Determining Priority in Dry Epee

Written by Walter Green

One of the great contributions of electric fencing to the management of competitions was the introduction of electric epee fencing in the 1930s. No more did the jury have to congregate around the fencer and examine his uniform for the various marking agents used. No more did they have to use a pencil to cross out hit marks that were already adjudicated. And no more did the President of the Jury have to determine which hit landed first. But, even today, not all epee is fenced electrically. So if you do fence dry epee (scored by judges visually sighting arrests), how do you determine what is a hit (materiality) and which hit has priority (validity)?

The first question, whether the hit is a hit (and thus is material) is answered in the same way as in foil. The judges and the referee watch for arrests and vote as to whether or not a touch arrived. Although epee in the classical period did use chalk, dye, tin-tack points, and points d'arret to ensure that a hit could be seen, foil during the same period did not, and did not suffer appreciably from relying on visual assessment only.

The second question as to the validity of the material hit is more difficult. The rules of epee establish that the first material hit has priority and is the valid hit for which a touch is awarded. This leads to four possible situations:

(1) Only one of the two fencers lands with a material hit, as indicated by Yes votes by the judges and referee. If only one hit arrives, that hit must have priority and be the valid touch.

(2) Both fencers arrive with material hits, as indicated by Yes votes by the judges and referee, but one hit is obviously in advance of the other. In this case the referee's judgment as to which is first determines the valid hit and award of the touch.

(3) Both fencers arrive with material hits, as indicated by Yes votes by the judges and referee, and the referee cannot determine which hit landed first. In this case, the referee may ask the judges which hit landed first in their opinion and be guided by their comments. Alternatively, the referee may award a touch to both fencers for a simultaneous hit.

(4) Both fencers arrive with material hits, as indicated by Yes votes by the judges and referee, and it appears clearly that both hits arrived simultaneously, or so close to simultaneously that the eye could not distinguish (this is the source of the 1/25 second

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5234816 Published: 10/19/2010 timing for electric epee simultaneous hits). The referee awards a touch to both fencers for a simultaneous hit.

The intent of epee is to simulate the duel with the sharp dueling sword. In the duel of the late 1800s and early 1900s, a hit which drew blood and was significantly ahead of an opponent's action could be counted on to stop the action, by either the hit fencer withdrawing or by the seconds intervening. The simultaneous hit represents the case when both duelists had already committed to the attack and both were wounded. Given the intent of the weapon, the referee should not over-analyze the simultaneous hit. If it is close enough that you cannot determine a difference, it would have been close enough to draw blood from both duelists.

The simultaneous hit represents an important tactical tool in epee, with differing applications in pool bouts, direct elimination, and one-touch pools unique. As a referee you should develop the ability to assign priority and award touches quickly and correctly to ensure that fencers in dry competitions have a fair and enjoyable bout.

Walter Green is a Maitre d'Armes (Fencing Master) certified by the Academie d'Armes Internationale. He teaches modern competitive and classical fencing, historical swordplay, bayonet fencing, and Asian martial arts swords at Salle Green ( http://www.sallegreen.com ), the fencing school he operates in Glen Allen, Virginia. Maitre Green also trains fencing coaches through the Pan American Fencing Academy ( [http://panamfencing.com] ). He serves as a Head Examiner for the certification of professional fencing coaches for the United States Fencing Coaches Association, and chairs the USFCA's Club Committee.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5234816 Published: 10/19/2010