Agrippa also placed great emphasis on using the point, which, he argued, is superior to a cut, since an object moving in a straight line will reach its destination faster than an object traveling in an arc. This idea would prove greatly influential in the development of fencing. As in Japan, swordsmanship remained an essential part of the education of every gentleman, and the sword was a required dress accessory for certain social classes. Unlike Japan, where the katana was the all-purpose sidearm of the samurai, a specifically civilian weapon emerged in Europe. From Agrippa's time on, we begin to see the first uniquely civilian sidearm, the rapier, come into its own. A rapier is a long, single-handed sword constructed primarily for thrusting. Though sometimes carried by gentlemen serving in their country's armies, its unwieldy length, limited cutting ability, and considerable cost made this practice more a mark of status than a wise choice in battlefield weapons.

Changing social attitudes, as well as the practicalities of using a long, agile blade, saw grappling techniques diminish in importance, though not entirely disappear, through the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. So, too, did other technical aspects change. By the late 1600s, various national styles had become well established throughout the nations of Europe. Italian fencers used a long blade, often in conjunction with a parrying dagger held in the non-dominant hand. As time went on, footwork became increasingly linear, though circular and angular motions, as well as various evasive actions, were also practiced. The Germans followed the Italians in many things, but favored blades with more developed cutting edges, and also kept up the use of older weapons, such as the langshwert. The Spanish, beginning in the mid-sixteenth century, developed a sophisticated and deadly school of fencing, La Verdadera Destreza ("The true art and skill") based on humanistic philosophy

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La Destreza, today often erroneously called the "Spanish Circle," "Magic Circle," or "Mysterious Circle," used geometric concepts to train the mind of the fencer. The French, meanwhile, favored a blade that, as time went on, became increasingly shorter, quicker, lighter, and almost edgeless.