Foil is perhaps the final evolution of fencing weapons. Fast and versatile, it developed from the small sword on which epee is also based. It came about shortly after the advent of the schools of fence in the Renaissance, and was designed by the maestros to create more deadly fencers. The term 'foil' itself originally came from the practice of placing a cork on the end of a small sword or rapier blade, in essence ‘foiling’ the blade. Once the fear of injury was reduced the masters began to develop rules to improve their students' performance. The complex system of right of way for instance was created so that students would learn to adequately defend themselves before attacking an opponent, there by assuring their continued survival and their opponent's failure. The target area, which is limited to the central torso and back, was chosen to make a fencer a much more deadly opponent, as a fencer trained only to attack to the central body was more likely to strike a vital organ and kill an opponent outright rather than merely wounding him. Foil combat is characterized by light footwork and agile blade work, sometimes even leading to acrobatic aerial attacks on strip.