The stamina of swimming, the toughness of football, the reflexes of ping-pong, the tactics of chess… the reassuring click as the opponent's blade falls into your waiting parry, the feeling of satisfaction as your point deceives the opponent's parry and lands with a solid thud on his chest … one of the oldest sports in the history of mankind and one of the newest, with electronic wizardry recording every hit your make … the swashbuckling drama of individual combat, the good feeling of team victory … a long tradition of honor and sportsmanship … becoming proficient in a new sport . . . physically demanding, yet mentally challenging and rewarding … a sport which knows no age limit, from eight to ninety eight.
