The length of a rapier for fencing. This is fine art! What is sports fencing

Fencing is a noble, very beautiful, graceful and romantic sport. However, it is an ancient martial art that is both beautiful and deadly. Fencing is a battle of characters, in which composure and nobility are not superfluous qualities. Today we will take a closer look at this exciting sport and find out what fencing is, how and where it originated, what rules apply in it, what equipment is used, how competitions are held and whether Russia has succeeded in this matter. Fencing has distant roots, and we will start with them.

Historical digression

Spain is considered to be the birthplace of fencing. It was here that something similar to modern art and the rapier was born. In Spain, the world-famous Toledo blades were produced, which, being very light, had excellent strength characteristics. It was in this country, and later throughout Europe, that duels with melee weapons were born. It is believed that the first books dealing with fencing were published in Spain. Men loved to fight with edged weapons, and women mastered fencing much later. Over time, the first fencing school appeared in the country. Italy, France and Germany were also not far behind. In the 1470s, a corporation of fencing instructors was established in Germany, and an association of fencers in England.

By the beginning of the 18th century, several global schools had appeared. The main ones were the French and Italian schools of fencing. It was they who gave the world famous handles for bladed weapons.

In the 19th century, the formation of sports fencing began. And by the end of this century, the first competitions were organized, in their modern interpretation. In 1913, the International Fencing Federation was created, which in 1914 approved the rules of the duel. These rules are still being fought to this day. Today, the International Fencing Federation includes more than a hundred national federations.

Fencing in Russia

For the first time, interest in the art of fencing arose in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century. Peter I then made "Rapier Science" a mandatory subject for military and civilian institutions. In 1816, a fencing school was opened in St. Petersburg to train teachers and instructors. A fencing coach who left its walls was considered a respected person. In 1834, rules for fencing with bayonets were developed in Russia. Gradually, schools began to be organized in other cities.

From 1899 to 1916, the St. Petersburg athletic community once a year held a fencing championship, in which the whole of Russia took part. Fencing of Russian masters in the international arena took place for the first time in 1910. One of the Russian athletes then won the third place. Two years later, the first Olympics took place in the career of Russian fencers. Fencing after that began to develop with great speed.

Later, the Soviet fencing school would become one of the best in the world. In the 21st century, blade masters from Russia managed to win several dozen gold medals and break the records of the Soviet team. Today there is a fencing section in almost all cities.

sports fencing

This sport combines three disciplines. The main difference between them is the type of weapon used. You can also fencing with a saber. The main goal of sparring is to inflict a thrust on the opponent and protect yourself from his thrusts. The winner is the one who manages to be the first to carry out a certain number of attacks or achieve the best results in a certain period of time.

Weapon

Fencing weapons consist of the following elements:

Blade.
Garda.
Pad.
Lever.
Screw.

On the edge of the blade is a special tip. Weapons can be electrified and conventional. An electric weapon is connected by means of wiring to a device that detects injections. The wire runs under the athlete's clothing. The tip of such a weapon has a special button.

The sword in total length does not exceed 110 cm, and in weight - 770 g. The blade has a length of 90 cm. The diameter of the guard is a maximum of 13.5 cm. The weapon is stabbing. The flexible steel blade has a trihedral section.

The rapier differs from the sword in such parameters as: weight - up to 500 g; the diameter of the guard - up to 12 cm - and the section of the maple - tetrahedral. It provides easier fencing.

The saber has a length of no more than 105 cm. At the same time, the length of the blade reaches a maximum of 88 cm. The weight of the saber is 0.5 kg. The saber belongs to and has an elastic steel blade with a variable trapezoidal section. The guard of the saber has a shackle that connects it to the hilt. The saber has no tip.

Surface affected

In a duel with swords, injections inflicted by the tip of the blade into any part of the opponent's body are counted. It is impossible to beat only in the back of the head, unprotected by a mask.

Now let's talk about rapier combat. In terms of rules, this is a more sophisticated swordsmanship. A rapier in the hands of an athlete requires more accuracy. In rapier sparring, only injections to the opponent's torso, both in front and behind, are considered. Blows to the head, arms and legs are prohibited. If the fencer delivered a thrust outside the permitted area, the fight is suspended, and all strikes of this episode are not counted.

In a saber duel, it is allowed to make injections and blows to any part of the body that is above the belt, except for the back of the head. If the saber fencer hits outside this zone, he does not receive points for the blow / thrust, but the fight continues.

In sparring of saber fencers and foil fencers, sometimes a thrust / blow delivered outside the permitted zone is counted. This happens if the athlete, who is defending himself, intentionally covered the affected part of the body, unaffected. For example, with a foot, which can often be found when viewing non-professional fencing. The rules also prohibit deliberately touching conductive surfaces with a weapon, including one's own suit, because this causes a false operation of the electrical system.

Equipment

We continue to study fencing. What is a swordsman costume? This is a white suit consisting of a jacket and knee-length trousers with suspenders. The jacket is called a tunic. The fencer's clothing is made of dense fabric that can withstand blows with a force of up to 800 Newtons. These costumes are used in international competitions. For simple training, a fabric that can withstand an impact force of 350 Newtons is enough.

On the feet of the fencer put on long white leggings and special shoes. It differs from simple sports shoes in a flat sole, as well as a reinforced toe and heel. There are low and high models. The latter are used when there is a need to fix the ankle.

The mask is another important attribute without which fencing cannot be imagined. What is face protection? This is an extremely important aspect in such a beautiful but harsh sport. The protective mask should not only cover the face from blows, but also not prevent the athlete from seeing the opponent well. Therefore, in the eye area, the mask has a metal mesh. A special metal collar protects the neck.

For fencers, the metal mesh is insulated with plastic impact-resistant pads on both sides. And the collar is made of a material that can withstand an impact force of 1600 Newtons. For training, this figure is 350 newtons.

Foil fencers use the same masks, only with an electric collar. It all depends on what kind of blows this or that fencing allows.

A saber, as already mentioned, can hit in the face, so saber masks have an uninsulated mesh that conducts electricity. And in general, the entire saber mask, along with the collar, is made of electrically conductive material.

A glove is put on the hand holding the weapon. In the case of saber fencing, it has an electrically conductive cuff.

Under the suit described above, greaves are worn, which also withstand impacts with a force of 350 or 800 Newtons. To avoid bruises, plastic protection is additionally put under the armrests.

Since the entire body is the affected surface for epee fencers, the described protection is quite enough for them. Foil fencers additionally put on a vest made of conductive material on the jacket. It displays the surface on which you can strike. In saber fencers, in addition, a mask is connected to the vest.

Hit Registration

When an injection or blow is delivered (for saber fencers), the recording device lets you know about it by turning on a green light. If the attack was made in accordance with all the rules, then it is counted and the attacking athlete receives a point. If a blow/stab was delivered outside the permitted area, a white light will turn on. If the green and white lights come on at the same time, then two hits were made, and the first one was invalid. Therefore, the second hit does not count. Since fencing with swords allows any strikes, there are no white lights. If the lights come on at the same time on both sides, each player gets a point.

The fencer's suit can be connected to the recording device, both wired and wireless. In order for the electrical system to determine the blow, the pressure on the arrowhead must be at least 4.9 Newtons or 0.5 kg for a rapier and 7.35 Newtons or 0.75 kg for a sword. As for the saber strike, it must be brought to its logical conclusion. A simple touch here does not bring points.

It's hard to imagine, but there was a time when strikes were recorded only visually. This important mission was given to the four referees who surrounded the battlefield from all sides. In 1936, for the first time, the rules received force, according to which the pricks of epee fencers began to be recorded using electrical devices. In 1957, foil fencers began to compete according to this system, and in 1988, saber fencers began to compete.

fencing track

Sparring takes place on the fencing track. Its length is 14 meters, and the width can vary between 1.5-2 meters. As in any other sport, the battlefield has markings. In this case, it is represented by 5 lines perpendicular to the track. The first line is the central one. At a distance of 2 meters from it on both sides is the battle line. Two more lines are located seven meters from the central line and are called the lines of the rear borders.

Thus, at the beginning of the fight, being on the battle line, the athlete has 5 meters to retreat and 9 meters to attack. On the sides of the track, 2-meter segments are distinguished, which allow the athlete to accurately determine how much room he has left to retreat without turning around.

How is the fight

We already know in general terms what fencing is. We also know what a fencing suit is and what markings the battlefield has. Therefore, it's time to move on to the most interesting part - the fight process.

So, at the beginning of the battle, the opponents stand on the line of the starting position side by side to each other. In this case, one leg crosses the line. The weapon is directed at the enemy, and the free hand is wound behind the back. The fight begins and ends when the referee gives the appropriate command. However, the end of the bout can also occur if a signal sounds, announcing that the time of the round has expired.

Traditionally, judging is done in French. Before the start of the bout, the referee gives the command “An guard!”, which translates as “To fight!”. He then asks the athletes, "Hey woo pree?" to see if they're ready. When both fencers answer, the referee gives the command "Alle!". If you need to stop the fight, he says the word "Alt!", Which translates as "Stop!". When awarding points to one or another fighter, the judge says: “A druat”, “A gosh” or “Ku double”. This means: "right", "left" and "both", respectively. When registering an invalid strike, the referee says: “Pa conte!” - Don't count. After scoring, the opponents return to their original positions, and the battle continues. And if the fight was stopped without awarding a hit, then it resumes at the same place where it stopped.

Individual duel is divided into three rounds lasting 1 minute. The break between rounds is also a minute. The winner of the round is the athlete who first scores 15 points or leads in the score at the end of the round. If at the end of three rounds the score indicates a tie, an additional fourth round is played. However, before it starts, a draw is held in which the winner is selected in case an extra minute does not help.

Now consider team fencing, the rules of which are somewhat different. If the competition is a team event, then each fencer must fight with each athlete of the opposing team. Since the team consists of three people, the match between the two teams includes 9 individual bouts. In this case, the first battle ends when one of the parties scores 5 points, the second - 10 points, and so on up to 45.

The swordsman who attacked first gets the status of the attacker, and his opponent, respectively, the defender. With simultaneous strikes / injections, the advantage is given to the attacking athlete. Alternately, the priority of the action passes from one swordsman to another. If the electronic system detected a hit/prick, but it was in violation of the priority of the attack, no points are awarded. In case of mutual hits, the referee acts according to the situation. A blow/stab delivered after the “Stop!” command is counted only if the movement began before the command.

Briefly about the technique and tactics of combat

Let's look a little deeper into such an exciting sport as fencing. This is the interaction of blades, which implies a lot of subtle, cunning, well-adjusted movements and techniques. This is the main difference between fencing and duels with heavy weapons.

When a direct attack is not possible, the swordsman tries to neutralize the oncoming attack and counterattack. And in order to eliminate the threat, it is not necessary to dodge, you can beat off the blade and immediately strike a counter blow.

In fencing, deception plays an important role. It can be: disguise, which helps to hide the intentions of the athlete; feints, which are threatening movements; a challenge that provokes the enemy to decisive, but not always deliberate actions, and so on.

Modern fencing, depending on the type of weapon used, has some differences in technique, tactics and rules, due to the history of the origin of weapons. The saber originated from a blade used by cavalrymen. They fought in equestrian duels, so chopping blows were delivered above the waist. This fact predetermined the size of the affected surface in saber fencing.

The sword, by its origin, is a dueling weapon. The outcome of a duel could be determined by an injection to any part of the body. Therefore, it was extremely important to strike it first and protect yourself from a retaliatory attack. The same principle has carried over to modern fencing.

The rapier was originally created as a training weapon. Therefore, the conditions for the fight among rapierists are the most sparing. It is with the rapier that fencing begins. Women were once only allowed to fight with rapiers. Since the weapon weighs little, even children can handle it. By the way, we will consider fencing for children a little lower. Such a concept as "tactical correctness" also arose from the needs of a training fight, which was supposed to prepare a person for a real fight.

fines

If an athlete steps over the side line of the battle with at least one foot, he is awarded a penalty of 1 meter. This means that the bout resumes at a distance of 1 meter from the place of violation towards the offender. Thus, he has a meter less room to retreat. If the fencer steps behind the back line, the opponent is awarded one point. This is called a "penalty shot". In fencing are not allowed:

Run attack.
Intentional physical contact.
Enemy push.
Turn your back to the enemy.
Hitting the floor with a weapon.
Any action with the free hand.

Removing the tip from the weapon, attempting to repair it, or carrying out other actions is prohibited without the permission of the referee. It is also impossible to leave the field and take off the mask without the appropriate command. For deliberate violations of the rules, athletes receive penalty cards.

A yellow card is given if the fencer is given a warning. If an athlete violates the rules for the second time, he receives a red card. It does not matter here whether he repeated his violation or committed something else. The red card, unlike the yellow card, not only warns, but also punishes, through a penalty shot. A black card is given for gross violations of the rules, unsportsmanlike behavior and if the fencer repeats the violation for which he was awarded a red card. A black card means disqualification.

Olympics

Fencing has long been an integral part of the Olympic Games. At the modern Olympics, the country is represented by 18 athletes, two of which are substitutes. The team consists of both men and women. The program of the Olympiad includes individual and team competitions in all three types of weapons that modern fencing allows. Women, as well as men, can fight with swords, rapiers and sabers. The program includes 10 numbers, 6 of which are personal and 4 team. At the last Olympics in Rio, Russian fans proudly watched fencing. Men won two awards, and women - 3 gold, one silver and one bronze. In the overall medal standings, the Russian fencing team was in first place.

Children's fencing

Fencing for children today is developed no less than other sports. The section usually accepts children from 9 years old. In good schools, they are taught not only the technique and tactics of combat, but also tolerance towards the enemy. There is a decent fencing section in every major city. Without this, fencing sparring would have turned into a simple sword fight.

general information:

Club "Blade and Vine" teaches historical fencing - fencing with bladed weapons that have analogues in the past. Training is divided into several areas: fitness fencing, historical fencing (including the history of the costume), cutting targets.
Our club combines the directions of complex reconstruction, which means complete immersion in the era (VII-XII and XVII centuries). As a bonus - training in horseback riding, archery and seamanship on the road (participants choose the region themselves).
Since 2018, we have begun to study the traditions of historical European martial arts (HEMA).
We are members of the Sports Sword Federation. We conduct classes for children on soft weapons.
Clothing for training in the gym - sportswear. On club trips - according to the era for which the trip is organized.

We train in areas:

Classic fencing with one weapon.
Sword and doug.
Sword and shield.
Ax and shield.
Spear / brodex.
Sword / saber.
Long sword.
Dueling fencing.
Teamwork (triples, fives).

Club city: Moscow.

Year of foundation: 2010.

Supervisor: Pavlyukova Ekaterina Dmitrievna.

Instructor staff People: Alexey Pavlyukov (since 2009), Alexander Kamshilin (since 2008), Ekaterina Pavlyukova (since 2009).

Conducted tournaments and events:

Annual festival of historical reconstruction for the early Middle Ages "Varangian Sails": boat fights, training in maritime affairs, participation in the reconstruction of the Baltic rite "Creation of the World" (2015-2018).
Annual inter-epochal festival of historical reconstruction "Helga": combat program, organization of throwing shooting galleries and trade, refereeing (2014-2018).
Tournaments of historical fencing "Holmgang" (2016).
Cutting tournaments on replica bladed weapons "Singing Blade" (2016-2017).
Annual festival of historical reconstruction for the early Middle Ages "Heroic Power": refereeing, organizing a tournament within the framework of the festival (2013, 2015-2016).
Annual festival of historical reconstruction "Gnezdovo": organization of throwing galleries, organization and holding of master classes, judging (2013-2016).
Annual festival of historical reconstruction "Original Russia": organization and holding of the tournament within the framework of the festival, judging (2016).
The annual festival of historical reconstruction "Byliny Bereg": demonstration performances and master classes in logging, organization of throwing shooting galleries (knives, axes, sulits), judging, boat team (2015-2016).
Annual festival of historical reconstruction "Rusborg": demonstration performances with an equestrian program (2016).
International exhibition "Blade - traditions and modernity", "Blade on the Neva", knife exhibitions in Moscow and St. Petersburg: demonstration performances in fencing and cutting, master classes in cutting, (2016-2019).
Annual international exhibition "Equestrian Russia" in the CSC "Bitsa": demonstration equestrian program (2016).
Closed Cavalry competitions KSK "Atamanets" (2015).

Don't attack! Don't go back! Don't take protection! Don't counterattack! Don't fail! Do not put your straight hand!
- But what to do?
- Fencing!

Additional Information

Former name of the club: SKIR "Khoroyar".
For fencing, we use mass-sized (not sharpened) copies of historical weapons. The fencing technique is restored according to historical manuscripts and fencing books. Fencing takes place in analogues of historical costumes with the obligatory correspondence to the swordsman's weapons.
Our club took part in the filming of fencing scenes for clips of musical groups: Imperial Age (participation), Rarog "Trouble" (participation and staging), Kalevala "Surprised" (participation and staging of fencing scenes).

Contacts:

Club workshop and interview with candidates: st. Olkhovskaya, 14, building 4, room 13 M (m. Baumanskaya / m. Krasnoselskaya).
Training hall address: st. Nizhnyaya Krasnoselskaya, 35, building K (m. Baumanskaya / m. Krasnoselskaya).
To sign up for the first training, fill out the form in the VKontakte group:

Fencing in Moscow - an overview of various areas

Today in Moscow there is a fairly significant stratum of different schools of fencing in a variety of areas.

The bulk of today's fencing schools in Moscow are occupied by clubs and schools of knife fighting. In general, this is understandable. By itself, knife fighting is one of the most popular areas of fencing, in demand at the household level.

Everyone wants to be able to wield a knife. Everyone cherishes the blue dream of planting a gopnik in a dark alley, but someone cherishes the dream of planting a decent citizen and his “sworn friend” on a knife, by the way, there are quite a few of them. They all go to knife fighting schools. The main schools of knife fighting in Moscow are, in fact, people from hand-to-hand combat.

That is, their technique is just a modernized version of hand-to-hand combat, when instead of a fist or a boxing glove, you have
hand knife. What is the risk? But what. It's no secret for connoisseurs that hand-to-hand combat and knife fighting are very different things. Different in everything, in the stance, in the technique of impact, in the muscles involved during the impact, in the movements, in the ideology of the fight, finally. What is acceptable for hand-to-hand combat is completely unacceptable for knife combat. Knife fight professes one exact blow. This is an axiom.

If you run in and try to stab a person with ten blows, then you are almost 100% guaranteed to get at least one blow, but in return. And the problem with the knife is that even one missed blow can often be fatal. Therefore, the basis of a knife fight is an instant entry, defeat, and no less instant exit, everything else is nonsense, leading to mutual defeat, which is not only undesirable, but similar to death in the most direct sense.

Katana Club adheres to the technique of only pure defeat, with maximum safety for ourselves - this is what makes us strikingly different from other knife fighting schools in Moscow, and in general from fencing schools in Moscow.

The second point, or rather the curse of knife fighting in Moscow, is the tournaments.

That is, like all stupidity, they were conceived as a test of the strength and dexterity of the participants, and how all stupidity reached the apogee of stupidity in a couple of years. Their rules are designed for a tournament, and not for a real fight on the street, which instructors usually talk about beautifully, enticing beginners.

It's no secret that the rules of the tournaments are as far from real combat as Jupiter is from the Earth. Tournament rules of most clubs in general
they welcome punches and kicks, although in a real knife fight on the street this almost never happens, and the one who foolishly waved his leg receives a guaranteed blow with a knife and loses the fight and often his life.

Tournament rules develop a complete lack of fear of the opponent's blade to the point of debelism - well, still, this is just an imitation of what they are afraid of. As a result, people climb the blade without dismantling the ford, receive multiple blows and inflict themselves, not realizing that in a real battle these are two corpses that fell off each other with holes in the belly.

Another point is the training weapon itself. Short wooden blunt imitations.

This type of training projectile is common in most clubs in Moscow. How bad is that. Well, firstly, the weight and length. The wood is very short and light. If you make it bigger, you need more serious, MUCH more serious protection than just a fencing mask. These are extra expenses not only for participants, but also for clubs, including for the safety of classes. Heavy and long wooden weapons can be easily killed. In the truest sense, I'm not kidding. Or severely mutilate. Even the weapons that are usually available are a danger to the enemy if they hit the neck, stomach, hands, if they are poorly protected. Up to death. If you hit the liver or spleen with all your might with a blunt piece of wood, you certainly will not pierce a person.

But, in addition to a hefty hematoma, he can get a rupture of internal organs and

Die from severe blood loss before the end of the workout. Especially considering that out of sheer bragging, 90% of the participants do not wear protective vests. This is on the one hand. That's enough

It is common practice to weaken the blow at the end point so as not to inadvertently receive a cargo of 200 and a decent term in prison.

On the other hand, low weight and size do not allow you to properly fill your hand while training with such weapons. Some techniques cannot be trained at all with a small knife weight, such as quick blows to the hand. A knife of such a weight distribution and such a weight does not fly forward, although even picking up an ordinary
folding knife you get a very different picture.

Katana Club uses in its training and sparring non-traumatic weight and dimensions of real knives, heavy - from 200 - 250 grams or more, for example Raja 2 or Ontario. Our imitations do not cause injury, although it is quite possible to get a bruise on your fingers if you come to sparring without gloves. All sparring participants must wear protective helmets that protect against shell shock and securely cover their faces and gloves. In addition, women are advised to wear bibs to avoid chest injuries.

This Katana Club approach to training makes it possible not to weaken the blow at its extreme point, for fear of injuring a person, but to strike it with full force. This forms a reflex in a person to ALWAYS hit just like that, hard and cruelly, avoiding smeared blows. Secondly, the real weight distribution allows you to deliver fast, accurate and powerful blows, unlike a light wooden imitation.

Another direction of fencing in Moscow, quite popular, is duel fencing. Here the choice of clubs and schools and directions is very wide. From fencing with two-handed swords, from sabers and broadswords to

Heavy historical swords. All of them have one thing in common - as a rule, weapons made of textolite, weighing more than 1.1 kg, although sometimes there are clubs fencing on steel blades.

The main difference of this direction is its extreme injury risk. The textolite blade, unlike the steel one, is practically
does not bend. They beat them, as a rule, with full force and with all the dope. This type of fencing forces you to have a fairly expensive protective armor, a fencing mask, upgraded, because if you get a direct blow to the face in a standard sports fencing mask, then the result is a cut in the face with a mesh and a broken nose, well, if broken so that you can collect it.

However, protection does not guarantee against minor injuries, such as broken fingers, hematomas from injections, joint injuries, and so on.

One of the most unpleasant phenomena in duel fencing is its terrible isolation from real life. Tournaments that are held for points do not give any real combat skills, moreover, they dilute this skill in a person. In general, everyone knows that the weapon is not real, the blows are not fatal, and in order to earn points, they climb without looking at the enemy's blade. The same picture is repeated as in the knife fight. Even worse. Moreover, the practice that has developed in duel fencing does not bring almost anything from sports fencing, and in vain, in sports fencing, despite all its embodiment, there is much to learn.

Katana Club takes the best from sports fencing in its training, we try to study the techniques of sports fencing masters and thoughtfully transfer them to heavier weapons.

Fencing in aikido, kendo and other training in katana techniques stands apart.

Unfortunately, today's kendo is very far from real combat swordsmanship. It contains a number of tricks - for example, prohibited

Stabbing blows to the face, no way to retreat during a fight, and much more. Things are not much better in aikido.

From its original version of sword fighting, today's aikido is as far away as heaven from earth. I'm not talking about the fact that sparring with a sword is not practiced in modern aikido. In addition, all these schools do not teach combat with different weapons, developing techniques only for a two-handed sword - a katana, and leaving aside techniques with a short sword and a knife.

Another problem is the armor for the same kendo. Historically, the cost is very high, so today it is a sport for very wealthy people.

In its practice, Katana Club focuses on a thorough study of the practices of oriental martial arts, with different weapons, both with two-handed and one-handed, short and long, unifying and modernizing the classics of sword fighting. Katana Club brings elements from sports fencing into it, which, by the way, have never been used in classical Japanese martial art, but which are most effective.

Another direction is reenactment fencing in Moscow. The undoubted advantage of this fencing is the historical surroundings. There are quite a few cons.

Firstly, these are rather strict restrictions on buhurts (demonstration fights such as a knightly tournament) on the types of blows, weapons, fencing techniques. For example, stabbing blows are prohibited on steel weapons, even with blunt blades, for fear of inflicting cruel
injure, mutilate or even kill the participants.

Secondly, the risk of injury is extremely high. The blades are generally blunt, but they hit with all their heart, so steel armor often does not save either. Often someone gets injured, putting a person out of action for many weeks. Thirdly, even greater isolation from life than dueling fencing. Well, will you ever meet a person dressed in heavy armor in your life?

Unlike these trends, Katana Club, as a fencing school in Moscow, teaches its students such techniques and strikes, which, being aimed at an unarmored opponent, are completely universal in the first place - it doesn’t matter to you what kind of weapon you have in your hands - a stick, a sword, a machete, knife, saber, broadsword or tourist hatchet.

You can successfully defend yourself with ANY weapon. Secondly, all our techniques are applicable for self-defense, and include the entire
an arsenal of blows - both chopping and stabbing. The versatility of muscle movements develops the ability to use any object as a weapon of self-defense. Our techniques are not pretentious, not artificial, which, for example, duel fencing often sins, we use the most effective techniques combining both sports fencing, historical techniques, and techniques from oriental fencing schools, including classics.

In Katana Club you can learn the most effective fighting style, while using different weapons and without relearning separately the techniques of knife fighting, fighting with a machete or a sword - both two-handed and one-handed. After training at the Katana Club, any item will become your weapon, any item in your hands will help you defend yourself on the street.

At the beginning of the 16th century, France, and then other European countries, was seized by the "dueling fever" that raged on the continent for more than three centuries. In just a few decades of the reign of the French king Henry IV, duels led to the death of about ten thousand people, most of whom belonged to the nobility. The main weapon of dueling fights of that time was a sword.

Sword. The word itself is wrapped in a romantic halo. Saying it, you feel as if you are transported to the narrow streets of Paris or Seville into the world of arrogant and quick-tempered hidalgos and musketeers, so masterfully described in the brilliant books of Dumas and Arturo Perez-Reverte. Without a doubt, the sword is the most “noble” edged weapon, the defender of the honor of the nobility and the most faithful friend of the breter.

It is believed that the sword appeared around the middle of the 15th century in Spain. Very quickly, it became popular not only in the army, but also as a civilian weapon of nobles or just wealthy people. Over time, the sword has become an indispensable attribute of any man from the noble class, and fencing with swords has become a favorite pastime of the nobles. Not without reason in different countries of Europe (including Russia) there was a custom of the so-called civil execution, during which a sword was broken over the head of the convict.

It was the sword that made a huge contribution to the development of fencing. Since dueling with swords was a common thing, men from a young age learned to handle these weapons. Fencing lessons were commonplace and were taken by men of all ages. In Europe, there was even a very specific institution - fencing brotherhoods. These associations of professional fencers had an extensive network of branches, experienced instructors and a special examination system.

Today epee fencing is an Olympic sport, although it must be admitted that sword fighting is very different from the fencing fights of the past. The same can be said about the design of a sports sword, which has little in common with the blades of musketeers.

The rapier is considered a further development of the sword. Translated from Spanish, espada ropera literally means "sword for clothes", that is, a weapon worn with a civilian suit. In other words, the rapier was an exclusively civilian weapon, designed primarily for stabbing. Such a light version of the sword. In Russia, a rapier is often called a weapon with a faceted blade, intended for training fights. However, the main difference between a sword and a rapier is that the latter has never been a military weapon.

It should be said that there is a lot of confusion in this matter. In historical sources, the same weapon can be called both a sword and a rapier. A similar situation is also observed in popular literature (for example, in The Three Musketeers). Of course, the most common opinion is that a sword is a weapon that could be used to cut an enemy, and a rapier was only used to inflict injections. But, probably, contemporaries did not go into such subtleties too much, therefore, initially these names were synonyms, which subsequently led to noticeable confusion.

Description

A sword is a bladed piercing or piercing-cutting weapon with a narrow straight double-edged, single-edged or faceted blade and a complex guard. On average, the length of the blade was one meter, but there were also more "overall" specimens. Its section could be hexagonal, trihedral, oval, rhombic, concave. The weight of the weapon, as a rule, was about 1.5 kg.

The sword blade could have valleys or stiffeners. It ended with a shank, on which a sword handle with a bow and guard was mounted. Epee guards are striking in their elegance, complexity and variety, some of them had devices for capturing the opponent's blade. Currently, this part of the sword is used to classify this weapon.

In fact, a combat sword was a somewhat lightweight sword with a narrow and flexible blade, designed more for thrusting than for chopping. It should also be added that in the design of this weapon much attention is paid to protecting the fencer's hand. The evolution of the sword followed the path of its lightening and gradual transformation into an exclusively piercing weapon. In later swords, the blades could either be completely absent or not sharpened.

The classification of swords is based on the size of the blade of the weapon, its weight, as well as on the design features of the hilt. One of the most famous experts in European edged weapons, Ewart Oakeshott, divides swords into three large groups:

Heavy combat swords (reitschwert - from the German "horseman's sword"), which could be used both for stabbing and cutting;
A lighter sword (espada ropera - Spanish for “clothing sword”), which had blades, but due to its low weight, was not very suitable for chopping. This type of weapon was popular in the 16th century, and was later superseded by even lighter swords;
The third type of weapon, which received the English name small sword ("small sword"). Similar swords appeared in the middle of the 17th century and were distinguished by a light faceted blade of small length.

History of the sword

The sword is a further historical development of the sword. This statement absolutely does not mean that it is a better weapon than the good old sword, just at the time of its appearance it was more suitable for the changed conditions of warfare. On medieval battlefields, the sword would have been useless, but already in the Renaissance, it turned out to be a very effective fighting tool.

The sword can be called the same age as firearms. Moreover, the birth of this weapon is associated with the widespread use of rifles and artillery on the European battlefields. Today, there are several hypotheses regarding the causes of this weapon.

Some authors believe that the sword appeared in response to the further improvement of plate armor, which became practically invulnerable to chopping blows. Like, using a thin blade, it was possible to hit the enemy in heavy armor, inflicting piercing blows into their joints. In theory, this may look beautiful, but in reality it seems almost impossible. The so-called Maximilian armor had a degree of protection that was not inferior to modern space suits for deep diving. It is extremely problematic to hit an enemy protected by such armor in a real fight.

Another theory seems more plausible, according to which swords did not appear to pierce heavy armor, but because heavy armor was gradually becoming a thing of the past due to the advent of firearms. There was no point in carrying an unthinkable amount of iron if it could not protect the fighter from a flying bullet. The heavy swords of the late Middle Ages were just designed to penetrate such armor; after the reduction of protective weapons, they also became unnecessary. At this moment, the sword began its triumphal march.

It should be said that the early heavy sword was not much different from the medieval sword, it was somewhat lighter and more elegant than it. Even the additional protection of the swordsman's hand could be found on swords of an earlier period. True, fencing technique, sharpened for stabbing, led to a change in the grip of the weapon. For its greater controllability, the index finger lay on the top of the cross and needed additional protection. In addition, at the same time, plate metal gloves came out of use, which prevented the normal use of firearms. So gradually the hilt of the sword turned into that complex structure by which it can be unmistakably recognized among other bladed weapons.

It is believed that the first swords appeared in Spain around the middle of the 15th century. This weapon very quickly became popular among the noble class. Swords were lighter than swords, so they were more comfortable for everyday wear. This weapon was richly decorated to emphasize the status of the owner, but at the same time it did not lose its combat qualities at all. Already in this period there was a division into combat and civilian swords. The last variety by the end of the 15th century received its own name espadas roperas, which passed into other languages and gave its own name to the new weapon - the rapier.

By the way, in most European languages there is no term "sword". This weapon bore (and bears) the name "sword". In Spanish, espada, in French, épée, in English, sword, and only the Germans gave the sword its own name, Degen. Moreover, in German, Degen also means a dagger, which gave some researchers reason to believe it was he who was the predecessor of the sword.

The sword gradually spread to all branches of the army, finally displacing the sword. The 18th century can be called the heyday of this weapon, then it gradually began to be forced out of the army by broadswords and sabers.

Civilian swords were lighter and narrower than military weapons, often only their point was sharpened. At the end of the 17th century in France, a short civilian sword came into use, which, due to its light weight, made it possible to carry out virtuoso blade movements. This is how the French school of fencing appeared. At this time, the rapier and sword become almost indistinguishable from each other and completely lose their chopping function. The decrease in the mass of the sword was not only due to a decrease in its length and width, but also due to the fact that the blade became faceted. This is how a light civilian sword appeared, which survived without any changes until the beginning of the 20th century.

The most popular were triangular blades, although there were samples with six sides. Initially, the blades were made wide at the handle, it is believed that this part of the sword was intended to parry the blows of the enemy. The classic narrow form of the sword was finally acquired by the era of the Napoleonic wars. We can say that from that moment the evolution of the sword is over.

It should also be said that the light civil sword became the prototype of the modern sports rapier, and the main techniques of sports fencing are based on the techniques of the French school.

The civilian sword was an extremely popular weapon. It was worn by the nobility, the bourgeoisie, the military in peacetime and even students. Wearing a sword was a privilege for them, students usually received swords after graduation, but there were exceptions. For example, students of Moscow University received the right to carry these weapons after entering the university.

German students not only enjoyed wearing swords, but also liked to use them in duels. Moreover, young men in Prussia were extremely proud of the scars received in such battles. Sometimes they were specially rubbed with gunpowder so that the mark remained for life.

In Russia, they also tried to equip archery units with swords, but this weapon did not take root. Later, it was massively used in parts of the new system, and Peter the Great armed the entire Russian infantry with swords. But then, among the rank and file, the sword was replaced by a half-saber. The sword was left only to the officer corps and guards musketeers. By their design, Russian swords were no different from their foreign counterparts.

In the 19th century, swords in the Russian army lose their significance as military weapons and are gradually replaced by sabers. However, officers continue to wear them out of formation, as dress weapons. Until 1917, the sword was the weapon of the generals and officers of the cuirassier regiments out of order, in addition, civil officials wear it as an element of full dress.

Fencing

The appearance of the sword gave a powerful impetus to the development of fencing. It cannot be said that before that they were cut with swords, as they had to, but it was the lightness of the sword that made it possible to significantly expand the arsenal of fencing techniques. Recognized fencing schools appeared very quickly: Italian, Spanish, French, German. Each of them had its own characteristics.

The Germans, for example, paid much attention to chopping blows, and as an auxiliary weapon they used a heavy pistol, the handle of which struck like a club.

In the Italian fencing school, for the first time, emphasis was placed on stabbing with a point. It was in Italy that the principle "to kill with a point, not with a blade" was born. As an additional weapon in a fight, a special dagger, a dagu, was often used. By the way, it is believed that duels appeared in Italy, replacing medieval jousting tournaments and fights.

The French school of fencing gave birth to a light short sword and gave the world the basic techniques for handling it. It is she who underlies modern sports fencing.

In England, during fights, a special shield-brass knuckles or dagu was often used.

The Spanish fencing school was called Destreza, which can be translated as "true art" or "skill". It was taught not only to fight with swords, but also to use such items as a cloak, a dagu, a small shield in battle. The Spaniards paid attention not only to the skills of handling weapons, but also to the moral development of a fighter, the philosophical aspects of military art.

Does the sport of fencing that exists today look like a real sword fight? There is an interesting statement that if a modern master of sports fencing got into the past, he would easily cope with any Renaissance sword master. Is it so?

The most important of the techniques of modern athletes is the lunge attack, which is almost completely absent in the old Italian and Spanish fencing schools. However, would it be useful in a real battle?

A lunge attack causes the fencer to stretch his stance. In this position, he is static, and it is difficult for him to defend himself against enemy attacks. In sports fencing, after an injection, the fight is stopped, which, of course, is impossible in a real fight. At the same time, a single injection absolutely does not guarantee victory over the enemy. In sports fencing, there are practically no defenses, fights are held according to the principle "whoever hits first gets the point." In a real battle, it is simply necessary to defend yourself, because a missed injection does not mean the loss of a point, but an injury, or even death.

Moreover, in the arsenal of historical fencing schools there were not only defenses with the blade, but also body movements: sharp rebounds, leaving the line of attack, and a sharp change in level. In modern fencing, stepping aside from the line of attack is a completely forbidden technique.

Now let's look at the weapons used by modern athletes and compare them with the swords of the old days. A modern sports sword is a flexible steel bar weighing 700-750 grams, the main task of this weapon in battle is to achieve a light touch on the opponent's body. The swords of the old masters could weigh up to 1.5 kg, with this weapon it was possible not only to stab, but also to chop, depriving the enemy, for example, of the hands.

Even the fencing stances described in ancient manuals are the opposite of modern ones.

There is another myth, it is associated with the opposition of European and Oriental fencing techniques. Here, they say, the Japanese are real virtuosos of possession of edged weapons, and the Europeans defeated their rivals in fights only due to physical strength and endurance.

This is not entirely true. The development of Japanese swordsmanship can be divided into two large stages: before the onset of the Edo era and after it. The early periods of the history of the Land of the Rising Sun were remembered for the almost incessant internecine wars in which warriors fought on the battlefield using long tachi swords and heavy armor. The fencing technique was very simple and corresponded to that used in medieval Europe.

After the advent of the Edo period, the situation changed dramatically. There is a rejection of heavy armor and long swords. The katana becomes a new mass weapon, which leads to the emergence of new fencing techniques, complex and refined. Here you can draw direct analogies with Europe, where similar processes took place: a heavy combat sword was replaced by a sword. It was the appearance of this weapon that led to the emergence of very complex fencing schools, such as the Spanish Destreza, for example. Judging by the written sources that have come down to us, the European fencing systems were not much inferior to the Eastern ones. Although, of course, they had their own characteristics.

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