The modern sport of fencing differs from the old in that killing your opponent is no longer the point of the match.

Modern fencing devotees are also dressed in protective clothing designed to prevent injury to either the target area (from the breastbone to the crotch) or the head. A fencing foil is used to score a touch, rather than slicing one’s opponent open from stem to stern.

This is an elegant sport and still reminds us of a long-gone day when disputes between adversaries were settled in perhaps a more civilized manner than they are in this day and age.