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Currently, we have only two things to talk about in detail. The Strip (get your mind out of the gutter), and the rules of Right of Way. When we add more, we'll turn them into sub-page buttons at the left. The Fencing Strip...
A fencing bout takes place on a long narrow area called a strip or piste. The fencers must remain on the strip at all times. If a fencer places one foot out of bounds along the side of the strip, fencing is halted so the fencer can replace him- or herself on the strip. If a fencer leaves the side of the strip with both feet, the bout is stopped, and that fencer is required to move back two meters before the bout starts again. If a fencer is forced to retreat off the end of the strip, a touch is scored against that fencer just as if he or she had been hit by a weapon. Fencers start each bout at their respective en garde (on guard) lines, and they return to this line whenever a touch is scored. The two meter line warns a fencer that he or she is about to leave the end of the strip. And we all know that a meter is about 3’. But this is a European sport, so expect just about everything to be in metric.
Right-Of-Way
One of the most difficult concepts to visualize in foil and saber fencing is the rule of right-of-way. This rule was established to eliminate apparently simultaneous attacks by two fencers. In essence, right-of-way is the differentiation of offense and defense, made by the referee. The difference is important only when both the red and green lights go on at the same time in foil and saber. When this happens, the winner of the point is the one who the referee determined was on offense at the time the lights went on. Épée does not use the right-of-way in keeping with its dueling origin - he who first gains the touch earns the point. Or, if both fencers hit within 1/25th of a second of each other, both earn a point. However, it is equally important to have a sound defense for épée, since the entire body must be protected from a touch
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