Fencing
Multicultural Games

State the name of your game and why you chose it.

We chose fencing because GA has the equipment and it looks like an interesting sport to play and it has an interesting history.

List the countries where it is played and its origin.

Fencing is played all over the world. It is very popular in Europe and the United States.

Fencing originated in ancient Egypt about 5,000 years ago as a form of combat and is now a competitive sport. Fencing an also be traced to early Japan. By the 14th century, fencing was very prominent in Italy. It's practice spread to England, France and Spain. By the 1800, fencing was part of the education of a gentleman.

Describe how your game is played. State the object of the game. Clearly describe the rules.

• The object of the game is to hit the opponent with your epee, saber, or foil.
• Competition begins with the fencers on guard.
• One fencer uses a lunge to attack The defender sticks his weapon up to block the attach: this is called a parry. A touch ends the fight.
• The object is to touch the opponent with the weapon. To win the match, a man must tag his opponent 5 times in 6 minutes. A woman must tag her opponent 4 times in 5 minutes.
• You must stay in front of the opponent at all times.

List the equipment needed.

Weapons:

• Women use a foil or epee.
• Men play with epee, foil and saber.
• The foil is the most commonly used sword. The target areas are different for each weapon. The foil and epee have flexible blades and are used for thrusting attacks. The saber has two cutting edges that is used for thrusting or slashing.

Protective clothing that is made of strong material:

• Mesh face mask
• Chest protector made of metal
• Padded gloves that cover the forearm (Gauntlet)
• Protective undergarment called a plastron

Clothing must be white.

Make recommendations for what type of athlete would enjoy playing this game. What skills does it demand?

Arden: If you are an athlete that has precision, hand-eye coordination, strategy and quickness, you would enjoy playing this game. The appropriate situation in which to play this game is an indoor padded gym.

Stephanie: I recommend this game to an athlete who would like action and working with skill. It would be appropriate to play fencing when some people have had an argument or just for fun.

Ben: I think that someone who is not the best runner but is very quick would enjoy this game. I think that a good place to play this sport would be in a room with a lot of padding on the floor and walls.

Sonya: I think that a jaunty, ecstatic athlete would like this game. Also, the person must have strong arm muscles because your arm can get tired from holding the weapon.

What are your feelings about this game? Did you enjoy playing it? Would you recommend it?

Arden: I think I would enjoy playing this game because I do have precision, hand-Eye coordination and quickness. This is a neat game for all ages to play.

Stephanie: At first I did not want to choose this game because I thought it was too violent and pointless but by researching fencing I have realized that it seems fun and interesting.

Ben: I think it was an enjoyable experience to learn about a new sport like fencing, but I don't think I would like to take it up beaus I don't think that it would be that much fun to play.

Sonya: I think it would be good to play when you are feeling extra bouncy.

 

Multicultural Games Unit   | Games Index |  Middle School  |  GAnet

Germantown Academy
P.O. Box 278
Ft. Washington, PA 19034
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