Fencing:Categories Of Fencing

Categories of Fencing

1. There are three categories of Fencing in the Society for Creative Anachronism. These are:
   1. Light Rapier
   2. Rapier
   3. Cut & Thrust Combat (C&T)
2. Table 1 summarizes the key differences in the three categories. Refer to the remainder of the rules for further clarification and details.
3. Except where noted rules apply to all categories of Fencing in the SCA.
4. The different categories of Fencing may not face one another in any type of combat.

Table 1. Overview of differences between the three categories of SCA Fencing. Refer to the remainder of the rules for specifics

Fencing Category	Blades allowed	Other weapons and secondaries	Types of blows allowed	Armor requirements
Rapier	No foils, epees, or similar blades. All blades must be made of steel, and meet the Greater Flexibility Standard (Table 3)	Sword Dagger Defensive object Spear	Thrust Tip cut Push cut Draw cut	Standard
Cut & Thrust	No foils, epees, or similar blades. All blades must be made of steel, and meet the Lesser Flexibility Standard (Table 3)	Sword Dagger Defensive object Spear	Thrust Tip cut Push cut Draw cut Percussive cut	Standard AND abrasion resistance on limbs back of head protection elbow protection additional hand protection
Light Rapier	Steel Foil, Epee, or similar variant (such as a double-wide epee or musketeer blades) from an established commercial manufacturer. Must meet the Greater Flexibility Standard (Table 3)	Sword Dagger Defensive object Spears may not be used in this category	Thrust Tip cut Push cut Draw cut	Standard AND abrasion resistance on limbs puncture resistance on throat (not rigid)