I'm not in the same class of fencing as Don, nowhere near. But I like fencing and do it for the mental and physical exercise and I don't plan to stop doing some form of it.

I took fencing in undergrad study as a drama course. Foil, of course, and we fenced in heavy sweatshirts, masks, and without gloves. No injuries because the instructor watched us like a hawk and set rules: for instance, you faced your opponent, saluted, masked, measured your weapons, backed a step or two, crossed blades (in en garde, with your left hand "cocked"), and only began when the judge's weapon brought the crossed blades up and s/he said, "Fence!" At the end of the bout you unmasked and shook hands.

There is none of this now. The umpire commands "Fence!" and the poking begins.

Yes, I'm glad that there is improved safety requirements, but the onus still comes down to the individual fencers.

Perhaps I'll start a subgroup of Classical Fencers.

Bardan, a fully functional modern repro colichemarde weighs 16 to 18 ounces (say an average of 0.48 kg). According to FIE rules the total weight of a foil cannot exceed 500 grams (or 17.64 ounces avoirdupois). In brief, the weight of a modern foil and the weight of its 18th Century functional ancestor is pretty much identical. As for not engaging in fights with pointed weapons, perhaps it might help if "sport fencers" remembered the past of their sport.

I have seen a case where two college students (male) were "just screwing around" with foils. They were masked but otherwise in street clothes. The tip of one foil broke and it wasn't noticed; the tip caught in the placket of one of the guys' shirt and ripped a line from his wrist to the his shoulder -- 200+ stitches were required to close the wound. (No, they were NOT in the fencing class. They simply decided to "screw around sword fighting" in their words. Their college careers were also abruptly terminated.)

A broken tip CAN penetrate even a Kevlar vest. If only in the interests of safety fencing weapons should be treated with respect!