Even though there are three disciplines in fencing, foil, epee, and saber, at Brooklyn Bridge Fencing, we only teach foil and saber.
One question we get fairly often is:
What is the difference between foil and saber?
Foil
The foil is a descendant of the light court sword used by nobility to train for duels. The foil has a flexible rectangular blade, approximately 35 inches in length and weighs less than one pound. Points are scored with the tip of the blade and must land within the torso of the body. The valid target area in foil is the torso and does not include the arms, neck, head and legs.
Saber
The saber is the modern version of the slashing cavalry sword, and it's similar in length and weight to the foil. The major difference is the use of the blade. Saberists can score with the edge of their blade as well as their point. The target area is from the bend of the hips (both front and back), to the top of the head. This simulates the cavalry rider on a horse.