The word fencing is derived from the word defence. We can trace back these origins of fencing throughout every succeeding civilisation - Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian, Persian, Babylonian, Greek and Roman - that practiced swordsmanship as training for combat as well as a sport. The first piece of evidence that men fenced as a pastime or sport appears in a relief carving in the temple at Madinet-Habu near Luxor in Upper Egypt. This temple was built by Ramases III around 1190 BC. The carving depicts a fencing bout between two people. We know that it was not a duel as the weapons used have well covered points and they are wearing masks very similar to those used today. There is also a panel of judges and maybe even spectators that are holding feathered wands. The score is kept on a piece of papyrus and an inscription records one of the...