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The modern épée is a
direct descendent of the
épée de combat, the classic
dueling weapon of pre 19th century Europe. The blade of the original
weapon was sharp pointed with no cutting edge. The winner of a duel was
the fencer who was first to draw blood from their opponent, weather it
be a mere scratch or a wound that would prove fatal.
The modern electric épée
has a small button on the tip to simulate the sharp point of the
original weapon. To score, the fencer must depress the button against a
valid target area on the opposing fencer. At least 750 grams of pressure
is required to depress the point which equates to the amount of pressure
required to break the skin using the original, sharp pointed, weapon.
The rules governing the sport of
modern épée fencing are very similar to those of a classic duel
where, pretty much anything goes. The entire body, head to toe, front to
back is valid target. The first of the opponents to touch the point of
their weapon upon their opponent with enough pressure to register a
touch is awarded a point with the only exception being when both fencers
touch their opponent within 1/25th of a second. When this occurs, each
fencer is awarded a point.
Because both fencers
can score simultaneously, épée fencing style tends to be very cautious
since any action initiated by either fencer creates potential openings
that could be exploited by one's opponent. Top level épée bouts tend to
look much like a boxing match with each fencer probing for an opening
while keeping their defenses up. Once an opening is found, a
blindingly fast attack is thrown in hopes of catching one's opponent off
guard.
Further information about épée fencing rules can be found on the USFA web site.
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