404 
way of placing it. Swords were 4, 5. 
or even 6 feet long, with almost round- 
ed points, and so heavy that 2 hands 
were required to wield them. That 
the strongest arm must win in such 
a contest is evident, and the art of 
fencing could not make any great 
strides forward. During the 16th’cen- 
tury, however, the sword was nar- 
rowed and finer pointed, a better hand 
protection was provided, and the ra- 
pier was born. 
Up to that time whenever a single 
handed sword was used, the other 
hand and arm were provided with 
RECREATION. 
in time it was used only for the 
thrust. 
From the East came the curved 
swords, such as the scimitar, yataghan 
and talwar, which proved most effec- 
tive as cutting weapons. The advan- 
tage of a curved arm in a hand to 
hand skirmish was soon appreciated 
and made use of by Western peoples, 
and during the Napoleonic wars a 
much curved sword was used. How- 
ever, as the point of the weapon was 
so much deflected from a straight line, 
it was almost useless for a thrust, and 
accordingly the curve has been gradu- 

FLANK CUT (PARRY LOW TERZE.) 
either a shield or a buckler. The 
shield was generally oblong or oval, 
3 to 5 feet long, while the buckler was 
round and rarely over 2 feet in diam- 
eter. These parts of a combatant’s 
armament were used to ward off blows 
and thrusts, and they were made of 
wood, hide or metal, or several of 
these materials combined. With the 
advent of the lighter sword and the 
rapier, parrying blows and stabs could 
be given with the weapon itself, and 
there the true art of fencing began. 
The rapier is a straight weapon, with 
sharp edge and point, and though at 
first used for cutting and thrusting, 
ally diminished, so that but a slight 
deviation from the straight line is now 
noticeable. The modern weapon has 
one sharp edge, and a sharp, long 
point. This modern sabre is still fur- 
ther characterized by its lightness; in 
spite of which it is a most formidable 
weapon, and when handled by an ex- 
pert a deadly implement. It can be 
used for cut, thrust or slash. It is a 
most convenient guard against either 
of these, and the dexterity which some 
acquire in its manipulations is nothing 
short of marvelous. 
The home of scientific fencing in 
the earlier periods was undoubtedly 
