My son and I are having a great time watching the Olympics. And, though neither of us knew much (read: anything) about the sport, the women's sabre competition was particularly fun to watch. As the US sweeped bronze, silver, and gold, my son and I sat in our living room and cheered. But as we were watching the battle for the gold vs. silver medal, my son kept asking "Mom, what's happening?" I couldn't answer, so I did some searching online.

Fencing is a technical sport that develops agility and quick movement. Dueling athletes advance and retreat using careful footwork, looking for their chance to thrust or parry for a score. In advanced competitions, like the Olympics, combatants wear electronic padding that helps determine scoring. If you want to look into fencing, use the fencing.com search feature to find a club near you.

Do you want to train like a fencing athlete? Try this taxing routine from fencing.com.