A Study of Modern and Classical Fencing :: Expository Essays Research Papers

A Study of Modern and Classical Fencing Fencing is a method of personal expression and release. It is ultimatly a way of life for some. Nevertheless, this noble lifestyle is dying out. There are those who would convince others that classical fencing is a way of the past. In its place they would promote a sport that uses the same equipment and yet, is so different, that one cannot think of it in the same light. The controversy between these two poses the question "is Olympic fencing better than classical?"; A question that will require some research. According to information from the web document "The Worlds oldest Modern Sport," fencing as we know it was developed by the Egyptians sometime around 1200 BC. "The earliest depiction of a fencing match is a relief in the temple of Medin at Habu, near Luxor in Egypt, built by Ramses III about 1190 BC. This relief depicts a practice bout or match, because the sword points are covered and the swordsmen are parrying with shields strapped to their left arms and are wearing masks (tied to their wigs), large bibs, and padding over their ears" (Beumont). Swordsmanship, as a pastime and in single combat and war, was also practiced widely by the ancient Persians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans, as well as by some Germanic tribes. They used protective tips on their weapons and even a crude form of facial protection. This is depicted on a carving in Egypt, along with the fact that judges were used to score and oversee the matches. The author of "A History of Fencing" wrote that the Roman and Greek civilizations continued the fencing tradition with short swords. This continued until the fall of Rome in 476 AD. The barbarians who defeated Rome used crude heavy swords, which could break the lighter short swords. These massive weapons rendered smaller swords ineffective, and suppressed fencing for the time ("A history..."). An entry in "A Timeline of Fencing History" states that it wasn't until the 14th century AD that fencing made a comeback. Suprisingly it was the invention of gunpowder that marked the return of fencing swords. Gunpowder made heavy armor and swords obsolete ("The Worlds..."). Mobility became more important because firearms rendered the protection previously available through armor ineffective. Many officers and "gentlemen" then adopted the light rapier as a sidearm. Fencing quickly became the rage of the ages. Due to the sudden increase in the popularity of fencing, fencing guilds, such as the Marxbruder in Germany, sprang up across Europe ("A Timeline. A Study of Modern and Classical Fencing :: Expository Essays Research Papers A Study of Modern and Classical Fencing Fencing is a method of personal expression and release. It is ultimatly a way of life for some. Nevertheless, this noble lifestyle is dying out. There are those who would convince others that classical fencing is a way of the past. In its place they would promote a sport that uses the same equipment and yet, is so different, that one cannot think of it in the same light. The controversy between these two poses the question "is Olympic fencing better than classical?"; A question that will require some research. According to information from the web document "The Worlds oldest Modern Sport," fencing as we know it was developed by the Egyptians sometime around 1200 BC. "The earliest depiction of a fencing match is a relief in the temple of Medin at Habu, near Luxor in Egypt, built by Ramses III about 1190 BC. This relief depicts a practice bout or match, because the sword points are covered and the swordsmen are parrying with shields strapped to their left arms and are wearing masks (tied to their wigs), large bibs, and padding over their ears" (Beumont). Swordsmanship, as a pastime and in single combat and war, was also practiced widely by the ancient Persians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans, as well as by some Germanic tribes. They used protective tips on their weapons and even a crude form of facial protection. This is depicted on a carving in Egypt, along with the fact that judges were used to score and oversee the matches. The author of "A History of Fencing" wrote that the Roman and Greek civilizations continued the fencing tradition with short swords. This continued until the fall of Rome in 476 AD. The barbarians who defeated Rome used crude heavy swords, which could break the lighter short swords. These massive weapons rendered smaller swords ineffective, and suppressed fencing for the time ("A history..."). An entry in "A Timeline of Fencing History" states that it wasn't until the 14th century AD that fencing made a comeback. Suprisingly it was the invention of gunpowder that marked the return of fencing swords. Gunpowder made heavy armor and swords obsolete ("The Worlds..."). Mobility became more important because firearms rendered the protection previously available through armor ineffective. Many officers and "gentlemen" then adopted the light rapier as a sidearm. Fencing quickly became the rage of the ages. Due to the sudden increase in the popularity of fencing, fencing guilds, such as the Marxbruder in Germany, sprang up across Europe ("A Timeline.