The first record of fencing was
 found on a relief in an Egyptian
 temple built near Luxor in 1190
 B.C.  Fencing was one of the
 earliest sports regulated by rules,
 both theoretical and practical. 
 Spain, France and Italy share the
 claim of creating modern fencing. 
 The techniques and styles used
 by today's fencers were set
 down hundreds of years ago.

The epee was developed early in
 the 16th century and has been
 modified only slightly since.  One
 hundred years later, the light
 weight foil came into use.  It took
 another hundred years before the
 introduction of the sabre.  The foil
 and epee are thrust weapons --
 that is, hits can be scored only
 with the point.  The sabre is a
 cut-and-thrust weapon, with a
 light, straight blade.

Fencing was introduced at the
 very first modern Olympics, where
 both amateurs and professionals
 were allowed to compete.  While
 the French and Italians dominated
 fencing, especially the foil event,
 in the first half of the 20th century,
 the Eastern Europeans began to
 dominate after 1960.  Women to
 this day compete only in the foil
 events. 

The use of electronic scoring
 equipment, which indicates hits on
 the target areas by a system of
 lights, has been an important
 innovation in the sport.  The U.S.
 has never won a Gold in any
 fencing event at the Olympics.