Bermuda Community Online - Bermuda Fencing Federation

Fencing
by Harry Medway, age 12
Member of the Company Section, 1st Company Bermuda Boys Brigade

What is fencing? Fencing is a partially dangerous sport where you use blunted swords to, depending on the styles, poke or slash your opponent.

Foil Fending - This style of fencing uses what is called the regular stance. For right-handed people that means feet 1 stride apart, right foot pointing forward, knees slightly bent, right hand thrust out and forward (as if holding a foil, in line with your right leg and your left arm curved and raised up behind you for balance. If you’re left handed (like me) it’s the exact opposite. You would use a thin, rectangular blade with a button on the end. When the button is pushed down a point is scored. Your target is only the torso.

Saber fencing - This is a style using a triangular blade. The object is to slash at your opponent to score a point. I have tried this type of fencing only once, this is because if you get hit hard it can cause major pain!

Epee fencing - A style like foil fencing but instead of only the torso as the target the whole body is. With the epee the point and the side way are used to attack. In tournaments there are of usually 5 ‘touches’ to 1’ bout’. A ‘touch’ is a point scored by slashing or poking the opponent. A ‘bout’ is a round or fight with an opponent. The place where a bout takes place is called the strip, it’s about 14’ long and has a dividing line across the middle of it.

Other protective gear: Gloves – white, gauntlet type gloves, made of leather. Helmet – wire mesh over the front and material at the back, covers the whole face. Jacket – to protect the body/torso. Thick, heavy material, with a strap that goes under the legs

I like this sport because I have always been interested in sword play and I am good at it. The hardest thing is trying to score points off your opponents and some of the drills are tiring. However, there are various levels of players at my club, adults as well as other kids. It’s fun to meet my friends there and to verse different people each week.