The International Fencing Championships in 1921 were the first of the fencing competitions recognized today as the World Championships and took place in the French capital Paris . The tournament, organized by the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime , was officially held as a European championship, but fencers from non-European countries were also allowed. In 1937 the events were officially renamed World Championships, and the 1921 International Fencing Championships were retrospectively recognized as the first World Championships.