Olympic sport: fencing - sabre

The Olympic games are fast approaching, and while it is a given that China will win the medal count (the home team always takes home more gold than they usually do, and China is a powerhouse,) the United States will do well in their traditional areas: basketball, softball, baseball, swimming, and track & field.

But there's another event where they are nearly guaranteed to excel: women's sabre. The women of the USA Fencing team have three of their four sabrueses ranked 2, 3, and 4 in the world. They have World Championships under their belts and, if you click on the photo, a window will open showing the NBC video of the first ever women's sabre gold medal match in the Olympics. It's great to watch. The Chinese fencer, Tan Xue, is currently ranked #1 in the world.

There are three types of fencing based on the weapon used. Foil is most common, meaning this is the weapon with which most people start. There are a number of rules a fencer must follow, including those regarding etiquette, but the important thing is to score a touch before your opponent. For foil, the valid touch area is the torso and groin. Touching the legs, head, or arms does not count.

The longest weapon is the epee. Here the entire body is a valid target, including the hands and feet. Epee is the style used in modern pentathlon. Epee is my favorite style. Anyone can score at any time, even while defending an attack. With other fencing weapons the fencer must establish the attack (or right of way.)

With both foil and epee, only the point of the sword can be used to touch. Bouts with foil and epee can appear to be much more like "movie" fencing. Lots of parrying and lunging. Some people refer to fencing as physical chess. It is a sport of the mind and body. You need to think in a series of actions and counteractions well before they happen.

But then there is sabre. Sabre is the aggressive cutting version of fencing. It is lightning quick. If you're new to it, watching it can be confusing because you aren't sure who scored the touch. Sabre touches cover everything from the waist up, including arms and head, but not the hands. With sabre, however, slashing is allowed. This is why sabreurs seem to be relaxed when a bout begins, rather than in the formal en garde position. Attacking with only your point is a quick way to lose.

Gabe has fenced for a couple of years. He hasn't fenced so far in 2008, mainly because he needs to work harder to keep up with school, but we'll get him back out there. He loves it.

Fencing clubs welcome beginners and offer lessons. It is a great form of exercise, you'll firm up your bottom and legs and you'll improve your balance. Don't worry about equipment right away. At most place you need only by an relatively inexpensive fencing glove. The clubs provide weapons, masks, jackets and other safety equipment.

If you try it, let us know about it.