About Fencing

Sport fencing is, paraphrased from Encyclopedia Brittanica, an organized activity centered around three different swords: the foil, epee and sabre. Although swordplay has been an organized activity for thousands of years, the modern activity of sport fencing has a relatively short history since the 19th century. It has been an Olympic sport for the entire history of the modern Olympics and all three weapons enjoy a large audience of active fencers around the world.

At NCF, we specialize in épée fencing. The épée is a sword that was developed as a direct derivative from the classic dueling weapon, and like it’s predecessor épée lacks formalized rules around right-of-way or target areas. All areas of your opponents body are a target, and fencers can both score simultaneous touches. The simplicity of the rules for épée make it an ideal entry point for anyone looking to learn fencing, but they also increase the required athleticism to be truly successful in the sport.

You can find a fantastic introduction to the sport on the Federaçion International d’Escrime (FIE) website, which is the international parent organization for fencing. If you are looking for a challenge both mentally and physically, fencing could be the sport for you.

Useful links