For ages using melee weapon was considered the most important manner of fighting, utilised by both nations and armies. Starting from the ancient ages (Egypt, Greece, Rome) until the 20th century not only types, but also constructions of weapons evolved and changed. Lance, shield, sword, Spanish rapier, Italian rapier, parrying dagger, court sword (épée de court), training foil and sabre - these are subsequent stages indicating the development of weapons, as well as the evolution of combat styles and methods underlying the fencing training.
As far as the medieval period is concerned, melee weapon was used in Europe in military and defensive exercises, during tournaments, during the so-called trials by ordeals and various kinds of duels. At that time, knights fought using heavy swords, and the success depended mainly on brute force.
Rapier, a new type of melee weapon appeared in the 15th century, first in Spain and Italy, and then all over Europe. This new kind of weapon was considerably lighter than the sword. The rapier era marks the development not only in technique and tactics, but also in teaching methods. This was also the period when many new schools, as well as famous fencing centres, have been established, not to mention multiple manuals and treaties on fencing that have been written. Distance during the fight, surprise, defensive positions and feint manoeuvres have already been considered as truly significant elements at that time, and they still constitute fundamental issues in fencing methodology.
At the beginning of the 19th century the so-called "transient rapier" began gaining popularity. It was a significantly lighter weapon, which then evolved into court sword. The court sword was a weapon used for duels and it was a truly dangerous weapon, even during training. And this is exactly why a new type of weapon was introduced for training - foil. Foil duels were based on rules concerning the valid target area and rules of priority, also known as right of way. With time foil no longer provided good preparation for the épée and gained the status of a separate weapon, "living a life of its own". As a consequence, this lead to the creation of a training épée, and this gave rise to sport épée.
The initially dominating direction in fencing was to prepare for armed combat and for duels. Nevertheless, since the middle of the 18th century people began to see recreational and entertaining values of fencing. Treating exercises as a form of fun activity meant the beginning of sports trend in fencing. Practicing fencing became possible mainly due to the introduction of protective masks, which guaranteed safety for practicing adepts and enabled the progress and development of fencing technique. Movements became faster and more complex. Tournaments and competitions were organised more frequently, épée appeared next to foil, and competition between Italian and French fencers gave grounds to team matches.
Modern sportive fencing originates from the traditional art of using melee weapon.
All sportive transformations taking place in melee weapon have been crowned when fencing was included in the programme of the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896. Nowadays, there are three forms of Olympic competition, both for men and for women, namely: foil, épée and sabre.