Winning at Épée: Techniques for the Shorter Fencer is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.
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Winning at Épée: Techniques for the Shorter Fencer available on Amazon NOWRead More »
Robin Catling
In the highly technical sport of Modern Olympic Fencing, stepping up from the club to competition can seem a daunting, baffling prospect – but no longer.
This newcomer’s guide sets out the requirements, formats, rules, etiquette and the all-important technical language. All you need to take your first steps into competition without looking like a wide-eyed novice.
Ideal for the club fencer, parents of fencers or partners of fencers, the Newcomers’ Guide is based on thirty years experience from a competitor and coach.
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 4183 KB
Print Length: 192 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Proactivity Press; 1 edition (12 July 2020)
Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
Language: English
ASIN: B08CVNQNYB
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Paperback: 150 pages
Publisher: Proactivity Press (13 July 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1916119425
ISBN-13: 978-1916119420
Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 0.9 x 22.9 cm
by Robin Catling:
The epée (pronounced “ep-pay” – literally meaning “sword” in French) is the descendant of the duelling weapons such as rapier, side-sword and court sword. Heavier than the foil, weighing approximately 27 ounces, the epée has a stiffer, thicker blade with a triangular cross-section, and a larger guard. What gives epée fencing it’s character is the unrestricted target and the absence of ‘priority’ rules. …
There are three weapons in modern fencing, each with different rules and target areas:
• Foil is the foremost training weapon
• Epée is descended from the a duelling weapon
• Sabre is a former cavalry weapon
Foil: Descended from the 18th century smallsword, the foil has a thin, flexible blade with a square cross-section and a small bell guard. Hits are scored with the point on the torso of the opponent, including the groin and back. Foil technique emphasizes strong defence and the killing attack to the body.
Epée: Similar to the duelling swords of the mid-19th century, épées have stiff blades with a triangular cross-section, and large bell guards. Hits are scored with the point anywhere on the opponent’s body. Unlike foil and sabre, there are no right-of-way rules to decide which attacks have precedence, so double hits are possible. Épée technique emphasizes timing, point control, and a good counter-attack.
Sabre: Descended from duelling sabres of the late 19th century, which were in turn descended from naval and cavalry swords, sabres have a light, flat blade and a knuckle guard. Hits can be scored with either the point or the edge of the blade anywhere above the opponent’s waist. Sabre technique emphasizes speed, feints, and strong offense.
The Epée, like the foil, is a point-only weapon. Unlike foil and sabre, the entire body is target in Epée, and there are no right-of-way rules. Whoever hits first scores; if both fencers hit at the same time, both score.
The Epée is the heavier than the foil or sabre, weighing up to 770 grams (1.7 lbs).
The blade is the same length as the foil, but has a V-shaped cross-section. The hand-guard is circular, but larger and deeper than the foil guard, in order to more fully protect the hand.
Target area: for Epée, descended from the duelling weapon where ‘anything goes’ – whole body (shown in red)
The respective target area for each weapon reflects its’ origins:
