The 2008 Olympic Fencing competition will be held from August 9-17.

Having evolved from the ancient form of combat, fencing is one of only four sports that has featured at every modern Olympic Games.

There are three types of swords which have survived in modern competitive fencing: foil, épée, and sabre. Though there are different rules for competition using different swords, the basic process is almost the same.

At the start of a modern fencing bout, the referee calls the fencers and orders "en garde." They stand, facing each other, at their on-guard lines, until the referee orders "allez" or "fence." When a hit has been signaled or a competitor is disarmed, the referee will call "halt," and the bout will stop. If a valid hit has been scored, the bout is resumed with the fencers at their on-guard lines; if the hit is invalid, the bout continues from the spot where the referee called the halt.