The modern sport of fencing has three different events:
- foil,
- epee (pronounced “epp-pay”) and
- saber.
Each has slightly a slightly different history, target area, and rules. The foil and saber were developed more as training weapons while the epee is a descendant of weapons used in duels. The goal in each event is to hit your opponent on the valid target without being hit. In both foil and saber, the fencer’s valid target area is covered with a metallic cloth vest called a ‘lame’. Points are scored when the target area is hit. The main object of a fencing bout is to be the first fencer to score 5 points or 15 points depending on the type of bout. Bouts are also timed so if one fencer does not reach 5 or 15 points, the fencer who has the most points when the time expires wins the bout.
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