Fencing is an Olympic sport of combat with weapons, practiced between two competitors armed with a type of sword, either saber, épée or foil. Fencing is one of the few sports that has been part of every Olympic Games since 1896. Fencing sees its origins coming from France, where sword fights were practiced as a matter of honor, and then developed throughout Europe during the conquest of Spain. Where fencing saw its greatest development was in Italy, the Italians contributed the vast majority of the rules and techniques that are part of fencing today. The Dominican Republic has seen an increase in the participation of athletes in this discipline during the last 6 years, due to the great work done by the Fencing Federation in developing the local facilities. An example of the fruits of this work is fencer Rossy Felix, Central American and Caribbean champion in 2010 and three-time national champion.