapon hits the strip (as opposed to striking the opponent's toe, for example). In epee it is illegal to strike the floor next to the strip to make the light go on since the floor is not grounded out. This action would receive a yellow card.

Fencers connect their weapons to the scoring apparatus via a bodywire, which is threaded from a socket in the guard of the weapon, up the sleeve of the jacket and down to the waist. A spring-loaded spool of cable, placed at the end of the piste, then connects to this bodywire. The springs in the spool ensure that the wiring extends taut from the fencer's waist to the rear of the piste, and doesn't interfere with the fencer's movements. The same effect is sometimes produced by a series of overhead wires connected by elastic instead of a spool on the ground.

The electronic scoring system caused an unexpected side effect in foil: touches can be scored by using the blade like a whip and depressing the tip on the back and other obscured target areas on an opponent. The FIE recently adopted rules intended to remove this anomaly by changing how long the tip must be held on a valid target. The rule changes have been controversial, primarily on two accounts: some argue that "flicks" or "whip-hits" are a valid method of scoring a touch, and others contend that the changes cause scoring anomalies where touches which have obviously landed do not register. If their intention was to remove the flick, they have been only partly successful, as they are still possible, albeit more difficult. However, there has also been recent speculation that the change in depression timing was a direct result of the ambiguity of Right of Way. Changing the times and removing the flick makes it easier for referees to have less ambiguity in their decisions.

Recently, reel-less gear has been adopted for sabre at top competitions, including the Athens Olympics. In this system, which dispenses with the spool, the lights to indicate touches are mounted on the fencers' mask. FIE regulations prohibit the use of transmitters in official scoring equipment to prevent cheating; however, extension lights may be wirelessly connected to the fencers so long as the wired lights (on the fencers themselves) remain the official indicators. Plans for reel-less épée and foil have not yet been adopted.

Whenever possible, organizers use a metal mesh or panels to electrically ground the piste, although this is not always possible for small competitions. Each competitor's coquille (hand guard) is always grounded, as it is often hit when trying to strike at an opponent's hand. This allows the scoring apparatus to ignore touches on both items.

Electronic scoring was introduced to épée in 1936, to foil in 1957, and to sabre in 1988.


Non-electronic scoring
Prior to the introduction of electronic scoring equipment, the president of jury was assisted by four judges. Two judges were positioned behind each fencer, one on each side of the strip. The judges watched the fencer opposite to see if he was hit.

When a judge thought he saw a hit, he raised his hand. The president (referee or director) then stopped the bout and reviewed 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. Each judge had one vote, and the president had one and a half votes. Thus, two judges could overrule the president; but if the judges disagreed, or if one judge abstained, the president's opinion ruled.

Épée fencing was later conducted with red dye on the tip, easily seen on the white uniform. As a bout went on, if a touch was seen, a red mark would appear. Between the halts of the director, judges would inspect each fencer for any red marks. Once one was found, it was circled in a dark pencil to show that it had been already counted. The red dye was not easily removed, preventing any cheating. The only way to remove it was through certain acids such as vinegar. Thus, épée fencers became renowned for their reek of vinegar until the invention of electronic equipment.


National governing bodies
France In France, the sport of fencing is governed by the Federation Francaise d'Escrime (FFE). The organization's website is located here: Federation Francaise d'Escrime.

Hungary In Hungary, the sport of fencing is governed by the Magyar Vívószövetség (MVSz). The organization's website is located here: Magyar Vívószövetség

New Zealand

In New Zealand, the sport of fencing is governed by Fencing New Zealand (FeNZ)

Mexico

In Mexico, the sport of fencing is governed by the Federacion Mexicana de Esgrima (FME). Clubs affiliate to each state's association, who are affiliated with the FME.

United States

In the United States, the sport of fencing is governed by the United States Fencing Association (USFA).

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, fencing is governed by the British Fencing Association (BFA). The 'Home Nations' of Wales, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own governing bodies under the auspices of the BFA: Welsh Fencing, England Fencing, the Northern Ireland Fencing Union and Scottish Fencing respectively.


Collegiate fencing
Colligiate fencing has existed for a long time in the US. Some of the earliest programs came from the Ivy League schools, but now there are over a hundred fencing programs nation wide. Both clubs and varsity teams participate in the sport, however only the varsity teams may participate in the NCAA championship tournament. Due to the lack of schools in fencing, the teams actually fence inter-division (teams from Division III schools to Division I), and all divisions participate in the NCAA Championships. In 2005 Notre Dame edged out Ohio State to win the championship.

Collegiate fencing tournaments are "team tournaments" in a sense, but contrary to what many people expect, collegiate meets are not run as 45-touch relays. Schools compete against each other one at a time. In each weapon and gender, three fencers from each school fence each other in five-touch bouts. (Substitutions are allowed, so more than three fencers per squad can compete in a tournament.) A fencer's individual results in collegiate tournaments and regional championships are used to select the fencers who will compete in NCAA championships. Individual results for fencers from each school are combined to judge the school's overall performance and to calculate how it placed in a given tournament.

List of NCAA Fencing Schools 
List of club-level US collegiate fencing programs 

High school fencing
The practice of competitive fencing on the high school level is considered a small, local sport of the North Eastern region of the United States, particularly in New Jersey. The majority of schools in these areas do not have fencing programs, and it is traditionally run at only some schools. The sport of fencing is considered rather costly on the high school level, as many competetive high school teams are of private academies, who strive to excel at the sport through use of recruiting programs and talent scouts.

Instead of fencing for a school at this level, most fencers choose to fence for a club, and may only fence at a school part time.


Notable modern fencers and fencing masters
Christian d'Oriola, 4 times world champion, 2 olympic titles plus many team titles 
Aladar Gerevich - Hungarian sabreur who is the only athlete to win the same Olympic event six times. 
Sergei Golubitsky, World foil champion three consecutive times 
Pavel Kolobkov, Russian World Champion and Olympic Champion 
Viktor Krovopouskov - a Soviet sabreur, four-time Olympic Gold medalist 
Edoardo Mangiarotti of Italy has won more Olympic titles and World championships than any other fencer in the history of the sport. 
Aldo Nadi, gold and silver medallist in the 1920 Summer Olympic Games, well-known fencing master, and author of the classic texts, On Fencing and "The Living Sword". 
Nedo Nadi, Aldo's brother and winner of 6 Olympic Gold medals 
Vladimir Nazlymov - Soviet sabre fencer/coach, 10-time world champion, three-time Olympic Team Gold medallist (1968, 1976, 1980). Twice named the world's best sabre fencer by the International Fencing Federation. Currently, head fencing coach of The Ohio State University fencing team. 
Boris Onishchenko, Russian modern pentathlete, individual silver medallist and team gold medallist in 1972, disqualified in 1976 for using a rigged weapon. 
Mark Rakita - a Soviet sabreur, Olympic Gold medalist, David Tyshler's pupil and a highly successful coach in his own right (pupils include Victor Krovopouskov and Victor Sidjak) 
Alexander Romankov 
Italo Santelli, the fencing master who revolutionized sabre fencing with the "Hungarian" style in the 1920s. 
Giorgio Santelli, Italo's son, founder of the Santelli salle in New York City, coach to 5 U.S. Olympic teams, legendary fencing teacher, Olympic gold medallist. 
Viktor Sidjak - a Soviet sabreur, four-time Olympic Gold medalist 
László Szabó, the Hungarian master who defined a system for developing coaches and wrote the defining Fencing and the Master, the only direct student of the legendary Italo Santelli to write of what he learned. Teacher of Olympic and World champions. 
David Tyshler - a member of the first generation of internationally successful Soviet fencers, best known for his achievements as a coach, one of the great theorists of the Soviet school of fencing 
Imre Vass, who authored the definitive guide to épée fencing 
Bela Valter, Hungarian master and Olympic coach 
Francis Zold (1904-2003), Hungarian fencing master and a legendary promoter and teacher of fencing in the post-war US; a student of Italo Santelli, he served as captain of the Hungarian fencing team at the London Olympics in 1948. He emigrated to the United States following the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956 and worked as a fencing coach at a number of colleges and universities, including the University of Southern California and Pomona College in Claremont, CA. He died in 2003 at the age of 99. 
Péter Fröhlich, Hungarian master and Olympic coach 

Notable United States fencers and fencing masters
Albert Axelrod, bronze medallist in the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Foil 
Daniel Bukantz, Olympian U.S. Foil Fencer 
Gay Jacobsen D'Asaro, 1976, 1980 Olympian U.S. Women's Foil Fencer (now Gay MacLellan) 
Michael D'Asaro Sr. 
Csaba Elthes, legendary coach to 6 U.S. Olympic teams, immigrated from Hungary 
Fred Linkmeyer 
Michael Marx 
Helene Mayer 
Sharon Monplasir 
Sada Jacobson, bronze medallist in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Sabre; first American female to be ranked #1 in the world, and only the second American ever to be ranked #1 
Ed Korfanty, U.S. National women's sabre team coach, formerly Polish national coach, coach to 7 x Jr. World Sabre Champion Mariel Zagunis, 2004 Cadet Sabre champion, Caitlan Thomas, U.S. World Champion sabre team of Chris Becker, Mariel Zagunis, Sada Jacobson, Nicole Mustilli. Coach to 2004 Olympic Gold medallist Mariel Zagunis. 2003 World Veterans Champion in Men's sabre. 
George S. Patton, General and U.S. Army Master of the Sword. Designer of the M1913 Cavalry Saber. 1912 Stockholm Olympics in the first modern pentathlon competition (Ranked 1st in fencing - 8th overall). 
Janice Romary, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968 Olympian U.S. Foil Fencer 
Keeth Smart, first American to be ranked #1 in the World, member of 2004 gold medal US Men's Sabre team at World Cup 
Peter Westbrook, bronze medallist in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, 13-time US National Men's Sabre Champion, author of Harnessing Anger, founder of the Peter Westbrook Foundation, teaching and helping youth through sport. 
Mariel Zagunis, gold medallist in the first ever Women's Sabre event at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Sabre; first American woman to win gold; first American to win gold since 1904 

Notable classical or historical fencers and fencing masters
Camillo Agrippa 
Miguel Andrade Gomes - Portugal 
David Achilleus 
Keith Beattie 
Alberto Bomprezzi 
Adam A. Crown 
René Descartes 
Nick Evangelista 
William Gaugler 
Neville Gawley 
Sean Hayes 
Tom Leoni 
Paul MacDonald 
Ramon Martinez 
Andrea Lupo Sinclair 
Chris Umbs