Sports & Outdoors

How To Defend In Epee Fencing

Epee is the purest form of fencing as there are no attacking and defensive turns, points are simply awarded to the first person to make a hit. In this Videojug guide Karim Bashir, fencing coach and former international fencer for Great Britain, talks you through how to defend in epee. Enlarge

How To Defend In Epee Fencing

Epee is the purest form of fencing as there are no attacking and defensive turns, points are simply awarded to the first person to make a hit. In this Videojug guide Karim Bashir, fencing coach and former international fencer for Great Britain, talks you through how to defend in epee.

Top Tips

  • In epee the whole body is a target, so defence is crucial.
  • There are two ways to defend in epee: you can avoid the attack and make your opponent miss, or you can defend using the sword.
  • The epee sword has a large hand guard, as the hand is a valid target.
  • Because the whole body is a valid target in epee, displacement of target is crucial; for example moving your foot or arm if it is under attack.