If a fencer is lefthanded, does that give him or her any sort of advantage?

Question

If a fencer is lefthanded, does that give him or her any sort of advantage?

Answer 1

Probably. He would be used to competing against right handed opponents, while his opponent would not be used to lefties.

Answer 2

Yes, depending on the skill of their opponent. A right handed fencer is naturally used to fencing other right handed people (because most people are right handed) so once they come to a left handed fencer all parries/beats/attacks are all backwards. Left handed fencers are used to fencing right handed fencers though, so they have a definite advantage.