Glasgow fencing is a sport that uses speed, balance, control, aggression and a tactful mindset to score points against an opponent. Described as a physical chess game, fencing is both fun and thrilling. There are three weapons to the sport: foil, épée and sabre. Each of them has its own specific play style and rules.

The most common weapon is the foil, which involves throwing metal discs (or “targets”) across the floor in order to hit an opponent with them. The target areas are the head, both arms and the body below the waist. If a target is hit, a point is scored for the fencer who touched it. The hand guard on a foil extends from the hilt to the pommel, which helps protect the fencer’s arm from touches. Touches that land outside of the target area are not valid.

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Epee and sabre are more cutting and thrusting weapons. The sabre’s hand guard extends to the tip of the sword, which allows for more targeted attacks. The sabre’s curved blade allows for more power behind each cut. The blade also has a pointed end that assists with thrusting. The sabre is the lightest of all the weapons.

While it might not be fashionable to say this during the high-spirited commotion of the Commonwealth Games, a view has been allowed to develop among many residents of Glasgow’s east end that these are not their games. In addition to the aforementioned fencing and security gates, the visible presence of police officers and military personnel sends a message that the locals are not fully trusted. This sense has been strengthened by the fact that a great deal of the security staff employed around the games has been draughted in from London and other places outside of Glasgow.