Fencing Primer #3

Saber
The third and final weapon of the three is saber. Saber is the lightest and fastest of the three weapons. It is a right of way weapon and the target area is the entire body from the waist up, including the mask. It's blade has a triangular cross-section, and the guard extends from the bell around to the pommel, thus protecting the knuckles. Unlike foil and epee, saber may attack with the edge of the blade as well as the point. Cuts are also allowed with the back of the blade, but only the third or so closest to the point. Saber is derived from the Hungarian cavalry saber (hence the target area - thats the only area of a mounted cavalryman you can hit without hitting his horse, which was considered bad form...), and the Hungarians did dominate the sport for many years. Saber is the only weapon of the three that the US has medaled in at the Olympics in many years (Peter Westbrook took bronze in '84, and then Mariel Zagunis took gold and Sada Jacobsen took bronze in '04, the first time women's saber was offered as an olympic sport). Saber was also one of the last weapons to be scored electronically. That will be my next topic - electronic scoring.