extremely rare. Pistol grip A pistol grip is any grip with a special shape or protrusion intended to aid in holding the weapon. To be legal a pistol grip must fix the hand in one position, and the fencer's thumb must fall within 2 cm of the bell guard when the weapon is gripped. In competitive fencing pistol grips are nearly universally preferred in foil, and are used by a large percentage of épée fencers because they allow stronger blade movements. Types of pistol grips While individual manufacturers have variations in shape, pistol grips can be classed into a few broad types: Illegal or little-used variations A number of grip variations are either no longer used or are no longer legal to use in competitive fencing. The Italian grip is legal but is not commonly used in modern fencing. Some view it as a transitional step on the path to the pistol grip, but in fact it is derived from the small sword, predating the modern sport of fencing. The names of illegal grips are applied inconsistently and have some overlap with uncommon but legal grips. Rules organizations usually do not list names of grips as legal or not, but rather list general characteristics. In general, aside from the Italian grip, if a grip has both prongs to assist the fencer's grip and also a French grip pommel it is not legal to use for competitive fencing. References Fencing