To me, it's this way:

Sport Fencing: What's done today -- make the light light regardless of style, art, science, or anything else. Fleche, fleche, fleche! It's a blunt steel rod, after all, and winning is what we're here for. My arm was out first so I had right-of-way!

Classical Fencing: Winning is fine, but let's also parry, salute, counterparry, riposte, remise, lunge, double, counter sixte, redouble, and remember that it was once a very pointy (and possibly sharp) steel rod. Right-of-way changes with the situation.   

Historical Fencing: The Way They Did It back in, oh, say, 1400 to 1820. Or at least as close as we can come without real blood & guts on the ground/floor/pavement/street. Right-of-way?