One of the oldest sports of the modern Olympics takes place at Mississippi State University.
The fencing club sport at MSU-more commonly known as Dueling Dawgs-began several years ago and focuses on teaching students the technique and skill of an ancient activity.
Fencing evolved from early European dueling among nobles. Over the years, it has become a sport of strength, agility, balance and honor.  Around 600 years ago, Italian dancers tried to imitate the movements of fencing, eventually creating a sport we now know as ballet.
Jennifer Lee, senior graphic design major and club captain of the Dueling Dawgs, said fencing reflects the procedure of dueling.
“Before you begin your bout, you salute your opponent. It’s a sign of respect and honor. We stretch the first 15 minutes of practice-it’s very physical. After that, we will do footwork and follow that up with drills and go over new techniques. After that, we do free fencing. We pick a weapon, and as long as they have experience with that weapon, you challenge them,” she said.
Jared Keeley, assistant professor in the psychology department, also serves as the faculty adviser to the club. He is a certified fencing coach, has been fencing for 19 years and competed competitively in national tournaments.
“Fencing is actually three separate sports, each with its own history and rules,” Keeley said in an email interview.
 ”The first is called foil. It is based upon traditional European dueling among nobles. It is a light, flexible blade that was small enough to go through the holes in someone’s armor. The only valid target area is the torso.
Points (or touches) are only scored with the point, and there are rules about who gets the point based upon ‘right of way’ which refers to who initiated the attack.
The second weapon is called épée. It is a larger, thicker blade that is also only scored with the point. However, too many nobles were dying, so they switched to ‘first blood’ being the indicator of who won the duel. Épée is a first blood weapon, in that you can hit anywhere on the body and there are no rules about who has priority to hit like in foil.
The third sport, saber, is based upon the cavalry weapon. Here, you can score with either the point or a slashing motion with the blade. Like foil, there is right of way. The target area is from the waist up (including arms and head) because you wanted to be polite and not hit the horse,” he said.
Lee said the club likes to begin teaching new fencers foil first.
“We typically start everyone out on foil so they can get the basics down,” she said. “We like foil because there are certain rules of the foil, and if you learn to fence it first, you’ll catch on to the others quickly.”
Keeley said fencing is mentally and physically challenging.
“The cardio workout is vastly underestimated by people who have not fenced before. We’ve had cross-country runners winded after just 10 minutes. Plus, the sport is intellectually engaging at the same time. We call it ‘physical chess’ because you are trying to out-strategize your opponent,” he said.
Aside from getting exercise, Keeley said fencing is a fantastic way to have some fun.
“Where else do you get to poke people with swords and have them come back for more?” Keeley said.
Lee also said fencing is a great outlet for students.
“I enjoy it for its stress relief. We tell newcomers to not be afraid to get hit or hit someone with your blade. You’re wearing protective gear, so you won’t get hurt,” she said.
She also said the club is looking toward attending competitions in the near future. The Dueling Dawgs keep their door open during practices in the Sanderson Center.
“You don’t have to have experience to join. We welcome everyone. We want to offer a new experience to people, some enrichment, something new,” Lee said.
Lee also said students do not have to provide their own equipment. After the first three practices, new members pay dues of $10 per semester to cover the costs of equipment and weapons.
Dueling Dawgs practices on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. in Studio B and on Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. in Studio A.