The epee is the modern day descendant of the dualing rapier. It is substantially heavier than either the foil or the saber, although not significantly longer. Epee also has fewer rules than the other weapons; the entire body is a target and there are no right of way rules. This simplicity is probably the main reason why I chose to fence epee. The other reason I chose to fence epee is my long reach, which can be quite an advantage when fencing epee.

Since the entire body is a target, including the hand and wrist, most epee fencers fight cautiously. A lunge with the arm held incorrectly, or making a motion too large, can present your opponent with an opportunity to score. Also, the large bell guard on the epee provides a strong defensive advantage. Holding the arm out straight with the blade in line with the forearm makes it almost impossible for an opponent to hit your arm, while making it likely that anyone who attacks you with a bent arm will run onto your point before his or her point reaches you. Consequently, your opponent must figure out how to get your blade out of the way.

There are many tactics used to deal with a troublesome straight arm defense. Some fencers prefer to feint an attack on one side, fooling the opponent into moving her or his blade to deal with the threat, then circling their own blades around while the opponent's blade is going in the wrong direction. Others prefer to wait for their opponent to attack and put themselves in a position where they accidently leave a target open. More direct methods used include simply beating the blade out of the way or snagging the opponent's blade with your bell gaurd in a technique called a bind.

The equipment used by epee fencers is the simplest of all the electric fencing equipment. The only equipment epeeists use for tournaments which are not needed for practice are a body cord and an epee wired for electric scoring. The jacket, kickers, underarm protecter, mask, and glove are simply protective without any conductive mesh becuase the entire body is a valid target. Body cords have identical three prong plugs at each end, two for the push button switch at the tip of the epee and one to ground the bell guard so that touches to the bell guard are not scored.