History of Fencing 

A Brief History of Fencing

Fencing has a long history, dating back to ancient Egyptian civilizations where it was practiced for both fun and military training. It became more recognizable as the sport we know today during the 13th century in Europe. At that time, Europe was filled with armed and armored knights. Despite the common portrayal of these warriors as barbaric, hacking their way through battles, historical records show they were highly skilled fighters. A German manuscript from around 1230, known as I.33, depicts a monk and his partner practicing complex techniques with sword and buckler (a small shield), showing the sophisticated combat skills of medieval knights.

Before I.33, there are no earlier records mainly because books were rare, hand-copied, and literacy was limited. However, the invention of the printing press and the spread of literacy allowed more fighting manuals to be published and distributed. For instance, Johannes Liechtenauer's treatise on fighting with various weapons, written in the 1380s, influenced martial arts for the next two centuries.

With the advent of firearms, armor became obsolete, leading to the decline of heavy hand weapons like the long sword and pole axe. Lighter swords with thin blades began to emerge, along with manuals on their use. Although initially resisted by some fight masters, by 1553, Camillo Agrippa's manual emphasized rapier usage for both soldiers and civilians. This period marked the beginning of rapier dueling, famously depicted in Shakespeare's plays.

Modern fencing techniques can be traced back to a 1610 manual by Italian Master Ridolfo Capo Ferro, often regarded as the father of modern fencing. His work, the Gran Simulacro, detailed fighting techniques, processes, and rules for civilian dueling. During this period, safety equipment was developed, and fencing competitions began to be staged, initially among students and later between major fencing schools.

By the end of the 18th century, the rapier was the preferred weapon for gentlemen until public dueling and carrying weapons were outlawed to reduce aristocratic fatalities. Despite this, fencing for sport continued to thrive in Europe, supported by numerous fencing schools.

On November 29, 1913, representatives from Germany, Italy, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Bohemia, Holland, Hungary, and Norway met to form the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE). This organization set standard rules for fencing, covering the fencing strip, equipment quality, and competition structure. The FIE continues to update these rules to incorporate technological advancements like electronic scoring and transparent, lighted masks.

Thanks to the FIE and the global enthusiasm for fencing, the sport was included in the first modern Olympic Games and remains a popular event today.