How Rapiers Changed Fencing Forever
There is a theory that says that the essence of rapier fencing is defined by the following statement:
The shortest distance between two points is not the curve line of a cut but the straight line of a thrust.
First let me start by saying that rapiers were invented for unarmored combat. They would have been useless in a fight between armored warriors. That being said, rapiers still changed the rules of the games because of the way they were built. People fighting against a rapier for the first time could be surprised the quickness and the reach of this type of sword. For those not used to this type of combat it was like going to the grave. Especially when fighting against a fencing expert.
In the hand of an expert, the rapier rapidly became unpredictable, swift and most of all very easy to underestimate by any unexperienced adversary. Fighters using slower and less agile cutting swords could easily get hit with a well-timed and well-placed thrust from a faster and longer-reaching rapier.
In the end, the rapier was a civilian sword carried as a personal weapon. Most used them to settle private querrels but they were not carried to go to war. In conclusion we could clearly say that this sword was developed for the needs of back-alley encounters and sudden assaults. It is the first civilian weapon designed for urban defence. It later became a “gentleman’s art.”