Who is Peter Joppich?
Peter Joppich is a five time World Champion foil fencer. Born in 1982 in Koblenz, Germany, he won his first World Champoinship at the age of 21. He attributes his success to the hard work of his teacher for more than ten years, former German fencer and Olympic gold medallist – Ulrich Schreck.
Where did he study?
Joppich’s interest in the sport was kindled after he watched the fencing competition in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He was 5 years old at the time and shortly after, joined his local fencing club – KSC Koblenz.
When he was 13, he left home to study at the Elite Schools of Sports in Bonn to study and train as a professional fencer.
What is foil fencing?
Fencing has three different categories – foil, sabre, and épée. In this category, athletes score by hitting the torso (including the back) of an opponent with the tip of the foil. One cannot score with the side of the blade or by touching the arms or legs. The foil is made up of a low-carbon steel that is designed to bend on contact to prevent the blade from breaking or injury to an opponent.
Project –
Fencing has three categories. Described above is one of the three. Can you find out the difference between the other two? They are: sabre and épée.