Fencing

About

Fencing is one of the world’s oldest existing sports, if not the oldest. It comes from the basic duel, which has existed as long as there have been battles to fight. Classical fencing deals with the styles and blades used between the 14^th and 18^th centuries, the main weapons being the single handed sword, long sword, side sword, rapier and short sword. Modern fencing, which we at NUIG practice, originated in Spain, and was then carried into Italy and France. These three regions all altered fencing and still dominate the teaching of modern blades and techniques. Modern fencing itself is one of four sports that has been featured at every Olympic Games, and utilizes three different blades, all of which bear their own styles and rules.

The foil is the lightest of these, and the target area is the torso only. It was originally included into the sport in France as a practice weapon for working on fast and elegant thrusts at the opponent. Touches are scored with only the point of the blade, and where two fencers strike together, the point goes to the right of way rule to be decided. If a point is off target, play is halted and the scores not counted.

Épée is the heaviest of the weapons and the purest form of fencing, which targets the entire body and the aim is to hit your opponent without getting hit yourself. All hits must land with the point of the blade and not with the sides. There is no right of way rule here, and double scores can be awarded where both fencers have landed a hit simultaneously.

Sabre is a light and cutting weapon, in which the target area is anywhere above the waist. Unlike the other two weapons, points scored with the side of the blade are counted in Sabre. Like foil, touches landed in off target areas are not counted but play is not halted in these instances. If both players score together, then the referee will refer to the right of way rule as in foil.

We welcome fencers of any (or no) skill and age who are members of the university (staff or students). All beginners in our club start off in foil training, and as they progress with techniques and footwork, we will move them up to either Épée or sabre, or they can continue with foil depending on their preferences and ability.

NUIG hosts the West of Ireland Open each year in October/November and many of our members also attend numerous other competitions around the country during the college year, and in recent years a minority of the group have aspired either to attend an out of country competition held in Largs, Scotland or to be selected for international competition- Student Five Nations.

*Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to take non-students who are under eighteen due to insurance stipulations.

History

Established in 2004.

Achievements

Prior 2012:

- Numerous top ten finishes from members in national competitions.

- Two members represented Ireland in 5 nations.

- Zoya Syomina was ranked no.1 in womens foil.

- Marianne van Dyke represented Ireland in 2010 for the Student 5 nations and the Quad match.

2012:

- Fiadhnait McDonough won silver in Women's Sabre at our own hosted West of Ireland Open.

- Former club member Mark Loughnane claimed silver in Men's Epee at the West of Ireland Open.

- Fiadhnait McDonough won Gold in the novice competition Schull in 2012, with Ciara Flannery winning Silver.

2013:

- Men's Epee finished 13th in the Duffy Memorial Cup in January.

- Fi McDonough finished 10th in the Women's Foil Event and 9th in Women's Sabre at the East of Ireland Open.

- NUIG came 6th of 12 Universities in the 2013 Intervarsities held in UL.

- Women's foil came 3rd in the rankings also @ UL, defeating 4 of 6 Universities that they faced.

Intervarsities

Interversaties were held in Limerick, 16th and 17th February 2013.