Équipements électroniques

Electronic Equipment

This post explains the use of electronic fencing equipment, and how they work.

Fencing is a fast sport, and with the rapid movements and constant whirring of blades, it takes a keen eye to follow the bouts and judge them correctly. Luckily for referees, the invention of electronic scoring equipment came about and is now used in tournaments, as well as national competitions, including the Olympics.

Equipment

Body cords - in a bout, each fencer is connected to a body cord 

that runs up through their jacket, out the sleeve of their sword arm, and to the special plug on the inside of the bell guard of the electric weapon. The other end of the cord is attached to the reel that runs to an anchor at either end of the strip, which runs back to the scoring machine located parallel to the center of the strip. [1]

Scoring machine - the machine has four lights - two white lights and one colored light for each fencer. When a touch ensues, a buzzer goes off and a light lights up on the side of the fencer who was touched. If both lights go off at the same time, the referee determines who touched first, 

or in the case of foil and sabre, who had right of way. [1]

Electric Scoring

Foil

For foil, the fencer must wear a lamé made of a metallic material that acts as a conductor for an electrical current. The tip of the electric foil has a button on the end so that when a certain amount of force (0.1lb) is applied, the button depresses, activating the current. When a touch lands on an opponent's lamé the scoring machine lights up, indicating a valid hit. If the touch was off-target (not on the lamé), the scoring machine would light up white, indicating an invalid hit. [1]

Épée

For épée there is an open circuit set up by the system, which is closed when a touch is landed. If the tip touches the opponent's bell guard or the piste nothing happens, but otherwise when a touch is landed the buzzer goes off and a colored light lights up, as there are no off-target hits in épée. [1]

Sabre

As all hits above the waist are valid in sabre, the fencer must wear a lamé that covers the torso and arms, as well as a metal mask and a metal glove. The electric system is a closed circuit like foil, but as sabre is a slashing weapon the entire blade is hot and the target lamé closes the circuit connection. The scoring is the same as for foil, except that off-target hits don't register on the machine. [1]

New modern, wireless scoring systems now eliminate the need for the constant tug of the reel connecting to the body cord, as a wireless receiver-pack was created that is worn on the back of the fencer's waist, about the size of a cigarette pack. [1]

Sources

1. How Fencing Equipment Works. howstuffworks.com. Retrieved 2013-12-3.

Travail de lame

Blade Work

In this post I mention the different kinds of blade work used in fencing, and their uses.

Perhaps the most notable part of fencing, the use of blades sets the sport apart from the rest. Blade work can be defined as actions of a weapon's blade, stemming from the the grip from the fencer's fingers, wrist, arm, and body. For the most part the weapon is advanced and withdrawn from the target by the fencer's feet, with a few exceptions.

Blade Work Techniques

1) The Straight Thrust
The precursor of all blade actions, the thrust is the offensive presentation of the weapon to an opponent using only the extension of the arm as the delivery system, within striking or touch range to be effective. [1]

2) The Four Takes Of The Iron
             1) The Bind - semi-circular diagonal transfers, the principle ones are six, four, seven, and
                       eight, but two, three, five, and one can work just as well.
             2) The Cross - a mini-bind, usually taken from six, moving the blade down to eight. A
                        vertical semi-circular transfer.
             3) The Envelopment - a very small, tight motion, where the fencer moves the tip of their
                         blade around the opponent's bell guard, at the same time trapping/enveloping their
                          blade. Can be either clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on the location of the
                         opponent's blade. The main focus is to sweep the opponent's blade away from the
                          fencer's target area.
             4) The Opposition - the blade is used to shove aside the opponent's blade, can be taken in
                          six, four, seven, and eight. [1]

3) The Four Attacks Of The Iron
             1) The Beat - to beat or strike the opponent's blade, should be taken with the center of the
                          blade, which is the strongest part.
              2) The Expulsion - the center of the fencer's blade lies across the weak part of the
                          opponent's blade, and suddenly with great force snaps the opponent's blade downwards,
                          wrenching their wrist in a disarm.
               3) The Glide - when the fencer's blade runs quickly and lightly along the opponent's blade,
                           landing a touch in the same line.
               4) The Press - an attempt to push the opponent's blade aside or out of line. [1]

4) The Disengagement
An attack where the blade travels from one line to another, passing under the opponent's blade.
                Derobement - a type of disengage that is used to evade any of the takings of the iron, or
                           attacks of the iron.
                Trompement - a type of disengage that is used to evade an attempted parry. [1]

5) The Cut Over
A simple, indirect attack executed by moving the tip of the blade from one line to the opposite line over the top of the opponent's blade. [1]


Sources

1. Essentials of Fencing Technique. acfencers.tripod.com. Retrieved 2013-12-3.