Fencing Equipment – Some Interesting Facts
admin | May 26, 2009Along with a healthy attitude and adequate staying power, a fencer also requires a few other things when fencing. If you are outfitting yourself for competition it’s a bit more complicated. If you’re starting out you need a fencing jacket, mask, glove and fencing equipment. The fencing swords you use to practice with includes a foil, saber or epee.
If you are new to the sport, most organizations will offer “loaner” fencing gear during your initial training sessions. After you have mastered the fundamentals, you will be ready to purchase some items. Two possibilities exist for the newcomer.
There are two ways to proceed: you can either obtain each piece individually until you get a complete set, or you can buy a foundation set, which will have everything you need already gathered together and assembled. Now that you have all of the required apparatus, what should come next? Before buying or using any fencing equipment, you really should learn what each piece is used for and what it is capable of doing.
Fencing jackets work to help to keep the fencer safe from harm. Choosing a jacket that is durable and offers sufficient protection is vital for any fencer. While the United States has no minimum standard of protection, Europe does. Thus, a stronger protection requirement applies in international events, like the Olympics.
When starting out, the basic uniforms are more than enough. The main choices you’ll require to make are between cotton or synthetic materials. Cotton is likely to be cheaper, but is heavier and hotter whilst the synthetic materials are lighter weight but a little more expensive.
The mask is used for safety so make sure you choose a mask that is equipped with enough padding, fits well and doesn’t bear down on the top of your head or your chin. Although you can buy non-electric gloves, it really is worthwhile to get a glove equipped with a cuff that you can wear for electric fencing.
To easily attach the body cord to an electric weapon, use a cuff like this one. They come in all standard sizes and can also be obtained as gloves. This will give you an enhanced fit, but the cost will be higher. In order to thrust, the foil is used. It has an extremely slender blade and a round or foiled edge. When striking your adversary, the blade of the foil bows so that you do not hurt anyone.




