Paul's Guide to Fencers
Let us examine the three different types of fencers,
Foilists
As is evident from this picture, foilists are generally a happy bunch of
people. Whenever you see a foilist the chances are that they will be
smiling or laughing or generally just being happy. They are
characterised by frequently long hair and the fact that they are nearly
always clean shaven.
They are unique amoung fencers as they all seem
to enjoy competitions. Even if they loose a fight they will smile and
shake hands with their opponent and tell them how well they fenced
during that particular fight. The only time that they will be found to
be unhappy is when talking about epee or sabre. They consider foil to be
the only 'true' weapon and spend much of their free time extolling the
virtues of foil and the evils of epee and sabre.
Epeeists
Epeeists take themselves more seriously and as can be seen from this
picture often don't like having their picture taken. They can be
characterised by the fact that they are very very tall and often left
handed. Epeeists are also very elitist, looking down on with distain
anyone who is not up ot their "level of fencing". If you are a beginner
epeeist do not be surprised if the more experienced epeeist's sneer at
you or even refuse to acknowledge your existence. During fencing bouts
epeeists will often casually knock you to the floor before, after or
while trying to get a hit on you...their excuse? the rules say they can.
Sabreurs
Sabreurs usually have the heavist build of the three types of fencers
and are characterised by large amounts of facial and bodily hair. They
usually wear leather and are only let out of institutions for
competitions. Their hobbies often include insect torturing, frog
inflating, cat swinging and stopping trafic. Sabre fencing itself is
characterised by both fencers charging at their opponent swinging their
blade wildly as soon as the
command to 'fence' is issued by the president. It is also characterised
by the fencers shouting, at each other, at the president, at their
weapon, at the spectators, at a casual passer by or at anything else
that catches their attention.
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