FOIL
The most common weapon in fencing, this has a 35-inch flexible rectangular blade with a safety tip.

GLOVE
The fencer wears a glove in his or her front hand to protect the hand from sticks with the opponent's foil and to help in manipulation of the foil.

LAMÉ
The vest covering the target area of the body. Every time an opponent touches the lamé with the tip of the foil, he or she receives a point. In competition, this vest is made of metal and is connected to an electric body wire attached to a scoring machine. The machine registers each touch as a point.

EN GARDE
the resting position of the feet in fencing, perpendicular to one another and shoulder width apart.

HELMET
A metal mesh helmet is worn at all times during fencing, to protect the face and head from the foil point

BACK HAND
the back hand (usually the left) is held up behind the body and relaxed.