If you have a high stress level, tons of energy or the desire to hit something, then have no fear, the Foam Sword Battle Group is here.

Foam Sword Battle Group is comprised of people that have a desire for roleplay and pageantry, as well as sword fighting, battle reenactment and above all else — meeting new people and experiencing new things.

“The main point is just to have fun with the experience,” said Evan Wigger, a freshman.

“There are people here that you can meet, get to know and really talk to,” said Jordan Campbell, a sophomore.

All weaponry is furnished by group creator, Nick Georgescu. It started out as a gag with swimming noodles and after a Google search for “dagorhir standards,” Georgescu found all the weapon-making tutorials he needed to move from limp noodles to swords, axes and double-end throwing knives. The weapons are made from swimming noodles, duct tape, PVC pipe, pantyhose, pipe installation and pennies are placed in the handles for a counter balance.

“The only standard we have at Foam Sword Battle Group is if it passes the ‘I-wouldn’t-mind-getting-hit-by-this-repeatedly-myself’ test,” Georgescu said.

The rules of the game are relatively simple. The battle starts in a melee. As people die, they come back to the field of play as groups of three. This way, the teams are always changing.

There are various ways to die. If a swordsman is hit on the arm or leg, he or she loses privileges of that limb. The swordsman then continues to lose limbs until finally meeting death caused by a blow to the head or chest. To stop the onslaught of continuous blows after dying, a player raises their weapon above their head and walks out of bounds until two others meet their demise and they can reenter the game.

After the free-for-all, the group spends the rest of the time competing in tournaments, one-on-one combat or Capture the Flag.

Capture the Flag is a game where the group divides into teams of six. The teams decide what constitutes a flag and lay it deep in their territory. The object of the game is for one team to capture the opposing team’s flag and return it back to their territory scoring a victory.

Capturing the flag is not as easy as it seems. Both teams have three people protecting the flag at all times and won’t hesitate nailing someone with a headshot. If a member dies in battle during Capture the Flag, they must run and touch their end of the wall before returning to play.

The group meets every Friday from 1-4 p.m. at the Albright Health Campus Recreation Center on basketball court #3. All that is required is a pair of gym shoes, NKU ID and an open mind to meet people with similar interests. All are encouraged to attend, regardless of foam sword fighting experience.

The underlying goal of Foam Sword Battle Group is to have fun, forget about school for a while and meet new and interesting people for three hours once a week — unless you’re Jordan McHugh, a junior, who has a slightly different motive for attending.

“Where else can you beat someone up without worrying about going to jail, shedding blood or going to court?” McHugh said.

Story by Derick Bischoff