Some parts of fencing sport history

French Saber Fencing c. 1880

This clip was filmed off an original French flip-book and constitutes one of the first short documentary sources on the sequence of movements actually used.
You can find more sources on fencing, dueling and swordplay throughout the ages at http://www.fencingclassics.wordpress.com

1921 Epee Match: Savage Shield (UK)

May 12, 1921: the Savage Shield epee match (UK). This was the 12th annual meeting and was held at Lincolns Inn Gardens.


Magyar Nemzeti Filmarchivum/ Hungarian Film Archive

Hungary 1924

Synopsis: HUNGARIAN NEWS 34; Sabre fencing world champion Dr. Sándor Pósta and his coach, Dr. László Gerentsér/ Warming up training exercises with the foil/Epée fencing, practicing tempo/ Sabre fencing school and assaut exercises/Jackie Coogan in Budapest/ National Catholic rally/The Eucharistic procession arrives at the Parliament/ Jackie contracted Metro Cinemas before the age of eight for which he received 500 thousand dollars. Jackie cashes in 275 thousand dollars for each picture he plays in/ Jannina cigarette paper exhibition.


1926 US UK Military Fencing Exhibition

Raw, unedited silent newsreel footage of a military fencing exhibition between US and UK fencers. Lt. Harold Van Buskirk fencing Maj. G. V. Dyer of British team. Closeup of Van Buskirk demonstrating sabre guards. Dyer congratulates Americans. Close up of Anthony Lyon.

1930 Swedish Prince Fences

December 1930: Swedish Prince Gustave Adolf, described as a "keen fencer" visits a Vienna fencing club, fences epee.


1930 International Tournament in St Moritz

"St. Moritz, Switzerland. International epee tournament."
"The Italian Franco Riccardi was awarded the title of champion in Europe."
and "The Viennese Miss Meyer, Olympic foil champion."

1930 Nedo Nadi Visits NYAC

Raw, unedited footage of a visit by Nedo Nadi to New York Athletic Club on 31 January 1930. Cameras in this era were static so each shot lingers on one thing, then you see extensive shots of another aspect of the same event. Why the most accomplished fencer of that era was matched with a clumsy hippopotamus is beyond me, however.

1931 Italian Fencers in Budapest

A cadre of Italian fencers travel to Budapest to meet their counterparts.


1934 Aldo Nadi at Salle LaCaze

5 short scenes from 25 April 1934 at Salle LaCaze, Paris: young men salute and come en garde with foil-and-dagger; class drills with pairs of foil fencers; Aldo Nadi instructing a fencer in foil (rapier) & dagger; more of the paired drills; final rapier/dagger drill with Nadi

1936 Berlin Olympics: Women's Foil

Ilona Elek vs Helene Mayer..

1936 Electric Epee, Oxford vs Cambridge at Ranelagh

Electric epee in England, 1936!

Fencing Sabre from 1936 Olympics

The video shows epée and sabre fencing at the Berlim olympics

1939 Amateur Fencers League of America

Italian footage of AFLA in San Francisco, July 1939. The first director shown (in suit) is Harold Van Buskirk. Competitors seen include Norman Lewis and Helene Mayer.

1939 Italians at Stockholm Tournament

Italian fencing team competes in Stockholm, February 1939.

1940 German Italian Epee Match

March 1, 1940 (6 months into WWII in Europe) an Italian-German match.

1950 French-Italian Competition

A competition between French and Italian teams. Things get a bit heated at one point.

1953 Torino: D'Oriola vs Mangiarotti


1964 Martini Challenge

The final of the 3rd International Fencing Championships, the "Martini Challenge", at the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium. World champion MAGNAN (France) who met PARULSKI (Poland) won the match by 10 hits to 7, and he received the Martini Challenge Cup from the President of the French Federation of Fencing.


1967 Martini Challenge

No Sound. The competitors from different Nations on the podium. Crowd and general view. First tries. Crowd. View of an assault. Crowd. Assault. Crowd. Assault. Crowd. Last Assault. Winner - SZABO (Hungarian) going onto podium for photographers. Szabo salutes his partner - BEROLATTI (French). Scoreboard. Szabo receives the Challenge Martini.

Scherma: Regionali Assoluti Sciabola a Roma con Michele Maffei (anni '70)

Un documento inedto ripreso in super8 (pellicola) ci mostra un Campionato Regionali Assoluti di Sciabola disputato a Roma negli anni '70... in pedana niente di meno che Michele Maffei, campione vero di questa disciplina e lo dimostra non snobbando campionati come quelli "regionali" che in altri sport vengono disdegnati dai "Campioni". Michele Maffei, portacolori del Centro Sportivo Carabinieri e del Club Scherma Roma, testa le qualità dei giovani romani... "mission impossible" batterlo... qui lo vediamo in azione col quindicenne Dentice, neo campione italiano nella categoria "Allievi" (1970), allievo del maestro Podda... una testimonianza filmata della sciabola anni '70 quando ancora le fleches erano ammesse dal regolamento e l'arma non ancora elettrificata... gli incontri (assalti) sulle 5 stoccate diretti da un Presidente di Giuria assistito da 4 giurati... senza ausilio delle lampadine colorate... "pronti... a voi..." la visione ha inizio...

A tribute to fencing!



2009 Cadet Fencing Championships Day One

Day One of the 2009 Cadet and Junior World Fencing Championships. Photo slideshow highlights. All photos (c) FencingPhotos.com