Fencing History

Brief history of a technique, of a science, an art, a sport and (or) a method of education

The first traces of fencing

Whether we consider fencing as an art of enjoyment or as a science of arms, a method of education or a sport, its wealth emerges from its study. Wealth of a thousandyear-old history, of a large technical skill and a laudatory record of achievements, wealth of champions and masters who force the respect, and above all wealth of values that fencing knew how to generate and that it still tries to inculcate today through its practice.

The history of this sport is very eloquent, it often relates that of humankind through that of the sword and, if we analyse the feature of the art of weapons, we immediately notice that it corresponds to the customs of the era in which it appears. The human being has always tried to invent weapons to defend himself against the nature and other human beings, and this since Cain: he used his strength, resorted to his material, improved his dexterity and used his intelligence. The history of fencing gives a marvellous account of all that.

The Pharaohs invent the mask and the competition

Four centuries before the Olympic Games of Antique Greece, a bas-relief in the temple of Medinet-About in High Egypt and built by Ramsès III in 1190 BC, depicts a sporting competition organised by the Pharaoh to celebrate his victory over the Libyans. The weapons - certainly sticks with bronze plates in the end - are buttoned. Hands are protected by a guard similar to that of sabre, and some ofthe fencers have the face protected by a mask, whose chin rolling pad, covering both ears, is attached to the wig.

The non-sword arm is used for parrying blows and is protected by a kind of shield.

The translation of hieroglyphs teaches us that the opponents shouted at each other "On guard... and admire what my valiant hand is going to make!", and that spectators did not spare encouragements for their favourites: "Go! O excellent fighter!". The winner salutes with his weapon and hand thePharaoh who is accompanied by his suite. The public is composed of Assyrians, Libyans and Egyptians; the jury and the organisers are recognizable thanks to their feather. A scribe notes on a papyrus the results of the competition.

The Games of the Olympic

It is necessary to cross ages and transport ourselves in Greece to find in the hoplomachie (fight with weapons one to one) the tracks of a competition where prizes were proposed to the winners, "grown men or children". Many of us know that fencing was included in the programme of the first games of the new era, in 1896, but many ignore that it was certainly included in the first Olympic Games in 776 BC. Sensitive to the equal education of the body and the soul of their youth, the Greeks honoured all the games preparing to the profession of arms. Olympic combats in which athletes (word derived from the Greek "combat") had to be Greek, free and beyond reproach.

If the first laurels awarded during these events are regrettably unknown to us, we can learn from the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiques, that in the IIIrd century, in Teos, in Greece, the "hoplomachès" (fencing master) was paid 300 drachmas : much more than the archery master or javelin master. This book evokes, in the 5th century, two masters with a great reputation (Euthydème and Dyonysodore) who taught the hoplomachie (fencing) in return for a great reward.