STATESBORO  — Georgia Southern’s fencing club was established in 1970, making it the oldest club at Georgia Southern, and is a co-ed club that anyone with any skill level can join. 

“Fencing is our college’s best kept secret and more people need to know about it,” Patrick Malloy, a junior business major and president of the fencing club, said. 

When Malloy first joined, the fencing club only had six people. Ranked second best in the Southeast, the club now has 20 people. 

Michael Komornik is the coach of the fencing club and senior business management major. 

“[The club is] a good place to learn yourself, spiritually and emotionally,” Komornik said. “It really teaches you to never hesitate.”

Fencing consists of three weapons, eepe, foil and sabre, that one can compete with and the goal of this one on one sport is to hit your opponent with your sword and to score 15 points before the opponent does. 

This seems like a very daunting sport, but according to Nicholas Yoon, member of fencing club and junior computer science major, fencing is a chivalrous sport. Yoon said that no matter how competitive the environment is, when the opponent falls you help them up.

“We are hard working,” Komornik said. “We are a great group of friends and we treat each other like family. You learn a lot of life lessons from it.”

Practices are held on Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the RAC and the team is happy to coach anyone into the sport, according to Malloy. 

Olivia Craft, The George-Anne Contributor, gaeditor@georgiasouthern.edu