"No, I meant *real* fencing."

MadassAlex

I know people don't mean it, but it irks me that sport fencing is considered the "real" variant. I find it trivialising towards the combat art I study.

ClockworkUniverse

I say it the other way around, i.e. "no, I mean the sport."

Counterclock

Perhaps people would take you more seriously if you carried your sword on your back at all times and had a vertical scar across the face!

MadassAlex

The law doesn't permit me to carry a sword openly.

You may, however, be onto something with that scar idea. If anyone asks, I got it in Japan.

Fighting Yakuza samurai.

Yakuza samurai bears.

Counterclock

There's actually someone who I work with who is missing some fingers.

So our boss at the time joked that it was because he was working for the Yakuza.

Hatter

Oh, you use a... katana.

How provincial. 

MadassAlex

Actually, a longsword.

Hatter

Aha. You have earned my approval.

vandro

He practices fencing, why on earth would he use a Katana?

What is your sword made of?

MadassAlex

I use both plastic wasters (sword "emulators" designed to mimic the balance of the real thing) and (blunt) steel.

All swordsmanship is, essentially, fencing. No matter the style or whether it's a sport or a legitimate art. "Fencing", in fact, comes from the German "fechten", literally "fighting". Except at the time, fechten meant fighting with any weapon or no weapon -- it was a catch-all word for all fighting styles with any or no tools. 

vandro

That only works in english though,

Fencing in spanish is esgrima derived from the verb form esgrimir which comes from provenzal escremir (to practice fencing).

Schitzo

As of recent, me and friends bought what we can only describe as "stress swords"

I believe these are the ones