Classical
fencing is a modern form of fencing viewed as a martial art. It is different from
sport or
Olympic fencing because the focus is on defending your life from an opponent with a sharp weapon, rather than scoring points. In classical fencing, the
objective is to hit without being hit.
There are other differences as well. Classical fencing tends to use a more complete canon, rather than focusing on just a few basic techniques. Efforts are also made to reconstruct classic styles from books and manuscripts left by the original masters.
A great deal of debate currently exists about the superiority of classical over sport fencing, or the other way around, but the truth is the two are now so different as to be separate species. Conditioning and training in one could transfer to the other, but the contrasting rules and standards are such that most people choose one or the other and stick with it.