D’Artagnan, you’re wrong!
Rapier fencing is a subtle art, and watching it is a little more difficult. Simultaneous injections are not counted here, the priority of the first injection does not work, and in this case, almost every flashlight immediately lights up two lights. The fact is that rapiers have the so-called rule of correctness of attack. When an athlete starts an attack, he gets priority. His opponent must repel the attack before injecting. In some cases, parrying and counterattack can be literally one movement, but the fact that the attack is reflected and the priority is not transferred does not escape the eyes of an experienced judge.
The rapier is lighter and softer than the sword, its tip is triggered by a force of 4.9 N (500 gf). She does not need a big guard: rapiers do not aim at the hands, because only hits in the case are counted.Remember fencing on fioretto? It came to
us almost unchanged, except that the leather vest was replaced by an electric one, into the fabric of which a conductive wire was woven throughout the entire area.
In the wire that reaches for the foil, there are not two cores, but three. When the tip is triggered on the rapier, the device checks whether the weapon touches the electrical vest. If not, then a white lamp lights up on the device and the injection does not count. Saber fencing is the most dynamic discipline. Saber fencers can inflict both chopping and piercing punches above the waist, including arms and head. Instead of an electric vest, they put on an electric jacket, to which a mask with a conductive collar is connected using a wire. There are no “buttons” on the tip of the saber. The resultant blow is any contact between the saber and the electric jacket or mask. As in rapiers, in sabers the principle of the correctness of the attack operates and the referee determines the priority.
“In saber fencing, a blow can come at any time and from any side,” says Sofya. “If a rapier can afford to systematically follow the prepared tactical scheme throughout the fight, then the saber must constantly reorganize his tactics and make decisions instantly.” And for the viewer, a saber is the highest speeds, non-standard movements, incredible acrobatic jumps and the most spectacular freeze frames.
One for all and all for one
“Individual and team fencing are different from each other, like two different sports,” says the champion. – When you tune in to personal victory, your competitors are a variety of athletes, including compatriots. You fight with them at the main tournaments of your life: European and World Championships, Olympic Games. And literally the next day you need to rally and fight together for medals. ”
Team fencing is a rare sport in which the intrigue persists until the very end of the competition, and each athlete has a theoretical opportunity to turn the tide of the meeting and win the tournament until the last match. This is made possible thanks to special rules for counting hits.
The team consists of three athletes (one spare is acceptable). They participate in nine battles, and the grid is laid out so that no participant has met twice with the same opponent. In each round, the maximum score is increased by five strokes: in the first match, fencing is up to five, in the next, up to ten, etc. The time of the fight is limited to three minutes.
For example, if the third round begins with a score of 3:12 in favor of the team on the right, the right fighter can bring it to 3:15 if he wins “dry”. But the fighter on the left can bring the score in this round to 15:12 in favor of his team. Sophia the Great took this opportunity at the last World Cup, turning the tide of the meeting with Ukraine: with a score of 21:25 in favor of Ukraine in the sixth round, our athlete won the battle against Alina Komashchuk with a score of 9: 2. The round ended with a total score of 30:27 in favor of the Russian team, and the championship with a gold medal in the piggy bank of our team.
Paradoxically, it is in team competitions that the character of a fighter is more clearly manifested. There are no guaranteed titles and points wins for several stages before the end of the championship, as in Formula 1. Having shown iron will, honed skill and steady concentration for years, an athlete can correct even the gross mistakes of his comrades and lead the team to victory. And, having visited the World Cup in Moscow, I can confidently say: fencers really believe in victory to the last.
If I haven’t mentioned enough reasons to go look at fencing, here’s another one for you: the judges here speak French. That’s very beautiful.
