To appreciate the history of fencing one must consider the impact of the sword on civilization. In prehistoric times man fashioned crude implements such as clubs and stone axes for both offensive and defensive purposes. The development of civilization is mirrored by the increased sophistication of human weaponry. Since the advent of metal weapons in the Bronze Age swords of some description have been fashioned. These have taken a variety of forms from simple copper daggers, through curving scimitars, to the enormous two handed swords of the middle ages. Similarly the usage of these weapons has varied according to circumstance. For example the Roman short-sword complemented the relatively lightly armored, highly mobile troops of the Empire, on the other hand the heavy armour of the Middle Ages required equally heavy weaponry to have any effect. The introduction of gun powder to warfare had a profound impact on the development of the sword. The heavy armour and weapons of the Middle Ages were rendered impractical and the sword evolved into a lighter more manageable weapon.

To master these lighter weapons guilds of masters developed throughout Europe and the art of fencing, in form recognizable to the sport of today was born. These schools developed various techniques and tactics, such as the stance, lunge and parries used today. Further, the growth of dueling in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries provided the traditions of courtesy and customs also found in the modern sport.

Rivalry between various guilds led to the development of international fencing tournaments, this combined with the outlawing of dueling to the death, led to the gradual development of fencing as a sport with its own rules. Indeed fencing was included in the Olympic Games in Athens, 1896. There are three different weapons used in modern fencing, each with differing origins tactics and rules. These are outlined below.