h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Brilliant.I hope this initiates some good solid discussion amongst h2g2 reaserchers. I think the flick hit in my opinion has given foil an identity crisis. Foil is meant to be the technical weapon par excellence seeing as the greater distance to the trunk of the body means that more compond actions and skills are involved more often than say in epee to get the hit. While I may dispute that foil was ever truly related to duelling- it was after all just a training weapon for the french short sword - it was a weapon where display sword skill and dexterity was paramount. The question the fencing world needs to ask is exactly what kind of weapon it wants to see- an athletic one or a technical one? Being cynical I think it will be more likely be dictated by which the olympic commitee thinks is going to be more fun for tv spectators to watch. Thats life for you!

I'm a novice to fencing, in fact, I haven't even started yet but I am moving abroad in a few months and I have sourced a local fencing club. I am BUZZIN'! I can't wait to start.

The book "On Fencing" was mentioned in some post I read here. IS it the definitive fencing book? What IS the definitive fencing book?

The International Governing body of Fencing has (2005) changed the "Box timings" for foil, so that the point has to "land" on the valid target area for an appreciably longer time than previously: the fencing electric scoring box works on detecting a break in the continuity of one circuit caused by the depression of the foil, simultaneous with the completion of a different circuit through the contact of the foil tip with the opponents electric conductive jacket (effectively the tip is a very small sprung switch). A transient hit lasting a very few milliseconds will not now register as a valid hit.

The intention of this change was to encourage a return to a more classical style, and while it is still possible to register a hit using a flick technique it has become much more difficult to do so as the very nature of such a hit is in the speed of the tip of the weapon. It does also mean that a very fast classical action that would have scored previously is now at risk of not scoring, affording the opponent an opportunity to counter attack. Some gamesmanship such as placing the hard chest protector immediately under the conductive jacket (so as to bounce the tip off) also emerged as a result of the rule change and is now being outlawed.

YAY!!! NO MORE FLICKS!!!

Now Olympic foil might be interesting to watch!
(That is if they decide to broadcast it. Please TV producer and any possible gods,let there be fencing!)