Drum: ACTIVE 77
weapon was the foil, which was introduced
in mid-17th century France. Its rules, which
restrict valid hits to the trunk of the body,
were developed to allow the skills of swordplay to be demonstrated in safety.
Until the invention of the wire mask in the mid18th century, fencing was a rather static exercise,
with fencers taking it in turns to make attacks.
Masks changed this, allowing the instant parryriposte and a much more mobile style of fencing.
The epée, the second fencing weapon, was
introduced in France in the 1860s as a reaction
against the artificial conventions of foil. It was
intended to recreate the conditions of a duel as
closely as possible and the target is any part of
the body. »