Getting your player ready...
When a fencer pulls on the mask and steps onto the piste, the focus becomes squarely on attacking.
There are many layers to the sport, and each has its intricacies. Fencers compete in the disciplines of foil, epee and sabre.
A duel may seem to start slowly as the competitors try to size up their opponent, but once a fencer goes on an advance, the duel moves quickly. Often it is so fast that a registered touch might not be recognized until the electronic sensors sound. Battling back and forth, fencers try to avoid being hit by a number of maneuvers that require skilled footwork.
There are clubs around the metro area that teach and promote the sport, which has been in the Olympics since the first modern Games in 1896.
