Epee fencing in Georgia, specifically Atlanta

[scarlet_woman156k]

OK people, help me out here. Who's got information on GOOD fencing clubs that deal with epee in the Atlanta area? Any good to excellent (perfer excellent/dynamic, aka world-class) coaches in the area?

I might have to be there for a bit (a few months), and I will need to seriously keep up with my competitive training for this season.
It sucks, with all the Div I comps coming up, but oh well.

Thanks!

[Ramrod]

Talk to Gene Gettler @ Atlanta Fencers Club.

[scarlet_woman156k]

Is that all for epee in this state?

[a517dogg]

Bruce Vail came outof Atlanta. He's a very good men's epee fencer. Find out who his coach was and then go to him.

[swordsen]

Now that Fayette Fencing Academy meets at AFC that is about the place. Carlos, Pete, Scott, Dan this is where epee is in not only Atlanta but georgia as a whole. (which is unfortunate in so far as I am based at the other end of the state, but our day will come.....)
Seriously though, the other major clubs in atlanta are very specialized. ACN is pretty much all foil, Nellya is pretty much all saber (despite the fact there is a former olympic epee fencer there, she too does saber now). the other clubs in the area are smaller and more generalized.

[vegan]

Scarlet,
Whats up? AFC is the place, go there and get lessons with oswaldo Ortgega, My former coach (foil- you know a conventional weapon!), as well as Carlos Bruno's and the aformentioned Vail's coach. He's amazing, and will really help you game.
let us know how it goes!
Cheers,
B.

[swordsen]

Bruce took lessons from Gene Gettler who runs the club, from Oswaldo, and from Carlos Bruno.
And he used all of those lessons against me.

[scarlet_woman156k]

Thanks for the input people. It's helpful in figuring out how, and if, I'm going to plan all this. I'm hoping, god willing however, that I don't need to move to GA for any point of time (not that it's a bad place, I love GA. )

BTW, are the coaches at the Birmingham Fencing Club decent? They are stated as world class, but there aren't many results national, or many fencers, in Alabama. Might that just be because fencing isn't marketed/pushed much in the state currently? Looks like BFC is competent, just doesn't have the numbers.

Also, do people think the program in Boulder is a solid one? Looks like they've got a good youth AND adult following in epee.

Thanks again!

Hey vegan, nice to hear from you!

[Rolls]

Well, in a state like Alabama, fencing is a hard thing to get going. I do think there is a lot of growth in fencing in Alabama right now.

As for the coaches at Birmingham, I don't have any first hand experience with them, but I have fenced a lot of their students. They have some real good fencers. I wouldn't be able to say what kind of results their fencers have gotten at national tournaments though.

I also have heard that the coaches (I believe it's a husband and wife pair) were former Chinese national champions. Also, their club recently moved to a new (and persumably better) location.

One more benefit of Birmingham is that they host several nice sized tournaments (for the area) that usually attract fencers from Atlanta, Tennessee, Mississippi, and other parts of Alabama.

Rolls.

[vegan]

Scarlet,
Yeah, CO is good, And boulder is great, I went there to visit my dad (loveland, Co) and fenced at gary coplands club Norther colorado Fencers in boulder, great club for both foil and epee, and great coaches- plus very supportive of each other at comps!
Cheers,
B.