Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting.[1] The three
disciplines of modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also
saber); each discipline uses a different kind of blade, which shares the
same name, and employs its own rules. Most competitive fencers specialise
in one discipline. The modern sport gained prominence near the end of the
19th century and is based on the traditional skill set of swordsmanship.
The Italian school altered the historical European martial art of
classical fencing, and the French school later refined that system.
Scoring points in a fencing competition is done by making contact with an
opponent.
The 1904 Olympics Games featured a fourth discipline of fencing known as
singlestick, but it was dropped after that year and is not a part of
modern fencing. Competitive fencing was one of the first sports to be
featured in the Olympics and, along with athletics, cycling, swimming, and
gymnastics, has been featured in every modern Olympics.
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