Fencing is physical chess, said Andy Carey, organizer of the UNM Fencing Club.
"There's about 15 people in the club, but how many show up on one night can vary a lot," Carey said.
Fencing was one of the first clubs started at UNM in 1896, Carey said. Since then, the club has been re-founded many times, most recently in 2003.
The club was invited to UCLA last year for a fencing tournament with three events: saber, epee and foil. Last year, UNM placed second in men's saber and third in women's epee. This year, the West Coast Collegiate Invitational Fencing Challenge is at South Gym of Johnson Center at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Competing in the tournament are UCLA, Colorado University, UTEP, Florida, Swarthmore, UC Irvine, St. Johns, ASU and UNM.
"We did well last year. The women were particularly impressive because the women's fencing team has three events, and there were only two girls, and they still placed third out of 18," Carey said. "Every round, they had to forfeit one bout, and they still took third."
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UNM will not bring a women's team to the tournament this year because there were not enough women on the team.
"One of our girls is going to Russia, and one of our girls is going to fence for Swarthmore because they needed an extra member, and we had someone who wanted to fence," he said.
Fencing club treasurer David Odegard said UNM's performance at last year's tournament was impressive, considering they were a club team.
"No one expected us to do well last time, because a bunch of the groups in California have athletic funded NCAA teams that they bring, but we really impressed them, and that's one of the reasons they wanted to bring it here," Odegard said.
Carey said fencing is a good sport to play for people who enjoy a team environment and work well as individuals.
"It's fun, and it's more of an individual sport than a team sport, although this is a team event," Carey said. "So it's you against your opponent most of the time. It's kind of an intellectual sport because you have to figure out your opponent. You can't just muscle them around, because if you try that, you will lose. You have to outthink your opponent."
Fencing takes grace, balance, coordination and aggression, Carey said.
"As you are maneuvering around your opponent, you want to be on balance all the time so that if you see an opening you can go, and if your opponent attacks, you can go away," he said.
Odegard said he has been fencing since high school and that it has provided him a way to be physically fit and aware of his movements.
"Like any good basketball and football player, you have to be thinking a couple steps ahead, and, at the same time, you are working out," Odegard said. "It's a great activity, and you don't need any equipment because we're well stocked, and it's a great social networking environment."
Odegard said he hopes to go into the tournament with the same enthusiasm that surprised UNM's competitors last year.
Albuquerque has other outlets for those who enjoy fighting with sabers, epees and foils, Carey said.
"We help host the New Mexico Open every year," Carey said. "There is a tournament once a month at Duke City Fencing, and there is a tournament in May called the Santa Fe Challenge."
If you are interested in joining UNM's fencing club, e-mail Andy Carey at acarey1@unm.edu.
