Word: bladed
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...until then swords men had always flailed away with weapons that looked and hefted more like crowbars than épées. By the 16th century, Italian gallants had developed a light, delicately balanced rapier with the sharp point that enabled them to thrust instead of slice with the blade. Thus was born true swordsmanship. It was a century later, at the court of France's Sun King, that the long, trailing rapier yielded to the short-sword, and harmless foils were first used to master the new weapon's swift and deadly skills...
...Well-Tempered Blade. Nonetheless, fencing in the U.S. today is a fast-rising sport. Thanks to the electrified blade point, which causes a light to flash when contact is made, scoring is no longer a matter of subjective judgment. The loud cries and balletic fencing that often influenced judges has given way to rough-and-tumble dueling that demands physical conditioning as tough as any football player's. Princeton's would-be D'Artagnans start training each day with five 220-yd. laps around the gym and 15 rugged minutes of calisthenics. Then, after a 20-minute...
...foil competition, the target is limited to the upper half of the front of the body; touches may be scored only with the point of the blade. Similarly, although the target in epee play is slightly bigger, only the point is used to score...
Because of the different targets and use of blade, epee and foil can be scored with electrical equipment, whereas sabre play must depend entirely on the decision of the judges...
...target in sabre fencing is the whole front of the body as well as the upper third of the back. Touches may be made with the blade, as well as the point of the sabre. Therefore, sabre play tends to be flashier and more exciting to watch than is fencing with the other weapons...