Artistic fencing: a mix of theater and sport

Artistic fencing is one of the disciplines included in sports fencing. Being a combination of a theatrical performance and an exciting physical activity, it is now one of the most popular fencing disciplines.

Performances

While in other fencing disciplines, sportsmen have to compete against each other, in artistic fencing they aim at creating a fascinating performance and work as a team. Their fight is prepared in advanced, and then they have several rehearsals. In terms of their performances, they must both follow the fencing rules and act as if they were in a theatre. They might be wearing fencing ammunition, but often they opt for theatrical outfits so that their performances are realistic.

While performing, they are watched by the judges. Usually, several aspects count, including the fencing technique, the artistry and the overall beauty of the performance. The judges belong to different fields of work: they might be either sportsmen, or artists, or wardrobe department workers. Anyways, the performance is estimated from various points of view.

What do the judges pay attention to? Everything matters, including their fencing skills, their acting abilities, the gracefulness of their moves, the clothing and its accordance to the chosen historical period.

Being a branch of fencing in general, artistic fencing is further subdivided into three types. They are: the duo, the individual fencing or the group fencing. Among them, the duo is the most popular variety of this sport.

Duo

This type of artistic fencing is pretty much the same as traditional fencing. Since the moves are quite similar to the ones that are used in basic fencing, the artistry plays a great role. It is possible to compete in three categories:

• The Antiquity includes a long historical period starting with the most ancient times and ending with the Dark Ages.
• The 16 century and further is another category. Sports fencing originated from this period, which is why it is possible to make the most out of the performance. This is by far the most popular category of the duo.
• Freestyle is a category that is not limited by any periods. What the performance depends on is the creativity of the sportsmen. Various tales and fantastic stories are introduced to the audience in terms of this category.

Although it is not necessary, sometimes sportsmen use music or monologues to accompany their performance. This helps them to make their performances more fascinating and engrossing.

Solo

In terms of this type of artistic fencing, only one sportsman demonstrates his or her fencing and acting abilities. The sportsman must imitate a fight with an enemy. This category is by far the hardest one to compete in because it is possible to rely on one’s own abilities.

Group

In this discipline, from 2 to 8 sportsmen perform a prepared program. There is one peculiarity about this type of fencing: although all sportsmen are armed, they must not allow their arms to touch each other. The judges pay attention to the historical accuracy of their clothing. There is one more restriction: each sportsman must be showing his or her skills for not less than 1 minute and 15 seconds.

All the disciplines described above may involve extras, but they must not use any arm or other ammunition. In addition, they are not allowed to take part in the fight itself.

Competitions

The competitions might be:

• The results are evaluated for individual participants, duos or groups.
• Personal in a group. The results are evaluated for both a team and each individual sportsman.
• The teams get the scores.

It is possible to compete after turning 18. For teenagers whose age is 16 and more, it is necessary to have an allowance written by their parents and their coach.

There are several restrictions concerning the stage.

• Its width must be 8 meters, and its depth must reach 6 meters.
• Decorations and curtains may be present.
• The judges take their seats in the auditorium.
• There should be all the technical appliances necessary for video and audio production.

The competitions are held within two stages:

• The preliminary stage involves nominating the order of the performances. It takes place right after receiving all applications.
• The preparation time is used to prepare the stage for the performances. During this stage, all participants must have their armor examined by the judges.
• The competitive stage is actually the culminating point. This is when all sportsmen do our best to demonstrate their abilities.

It is possible to score up to 12 points for artistry and up to 18 points for the technique. Competitors who score the biggest amount of points are the winners.

Equipment

Arm is an inevitable part of any fencing competition. Artistic fencing is not an exception. The peculiarity of this discipline is that the arms used during the performances must be appropriate for the historical period chosen by the participants. Not only its appearance is taken into account, but also its technical characteristics are important. Another thing that matters is the fact that it must not lead to any injuries. For that reason, special tips are used to cover the sharpest parts if the arm. It is paramount to prove that the sportsman is able to use fencing techniques typical for the chosen arms.

Sometimes it is possible to use long swards and even spears. The length of a sward must not be less than 60 centimeters, while the length of a spear must reach at least 1.3 meters in length. The arm is so important that any mistakes made when choosing it may lead to disqualification. Anyways, all equipment is examined by the judges before the beginning of the competitions. If anything is wrong, the mishaps must be removed.

Clothing

Clothes is almost as important as the technique or artistry. The outfit must be appropriate for the historical period that is presented to the audience. It is not necessary to fully recreate the style common for a particular period. Reconstructing its most popular fashion tendencies is enough. Remember: there are many fast moves, which is why the outfit must be comfortable. At the same time, all the details must be securely attached to it in order to prevent them from falling.

Protection is also often used in performances. Helmets, armor and shields must represent typical ones in accordance with the historical period. Since the armor must be made of reliable materials, its usage often adds points to total score. And vice versa, not using any armor at all may lead to scoring too few points.

All in all, artistic fencing is not only a sport. It’s a theatrical performance during which the participants manage to tell stories and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.