What People Are Saying

Manhattan Fencing Center is my happy place in the City! I started private classes with coach Vlad as my first contact with fencing. He is incredible. He has so much patience to explain me and provide me the tools to develop my skills while I enjoy myself. He always has a good sense of humor and a sensitive approach to teach me the discipline I need to learn to advance. I am a busy mom who fences for recreation purposes, and I have the privilege to have coach Vlad, MFC’s great location/ very clean environment, and kind staff.  – Juliana R.

My son has been training with Coach Oleg at Manhattan Fencing Center for almost three years. Oleg is an amazing coach and a wonderful person. In addition to being an extremely skilled fencer, Oleg is very engaged and communicative. It’s wonderful to see my video-game obsessed son so excited about training with Oleg. The club itself is very welcoming and well-run with excellent group classes. Cannot recommend enough! – Kim S.

My son loves MFC. The club is amazing, with great coaches and staff, plus a modern and clean environment. Coach Andrew is very calm, encouraging and supportive. His words means a lot to my son. With the learning and training over the past couple of years, my son has developed great love into fencing! This has helped him to well balance with his schoolwork. Thank you, coach Andrew and everyone in MFC! – Yi P.

The coaches at Manhattan Fencing Center set the bar for aspiring fencers of all ages and levels. My son arrived as a tender four-year-old, marveling at the olympians flying through the air with swords, and with the steadfast guidance of Sergey and the other coaches, grew to a hulking 13 year old of 5’10 who has consistently achieved national standing in his age group. He learned how to lose with grace, never to give up against the fiercest foes, to set emotions to the side and solve problems under pressure, and he’s still learning. If your child is lucky enough to train with Sergey, they will learn integrity, sportsmanship, and have their boundaries stretched with every session while knowing that they are safe and that their efforts are understood and appreciated. I have seen Sergey and all the coaches at MFC praise smart work and dedication over lucky shots. They act as mentors and role models to their students as a matter of professional standard. This is what yields the stunning results they see in the tournament space. This is THE place in NYC/NJ to train for excellence in sport and in life. – Colleen W.

I have been practicing at MFC for over 10 years. My coach is Mr. Sergey Isayenko. He has been my coach for over 5 years. I started fencing after I was 40 yeas old, so my progress is slow. However, he is patient and very polite to me. There are coaches who sometimes yell at students, but he is always calm and has no emotional ups and downs. There is a word he always tells me “believe in yourself”. This is my favorite word. Believing in yourself is important not only in fencing but also in life. – Kaoru I.

The club has been a great place for my kids, who find themselves surrounded by highly experienced coaches wbo care and balanced group classes in very well-equipped facilities. In terms of individual lessons, coach Oleg has been truly a positive force both from fencing and overall teaching perspective , and the kids always look forward to their time with him. – Elena
My children attended the Manhattan Fencing Center for 4 years they had very good time, the coaches were really professional one of my sons had Sergey Isayenko as coach for lessons and classes, he was really happy he thought Sergey was a great coach with a great personality, always positive and encouraging. We thought that Sergey was the most popular coach at MFC. – Johanna Z.

When I came to train at MFC from another club I expected to get better, but I did not expect to be reintroduced to fencing. The tactical knowledge taught at MFC has improved my understanding of self and enhanced my decision making skills. Taking lessons with Sergey my love for the sport has deepened thanks to his passion and attentiveness. He takes his job very seriously and his commitment and energy is inspiring. No matter your level or age, if you are willing to learn there is a plethora of knowledge and experience among the coaches and students at MFC. Today I view fencing as not just a sport, but as a reflection of life and a great teacher of discipline and personal confidence. – Tariq K.

Manhattan Fencing is a great club. My son had a wonderful experience at the club, an experiece that will benefit him for the rest of his life. His coach Sergey Isayenko, was very experienced, attentive and dedicated to the success, and to the positive learning experience of his students. He gave my son individual tailored attention that was key to his achievements. If either you or your kids want to learn to fence or even if you already fence and are looking for a warm, welcoming place to train, MFC is the place to go. The staff at the front office is very friendly and you will feel welcomed from day one. – Patricia D.

MFC is a fantastic fencing club where my kids have been fencing/training since 2017. The facility is clean, bright, and spacious. My kids have trained with all the saber coaches who are all phenomenal and outstanding and in particular, with Sergey Isayenko, who is truly a patient, dedicated, and passionate coach. Sergey is personable where he cares about the development and improvement of each student and he always motivates my kids to do better at each lesson. There is a wonderful family community at MFC and additionally, a great comradery and sportsmanship amongst all the fencers at the club. – Kit L.

I love training at MFC. It is one of the best, if not the best, fencing club in the countries with some world renown coaches and fencers. I’m thankful to work with my coach Sergey who is one of the best fencing coaches in the country and continually pushes his students to the best of their abilities and with Maestro Yury Gelman, who’s incredibly knowledgable and passionate about the sport. The fencers at the club are very supportive and are all united with their love for fencing. Many of my best friends are people that I have trained and fenced against at this club for years. This is the place to go if you want to be the best fencer possible. – Avery K.

Thank You, Coach Vladymyr! As a decorated athlete, Coach Vladymyr is very experienced in saber fencing. He is also extremely friendly and patient with young fencers. My son has been with him for three years and always looks forward to Coach Vladymyr’s private lessons. I also find the staff at MFC incredibly helpful and other coaches at my son’s group classes very knowledgeable. It takes a village and I am glad that I found MFC. – Violet T.

Coach Oleg Brusilovsky has been my son’s coach for five years and he is a fantastic coach. The perfect combination of challenging and encouraging, exacting and kind. A former world champion and highly experienced teacher, Coach Oleg is great with every age and level, from young children to adults, beginners to college teams to national champions. – Jeannine D.

I have been training at MFC since going to college and have had an amazing experience there. The facility is extremely clean and spacious. A fencing club that large in the city is something hard to find. I take private lessons with Sergey. His lessons are tailored to what the fencer needs. Overall, my fencing has improved while at MFC by taking their group classes and private lessons. I highly recommend the club. – Dawson S.

Coach Oleg is the best! My son has been working with him for a year through MFC and he has improved immensely from Coach Oleg’s incredible teaching. He is tough but extremely encouraging and empowers my son with the skills to improve every lesson. We could not be happier! – Ruby G.
I am about to celebrate my 74th birthday. I started to fence when I was 13. During those 60+ years I have had lessons from at least 20 different masters — Russian, Hungarian, Rumanian, Polish, French, British, Irish, American. And now Ukrainian. I have been at my new club for about a year and a quarter, and am as happy as I have ever been. The club itself is spacious, well looked-after (especially so in the days of Covid) and welcoming. My new coach is 38, and I am his only veteran pupil. He is demanding, quick to voice both constructive criticism and praise when it is merited (not that often). He has a strong sense of humor, and a sense of how to get the best out of his pupils, whether it is an old lag like me, a testy teenager, or his six-year-old son, who sometimes accompanies him to training. He has a strategy for how to improve my, both technically and tactically, and I am encouraged to do my best for him. I wish my lessons were longer–20 minutes can go by in an instant–but from what I see both in my coach, Sergey Isayenko, and in his co-masters, I would recommend the club to anyone, whether beginner or international. – Richard C.