33 Fencing Quiz Questions with Answers (Trivia)

33 fencing quiz questions with answers, covering foil, epee and sabre, the target areas, right of way, the parry and riposte, and the gear on the piste.

Every question gives you three options and keeps the correct one behind a button, so a club can play it as a round. The answer key under the scoring table lists all 33 fencing trivia questions and answers in order. The early fencing quiz questions deal with the three weapons and the basic actions, while the later questions about fencing get into scoring conventions, blade terminology and Olympic history.

1. Which weapon in fencing is the heaviest?

A) Foil
B) Epee
C) Sabre

2. Which piece of equipment, introduced in the 18th century, made fencing practice far safer?

A) The wire mesh mask
B) The lame
C) The body cord

3. Which country is considered the birthplace of modern fencing?

A) Italy
B) France
C) Spain

4. Which of these fencing terms represents a successful touch on the opponent?

A) Fleche
B) Lunge
C) Touche

5. Who is considered the father of modern fencing?

A) Camillo Agrippa
B) Domenico Angelo
C) Aldo Nadi

6. What is the metal jacket worn in fencing called?

A) Plastron
B) Lamé
C) Cuirass

7. Which fencing weapon has a curved hand guard?

A) Foil
B) Epee
C) Sabre

8. In which Olympic Games was women’s fencing introduced as an event?

A) 1896 Athens
B) 1904 St. Louis
C) 1924 Paris

9. What is the circular parry that gathers the opponent's blade and returns it to the original line called?

A) Counter-parry
B) Beat
C) Ballestra

10. Which of these is NOT a fencing position?

A) En garde
B) Plie
C) Reprise

11. How many points does a fencer need to win a direct elimination bout in a major competition?

A) 10 points
B) 15 points
C) 21 points

12. What is the defense action performed with the blade called?

A) Riposte
B) Engagement
C) Parry

13. Which part of the blade is the weakest?

A) Forte
B) Foible
C) Pointe

14. In foil fencing, what is the target area for scoring points?

A) Head and torso
B) Torso only
C) Entire body

15. What is the name of the fencing move that involves quickly retreating out of the opponent’s reach?

A) Recover
B) Retreat
C) Ballestra

16. In foil, what does a white light on the scoring machine mean?

A) A valid touch
B) An off-target touch
C) A double touch

17. What is the name of the stabbing move performed with the arm fully extended?

A) Straight thrust
B) Lunge
C) Fleche

18. In sabre fencing, where can a fencer score points with a cutting action?

A) Head and torso only
B) Head, arms, and torso
C) Entire body

19. What is the name of the move used primarily in sabre fencing and involves jumping and landing while striking?

A) Flunge
B) Lunge
C) Ballestra

20. Which country has the most Olympic gold medals in fencing?

A) France
B) Italy
C) Hungary

21. In epee, what happens when both fencers land a touch within a fraction of a second of each other?

A) Both fencers score
B) Neither fencer scores
C) The bout is restarted

22. Which Italian fencer won 13 Olympic medals, more than any other fencer?

A) Nedo Nadi
B) Edoardo Mangiarotti
C) Aldo Nadi

23. What is the wire that runs under the jacket and connects the weapon to the scoring reel called?

A) The lame
B) The body cord
C) The plastron

24. What does the French term “en garde” mean in fencing?

A) Attack
B) Guard
C) On guard

25. In fencing terminology, what is a “riposte”?

A) An initial attack
B) A counterattack after a successful parry
C) A counterattack after a failed attack

26. What is the strip on which a fencing bout takes place called?

A) The piste
B) The lane
C) The ring

27. What is the maximum legal weight for a practice or competition fencing foil?

A) 400 grams
B) 500 grams
C) 750 grams

28. What is the term for intentionally hitting an opponent’s weapon in order to provoke a response or opening?

A) Beat
B) Bind
C) Flick

29. What is the attack made by passing the blade over the opponent's point called?

A) Coupe
B) Beat
C) Bind

30. In foil and sabre, what is the convention that decides who scores when both fencers hit at the same time called?

A) Right of way
B) Advantage
C) First blood

31. Which part of the fencing mask protects the throat?

A) The bib
B) The gorget
C) The visor

32. In which country was the first Fencing World Championships held in 1921?

A) France
B) Italy
C) Germany

33. Which single fencing weapon is used in the modern pentathlon?

A) Foil
B) Epee
C) Sabre

Results

# of Correct Answers	Percentage Range	Label	Description
0-	0-49%	Foil FumblerArmchair Athlete	You've got some learning to do, but don't worry, there's always the next game!
-	50-64%	Blade BeginnerRookie Runner	Not bad! Keep practicing, and you'll be a sports trivia champ in no time.
-	65-79%	DuelistMidfield Maestro	Impressive! You're getting closer to the top, keep up the good work.
-	80-94%	Parry ProAll-Star Striker	Wow, you really know your sports trivia! You're a force to be reckoned with.
-33	95-100%	Fencing MasterLegendary Champion	Unbelievable! You're a true sports trivia master. Your knowledge knows no bounds!

Fencing Quiz Answers: The Full Answer Key

Every question in this fencing quiz with its correct answer, in the order the questions appear above. Check your score against the table, or use the list as a set of fencing trivia questions and answers for a quiz night of your own.

#	Question	Answer
1	Which weapon in fencing is the heaviest?	B) Epee
2	Which piece of equipment, introduced in the 18th century, made fencing practice far safer?	A) The wire mesh mask
3	Which country is considered the birthplace of modern fencing?	A) Italy
4	Which of these fencing terms represents a successful touch on the opponent?	C) Touche
5	Who is considered the father of modern fencing?	B) Domenico Angelo
6	What is the metal jacket worn in fencing called?	B) Lamé
7	Which fencing weapon has a curved hand guard?	C) Sabre
8	In which Olympic Games was women's fencing introduced as an event?	C) 1924 Paris
9	What is the circular parry that gathers the opponent's blade and returns it to the original line called?	A) Counter-parry
10	Which of these is NOT a fencing position?	B) Plie
11	How many points does a fencer need to win a direct elimination bout in a major competition?	B) 15 points
12	What is the defense action performed with the blade called?	C) Parry
13	Which part of the blade is the weakest?	B) Foible
14	In foil fencing, what is the target area for scoring points?	B) Torso only
15	What is the name of the fencing move that involves quickly retreating out of the opponent's reach?	B) Retreat
16	In foil, what does a white light on the scoring machine mean?	B) An off-target touch
17	What is the name of the stabbing move performed with the arm fully extended?	A) Straight thrust
18	In sabre fencing, where can a fencer score points with a cutting action?	B) Head, arms, and torso
19	What is the name of the move used primarily in sabre fencing and involves jumping and landing while striking?	A) Flunge
20	Which country has the most Olympic gold medals in fencing?	B) Italy
21	In epee, what happens when both fencers land a touch within a fraction of a second of each other?	A) Both fencers score
22	Which Italian fencer won 13 Olympic medals, more than any other fencer?	B) Edoardo Mangiarotti
23	What is the wire that runs under the jacket and connects the weapon to the scoring reel called?	B) The body cord
24	What does the French term "en garde" mean in fencing?	C) On guard
25	In fencing terminology, what is a "riposte"?	B) A counterattack after a successful parry
26	What is the strip on which a fencing bout takes place called?	A) The piste
27	What is the maximum legal weight for a practice or competition fencing foil?	B) 500 grams
28	What is the term for intentionally hitting an opponent's weapon in order to provoke a response or opening?	A) Beat
29	What is the attack made by passing the blade over the opponent's point called?	A) Coupe
30	In foil and sabre, what is the convention that decides who scores when both fencers hit at the same time called?	A) Right of way
31	Which part of the fencing mask protects the throat?	A) The bib
32	In which country was the first Fencing World Championships held in 1921?	A) France
33	Which single fencing weapon is used in the modern pentathlon?	B) Epee

Learn about the physical demands of fencing and how to prevent common mishaps by reading about common fencing injuries.

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FAQ

How many questions are in this fencing quiz?

There are 33. Each question gives you three options, and the correct answer is hidden behind the reveal button under it.

Where can I read the fencing trivia questions and answers together?

The answer key below the scoring table lists all 33 questions with their correct answers in the order they appear above.

Are these fencing quiz questions hard?

The opening questions cover the three weapons, the target areas and the basic actions. The blade terminology, the scoring conventions and the Olympic history later on will test club fencers.

Can I use these questions for a club evening or a pub quiz?

Yes. Read the question with its three options, let everyone write down a letter, then go through the answer key at the end and count the correct ones.

What is a good score on this fencing quiz?

More than half correct is a solid result. The scoring table turns your total into a rank, from Foil Fumbler at the bottom to Fencing Master at the top.

What are the three fencing weapons?

Foil, epee and sabre. Foil scores with the point on the torso, epee with the point anywhere on the body, and sabre with the point or the edge above the waist.

What does right of way mean in fencing?

In foil and sabre, when both fencers hit at the same time the referee awards the touch to the one who attacked first or who parried the attack. Epee has no such rule, so both fencers can score.