Foil

Fencing foil is the most refined of the weapons.  Its blade is light, flexible, and quadrangular and you can only score by hitting your opponent with the point of your blade on his/her torso.  If you want to get into this classical, gentlemanly form of fencing, read on.

(PS: Not what you're looking for? Try searching for fences. )

Before you start reading this page, or if you find yourself confused by the terminology, check out this glossary of fencing terms.

Buying a Foil

Different Grips for Foil

French Grip 

  • French grip is the most common for beginners.

Pistol Grip 

  • A modern, orthopedic invention - introduced in the 1970s.
  • Belgian and Visconti are the most commonly used pistol grips.

Italian Grips 

  • Grip with finger rings and a crossbar.
  • More grip than a French grip, but not as much as a pistol grip.
  • Only used in foil and epee.

Protective Gear

Even though foil is the fencing of the civilized peoples, you still need to keep yourself covered up.

  • Masks  - Though it's not a legal target, you don't want to get poked in the face on a miss.
  • Jackets  - Same goes with your arms.
  • Gloves  - Keep your foil-specific grip in mind when buying these.
  • Plastrons  - A half-jacket that gives extra protection underneath the official jacket.
    • Make sure there's no underarm seam. That would line up with the jacket seam and give you a very vulnerable spot or vindictive misses.
  • Chest Protector  - Either little pads that slip inside the jacket or a whole plastic getup that is strapped underneath everthing.
    • Highly recommended for women. Extra support and extra protection for sensitive areas.
  • Cup  - Just like the rest of the sports.

Competitive Gear

For competitions, you pretty much need all the same gear, but electrified.  That way you can get a cool buzzer/light combination to go off when you hit your opponent.

Other Weapons

Thinking of trying a new weapon? Check out the pages on other forms of fencing!

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