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The sport of wheelchair fencing was invented by Sir Ludwig Guttmann in England in the year 1953 as a way for British soldiers who were wounded during the Second World War to regain strength and bolster their self-esteem. Sir Ludwig Guttmann was a neurologist and founder of the first organized sporting event for people with disabilities which was held at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. This event is considered as the precursor to the modern paralympics. In 1960 the first paralympic games were held in Rome, Italy. The Paralympic Games are held right after the Olympics and in the same venue. The rules for wheelchair fencing do not differ much from those for "able-bodied" fencing. The only differences are that wheelchair fencing is not done on a strip, but rather a metal frame which is set at different distances according to what weapon is being used and to the advantage of the fencer with the shorter fencing arm. The rules for Epee are also different in that a long metallic cape called a lame (luh-may)is worn on the lap to cancel out any touches that land there. To see examples of the lame and fencing frame, please visit the photo gallery. ^ back to the top ^ |