Saber Fencing

You've probably heard of fencing as a sport, but did you know that fencing is actually three sports in one? There's Epee, Foil, and Saber. I think most people only really know about Foil.

Foil uses a skinny blade with a button on the end. You have to hit your opponent with the tip of the blade on their torso to get a point. If both fencers hit each other within a very short timeframe, only one of them will get the point, and it's based on a mildly complex concept of right-of-way.

Epee uses a similar buttoned blade, but it's longer and heavier. You can hit your opponent anywhere with this one to get a point. If both fencers hit each other within that same short timeframe, instead, both will receive a point (unless they both have one point to win - there are no draws in fencing).

Saber doesn't have any buttons. You just have to hit them with a cut or stab anywhere above the waist. Saber also has the concept of right-of-way, meaning that only one of the fencers will receive a point if they both hit within that short timeframe.

Scoring

A match consists of two fencers against each other. Each of them have the same weapon (epee, foil, or saber), and they will fence a series of rounds where (typically) one of them will get a point each round. The score will go up until 5 or 15, depending on what style of match is being played, and when one fencer reaches that score, the match will end with them being the winner. In epee and foil, there is a time constraint as well, but in saber there is not.

These sports are scored electronically. Each fencer is connected to a circuit, and when they strike their opponent correctly, a light comes on to indicate that they have done so. The "short timeframe" I was speaking of earlier is a lock-out time in which after one fencer gets their light to come on, the other fencer has only that short lock-out time to get theirs to come on as well. After that, it will not switch on. I'll be referring to these lights often:

• one-light actions mean that only one fencer got their light to come on
• two-lights mean that both fencers' lights are on and the referee will have to make the call on whose point it is (except in epee)

Saber

I don't fence Foil or Epee at this time, so I won't comment much about them. The only important detail from my point of view is that you can classify these three sports in order of speed and intensity. Epee is slow, Foil is medium, and Saber is fast. This is perfectly evident in the fact that a large amount of Epee matches end via time, and Saber doesn't even have time control.

Saber is fast and intense. It's so fun and I love it.