Sabre Fencing
Created | Updated Aug 16, 2005
WORK IN PROGRESS
Sabre is one of the three weapons in the modern sport of fencing. The sabre itself looks least like the other two weapons (foil and epee) with a curved guard, not a circular guard like the other two. The attacking action is generally also a cutting, not thrusting action, though points can be scored with the point.
Target and Scoring
The target area in sabre fencing is anywhere above the waist, including the head. In 2001 (?) the back of the sword hand was removed as valid target area. In competition, a conductive lame is worn, and wires conect the sabre and lame to a scoring box, and a light indicates when the sword makes contact with the valid target.
There is however a priority/ right of way system in sabre, and a referee is used to decide whom had right of way.
Competitions
In the UK, most Opens include sabre. The largest competitions for Men's Sabre are: Hamlet, Bristol, Leicster, Welsh, Scottish International1, Birmingham, The Cole Cup2 and the British Championships.
Most domestic opens have one round of poules, followed by Direct Elimination (DE). All UK sabre competitions now require the use of electric kit.
