About Us
Our coaches are all world-class instructors who have coached and/or fenced at Olympic or national levels. They are well-versed in the latest pedagogical techniques in the sport of fencing and most have a Master of Physical Education degree. Classes and lessons are designed to accommodate students of different ages and skill levels. Programs include the Musketeer Club (ages 6-9); youth classes (ages 10-13); adult group classes; footwork and conditioning classes; competition classes; intermediate and elite classes; summer and winter training camps; international training camps, and local tournaments. We host competitions and our winter/summer camps at our
As of Sept. 2007, seven MFC students -- Caroline Vloka, Valentine Staller, Alexander Ochocki, Stephanie Aiuto, Bianca Cabrera, William Zhao and Narine Atamian -- had already received early decision acceptances to Harvard, Princeton, Georgetown,
Our Facility
Centrally located in Midtown Manhattan at 39th street between 7th and 8th avenue. Close to Times Square, Grand Central Station, Penn Station, the Path Train, and the the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Located on the second floor of a safe, doorman building with a newly renovated lobby area and two elevators. Specially designed fencing floor to safeguard knees and ankles. Club is air conditioned, equipped with 14 electric strips, targets, locker rooms and showers for your convenience.
Programs are in all three weapons for beginners, adults and elite fencers.
Our Coaches
Yury Gelman | Boris Khurgin |Sergey Isayenko | Misha Shimshovich | Arpad Horvath | Nellya Sevostyanova
Yury Gelman is the two time Olympic Coach for the United States (Sydney and Athens), National Men’s Sabre Coach, and Head Fencing Coach for NCAA Champion St. John’s University (‘01). In addition, Yury is an honor coach of Ukraine. He received a Masters degree in both Physical Education and fencing from Kiev Institute of Physical Education.
His students won gold, silver and bronze at Cadet and Junior World Championships and many medals in junior and senior World Cups including winning in individual and team Grand Prize. He prepared members of Cadet, Junior and Senior National team every year since ‘95.
Yury’s students were the first to bring a gold medal to the United States in Junior World Championships in mens sabre in ‘01 (Ivan Lee and Tim Hagamen). Akhi Spencer-El was the first US fencer who placed first in junior FIE point standings (‘98) and Keeth Smart was also the first US fencer in the senior FIE point standings (‘03).
His student, Keeth Smart, is still the only American who won the individual Grand Prize (Madrid 2003). The US National Team, under Yury’s leadership won the junior World Championships in ‘01, Gdansk, and team Grand Prize ‘04, NY, took 4th place at ‘04 Olympic Games, Athens, and took 5th place at ‘05 Senior World Championship, Leipzicg.
Over the past fifteen years, Yury has prepared twenty one students for United States National Teams.
Notable Students:
Akhi Spencer El- Member of Olympic team ‘00, Sydney. Two-time National Champion
Keeth Smart- Two time member of Olympic team ‘00 and ‘04.
Ivan Lee-Member of Olympic team 2004, Junior World Champion 2001, Pan Am Champion ’03.
Tim Hagamen- Junior World Champion 2001, 2nd place at Cadet World Championships ’01.
Tim Morehouse-Member of Olympic team ‘04, Medallist of Senior World Cups.
Daryl Homer-Bronze Medallist of Cadet World Championship ‘07.
Dagmara Wozniak- Gold Medallist of Junior World Championship 2006 and bronze ‘07.
Caroline Vloka- Gold, silver and bronze Medallist of Cadet and Junior WC 2006, bronze ‘07.
Emma Baratta- Silver Medallist ‘04 at World Championships.
Alex Krul- Third at Junior World Championships ’05.
James Williams- Member of ’06 Senior National team, 3rd at individual and 1st at team Pan American Zone ’06.
Boris Khurgin
Boris started fencing in 1971 in Kharkov, Ukraine. His sabre coaching career started in 1981 at Fencing School of Olympic Reserve, Kharkov, right after he graduated from Kharkov Polytechnic University with BS in Electrical Engineering. While he was in college, he was a team captain and coached saber fencers. Boris also completed advanced Fencing Coaching Courses at Belarusian State University of Physical Education in 1982.
Boris is USSR Master of Sports in fencing. He was bronze medalist of Ukrainian cadet individual championship and bronze medalist of Ukrainian junior national team championship. His students were accepted to the Central Army Sport Club (CSKA), Moscow, one of the world most famous fencing establishments. Boris coached Kharkov region fencing team, which won bronze medal at Ukrainian national student championship.
Boris started his coaching career in US in 2001 at Polish-American Fencing School in Linden, NJ where he was a saber coach through 2007. In the year 2002 – 2006 Boris produced number of US national champions, medalists and finalists in age group 10-19 and 2 champions in division II.
Since 2004, Boris has students who compete at international level. Boris has students who represented US on 2005, 2006 and 2007 Cadet World Championship. Three of his former students were members of US Junior and Cadet National team at Cadet and Junior World Championship 2006 in Seoul, Korea, and four of his former students were US National Team members in 2007. They won gold medals in team events, bronze and silver medals in individual events. They also became multiple time Junior and Cadet World Cup winners and medalists.
Starting from 2005 and through 2007 Boris has coached at New York Fencers Club. Boris also coaches at Dwight School - a private high school in Manhattan and at Island Fencing Academy, Plainview, Long Island, where he helped to develop strong saber program.
Notable Students:
Dagmara Wozniak – US National team member since 2003, Junior World Champion 2006 (team events) 6 place individual event, Multiple time national champion and medalist, Multiple time Junior World Cup winner, and Grand Prix finalist.
Alex Ochocki – US National Team member since 2005, Top 10 at Cadet World Championship 2006, Multiple time Junior Olympic and National Champion.
Caroline Vloka – US National Team member since 2005, Junior World Champion 2006 in team event, Silver Medalist in Cadet individual and Bronze Medalist in Junior Individual, World Cup medalist.
Monika Aksamit –– US National Team member since 2007, Top 16 at Cadet World Chamionship 2007, Turkey. Multiple time National medalist and Champion.
Martyna Wechorek – Multiple times National Medalist.
Nicole Daukszewicz – National Champion under Y10 event.
Peter Pak – 6th place at Summer National Championship 2006, Silver Medalist at Super Regional Youth Circuit Championship 2006.
Sarah Pak – 6th place at Summer National Championship 2006, Silver Medalist at Super Regional Youth Circuit Championship 2006.
Misha Shimshovich Graduated with a Masters degree from the Kiev Institute of Physical Education in
He was the first one to organize a fencing program for kids as young as 6 years old in Kiev High School 77. This program produced an Olympic Champion, Vadim Gutzaik, and many National and World Champions for the years to follow. As head coach of the Ukrainian National Team, his students included George Pogosov, winner of the 1992 Olympics in
In addition to MFC, Misha is the assistant coach for the St. Johns University 2001 NCAA Championship Team and organized an adult beginner program at the Fencers Club which was listed in the New York Times in 2006. He has numerous current students who are medalists and winners of National Championships and were finalists at the Veteran World Championships in 2006 and 2007. In addition, numerous of his students have been accepted to the best universities in the country including Yale, Stanford, Brown,
Notable students:
Alex Diacou - Silver Medalist 2007 Division IA National Championship.
Niko Diacou - 2001 & 2002 Gold Medal Open Men's Saber Team, Silver Medalist Division ll 2007 National Championships.
Judith Cummins - Two time Gold Medalist Veterans National Championship, V place Veterans World Championship 2006.
Nell started fencing at the age of eleven and was a professional fencer for eighteen years. She was an eleven time Kazakhstan National Champion, participated in seven World Championships, medalist at numerous World Cups in addition to participating in the Sydney, Australia, Olympic games in 2000.
Nellya received her Master Degree from the Kazakstan Institute of Physical Education. She started her coaching career in 2004 at the Fencers Club working with one of the most successful foil instructors in the
She was also coaching many National Champions and medalists including the 2008 Cadet World Champion Nzingha Prescod. In addition to the MFC, she is an assistant coach for
Sergey Isayenko 
Sergey has been fencing since 1989. He worked with a famous Ukrainian coach Garik Davidyan, who helped him to become a national champion in 2002, a member of Cadet, Junior, and Senior National Saber Team, winning two bronze medals at the Junior World championships in 2000 and 2001. Throughout his 1996-2002 national team career he competed in numerous senior World Cups, European and World championships.
Sergey was offered a full scholarship at St. John’s University. He became a 3 time First Team All-American, 2004 NCAA runner up, 2004 Ukrainian National Champion, and 2005 NCAA Champion. He finished his competitive career with an individual record of 78-3 and earning “NCAA’s outstanding fencer 2005” reward.
Arpad Horvath
Arpad began his fencing career in 1989 in Budapest, Hungary. He was a National Champion on all levels winning 16 gold medals as an epee and foil fencer, Cadet World and Junior European Champion, and Junior World Cup winner.
Arpad received a full scholarship to St.John's University where he became a two time NCAA Individual Champion. IFA Champion and a 4 time Regional Champion. He received First Team All-American honors twice, St. John's Fencing Team MVP and 2005 St. John's Athlete of the Year Award.
Arpad has been coaching at the North Shore Fencers Club since 2005 and was the assistant coach at Stevens Institute of Technology in the 2005-2007 seasons.