Theépée (/ˈɛpeɪ,ˈeɪ-/,French:[epe];lit. 'sword'), also rendered asepee in English, is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in the sport offencing. The modernépée derives from the 19th-centuryépée de combat,[1] a weapon which itself derives from the Frenchsmall sword.[2]
As a thrusting weapon, theépée is similar to afoil (contrasted with asabre, which is designed for slashing). It has a stiffer blade than a foil. It is triangular in cross-section with a V-shaped groove called afuller. Theépée also has a larger bell guard designed to protect the user’s arm. In addition to the larger "bell" guard and blade, theépée weighs more than the foil and sabre which contributes to its reputation of being the slowest form of fencing. The techniques of use differ, as there are no rules regarding priority and a lack of right of way. Thus, immediate counterattacks are a common feature ofépée fencing. The entire body is a valid target area.
While the modernsport of fencing has three weapons —foil,épée, andsabre, each a separate event — theépée is the only one in which the entire body is the valid target area (the others are restricted to varying areas above the waist). Theépée is the heaviest of the three modern fencing weapons. As with all fencing disciplines,épée require concentration, accuracy, and speed. Since the entire body is a target, a successfulépée fencer must be able to anticipate the opponent's moves and strike the opponent at the correct time.
In the highest-level competitions, an electrically grounded (earthed)piste is used to prevent floor hits from registering as touches. Inépée fencing, unlike in the other two disciplines, there are noright-of-way rules regarding attacks, other than the aforementioned rule regarding touches with only the point of the weapon. Touches are awarded solely on the basis of which fencer makes a touch first, according to the electronic scoring machines. Also, double-touches are allowed inépée, although the touches must occur within 40 milliseconds (1/25 of a second) of each other.
A special aspect of theépée discipline is the counterattack, a tactic employed in response to an attack. Some specifications include two varieties, the stop-thrust and the time thrust, which are (respectively) a simple counterattack and a counterattack on the opposition. With the absence of right-of-way, following an attack and landing a counterattack correctly can be a highly efficient way to score a touch, hence the counterattack's ubiquity inépée fencing.
A modernépée, of size 5, for use by adult fencers has a blade that measures 90 cm (35 in) from the guard to the tip. The total weight of the weapon ready for use is less than 770 g (27 oz),[3] with most competition weapons being much lighter, weighing 300–450 g (11–16 oz).Épées for use by smaller childrenare shorter and lighter (e.g. size 0), making it easier for them to use.
Theblade of anépée is triangular in section, whereas that of a foil is rectangular, and neither blade has a cutting edge. Wires may run down a groove inépée blades fitted for electric scoring, with a depressible button capping the point. In competitive fencing, the width of any of the three sides of anépée's blade is limited to 24 mm (0.94 in).[3]
Theguard has numerous forms, but all are essentially a hemispherical shield, the section of which fits in a 10–13.5 cm (3.9–5.3 in) cylinder.[4] This is frequently called a bell guard. As the hand is a valid target in competitive fencing, the guard is much larger and more protective than that of a foil, having a depth of 3–5.5 cm (1.2–2.2 in) and a diameter more likely to be toward the maximum of 13.5 cm (5.3 in).[3]
As with a foil, thegrip of anépée can be exchanged for another if it has a screw-on pommel. Grip options primarily include theFrench grip and thepistol grip.
In competitions, a valid touch is scored if a fencer's weapon touches the opponent with enoughforce to depress the tip; by rule, this is a minimum of 750 gf (7.4 N). The tip is wired to a connector in the guard, then to an electronic scoring device or "box". The guard, blade, and handle of theépée are allgrounded to the scoring box to prevent hits to the weapon from registering as touches.
In the groove formed by the V-shaped blade, there are two thin wires leading from the far end of the blade to a connector in the guard. These wires are held in place with a strong glue. The amount of glue is kept to a minimum as in the unlikely (but possible) case that a fencer manages a touch in that glue, the touch would be registered on the electrical equipment, as the glue is not conductive (the blade is grounded). In the event of tip to tip hits, a point should not be awarded. A "body cord" with a three-pronged plug at each end is placed underneath the fencer's clothing and attached to the connector in the guard, then to a wire leading to the scoring box. The scoring box signals with lights (one for each fencer) and a tone each time the tip is depressed.
The tip of an electricépée, called the "button", comprises several parts: the mushroom-shaped, movablepointe d'arrêt ('point of arrest') at the end; its housing or "barrel" which is threaded onto the blade; a contact spring; and a return spring. The tips are generally held in place by two smallgrub screws, which thread into the sides of the tip through elongated openings on either side of the barrel. The screws hold the tip within the barrel but are allowed to travel freely in the openings. While this is the most common system, screwless variations do exist. The return spring must allow the tip to support a force of 750 gf (7.4 N) without registering a touch. Finally, an épée tip must allow ashim of 1.5 mm (0.059 in) to be inserted between thepointe d'arrêt and the barrel, and when a 0.5 mm (0.020 in)shim is inserted and the tip depressed, it should not register a touch.[5] The contact spring is threaded in or out of the tip to adjust for this distance. These specifications are tested at the start of each bout during competitions. During competitions, fencers are required to have a minimum of two weapons and two body wires in case of failure or breakage.
Bouts with the different fencing weapons have a different tempo; as with foil fencing, the tempo for anépée bout is rather slow with sudden bursts of speed, but these are more common inépée due to counterattacks.
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The French wordépée ultimately derives from Latinspatha. The term was introduced into English in the 1880s for the sportive fencing weapon.
Like thefoil (French:fleuret), theépée evolved from lightcivilian weapons such as thesmall sword, which, since the late 17th century, had been the most commonly useddueling sword, replacing therapier.
The dueling sword developed in the 19th century when, under pressure from the authorities,duels were more frequently fought until "first blood" only, instead of to the death.[citation needed] Under this provision, it became sufficient to inflict a minor nick on the wrist or other exposed area on the opponent in order to win the duel. This resulted in emphasis on light touches to the arm and hand, while downplaying hits to the torso (chest, back, groin). Rapiers with full-cup guards had been made since the mid 17th century, but were not widespread before the 19th century.
Today,épée fencing somewhat resembles 19th-century dueling. Anépée fencer must hit the target with the tip of the weapon. A difference betweenépée versus both foil and sabre is thatcorps-à-corps (body-to-body) contact between fencers is not necessarily an offense inépée, unless it is done with "brutality or violence".
In the pre-electric era,épée fencers used a different kind ofpoint d'arrêt, a three-pronged point with small protruding spikes, which would snag on the opponent's clothing or mask, helping the referee to see the hits. The spikes causedépée fencing to be a notoriously painful affair, andépée fencers could be easily recognized by the tears in their jacket sleeves. A later evolution of the sport used a point that was dipped in a dye, which showed the location of touches on a white uniform; the dye was soluble in weak acid (e.g.,acetic acid) to remove old marks.[6] Today, competition is done with electric weapons, where a circuit is closed when the touch is made. Non-electric weapons are now typically used only for practice, generally fitted with plastic buttons or solid "dummy points".
In 2007, MIT fencing coachEric Sollee and his studentJohan Harmenberg authored a book that explored a line of tactical thought that diverged from fencing styles established in the 1970s and 1980s. Harmenberg won theWorld Fencing Championships and theOlympic gold medal using this strategic approach, built on what he called the "Sollee conjectures" or the "three conjectures":[7]
They credited the system for helping Harmenberg close the fencing distance, useabsence of blade with destructive parries to prevent opponents from their own strongest moves, and pushing them into attacking high – a prerequisite for Harmenberg using his own strongest move. Harmenberg used this approach to win eight individual and teamgold medals atOlympics,World Fencing Championships, andFencing World Cup competitions.[8][page needed]
Les formes en sont assez nombreuses, mais toutes se ramenent a un segment de sphere dont la section couvrirait une surface arrondie de 10 a 14 centimetres de diametre; la profondeur est generalement de 3 a 5 centimetres.[better source needed]
