Welcome to Top Fencing Club, one of the premier clubs in Northern NJ dedicated to the Olympic sport of fencing. Fencing is fast and athletic. It is a very far cry from the choreographed bouts you see in films or on stage. Instead of swinging from a chandelier or leaping off from balconies, you will see two skilled fencers moving back and forth on a 2-meter wide strip. The action is so fast the touches are scored electronically. 

 

 

THE SPORT

 

Fencing provides physical and cognitive benefits. Students describe fencing as a physical "game of chess." It takes strategy and quick reflexes.

Your opponent can make an attack in so many different ways and your defense needs to come in a split second, and in the next split second, you've got to make your attack. Fencers develop good sportsmanship, self-discipline, quick reflexes and learn how to compete independently. They gain a sense of accomplishment with each win and learn to profit from their defeats. They learn to make complex decisions, analyze problems, and think fast on their feet. These ideas help children reach their potential in many areas other than fencing.

 

 

 

THE WEAPONS

 

The foil is a light thrusting weapon that targets the torso, neck, and groin, including the back, but not the arms. Touches are scored only with the tip of the blade; hits with the sides of the weapon do not count and do not halt the action. Touches that land outside of the target area (off-target) stop the action, and are not scored. Only a single hit can be scored by either fencer at one time. If both fencers hit at the same time, the referee uses the rules of "right of way" to determine which fencer gets the point. If both fencers begin their attack at the same time, neither fencer scores a point.

 

The epee is a heavier thrusting weapon that targets the entire body. All hits must be with the tip and not the sides of the blade. Touches hit by the side of the blade do not halt the action. Unlike foil, epee does not use "right of way", and allows simultaneous hits by both fencers. However, if the score is tied at the last point and a double touch is scored, nobody is awarded the point.

 

 

 

THE BOUT

 

A fencer wins a fencing bout by being the first of the two competitors to score 15 points in direct elimination play,  5 points in preliminary pool play or by having the highest score when the time limit expires. Each time a fencer lands a valid hit - a touch - on his/her opponent, he/she receives one point. The time limit for direct elimination matches is nine minutes - three three-minute periods with a one-minute break between each.

 

 

 

THE TOURNAMENTS

 

At an individual event, all the competitors are seeded based on past performance in USA Fencing and FIE (Federation Internationale d'Escrime) competitions. They are divided into pools of five to seven fencers that are balanced for strength and club separation based on the seed. Each fencer in the pool will fence a bout against each of the other members in the pool. After completion of the pool, a predetermined number of its members will be able to go to the next round. After all the pools are complete, the promoted fencers will be organized from best record to worst into an elimination table of 16, 32, 64, or 128 fencers.This may be fenced in a single or double elimination tableau. In a single elimination, a fencer losing against an opponent is eliminated from the tournament. In double elimination, a fencer is eliminated after two losses. The finals of an event are fenced as a single elimination table of eight fencers.