By the Sword (film)

By the Sword is a 1991 American sports action film starring F. Murray Abraham and Eric Roberts as worldclass fencers. Directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan, this is the first feature film about fencing. Although some reviews of its 1993 U.S. theatrical release noted favorably the lead acting and action sequences, the screenplay was considered terrible.

Max Suba is an exconvict who introduces himself as a fencing instructor. Villard initially gives him a job as a janitor. With time, Suba recovers his lost form and shows that he can fence. Villard has Suba spar with an ambitious student to demonstrate a point. Villard is arrogant but not unkind, and eventually gives Suba a chance to teach, assigning him the beginning students.While Villard takes a ruthless approach, encouraging a student to injure an opponent to win, Suba takes a subtler approach, encouraging students to turn their own weaknesses into strengths. Following this advice, one of Subas beginning level students scores against Villards prize fencer during an inschool competition. Flashbacks further develop the conflict by revealing how Suba had killed Villards father in a fencing duel. The film climaxes in a dramatic duel between Villard and Suba. ........

Source: Wikipedia