Tri Cities Academy of the Sword offers quality instruction in the art and science of classical fencing to the tri-cities area (Binghamton, Johnson City, Endicott, New York and the Northern tier of Pennsylvania). All aspects of fencing are taught with an emphasis on classical Italian swordplay. See our general policies and mission statement

No previous experience is required and we have classes for all ages from pre-school to veteran. Both group and individual lessons are offered.

All beginning fencers learn to fence with the foil as the primary weapon. When a degree of proficiency is exhibited with foil, epee, sabre and historic weapons training is available to those who desire to fully explore the world of fencing.

Equipment is provided for beginning students.

Call 570-663-9212 today for details

Classical Fencing

What is Classical Fencing?

Classical Fencing is a growing movement within the world of Fencing. This movement sees the practice of fencing as more of a martial art then simply a sport. The fundamental motive that drives the practice of classical fencing is to base all rules interpretations on the question "what if the weapons had been sharp?" This drives us to have a fairly conservative interpretation of the rules that govern right of way in sabre and foil. Consequently, classical fencers seek to regain the kind of fencing that was practiced from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century.

That is not to say the classical fencing is some kind of anachronism. Instead, we see ourselves as a living continuation of the great masters of the recent past and a viable and exciting alternative to modern sport fencing.

Do Classical Fencers Ever Compete?

At our school we do encourage our fencers to compete in tournaments sponsored by the Classical Fencing League and in some USFA competitions as well. We sponsor competitive Classical Fencing League tournaments as well as singlestick and heavy sabre (Victorian sabre) competitions throughout the year.

Why Don't Classical Fencers Use Electric Weapons?

Modern Sport fencing has evolved out of the introduction of electronic scoring apparatus which first appeared in the 1890's (See Thim Pg. 537). As any student of the history of technology can tell you, this was a period where a great deal of trust and excitement was placed in progress and the invention of new electronic time saving apparatus. Naturally the amateur fencing community, who shared these broader social values, worked tirelessly on perfecting the often-cumbersome early solutions to electronic scoring.

This period marks a turning away from placing trust in the adjudication of touches from the judges and president of the jury, or self-acknowledgement of touches, toward a more scientific solution. Rather than dealing with the vagaries of human perception, instead we have a machine that cannot lie, set to measure current running through a circuit. Interpreting this flow, using lights and buzzers set to illuminate and sound at the proper time, we have a precise measurement that can tell us what happened in a fencing exchange. Sounds wonderful.

Unfortunately the introduction of this wondrous machine was not entirely value neutral, it changed entirely the goals each fencer had. As always the main goal of each fencer remained to touch and not be touched, but the criteria of what constituted a "touch" changed. No longer did the fencer have to convince a number of judges that he or she had indeed delivered a touch that would have wounded his or her opponent if the weapons had been real. Instead he or she merely has to provide enough pressure in the point to set off an electronic switch. These are very different problems. Different problems are solved with different solutions. To compound this problem, over the years the pressure needed to set off the machine has been decreasing and the weapons have become increasingly flexible due to both safety and fashion reasons.

So, on a broad level it is true, fencing whether sport of classical is fundamentally about delivering touches to your opponent with out receiving touches from your opponent. This has never changed from the first moment in fencing history (wherever you wish to define that moment as occurring), to now. What has changed is the definition of what counts as a touch. Classical fencers and sport fencers do not see eye to eye on this definition. Hence the need for a separate organization of classical fencers.

----------------------------------

Thim, Carl A. " A Complete Bibliography of Fencing and Dueling." First published in 1896 reissued in 1968, Benjamin Blom, Inc., Bronx, New York.

Available, incidentally, very inexpensively from Amazon.com

Note: this is taken from a work in progress called "A touch--A Palpable Touch" and I would appreciate it if you did not quote or copy from this with out my direct permission. Thanks.

John Sullins
Past Military Master at Arms

Tri Cities Academy of the Sword