Fencing, also called Olympic fencing, is a sport in which two competitors fight using 'rapier-style' swords, the foil, the epée, and the sabre; winning points are made through the contact with an opponent. Fencing was one of the first sports to be played in the Olympics. Based on the traditional skills of swordsmanship, the modern sport arose at the end of the 19th century, with the Italian school having modified the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school later refining the Italian system. There are three forms of modern fencing, each uses a different kind of weapon and has different rules, this way the sport itself is divided into three competitive scenes: foil, épée, and sabre. Most competitive fencers choose to specialise in one weapon only.
Competitive fencing is one of the five activities which have been featured in every modern Olympic Games, the other four being athletics, cycling, swimming, and gymnastics.
