I stumbled upon a fencing demonstration this afternoon, put on by the Carleton Fencing Club. The two fencers had wires attached to them that were connected to an electrical box that lit up different colours when they jabbed each other (or whatever the correct terminology would be). As I pondered the meaning of the wires and lights, another club member approached me with a flyer for the club, which I declined, but took the opportunity to ask her to explain the whole deal to me.
Turns out the wires are connected to the swords, ahem, I mean epees (good scrabble/crossword word, FYI). When the competitors hit each other, a different colour of light shows them whether they made contact in a "legal" spot or not. The fencers are both wearing silver coats over white outfits, so if the epee contacts the silver, either a green or yellow (different for each fencer) will light up, indicating a legal hit. If the epee contacts any white clothing, a red light appears, indicating an illegal hit.
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