In one of the more unusual methods of research, I joined the university's fencing club. After all, my main Work-in-Progress is a swashbuckler series. Some technical knowledge would come in handy.
So far, I've only had regular practice with epee fencing, which could be described as the middle ground between foil and sabre. I've only used foils and sabres once, and that was simple techniques rather than a practice bout. This is mainly because epee fencing only needs one wire which can run through your kit, due to the fact that any part of the body is a legal target. You may only target the torso in foil fencing, and the upper half of the body (including arms) in sabre fencing. Additionally, sabres are slashing weapons, so you need to wear a jacket with all kinds of sensors to detect the hits. In comparison, foils and epees are thrusting weapons, so you only need to press down the button on the end of the blade to score a hit.
There's also something to do with "priority" in foil and sabre, in which the person who moves first gets the point in the event of the players hitting simultaneously. This doesn't apply with epee fencing; if the fencers hit each other simultaneously, they both get the points. Good thing really, because I've become something of a defensive player.
At the moment, I mainly take part in the Sunday practice sessions rather than competing in any fixtures against other universities. I'm managing to get a few hits in during these shorter bouts, and my parrying is getting better. I've even managed to win some of my sets, but I do this more for the thrill rather than the competition.
Oh, it does sting, even with the kit. My most notable hit was during a bout against a member who competes internationally. They managed to jump up and hit the back of my shoulder. As this was epee fencing, and the button was pressed, this was a legal hit. It's a tricky move to pull off, though.
And apparently movie quotes are forbidden during bouts.
With the exception of The Princess Bride.
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