Course Objectives

Elementary Fencing is an introductory class designed to cover the basics of modern sport fencing, sometimes called Olympic Fencing.  By the end of the quarter, all students should be able to discuss and demonstrate foundational technique, basic tactics, and sparring with the foil.

Fencing is a high-impact sport.  It moves fast, and participants will get a work out. 

Participants are required to wear proper athletic attire, including non-marking, athletic shoes. A PE uniform, consisting of a UCSB Rec Sports shirt, shorts, towel, and locker, is provided as part of the course fee. The uniform must be returned at the end of the quarter or an additional fee will be charged. 

Fencing is a .5 unit class graded as Pass/No Pass. There will be a test requiring the demonstration of skills. Students who failing this exam will receive a grade of No Pass. Another way to receive a grade of No Pass is to accumulate more than four absences over the span of the quarter. Two absences can be made up. Contact the instructor for more information.

Graduates of the Elementary Fencing will be encouraged to attend the Intermediate and Advanced fencing classes, as well as join the UCSB Fencing Club and Team. Highly motivated and interested students will be eligible for internships (ES-193).

About Fencing

Although swordplay has been around since ancient times, it was not until the 18th Century that equipment was safe enough for sport, and rules of engagement were codified. What developed was the basis for modern fencing, one of the few sports to appear in every Olympics since 1896. It is a fast, athletic game, made up of three events:

Foil – Dubbed the "Sport of Kings," the foil is a descendant of the light, court sword formerly used by nobility to train for duels. It has a flexible, rectangular blade approximately 35 inches in length and weighing less than one pound. Points are scored with the tip of the blade and must land on valid target: torso, from shoulders to groin in the front, and shoulders to the waist in the back.

Foil employs rules of right of way. The fencer who starts to attack first is given priority should his opponent counter-attack.

An electrical scoring system detects hits on valid target. Each foil has a blunt, spring-loaded button at the point of the blade that must be depressed with a pressure of 500 grams or more to register a hit. The foil fencer’s uniform features an electrically wired metallic vest called a lamé - a hit to the lamé causes the scoring machine to display a colored light on the side of the fencer that scored the touch.


Épée – The epee (pronounced “EPP-pay” - literally meaning "sword" in French) is the descendant of the dueling sword. It is heavier than the foil, weighing approximately 27 ounces, with a stiffer, thicker blade and a larger guard. As in foil, touches are scored only with the point of the blade; however, in epee the entire body, head-to-toe, is valid target - much like in an actual duel. There is no concept of "off-target" in epee. Some people refer to epee as "Freestyle Fencing" because anything goes.


Saber – The saber is the modern version of the slashing cavalry sword. As such, the major difference between saber and the other two weapons is that saberists can score with the edge of their blade as well as their point. In saber, the target area is the entire body above the waist, excluding the hands. In addition, saber has rules of right of way which are very similar to foil but with subtle differences.

Course Syllabus

Day 1	Course overview History of fencing Introductory games
Day 2	Functional warm-ups Introductory footwork
Day 3	More footwork Keeping distance Coordination games
Day 4	Review of footwork More games
Day 5	Lines of attack/quadrants Defensive positions 1-8 Parries
Day 6	Defensive positions 1-8 Parries Exchange drills
Day 7	Different distances Fencing tempo Simple v. compound attack Feints
Day 8	Review
Day 9	Equipment dispersal
Day 10	Exchange drills with equipment and intent to hit
Day 11	Soviet Foil Drill
Day 12	Soviet Foil Drill again Attacking the blade (beats) Coupe v. disengage Absence of blade
Day 13	Exchange drills with intent to touch Introduction to concept of "Intention" and "2nd intention" Combine intention with Soviet Drill
Day 14	Introduction to sparring Bout protocol Yellow and Red Cards
Day 15	Attacking into preparation Counterattacking Sparring
Day 16	Review Sparring
Days 17+	Sparring

Reference Material

• The Art of the Foil, Barbasetti (1932)
• The Theory and Practice of Fencing, Castello (1937)
• On Fencing, Nadi (1943)
• Fencing, Vince (1962)
• Fencing, Lukovich (1975)
• Fencing and the Master, Szabo (1977)
• Foil, Saber, and Épée Fencing: Skills, Safety, Operations, and Responsibilities, Garret, Kaidenov, Pezza,  (1994)
• By the Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Olympic Champions, Cohen (2003)
• Fencing: A Practical Guide for Training Young Athletes, Handlemann (2010)
• And I could name a few dozen more books, if you really want them.