fencing

Umi's favorite hobby is fencing. She is even captain of the fencing team at her school. Umi also uses a rapier, a type of fencing sword, as her main weapon in Cephiro.

history of fencing

Around 1200 B.C., the Egyptians began the custom of fencing for sport. Sword craftsmanship evolved through the ages, from the short, wide swords favored by Greeks and Romans to the heavy two-handed broadswords of knights in the Middle Ages. After the creation of gunpowder and firearms, the use of armor was pointless, thus lighter swords gained popularity as a sidearm for European officers and gentlemen.

The Italians, Spanish, and French all claim that they created modern fencing, but throughout Europe during the Renaissance fencing took on the term of being an art. In the 18th century, treatises appeared in print setting forth the current system of rules and scoring, prescribing the foil, a metal mask with eye slit, and a protective jacket or vest as equipment for use.

object of fencing

The main object of a fencing bout (what an individual "game" is known as) is to score 15 points on your opponent before he scores on you. Each time a fencer scores a touch, he receives a point. Direct elimination matches consist of three three-minute periods

foil

The foil, the modern version of the dueling rapier (which Umi uses), has a flexible rectangular blade, approximately 35 inches in length, weighing less than one pound. Points are scored with the tip of the blade and must land within the torso area of the body.