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pe

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This article is about the sword. For the founder of public deaf education, see C
harles-Michel de l'pe.
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Shown is an pe fencer, with the valid target area (the entire body) in red.
The modern pe (English pronunciation: /'?pe?/ or /'e?pe?/, French pronunciation: ?
[epe]) derives from the 19th-century pe de Combat[1] (itself a derivative of the F
rench small sword), and is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in
sport fencing. pe is French for "sword".
As a thrusting weapon the pe is similar to a foil (compared to a sabre), but has a
stiffer blade which is triangular in cross-section with a V-shaped groove calle
d a fuller, has a larger bell guard, and is heavier. The technique however, is s
omewhat different, as there are no rules regarding priority and right of way. In
addition, the entire body is a valid target area.
Contents [hide]
1 Background
2 Description
3 History
3.1 Dueling sword
3.2 Sport
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
Background[edit]
Electric pe fencing: Diego Confalonieri (left) and Fabian Kauter in the final of t
he Trophe Monal
While modern sport fencing has three weapons (foil, pe, and sabre), each a separat
e event, pe is the only one in which the entire body is the valid target area. pe is
the heaviest of the three modern fencing weapons. Fencing matches with the pe req
uire a large amount of concentration, accuracy and speed. Since the entire body
is a target, a successful pe fencer must be able to anticipate their opponent's mo
ves and strike their opponent at the correct time.
In most higher-level competitions a grounded metal piste is used to prevent floo
r hits from registering as touches. Unlike sabre and foil, in pe there are no righ
t-of-way rules regarding attacks, other than the aforementioned rule regarding t
ouches with only the point of the weapon. Touches are awarded solely on the basi
s of which fencer makes a touch first, according to the electronic scoring machi
nes. Also, double-touches are allowed in pe, although the touches must occur withi
n 40 milliseconds (1/25 of a second) of each other.
Description[edit]
An electric pe with a pistol grip
A modern pe for use by adult fencers (size 5) has a blade which measures 90 cm fro
m the bell guard to the tip; the maximum allowable mass is 770g, but most compet
ition weapons are much lighter, weighing 300g - 450g. pes for use by children unde
r 13 are shorter and lighter (size 2), making it easier for them to use.
The pe has a three-sided blade, in contrast to the foil which is rectangular in cr
oss section. In competitions a valid pe touch is scored if a fencer touches the op
ponent with enough force to depress the tip; by rule, this is a minimum force of
750 grams-force (7.4 N). Since the hand is a valid target, the bellguard is muc
h larger than that of the foil. The bell guard is typically made of aluminium or
stainless steel. The tip is wired to a connector in the bellguard, then to an e
lectronic scoring device or "box." The bellguard, blade, and handle of the pe are
all grounded to the scoring box to prevent hits to the weapon from registering a
s touches.

The referee checks Kristina Kuusk's weapon in the Challenge International de Sai
nt-Maur
In the groove formed by the V-shaped blade, there are two thin wires leading fro
m the far end of the blade to a connector in the bellguard. These wires are held
in place with a strong glue. The amount of glue is kept to a minimum as in the
unlikely (but possible) case that a fencer manages a touch in that glue, the tou
ch would be registered on the electrical equipment, as the glue is not conductiv
e (the blade is grounded). In the event of tip to tip hits, a point should not b
e awarded. A "body cord" with a three-pronged plug at each end is placed underne
ath the fencer's clothing and attached to the connector in the bellguard, then t
o a wire leading to the scoring box. The scoring box signals with lights (one fo
r each fencer) and a tone each time the tip is depressed.
The tip of an pe comprises several parts including: the mushroom-shaped movable ti
p; its housing or "barrel", which is threaded to the blade; a contact spring; an
d a return spring. The tips are generally held in place by two small grub screws
, which thread into the sides of the tip through elongated openings on either si
de of the barrel. The screws hold the tip within the barrel but are allowed to t
ravel freely in the openings. While this is the most common system, screwless va
riations do exist. The return spring must allow the tip to support a force of 75
0 gf (7.4 N) without registering a touch. Finally, an pe tip must allow a shim of
1.5 mm to be inserted between the tip and the barrel, and when a 0.5 mm shim is
inserted and the tip depressed, it should not register a touch.[2] The contact s
pring is threaded in or out of the tip to adjust for this distance. These specif
ications are tested at the start of each bout during competitions. During compet
itions, fencers are required to have a minimum of two weapons and two body wires
in case of failure or breakage.
Each fencing weapon has a different tempo, and like foil, the tempo for pe is rath
er slow with sudden bursts of speed.
History[edit]
Dueling sword[edit]
A Swordfight, etching by Jacques Callot (1617)
The French word pe ultimately derives from Latin spatha. The term pe was introduced
into English in the 1880s for the sportive fencing weapon.
Like the foil (fleuret), the pe evolved from light civilian weapons such as the sm
allsword, which since the late 17th century had been the most commonly used duel
ing sword, replacing the rapier.
The dueling sword developed in the 19th century when, under pressure from the au
thorities, duels were more frequently fought until "first blood" (as indicated b
y the French to English translation) only, instead of to the death. Under this p
rovision, it became sufficient to inflict a minor nick on the wrist or other exp
osed area on the opponent in order to win the duel. This resulted in emphasis on
light touches to the arm and hand, while downplaying hits to the torso.[clarifi
cation needed] Rapiers with full cup-guards had been made since the mid 17th cen
tury, but were not widespread before the 19th century.
Sport[edit]
Today, pe fencing somewhat resembles 19th century dueling. An pe fencer must hit the
target with the tip of the weapon. A difference between pe and foil versus sabre
is that a corps--corps or "body-to-body" contact between fencers is not necessari
ly an offense, unless it is done with "brutality or violence".
In the pre-electric era, peists used a point d'arrt ("stopping point"), a three-pro
nged point with small protruding spikes, which would snag on the opponent's clot
hing or mask, helping the referee to see the hits. The spikes caused pe fencing to
be a notoriously painful affair, and peists could be easily recognized by the tea
rs in their jacket sleeves. A later evolution of the sport used a point that was
dipped in a dye, which showed the location of touches on a white uniform; the d
ye was soluble in weak acid (e.g., acetic acid) to remove old marks.[3] Today co
mpetition is done with electric weapons, where a circuit is closed when the touc
h is made. Non-electric weapons are now typically used only for practice, genera
lly fitted with plastic buttons.
Modern pe fencing had a paradigm shift from classical fencing in the 1970s and 198
0s. This paradigm shift was pioneered by Eric Sollee, fencing coach at MIT, and
his student, Johan Harmenberg who subsequently won the World Fencing Championshi
ps and the Olympic gold medal. This new paradigm is based on the three Sollee Co
njectures:
Is it possible for the fencer with the lower technical ability to decide the tec
hnical level of a bout?
Can the fencer with the shorter fencing distance control the distance in a bout?
Is it possible to force your opponent into your own area of greatest strength? [
4]
This new paradigm resulted in Johan Harmenberg closing the fencing distance, usi
ng absence of blade with destructive parries in order to not allow opponents to
use their strongest moves, and pushing them into attacking high which was a prer
equisite for Johan using his own strongest move. Johan used this approach to win
eight individual and/or team epee gold medals at Olympic, World Fencing Champio
nships, and Fencing World Cup competitions. As a result, many if not most of the
top fencers have used the new paradigm or at least adjusted to fence those who
do.[5][6]
See also[edit]
Sabre (fencing)
Foil (fencing)
Fencing
Small sword
Colichemarde
References[edit]
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