The tip of her sword thrust toward her opponent as she lunged with great force, but as swiftly as she made her move, the opponent calculated his defense and blocked her attempt.

This is a normal Wednesday afternoon for members of the South Campus Fencing Club when they gear up and prepare for battle.

Every Monday and Wednesday, the club meets in the gym to line up with their dominant foot pointed toward an opponent as coach Vincent Bradford guides students through technical drills.

“It takes strategy,” Bradford said. “Like chess, but it’s physical.”

She is a former Olympic fencer who leads the club alongside president Persephone Battle.

“Being a fencer requires a union between the body and mind,” said Battle with a foil in her hand.

There are three types of fencing, and the club practices foil. A foil is the weapon used, but according to members, it is never a weapon. It is a foil.

Battle described fencing as an intellectual game that requires both physical strength and concentration working closely together. According to her, any fencer who uses one over the other is bound to lose.

“A straight lunge that is timed perfectly, on point and hits the target is beautiful,” Battle said.

Fencing is an art form, according to club member Anne Phan.

“It’s an entire head-to-toe movement,” said Phan as she practiced lunges in a corner of the gym.

Over and over, Phan lunged forward while propelling her foil into a practice target. She wanted to master the footwork needed to launch herself toward an opponent.

“I’m really short, so creating a reach is very important to me,” Phan said.

The sport does not separate fencers by weight or class, and the club values those rules.

During practice, they rotate every few minutes to ensure every member practices with each other.

“Right away, you know what you can use as your advantage,” said Keltavis Easterling, the tallest member of the club.

Easterling’s reach is further than Phan’s, but his height can also be a disadvantage. For him, it is difficult to defend an opponent’s attack when they briskly force themselves past his reach.

“Some people see it as unfair, but once you know how to understand your disadvantage it benefits you,” Easterling said.

Protecting their disadvantages is an integral part of strategy. After a match, the two fencers would discuss and work through the mistakes made to modify techniques they used.

“Fencers always have to think about what action to take to get the right of way,” Battle said.

Right of way is who holds priority in a match. When a fencer has right of way, they score the point. If a fencer hits their opponent on target but doesn’t have the right of way, they do not score a point.

It can be difficult to determine who has right of way, but the club utilized a fencing box to help members when refereeing the match.

“It is the hub for all the electronics,” said Isaac Senisch, former club president, as he plugged his foil into the box.

Fencers wear a LeMay that covers their entire torso. Both the LeMay and the fencers’ foils plug into the box. When the tip of a foil stabs the LeMay, it triggers the box to flash a colored light that displays if the hit was on target or not.

Battle refereed the practice. She stood on top of the bleachers, quiet and focused as she watched every movement. When the box signaled a hit, she contemplated the match and made the judgment call.

There were rivalries between members. But after every match, both fencers walked up the fencing strip toward one another and shook each other’s hands.

“The sport teaches us how to be humble and respectful of each other,” Easterling said.

Every member discussed the importance of being humble. Referees will kick a fencer out of a competition if they show disrespect to others.

“Even if you absolutely hate your opponent,” Battle said, “you still have to be respectful.”

Club members have discovered fencing has provided them with many life lessons. According to them, fencing changes a person’s way of thinking. Right-of-way rules are implemented into their everyday tasks. They act strategically by approaching situations analytically and taking time to think about their response.

Emerald Barragan, a new club member, said fencing is academic. It has driven her to perform better in school and work.

“My thought process is easier when making decisions because fencing is a lot of quick thinking,” said Barragan, waiting for her one-on-one with their coach.

Bradford called over students who compete in fencing competitions to stand facing her. With their foils in hand, she demanded good posture and confidence before beginning their duel.

In these sessions, Bradford trained the students with the techniques best suited to their advantages.

“She is one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met,” Battle said.

While the fencing club credits their success to Bradford, she declined to accept it.

“They are responsible for the momentum of this club,” said Bradford. “I just show up and coach. They do the rest of it.”

After completing personal training, Bradford left for the club to continue for another hour. She trusts the students to be alone with equipment and expects them to properly put everything away.

“What I see here in the student-run club is it’s all on them,” said Bradford, “and they’re doing a fabulous job.”

Students have joined the Fencing Club for many reasons. Either they needed a kinesiology credit or found it intriguing. And while the foil is never a weapon, they all admitted wanting to play a part in their favorite childhood movie.

“It makes me feel like a pirate,” Phan said.

The club showed great appreciation for one and other. There was never discourse or frustration between members. Everyone spoke highly of their fellow club members and were grateful for the friendships they have made.

“They’re the reason why I’ve stayed in college,” Easterling said. “This club is helpful, and I lean on all of them for support.”