Sabre – Hack and Slash

The sabre is the modern version of the slashing cavalry sword, and is similar in length and weight to the foil. The major difference is the use of the blade. The sabre is a cutting weapon as well as a thrusting weapon; therefore, saberists can score with the edge of their blade as well as their point. The target area is from the bend of the hips (both front and back), to the top of the head. This simulates the cavalry rider on a horse. The sabre fencers’ uniform includes a metallic jacket (lamé), which fully covers the target area to register a valid touch on the scoring machine. Because the head is valid target area, the fencer’s mask is also electrically wired.

If epee is the weapon of patient, defensive strategy, then sabre is its polar opposite. In sabre, the rules of right‐of‐way strongly favor the fencer who attacks first, and a mere graze by the blade against the lamé registers a touch with the scoring machine. These circumstances naturally make sabre a fast, aggressive  game,  with  fencers  rushing  their  opponent  from  the  moment  the  referee  gives  the instruction to fence. Athens was the first Olympics to feature a Women’s Sabre event.