You stare at your opponent's expressionless face, wondering what he's thinking. You advance, making the beginning of an attack to see if he will take the bait. He pulls back effortlessly, blunting your move. Then he pushes back, driving deep into your territory before you stop him. He pulls back again, looking for an opening. He spots a weakness, and like lightning, pounces on it. You take the feint, but he rushes past into the real attack. You backpedal as fast as you can until you run out of space. You try to block, but find nothing. He penetrates through your defence with ease and leaps, his body flying forwards with so much speed that it ends up almost horizontal in the air. His blade dances around yours effortlessly and hits you right in the chest as he lands from his leap and runs past you. You glance helplessly at the scoreboard, and see that his light is on. 7 seconds have passed.

Physical Chess. Fencing. The Art of Swordplay. Duelling. A unique blend of strategy and physical prowess performed at exceptionally high speeds almost unmatched by any other modern sport. One in which your mind can matter much more than your fitness, but will challenge both. In fencing speed does not matter as much as timing. Strength does not matter as much as skill. One of the few sports in which a veteran can completely defeat a much fitter opponent only by their experience and skill.

by Jason Evans