In fencing

Fencing

Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...

, the grip is the part of the weapon which is gripped by the fencer's hand.

There are four types of grips commonly used today in foil and épée: French, Italian (mostly seen in classical fencing), a hybrid of these two known as the Spanish grip, and the orthopedic or pistol grip (the most common in FIE competition). Sabre fencing only permits one kind of grip, because of the design of the guard. Sabre grips are generally made of plastic, rubber over metal or plastic, wood, or leather wrapped over wood.

Italian grip

The Italian grip, though the earliest to develop, is rarely used today in sport fencing but is common among classical fencers. Its advocates say that it has most of the French grip's agility with a much greater degree of power and stability. The Italian grip consists of a straight handle, usually just wood or aluminium

Aluminium

Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....

 covered in grip tape, as well as a crossbar (the quillions), and two rings. The fencer's fingers actually rest upon the ricasso

Ricasso

A ricasso is a part of sword and knife blades. It is the section just above the guard or handle. It is sometimes unsharpened and unbevelled.The first unsharpened ricassos were found on Middle Bronze Age swords...

, which is part of the blade. This not only gives great security, but great sensitivity.

French grip

The French grip is contoured to the curve of the hand and reached its modern form in the late nineteenth century. Compared to the other primary grip used in modern sport fencing, the pistol grip, the French is thought to have greater speed and maneuverability, but less strength and stability. The French grip also allows the fencer to "post", holding the grip towards the base, called the pommel

Pommel

Pommel may refer to:* pommel, the raised area at the front of an equestrian saddle.* Pommel, the counterweight at the end of the hilt of a European sword* Pommel horse, an artistic gymnastics apparatus...

, instead of holding the weapon near the bell guard. This gives the fencer a longer reach while lessening strength and stability, and allows for an expanded repertoire of counterattacks and remises of attacks. At any level above beginner, posting is exclusively an épée tactic.

Spanish grip

The Spanish grip is a hybrid of the French and Italian grips. It resembles a French grip with two orthopedic aids coming from the top and bottom, which serve the same purpose of the quillions of the Italian grip. There are two types of Spanish grips, the true Spanish grip, which has a longer shaft with a pommel attached, like the French grip, and the Spanish offset which lacks the pommel, and has a slightly shorter shaft. The Dos Santos is a "true" Spanish grip, but with a widened area at the palm. The true Spanish grip is illegal in competition, as it may be held by the pommel; the legality of the Spanish offset is disputed.

Pistol grip

The Pistol grip (otherwise known as the anatomical or orthopedic grip) was originally developed for a nineteenth-century Italian aristocrat, L.Visconti, master of fencing, who lived in Belgium and had lost fingers in a tram accident. It contours entirely to one's hand and is held much like a pistol, hence the name. This grip became popular among sports fencers in the late twentieth century because of the way it complemented the agility and athleticism of competitors—albeit, as critics allege, at the cost of blade sensitivity finesse. There are several types of pistol grips, such as the basic Visconti (which is what most people refer to as a pistol grip), the American, and the Russian, all providing a somewhat firmer hold for the user of the weapon. The subtle variations in the pistol grip correspond loosely to different fencing styles.

In high-level fencing (national, and international), pistol grips are universally preferred in foil, and are used by a large percentage of épée fencers because they allow stronger blade movements. A substantial number of épéeists at all levels use French grips while posting (holding the grip near the pommel instead of the guard) because of the longer reach. Posting is almost unheard of in foil, as posting decreases one's ability to parry successfully, and thus increases one's opponent's chance of a successful hit or remise.

Types of Pistol Grips

• Visconti
• Belgian
• Russian
• American
• Hungarian
• German
• Chinese (This name generally refers to the location of manufacture, not a type of grip)
• Cetrulo**
• Gardere (hybid between the French and pistol grips)**
• Rambeau
• Zivkovic (American in-house produced model)

~~ ** Illegal in competition