Fencing traces its roots to the development of the duel for duels and self-defense. The origin of the modern duel is thought to be Spain. Some of the most important books on fencing have been written by Spanish duelists. Diego de Valera wrote his book on arms between 1458 and 1471, one of the earliest surviving manuals on western dueling shortly before dueling was officially banned by the Catholic Monarchs. During the Conquest, Spanish forces dueled around the world, especially to southern Italy, one of the main areas of conflict between the two countries. Dueling is mentioned in the play The Merry Wives of Windsor written some time before.
The mechanics of modern fencing originated in the 18th century in the Italian school of fencing of the Renaissance, and under its influence, was improved by the French school of fencing. The Spanish school of fencing stagnated and was replaced by the Italian and French schools.
Fencing, also known as Olympic fencing, is a sport that uses a special type of sword, a white uniform, and a face mask. In its broadest sense, fencing is the art of armed combat, including cutting and stabbing directly with the hand.

Fencing, also called Olympic fencing, is a sport in which two people fight using swords (epee, foil, or sabre). Winning points are made by making contact with the opponent. Fencing was one of the first sports to be featured in the Olympic Games. Based on the traditional skills of fencing, the modern sport arose in the late 19th century, with the Italian school modifying the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school later refining the Italian system. There are three forms of modern fencing, each using a different type of weapon and having different rules, and in this way the sport itself is divided into three competitive scenes: foil, epee, and sabre. The most competitive fencers choose to specialize in just one weapon. Competitive fencing is one of five activities that have appeared in every modern Olympic Games, the other four being athletics, cycling, swimming, and gymnastics.