Powers of observation and analysis also come into play in the struggle for mastery - of self and opponent. Fair play is an important part of fencing and the chivalrous tradition of the past are demonstrated in the opening salute to the opponent and the 'president', as fencers call the referee, and the fencers' handshake after the bout. There are three different weapons in fencing - foil, p e and sabre. Men fence all three events, while women compete in foil and, since the early 1980s, p e. There are individual and team competitions in all three weapons.
Teams consist of four fencers and one reserve.
Following a pre-determined order of bouts, each fencer competes against the fencers in the opposing team with the winning team being the first to score nine victories. Many terms used in fencing are current in everyday language, such as attack, counter attack, parry, lunge and riposte. French is the official language of fencing, used in all international competitions. Only hits scored while the fencer is on the piste are valid. The fencers must stay facing one another on the piste and do not change sides during the bout.