Some quite interesting facts about fencing ... or they may just be rumours or actual lies.
Bruce Dickinson, multi-millionaire and lead singer of the rock group "Iron Maiden" founded the Duellist International fencing equipment supplier. As competitive International fencer he travelled round the globe, with his guitar on one shoulder and his fencing bag over the other.
Winston Churchill won the Public Schools Fencing championship in foil in his youth - his name can still be seen on the trophy presented in the current championship.
When the Olympics Games were revived from antiquity in 1896, fencing was on the program. It is one of just four sports to have been part of every Summer Games since then. Men's foil and sabre were part of the first Games; epee was added in 1900. Women competed in Olympic fencing for the first time in 1924.
The world’s oldest fencing club is the Confrérie de Saint-Michel, which was established in 1613 in Ghent, Belgium, where it still meets twice a week in the 17th century tower that has been its home for nearly 400 years.
The foil has a blade made of pure steel, the swords maximum length is 3 feet and is not allowed to weigh more than 1.1 pounds. The sabre is a sword from the 18th century and is similar to the foil but weighs slightly less and is about one inch shorter.
