From HUMBLE beginnings
At 17, I started fencing because my sister wanted to fence. I joined the class with her and fell in love with the sport. Thus began a long journey to the wonderful sport of fencing.
I started fencing at Swords Fencing Studio and after attending UC Berkeley, and stumbling through other well-meaning professions, I found that my life was lacking. I went back to this intriguing sport that captured my attention when I was in my last year of high school. I was always halfway involved in teaching and coaching while I was in school and then decided to take the plunge and coach full time in 2014 with Swords Fencing Studio.
I devoted myself to learning more and honing my teaching skills to better help students of all ages. Even though my original coach had a more Russian approach to coaching, I felt that every student had strengths and as a coach, it would be my job to try to bring out the best in all those who put forth their best effort as well. I approach each student as I would on the strip, as a puzzle that can be solved with enough time and effort. With this approach, my students became more like family and their successes, as well as their failures, became my own. All the hard work came to fruition when one of my original students, Stafford Moosekian, earned his first National Championship title in Y12 Men's Epee and I earned my first Coach's medal.
After spending many wonderful years with Swords Fencing Studio, I decided to move forward to focus on the next generation who would be under my primary tutelage and opened Allez Fencing Studio in May of 2017. "Allez" a French fencing term for "Go" seemed aptly appropriate for a new fencing studio ready to hit the ground running. It's also a mantra to encourage fencers to keep fighting and I intend to keep pushing my fencers to the best of their abilities.
I started fencing at Swords Fencing Studio and after attending UC Berkeley, and stumbling through other well-meaning professions, I found that my life was lacking. I went back to this intriguing sport that captured my attention when I was in my last year of high school. I was always halfway involved in teaching and coaching while I was in school and then decided to take the plunge and coach full time in 2014 with Swords Fencing Studio.
I devoted myself to learning more and honing my teaching skills to better help students of all ages. Even though my original coach had a more Russian approach to coaching, I felt that every student had strengths and as a coach, it would be my job to try to bring out the best in all those who put forth their best effort as well. I approach each student as I would on the strip, as a puzzle that can be solved with enough time and effort. With this approach, my students became more like family and their successes, as well as their failures, became my own. All the hard work came to fruition when one of my original students, Stafford Moosekian, earned his first National Championship title in Y12 Men's Epee and I earned my first Coach's medal.
After spending many wonderful years with Swords Fencing Studio, I decided to move forward to focus on the next generation who would be under my primary tutelage and opened Allez Fencing Studio in May of 2017. "Allez" a French fencing term for "Go" seemed aptly appropriate for a new fencing studio ready to hit the ground running. It's also a mantra to encourage fencers to keep fighting and I intend to keep pushing my fencers to the best of their abilities.
THE coach
