  Fencing is a sport that relies heavily on the use of tactics. However, most
existing methods for analyzing fencing data are based on statistical models in
which hidden patterns are difficult to discover. Unlike sequential games, such
as tennis and table tennis, fencing is a type of simultaneous game. Thus, the
existing methods on the sports visualization do not operate well for fencing
matches. In this study, we cooperated with experts to analyze the technical and
tactical characteristics of fencing competitions. To meet the requirements of
the fencing experts, we designed and implemented FencingVis, an interactive
visualization system for fencing competition data.The action sequences in the
bout are first visualized by modified bar charts to reveal the actions of
footworks and bladeworks of both fencers. Then an interactive technique is
provided for exploring the patterns of behavior of fencers. The different
combinations of tactical behavior patterns are further mapped to the graph
model and visualized by a tactical flow graph. This graph can reveal the
different strategies adopted by both fencers and their mutual influence in one
bout. We also provided a number of well-coordinated views to supplement the
tactical flow graph and display the information of the fencing competition from
different perspectives. The well-coordinated views are meant to organically
integrate with the tactical flow graph through consistent visual style and view
coordination. We demonstrated the usability and effectiveness of the proposed
system with three case studies. On the basis of expert feedback, FencingVis can
help analysts find not only the tactical patterns hidden in fencing bouts, but
also the technical and tactical characteristics of the contestant.
