A collection of knowledge about fencing. About fencing. M, L or XL - the “correct” sword sizes

Noble, beautiful, intellectual, theatrical, psychological, romantic - in a word, the most best sport. Children understand this best of all.

Fencing is one of the types of martial arts that uses sporting weapon. The ability to wield a weapon allows you to equalize the strengths of people of different physical fitness and complexion.

In fencing, the decisive factor in victory is the ability to think outside the box and the ability to navigate a rapidly changing situation. During the fight, the fencer instantly makes many independent decisions.

Fencing teaches you to control your emotions, forces the impulsive and hot-tempered to pull themselves together, and the shy and reserved to take certain risks that are difficult to take in everyday life.

Fencing is a creative sport that allows the individual to develop freely. There are no ready-made recipes in it. There are only notes, and the music is composed by the athlete himself.

The high emotional background of training makes it easy to endure physical exercise, thereby developing both special and general performance.

Politeness, gallantry, respect for the enemy - this is a manner of behavior that fencing cultivates and supports, thanks to its inherent rituals of conducting fights. Before the start of the fight, fencers salute with their weapons, greeting the spectators, the judge and the opponent. And after the end of the fight there must be a handshake.

Fencing is an ancient sport. Through the centuries, romanticism, inspired by the nobility of the heroes of the works of Alexandre Dumas, and the best knightly traditions have reached us.

Fencing is huge interesting world. Opening it, you understand that it completely absorbs you, it is no longer possible to part with it - and it remains with you forever.

Fencing is the ability to inflict thrusts through attacks and defenses at certain points in the fight, using one's intelligence. A fencing match is very similar to a battle: it involves maneuvering, reconnaissance and camouflage, attack and defense.

In modern sport fencing There are three types of weapons - rapier, sword and saber. The differences between them are in the judging rules and the size of the affected surface

The weapon consists of a flexible steel blade with a tip, a guard with a soft pad, a handle and a nut.

The rapier blade has a tetrahedral cross-section, thinned towards the end, no more than 90 cm long, the guard diameter is from 9.5 to 12 cm. The length of the assembled rapier is no more than 110 cm and the weight is no more than 500 g.

The rapier is a piercing sporting weapon. Unlike other types of weapons, the rapier player's target surface is the smallest - the torso and neck. In the rules of foil fencing there is a priority, i.e. "tactical correctness" When giving an injection, you must have priority. For example, a rapier player has priority in attack. The opponent must first take the defense and only then will he have priority to retaliate. If the attacks are performed simultaneously, then the thrusts inflicted do not count.

A sword is also a piercing sporting weapon. The sword blade is more massive than the rapier blade and has a triangular cross-section. The total length of the sword is no more than 110 cm and the weight is no more than 770 g. The diameter of the guard is 13.5 cm. Epee fencers have the largest target surface for injections: almost the entire body from head to toe - torso, arms, legs, head. In sword fighting there is no factor of tactical correctness, i.e. Simultaneously inflicted injections are counted towards both opponents.

The saber has a triangular blade, the length of which is no more than 88 cm. The maximum length of the saber is 105 cm, weight no more than 500 g.

In fencing combat with sabers, it is allowed to deliver both chopping blows and thrusts. The affected surface is the head, arms and torso up to the waist line. In saber fencing, as in rapier fencing, the decisive factor in awarding a hit is “tactical correctness.”

Modern fencing combat is carried out using electrical equipment to record shots.

The device signals the injection by the athlete by lighting lamps of different colors. If the athlete has injected, the lamp on the device on his side lights up. In rapier and saber fencing, only thrusts made into the target surface are considered valid. Valid injections are marked by lighting colored lamps (red or green), and invalid ones by a white lamp. When the colored and white lamps are lit at the same time, this means that an invalid hit was made first, in which case the valid hit is not counted. In epee fencing, only colored lamps are lit. Since all hits are considered valid, each hit given is counted. When the lamps are lit on both sides simultaneously, each athlete is awarded a shot.

In Russia, interest in the “sword art” arose at the beginning of the 18th century. In 1701, in Moscow, Peter I organized a school of mathematical and navigational sciences, in the curriculum of which a compulsory subject, the so-called “rapier science,” was introduced for the first time. At the Maritime Academy of Sciences, opened in St. Petersburg in 1719, “rapier science” was also included in the curriculum. Later, gymnasiums were opened at Moscow and Kazan universities, where fencing was practiced. In Russia, the first fencing teachers were foreigners. But already in the first half of the 19th century, the number of fencing teachers in Russia increased significantly due to Russian masters, students of military educational institutions. Since 1860, the first competitions for the title of Russian Champion began to be held in Russia. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, a large number of printed works on fencing, the so-called “fencing manuals,” were published in Russia. At the same time, Russian fencers begin to participate in international tournaments.

Mensour fencing

A unique form of noble duel—mensour fencing—was common in Germany in the 16th century among young people, especially among students. (Mensurfechten - fencing in a confined space). Glasses with a metal mesh were put on the duelists' faces. The chest and neck were protected by a leather bib and a thick scarf. In their hands were prototypes of a saber - “schlagers” with sharpened ends. The opponents stood opposite each other and struck one by one, aiming for the only unprotected part of the body - the opponent's face. At the moment of fatigue or weakening of attention, one of the participants in the fight broke through the defense of his opponent, on whose face a cut wound appeared, and subsequently a scar remained in this place. As you know, scars adorn a man. As a result, both duelists left satisfied: the winner with a feeling of triumph, and the loser with a sign of courage on his face.

Surprisingly, to this day this type of fencing exists among students in Germany, which cannot be classified as either dueling or sports. IN modern form Mensur fencing (menzur) cannot be called a sport, since there are no winners or losers in it; and at the same time, this is not a duel, since controversial issues are not resolved here. Mensur does not exclude the possibility of injury, but is not the end in itself of causing it. In Germany, scale fencing is not prohibited by either the state or the church. The church's blessing was received in 1988, and the state lifted its ban in 1953, which had been in effect since 1933.

In today's regulations of mensur fencing it is written: "... the purpose of mensur is to develop courage and self-confidence, and the return of the medieval tradition is not proof of its reactionary tendencies, but only a tribute to the ancestors." As for the technique of wielding weapons and the rules of combat, a distinctive feature of the art of scale fencing until the middle of the 19th century was that it was mobile. The distance between the opponents was such that the fighters could only strike with a lunge. Everyone had the right to defend themselves not only with weapons, but also to use a slope (volt) in order to avoid a blow. The fight (duel) was carried out until the first blood of one of the participants. In 1850, new rules for conducting fights in scale fencing were developed. The distance was shortened and, instead of moving, fencing turned into static. Retreats and body tilts were prohibited. To protect against the blow, only weapons remained. But, as before, the battle continued until “first blood”, that is, characteristics dispute resolution.

Since then the rules have changed a little. The main difference is that the duration of the fight is now set. The fight can only end prematurely if one of the participants is wounded in the face. Due to modern materials, the protection of the entire upper shoulder girdle, including the neck, and only the face remained, as before, covered only with glasses with a metal mesh. The very nature of the fight changed; it lost its dueling orientation. Mensur fencing has since ceased to serve as a means of resolving disputes. Now this is a rite of passage into modern “knights”, a test of courage and perseverance. According to the new rules, opponents are prohibited from closing their eyes during the fight. The side judges are watching this closely. And if one of the fencers closes his eyes at the moment of defense from fear, the courage test is considered failed and the fight stops.

The weapon used by fencers is called a "schlager". In this case it is a “saber”, but if you allow yourself a free translation, then it can be called a “strike”, since in German it will be called exactly the same tennis racquet. In modern German, the word “saber” sounds almost the same as in Russian “sabel”. The Schläger is a heavy weapon. It is 3 times heavier than a modern sports saber.

Fencing is a noble, very beautiful, graceful and romantic sport. However, this is ancient martial arts, which is both beautiful and deadly. Fencing is a battle of characters, in which composure and nobility are not superfluous qualities. Today we will get to know this fascinating sport more closely and find out what fencing is, how and where it originated, what rules apply, what equipment is used, how competitions are held and whether Russia has succeeded in this matter. Fencing has distant roots, so let's start with them.

Historical excursion

Spain is considered to be the birthplace of fencing. It was here that something similar to modern art and the rapier originated. The world-famous Toledo blades were produced in Spain, which, being very light, had excellent strength characteristics. It was in this country, and later throughout Europe, that duels with edged weapons originated. It is believed that the first books discussing fencing were published in Spain. Men loved to fight with edged weapons, and women mastered fencing much later. Over time, the first fencing school appeared in the country. Italy, France and Germany were also not far behind. In the 1470s, a fencing teachers' corporation was established in Germany, and a fencing association was established in England.

By the beginning of the 18th century, several global schools had appeared. The main ones were the French and Italian fencing schools. It was they who gave the world the famous handles for bladed weapons.

In the 19th century, the formation of sports fencing began. And by the end of this century, the first competitions were organized, in their modern interpretation. In 1913, the International Fencing Federation was created, which in 1914 approved the rules of the fight. They still compete according to these rules. Today the International Fencing Federation includes more than a hundred national federations.

Fencing in Russia

Interest in the art of fencing first arose in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century. Peter I then made “Rapier Science” a compulsory subject for military and civilian institutions. In 1816, a fencing school was opened in St. Petersburg to train teachers and instructors. The fencing coach who emerged from its walls was considered a respected person. In 1834, rules for fencing with bayonets were developed in Russia. Gradually, schools began to be organized in other cities.

From 1899 to 1916, the St. Petersburg athletic community held a fencing championship once a year, in which all of Russia took part. Fencing of Russian masters on the international stage took place for the first time in 1910. One of Russian athletes then won third place. Two years into my career Russian fencers The first Olympics took place. After this, fencing began to develop at tremendous speed.

Later soviet school fencing will become one of the best in the world. In the 21st century, blade masters from Russia managed to win several dozen gold medals and break the records of the Soviet team. Today there is a fencing section in almost all cities.

Sports fencing

This sport combines three disciplines. The main difference between them is the type of weapon used. You can also fencing with a saber. the main objective sparring - to inject an opponent and protect yourself from his injections. The winner is the one who manages to be the first to carry out a certain number of attacks or achieve best results for a certain period of time.

Weapon

A fencing weapon consists of the following elements:

1. Blade.
2. Garda.
3. Pad.
4. Lever.
5. Screw.

There is a special tip at the tip of the blade. Weapons can be electrified or conventional. The electric weapon is connected via wiring to a device that records the injections. The wire runs under the athlete's clothing. The tip of such a weapon has a special button.

The total length of the sword does not exceed 110 cm, and the weight - 770 g. The blade has a length of 90 cm. The diameter of the guard is a maximum of 13.5 cm. The weapon is a piercing weapon. The flexible steel blade has a triangular cross-section.

The rapier differs from the sword in such parameters as: weight - up to 500 g; The diameter of the guard is up to 12 cm and the cross-section of the maple is tetrahedral. It makes fencing easier.

The saber has a length of no more than 105 cm. The length of the blade reaches a maximum of 88 cm. The weight of the saber is 0.5 kg. The saber refers to and has an elastic steel blade with a variable trapezoidal cross-section. The saber guard has a bow that connects it to the handle. The saber does not have a tip.

Target surface

In a sword fight, thrusts made with the tip of the blade into any part of the opponent’s body are counted. You cannot only hit the back of the head, which is not protected by a mask.

Now let's discuss the foil duel. In terms of rules, this is a more sophisticated fencing. A rapier in the hands of an athlete requires greater accuracy. In foil sparring, only thrusts to the opponent’s torso, both front and rear, count. Strikes to the head, arms and legs are prohibited. If the foil player delivers a thrust outside the allowed zone, the match is suspended and all strikes of this episode are not counted.

In a saber duel, it is allowed to make injections and blows to any part of the body that is above the waist, except the back of the head. If the saber fencer hits outside this zone, he does not receive points for the blow/thrust, but the fight continues.

In sparring between saber fencers and foil fencers, a thrust/blow delivered outside the permitted zone is sometimes counted. This happens if the athlete who is defending himself deliberately covered the affected part of the body with the unaffected one. For example, with the foot, which can often be found when watching non-professional fencing. The rules also prohibit deliberately touching conductive surfaces with a weapon, including your own suit, because this causes false operation of the electrical system.

Equipment

We continue to study fencing. What is a fencing costume? This is a white suit consisting of a jacket and knee-length trousers with suspenders. The jacket is called a tunic. A fencer's clothing is made of dense fabric that can withstand impacts of up to 800 Newtons. These suits are used on international competitions. For simple workouts A fabric that can withstand an impact force of 350 Newtons is quite sufficient.

Long white leggings and special shoes are put on the fencer's feet. It differs from simple sports shoes in that it has a flat sole, as well as a reinforced toe and heel. There are low and high models. The latter are used when there is a need to fix the ankle.

The mask is another important attribute, without which fencing cannot be imagined. What is face protection? This is an extremely important aspect in such a beautiful but harsh sport. A protective mask should not only cover the face from blows, but also not prevent the athlete from clearly seeing the opponent. Therefore, the mask has a metal mesh in the eye area. And a special metal collar protects the neck.

For epee fencers, the metal mesh is insulated with plastic impact-resistant pads on both sides. And the collar is made of material that can withstand an impact force of 1600 Newtons. For training, this figure is 350 newtons.

Foil players use the same masks, only with an electric collar. It all depends on what kind of blows a particular fencing allows.

A saber, as already mentioned, can hit you in the face, so saber masks have a non-insulated mesh that conducts electricity. And in general, the entire saber mask, along with the collar, is made of electrically conductive material.

A glove is put on the hand holding the weapon. In the case of saber fencing, it has an electrically conductive cuff.

Under the suit described above, side guards are worn, which also withstand impacts of 350 or 800 Newtons. To avoid bruises, additional plastic protection is placed under the edges.

Since the entire body is the affected surface for epee fencers, the described protection is quite sufficient for them. Foil players additionally wear a vest made of conductive material over their jacket. It displays the surface on which you can strike. In saber fencers, in addition, a mask is connected to the vest.

Impact registration

When a thrust or strike is made (for saber fencers), the recording device lets you know by turning on a green light. If the attack was carried out according to all the rules, then it is counted and the attacking athlete receives a point. If a blow/prick was delivered outside the permitted zone, a white light comes on. If the green and white lights come on at the same time, then two strikes were made, and the first of them was invalid. Therefore, the second strike does not count. Since epee fencing allows all strikes, there are no white lights. If the lights light up on both sides at the same time, each player gets a point.

The fencer's suit can be connected to a recording device, either wired or wireless. For the electrical system to detect a strike, the pressure on the arrow tip must be at least 4.9 newtons or 0.5 kg for a rapier and 7.35 newtons or 0.75 kg for an epee. As for the saber strike, it must be brought to its logical conclusion. A simple touch here does not earn points.

It’s hard to imagine, but there was a time when impacts were recorded solely visually. This important mission was left to four referees who surrounded the battlefield on all sides. In 1936, for the first time, rules came into force, according to which epee fencers’ injections began to be recorded using electrical devices. In 1957, foil fencers began to compete using this system, and in 1988, saber fencers began to compete.

Fencing track

Sparring takes place on the fencing track. Its length is 14 meters, and its width can vary between 1.5-2 meters. As in any other sport, the battlefield has markings. In this case, it is represented by 5 lines perpendicular to the track. The first line is the central one. At a distance of 2 meters from it on both sides there is a battle line. Two more lines are located seven meters from the central one and are called rear boundary lines.

Thus, at the beginning of the fight, being on the battle line, the athlete has 5 meters to retreat and 9 meters to attack. There are 2-meter sections on the sides of the track, which allow the athlete to accurately determine how much space he has left to retreat without turning around.

How the fight goes

We already know in general terms what fencing is. We also know what a fencing suit is and what markings the battlefield has. Therefore, it's time to move on to the most interesting part - the scrum process.

So, at the beginning of the battle, the opponents stand on the line of the starting position, sideways to each other. In this case, one leg crosses the line. The weapon is pointed at the enemy, and the free hand is placed behind the back. The fight begins and ends when the referee gives the appropriate command. However, the end of the bout can also occur if a signal sounds indicating that the round's time has expired.

Traditionally, judging is carried out on French. Before the start of the fight, the referee gives the command “An guard!”, which translates as “For battle!” He then asks the athletes, “Hey woo pre?” to see if they are ready. When both fencers respond, the judge gives the command “Hello!” If he needs to stop the fight, he says the word “Alt!”, which translates as “Stop!” When awarding points to one or another fighter, the judge says: “A druat”, “A gosh” or “Ku double”. This means "to the right", "to the left" and "to both" respectively. When registering an invalid kick, the referee says: “Pa conte!” - “Don’t count.” After points are awarded, the opponents return to their original positions and the battle continues. And if the fight was stopped without a hit being awarded, then it resumes at the same place where it stopped.

An individual match is divided into three rounds lasting 1 minute. The break between rounds is also one minute. The winner of the round is the athlete who first scores 15 points or leads the score at the end of the round. If at the end of three rounds the score indicates a draw, an additional fourth round is awarded. However, before it starts, a draw is held to select a winner in case the extra minute doesn't help.

Now let's look at team fencing, the rules of which are slightly different. If the competition is team, then each fencer must fight with each athlete of the opposing team. Since a team consists of three people, a match between two teams includes 9 individual bouts. In this case, the first battle ends when one of the sides scores 5 points, the second - 10 points, and so on up to 45.

The fencer who attacked first receives the status of an attacker, and his opponent, accordingly, receives the status of a defender. When blows/punches are delivered simultaneously, the attacking athlete gains an advantage. Alternately, the priority of the action passes from one fencer to another. If the electronic system recorded a blow/prick, but it was delivered in violation of the priority of the attack, no points are awarded. In case of mutual hits, the referee acts according to the situation. A blow/thrust delivered after the command “Stop!” is counted only if the movement began before the command.

Briefly about technology and battle tactics

Let's look a little deeper into such a fascinating sport as fencing. This is the interaction of blades, which involves a lot of subtle, cunning, precise movements and techniques. This is precisely the main difference between fencing and fights with heavy weapons.

When a direct attack is not possible, the fencer tries to neutralize the oncoming attack and counterattack. And in order to eliminate the threat, you don’t have to dodge; you can parry the blade and immediately strike back.

In fencing, deceptive movements play an important role. This could be: camouflage, which helps hide the athlete's intentions; feints, which are threatening movements; a challenge that provokes the enemy to take decisive, but not always deliberate, actions, and so on.

Modern fencing, depending on the type of weapon used, has some differences in technique, tactics and rules, due to the history of the origin of the weapon. The saber originated from the blade used by cavalrymen. They fought in horse fights, so slashing blows were delivered above the waist. This fact predetermined the size of the affected surface in sport saber fencing.

The sword, by its origin, is a dueling weapon. The outcome of the duel could be determined by an injection into any part of the body. Therefore, it was extremely important to strike first and at the same time protect from a retaliatory attack. The same principle has carried over to modern fencing.

The rapier was originally created as a training weapon. Therefore, the fighting conditions for rapier players are the most gentle. It is with the rapier that fencing begins. Women once had the right to fight only with rapiers. Since the weapon weighs little, even children can handle it. By the way, we will look at fencing for children a little lower. Such a concept as “tactical correctness” also arose from the needs of a training battle, which was supposed to prepare a person for a real fight.

Fines

If an athlete steps beyond the side line of the fight with at least one foot, he is awarded a penalty of 1 meter. This means that the fight is resumed at a distance of 1 meter from the location of the violation towards the offender. Thus, he becomes one meter less space for retreat. If the fencer steps behind the back line, the opponent receives one point. This is called a "penalty hit". The following are not allowed in fencing:

1. Running attack.
2. Intentional bodily contact.
3. Pushing the enemy.
4. Turn your back to the enemy.
5. Hitting the floor with a weapon.
6. Any action with your free hand.

Removing the tip from a weapon, attempting to repair it, or performing other actions is prohibited without the permission of the judge. It is also forbidden to leave the field and remove the mask without the appropriate command. For deliberate violations of the rules, athletes receive penalty cards.

A yellow card is given if the fencer is given a warning. If an athlete breaks the rules a second time, he receives a red card. It doesn’t matter here whether he repeated his violation or committed something else. A red card, unlike a yellow card, not only warns, but also punishes through a penalty shot. A black card is given for gross violations of the rules, unsportsmanlike behavior and if the fencer repeats the violation for which he was awarded a red card. A black card means disqualification.

Olympics

Fencing has long been an integral part of Olympic Games. At the modern Olympics, the country is represented by 18 athletes, two of whom are reserves. The team includes both men and women. The Olympic program includes individual and team competitions in all three types of weapons that modern fencing allows. Women, just like men, can fight with swords, rapiers and sabers. The program includes 10 numbers, 6 of which are personal and 4 team ones. At the last Olympics in Rio, Russian fans watched the fencing with pride. The men won two awards, and the women won 3 gold, one silver and one bronze. In the overall medal standings, the Russian fencing team was in first place.

Children's fencing

Fencing for children today is no less developed than other sports. The section usually accepts children from 9 years old. IN good schools They are taught not only technique and combat tactics, but also tolerance towards the enemy. There is a decent fencing section in every major city. Without this, fencing sparring would turn into a simple battle with blades.

In the 14th - 15th centuries, during the era of the dominance of the long sword as the main discipline of the art of fencing, German masters held primacy in its teaching and development. But with the advent of the rapier in the first half of the 16th century, the scales tipped towards the Italians.

All authors who wrote about fencing in the 16th century differ in one thing: interesting feature- although they constantly use the word "defense", they do not define any defense (there was no classification of defenses until the 18th century). The masters of that era based their practice on the principle that any attack that could not be repelled by a shield, cloak or dagger must be met with a counterattack or evaded by moving the body.

Italian fencing school

Marozzo represents the first popular Italian author to write about the art of fencing. Judging by the numerous reprints of his works, five of which were published between 1536 and 1615, he enjoyed a good reputation, even at a time when the system of fencing he described was quite outdated.

Marozzo's work represents detailed description a fencing system that was popular even before the primacy of the thrust over the blow was elevated to a principle.

Marozzo divided all types of blows into piercing and chopping and made the following differentiation in them:

• Slashes:
  • mandritti(singular "mandritto"), so called because they are struck from the right (dritto) side of the fencer with the purpose of hitting left side enemy;
  • manroversi, or simply roversi (singular "roverso"), are applied on the other side (i.e. on the left).

  Slashes made with the front blade:

  • fendente- cut vertically from top to bottom;
  • sgualembro- cut diagonally from the shoulder to the opposite side;
  • tondo or traverso, which cut along a horizontal line;
  • ridoppio- a diagonal strike from the side to the opposite shoulder.

  Slashes performed with the rear blade:

  • tondi;
  • ridoppi will become falso dritto(left side - right shoulder) And falso manco(right side - left shoulder);
  • montante- vertical blow from bottom to top.


• There are four types of piercing blows:
  • punta drita or simply punta, performed with the hand in the incoming stance position;
  • punta roversa- hand in the Facial Stance position;
  • imbroccata, or overhead thrust, usually performed in the Becca Cesa or Possa positions;
  • stoccata, or underarm thrust, is usually performed with the arm in the High Iron Door position.

Marozzo also described in detail 15 possible stances (for Marrozo, stances have little to do with what we now call this word), and if you combine them with blows, you can conclude that the fencing system of the first half of the 16th century was reduced to moving between stances, to take a position relative to the enemy that would make it possible to strike in any way.

Seventeen years after the first publication of the Marozzo fencing system, a magnificent work on fencing was published in Rome - “Treatise on the Science of Weapons with Philosophical Dialogue” by the Milanese Camillo Agripa, which made a real revolution in the art of fencing.

As an engineer, Agrippa was interested in the combinations of movements performed by parts of the body when delivering injections and blows. To describe them, he used his extensive knowledge of geometry and mathematics, and ultimately came to the conclusion that in most cases a thrust is more advantageous than a blow, since the line connecting the tip of the sword and the target, when thrusting, is straight and therefore has a shorter length than the circular arc described by the tip upon impact.

Agrippa, being a talented engineer, treated fencing with scientific interest and, noticing significant errors in popular fencing styles, invented a much simpler system.

Firstly, Agrippa abandoned the numerous and largely useless racks connected to each other in the most artificial way. He postulated that any stand where left leg placed facing forward, and the sword is in the right hand, it opens up the fencer too much. Secondly, he began to insist on the clear advantage of a thrust over a blow, since a thrust requires less force and time, and is more difficult to parry.

As a consequence of these remarks, Agrippa reduced the number of useful stances to four and gave them numerical names: prima, seconda, terza and quarta.

Destreza

While the Italians, and then, having seized their initiative, the French, realized that simplification of the fencing system leads to perfection, the Spanish masters turned fencing into a very complex and intricate “science”, requiring knowledge of geometry and natural philosophy for practical application. The Spanish system of riding rapiers (in a broader sense and any other bladed weapon) received the name - Destreza(Spanish: La Destreza), which literally means “mastery.”

Carranza, who completed his first written work in 1569 and came into wide circulation by 1582, can be considered the founder of destrezia, the principles of which were based on the mathematical relationship of angles and arcs, tangents and chords. In the 17th century, Carranza’s teaching was continued and developed by another Spanish master, Luis Pacheco de Narvaez; in fact, it was his works, or the works of other authors, but based on the work of de Narvaez, that make up the entire Spanish literature on fencing of the 17th century. Beyond the territory of the Iberian Peninsula, the principles of destrezia were “preached” by Girard Thibault from Antwerp, known for his work “The Academy of the Blade”.

All principles of destreza are based on movements within an imaginary (mystical) circle drawn on the ground - circonferencia imaginta entre los cuerpos contrarios(translated from Spanish - an imaginary circle between the bodies of opponents).

An imaginary circle between the bodies of opponents

In a fighting stance (the torso is straightened, but so that the heart is not directly opposite the enemy’s sword; right hand extended straight, legs spread wide...) opponents should be at opposite ends of the diameter of this circle, the length of which is equal to the length of the arm with the sword extended horizontally. Opponents can move relative to each other, along diametrically opposite tangents. Opponents can take steps inside this circle, moving along its fictitious chords, and find themselves “inside the range” at striking distance. Thus, any move made by one of the fencers can lead to the following results:

• the opponent takes a corresponding step around the circle, so that they remain at opposite ends of the diameter and nothing changes;
• the opponent strikes while taking a step;
• the opponent gets hit if he misses the "moment".

The main purpose of the move is to put the enemy at a defensive disadvantage.

From the general concept of destreza, we can conclude that the lunge was not even in its infancy, and the whole tactic consisted of advancing in short steps at right angles to the diameter, constantly threatening the enemy with the tip of the blade.

Particular attention in destrez is paid to blows; they are divided into the following types:

• arrebatar - blow from the shoulder;
• mediotajo - blow from the elbow;
• mandoble - blow from the wrist (light blow with the tip).

In his books, Narvaez also writes about the correct proportions of the sword. Its length should be proportional to the person’s height (Capo Ferro stated that the sword should be twice as long as the arm).

Thibault, in order to link the proportions of the sword with the mystical circle, decrees that the length of the weapon should be equal to the radius of the circle, so that if the sword is placed strictly vertically between the legs, the cross should be at the level of the navel.

Despite the fact that learning destrese has long been a complex and intricate process, this fencing system existed in Spain at the beginning of the 18th century, and Spanish fencers enjoyed a reputation as very dangerous and experienced fighters.

As a rule, the judge gives commands during the competition in French. There are seven main commands.

The following commands are distinguished:

• En guard (French: En guarde, For battle) A signal to prepare for a competition. The combatants must each take positions behind their own start line.

• Et-woo pre? (French: Êtes-vous prêt?, Are you ready?) The judge asks a question to both participants before the start of the fight. A participant who is not ready to fight must signal the judge by stamping his foot and raising his weapon up.

• Hello! (French Allez!, Begin!) Signal to start the battle. Participants have the right to start moving.

• Alto! (French: Halte!, Stop!) Stopping the battle.

• A droi (fr. A droit, To the right). The hit is awarded to the fencer located to the right of the main referee.

• A gauche (French: A gauche, To the left). The hit is awarded to the fencer on the left.

• Pa conte! (French Pas compter!, Do not count). The shot is not awarded to anyone.

Fencing with foils (French fleuret)

Areas in which hits are counted in foil fencing are highlighted in red.

Only injections made into a metallized jacket (electric jacket) are counted. Injections in areas not covered by a metallic jacket are recorded with a white lamp and are considered invalid. The basic modern rule in foil fencing determines that the enemy’s attack must be repelled before a retaliatory action is initiated (right attack). The priority of the action passes from one fencer to another after an active action on the opponent’s weapon with his weapon (right of defense). The advantage is determined by the arbitrator. It stops the action when the device registering the injections signals that they have been applied. Then, based on the readings of the machine, the referee awards the injection or cancels it. Then the fight continues.

Saber fencing (French: sabre)

The areas in which thrusts and blows are counted in saber fencing are highlighted in red.

Blows and thrusts are applied to all parts of the fencer's body above the waist, including the arms (up to the wrist) and the mask. The affected surface is covered with protective clothing containing silver shavings, while the mask is also in electrical contact with the jacket. The blow and injection are recorded by a colored lamp on the device. Saber fighting is similar to rapier fencing. The same basic rules for determining the winner in a fight, where the attacker has an advantage over the counterattacker with simultaneous blows or thrusts. The fencing phase progresses from attack to parry and attempt to retaliate, shifting the priority of action from one fencer to another. The main difference is that in practice the saber is used primarily for blows rather than thrusts; it is more difficult to defend against the former, and the battle becomes much more dynamic. Unlike rapier and epee, in saber fencing a “cross step forward” is prohibited (a cross step back is allowed).

Epee fencing (French: épée)

Areas in which hits are counted during epee fencing are highlighted in red.

Injections are applied to all parts of the athlete’s body, except the back of the head. The weapon and the fencing track are isolated from the apparatus, and the injection is not registered in them. In epee fencing there is no priority of actions. The device does not detect an injection delivered more than 0.25 seconds later than another. At the same time, the hits made are mutually registered and awarded to both fencers. Only the last injections in the fight, if the score is equal, need to be repeated.

Weapon

Three types of weapons are used - rapier, saber, epee.

A fencing weapon consists of a blade and a guard (a shield on the handle that protects the athlete’s hand).

From top to bottom: rapier, epee, saber

The rapier is a piercing weapon (blows can only be delivered with the tip of the blade) weighing no more than 500 g and no more than 110 cm long with a flexible tetrahedral blade no more than 90 cm long; The hand is protected by a round guard with a diameter of 12 cm.

Sword with pistol grip

Sword a heavier piercing weapon, weighing no more than 770 g and no more than 110 cm long, similar in design to a rapier with a stiffer and slightly longer triangular blade. The hand is protected by a round guard with a diameter of 13.5 cm.

Saber in sports fencing

Saber- cutting and piercing weapons weighing no more than 500 g and no more than 105 cm in length with a flexible trapezoidal blade no more than 88 cm in length. You can apply not only injections with the tip, but also blows with the blade; blows with the guard are prohibited. The guard is oval in shape with a bracket that protects the athlete’s hand and fingers.

A tip is put on the tip of a rapier and a sword - a button that closes an electrical circuit formed by a wire running under the athlete’s jacket and in the blade, and a device that records the injections; a connector is attached to the guard - a double in the case of a rapier and a saber or a tee in the case of a sword to connect the wire. The saber does not have a tip.

Equipment

Jacket

Trousers

Mask

The fencer's equipment includes a white protective suit made of lightweight Kevlar, consisting of a jacket (jacket) and knee-length trousers with suspenders. Long white socks are put on the feet - leg warmers and special fencing shoes with flat soles. The head is protected by a mask with a metal mesh and a collar that protects the athlete’s throat. Gloves are put on your hands. Fencers wear protective side guards under their protective suit.

For epee fencers, the mesh of the mask is insulated from the inside and outside with plastic impact-resistant material. The masks of foil players are similar to those of epee fencers, but additionally have an electric collar. For saber fencers, the mesh of the mask and the collar are not insulated and are made of electrically conductive material. The saber glove has a conductive cuff.

Foil fencers wear special metallized conductive vests over their suits, and saber fencers wear jackets that reflect the surface of the athlete being struck.