History of the sword and the sport of European fencing
The word sword consists of two parts: shim (sharp tail and claw) and lion (predator), and also means to draw out and sheathe. (In English, sword, in French, cloture, and fencing). The use of swords in wars has been widespread throughout the ancient world, and no specific country can be considered the originator of the use of swords.
A prominent carving from ancient Egypt depicts a fencing competition in 1200 BC. Ancient Rome may be considered a pioneer in the use of the sword as a form of sport. The importance of the sword was prominent during the time of the warriors of ancient Iran, and later in Rome, Greece (the rise of gladiators), and then in the European knights in the 13th and 14th centuries. The sword was a symbol of justice and character for its bearer and a sign of power and rank in military and religious contexts. The sword was a part of the body and the skill in its use was a measure of a person's value, chivalry, and respect.
The chain sword is a connection to the past and a symbol of the power of the army of nations and the continuity of history. In France, during the time of Louis XIV, the identity of individuals was determined by their sword training. Carrying a sword was a symbol of personality and power, but due to dueling and the pursuit of justice, sword fighting took place, and it was necessary for the individual to know how to fight, otherwise it would cost his life. Duelists committed many crimes and in the absence of the police, they acted as justice (epee-style sword).
By the 16th century, heavy swords, mostly held with two hands, were common. (Late Middle Ages)
In the 17th century, a type of light sword with a thinner blade width and a sharp point was designed with an attacking approach that laid the foundation for the techniques of the foil (in English foil and in French fleuret (in English epee and in French épée) in the style of today. During that period, European fencing was evolving, and knowledge and skill in combat, with the recognition of studied patterns of attack and counterattack, had artistic and scientific value (Spanish light sword). In the late 17th century, the evolution of the light sword to become smaller led to very high maneuverability (English small sword), and a new era was established for the use of practice swords and the training of soldiers before real battle.
In the early 18th century, the sabre was designed for the French cavalry, as it had a guard, a longer blade, and a sharp point for piercing the body and killing faster, which was better used by the horseman and was more deadly compared to the English broadswords. French sabres were used in Napoleon's battles such as Leipzig (against the Allies), Waterloo (various armies of Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands), Brussels (1815), and the Battle of Clement (against Russia), where the good performance of these straight and sharp swords was evident.
In the 19th century, the British army still had broad swords for cutting, but in 1908, a sword with a long, sharp blade and guard was designed and put into service.
At the beginning of the 20th century, horses and swords were still used in World War I, and after that, it has a significant presence not only as a symbol and ceremony in military and law enforcement forces around the world, but also as an important theme in the arts of the new century (cinema). In 1911, fencing was accompanied by heroes in most cinema films. (Like the first version of Robin Hood) and since 1919, numerous series and films have been created about the attractive and popular character of the knight and justice seeker Zorro, with the presence of world-renowned actors such as Guy Williams, Alain Delon, Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, etc., which are valuable and popular works in the new generation, and children are also among its many audiences.
Aside from the impact of the sword on the history of the world of art and sports, in the current era this word is used as a nickname for many modern technological products and equipment, especially in the military sectors. For example, the nickname of one of the famous and strategic Russian bomber aircraft, the Sukhoi 24, which is serving in the air forces of dozens of countries around the world, including our beloved country of Iran, has been introduced by NATO as "fencer" due to its special ability to carry out missions.
Although in ancient times, various sports and games were used to teach martial arts and combat, after the end of the traditions of knighthood and chivalry, this paved the way for the emergence of new sports and their spread throughout Europe. On the other hand, due to the evolution of civilizations and the invention of firearms, the sword remained part of the personality and development of capable and prominent people. So that today, despite the great changes in the form of this word as a sport, it has maintained its popularity. Thus, fencing officially participated in the first modern Olympic Games (Athens 1896).
The sport of fencing was initially formed and developed with the martial arts of the six-handed swordsmanship, and from this, the flail weapon also evolved as a training weapon in the early 17th and 18th centuries, and thus fencing gradually found its fans independently as a sport and an attractive art. Of course, the illegalization of dueling and the significant changes in the manufacture of weapons and martial arts have not been without influence on this development. In this way, fencing became an ideal sport, because in it, the athlete must have both physical and mental skills to defeat his opponent, and physical strength alone does not go anywhere. Therefore, fencing is not a violent sport, and all people of any age, height, and strength can face each other in a friendly confrontation under the same conditions. Fencing is considered a very complete sports skill due to its technical and abundant techniques, and it requires presence of mind, the ability to foresee, and the ability to prevent and counter subsequent moves. It has an opponent. Learning techniques and achieving proficiency in this sport is not an easy task, and compared to other martial arts, the athlete must be careful and consistent in training, persistent and practiced in training, and have a fighting spirit and victory in combat. Of course, with proper training and appropriate learning, this will never be forgotten.
The ability of fencing is such that even disabled people can play this fun sport in a wheelchair. Today, this fascinating and fun sport is practiced on all continents with modern safety equipment including swords, masks and electronic devices for recording blows and scores for all ages, men and women. European countries have been on the top of the world championships for many years, but in recent years, Asians have been able to win colorful medals in world and Olympic competitions. Our country's history in this field is associated with the Asian championship in 1974, and the first Iranian Olympic athlete was a fencer named Fereydoun Miraz Malkom, who participated in the 1900 Olympics in France in the epee discipline. Details of Iranian fencing are presented in the history of Iranian fencing.
