First teaching aids and teachers of fencing in Europe
The first book on fencing techniques and tactics was published in 1474 in Spain, authored by the Spanish fencing instructors Pons from Perpignan and Pedro de Torre. During the 16th century, Italian publishing houses brought out printed works of the famous fencing masters of the time: Achilles Marozzo, Salvatore Fabris, Rudolf Capoferro, Camillo Agrippa.
Taken from a fencing handbook by Rudolf Capoferro (1652)
For many years the dominant fencing school in Italy was that of Marozzo, who came to be known as the "founding father" of Italian fencing.
Taken from the fencing treatise by Achilles Marozzo (1517)
He was a superior fencer who preferred the offensive style and complex maneuvering, mostly using cutting action. Drawing on his extensive teaching experience, he developed practical recommendations for fencing instructors.
In his fencing treatise Camillo Agrippa writes about the advantages of thrusts over cuts. He was the first to introduce the term "riposte" - an attack made immediately after a parry of the opponent's attack. In 1560, Virgiani described seven parries. It would not be another 200 years before France introduced parry number eight. All of them are similar to modern-day parries.
The year 1570 saw the publication of the book by Di Grassi, who was the first to provide information about fencing lines and introduce the notion of "sensing the weapon", all of which are in use to this day.
Taken from a fencing treatise by Giacomo Di Grassi (1577)
The year 1599 saw the publication in England of George Silver's "Paradoxes of Defense" and his "Brief instruction...". The latter book was not published before 1898, when Silver's manuscripts were discovered at the British Museum. Silver provided proof that a shorter blade is better than a long one. Interestingly enough, at the English tournament back in 1507 "swords of courtesy" were used – shortened, blunt, and straight weapons for non-deadly fights. The fights were divided into honorable or mortal. The former were called using the French word "pleasance", which means "pleasure", "entertainment".
In 1567, the Paris Academy of Fencing Instructors opened in France. The French were the first to raise the question of abolishing the cloak and dagger. San-Didier wrote about this back in 1573. In this connection the fighting stance of the fencer has changed (opponents fence with the right hand, facing each other with the right side).
Engraving from the book by Henry de San-Didier (1573)
Conservative Italians did not support this proposal. It was only in 1610, 37 after the French, that the Italians raised the question of abolishing the cloak and dagger.
The year 1633 saw the publication in France of Bernard Renne's book, in which he describes the salutation, the fighting stance, the thrust, and movements of fencers, which are very similar to modern techniques. In 1670 De La Touche wrote about the strong and weak parts of the foil blade. In 1676, Le Perche Du Kudre introduced the notion of "counter-riposte" - an attack that follows a parry of the opponent's riposte. 
Taken from a fencing handbook by M. Handt
Lighter and shorter French epees with a triangular cross-section blade originated in the mid-17th century. Such epees were meant only for thrusting. This was its main difference from the Italian school, where the foil was used both as a thrusting and cutting weapon. Subsequently the French proposed a lighter foil with a leather safety tip resembling a flower bud and called "fleur". Meanwhile, the French word for the foil is "fleuret".
The French literary great of the time Moliere offered a brilliant definition of fencing: "Fencing is an art of hitting without being hit in return. The need to touch the opponent while avoiding his hits makes the art of fencing an extremely complex and difficult one because to your eye, which sees and warns, to your mind, which judges and decides, and to your hand, which performs, you have to add accuracy and speed in order to bring the weapon to life."
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