Coaching

Hi! I'm Antoine, I am a level 2 epee coach competing nationally and internationally for Team GB.

I have coached beginner sessions at CUFC since 2021 and a few of my students have made it to the university's first and second teams. My coaching style revolves around the understanding of epee fundamentals and how those fit with the wider epee fencer's toolkit.

I am available for private lessons during and outside of open club fencing sessions.

I have been a full-time coach for 43 years. I am a level 5 BF coach at Foil, Epee and Sabre.

During my time coaching, I have worked extensively in London and the home counties at various clubs, schools and universities, including two spells as a coach at CUFC. I have coached approximately 50 national champions covering all weapons and ages as well as Commonwealth medalists at all three weapons.

I have been National Epee coach and England director of coaching. As a coach, I have attended A-grades, European and World championships. I consider myself an experienced coach! I have lost count of the number of coaches I have trained, running regular courses for British Fencing.

I always try and coach the individual as opposed to a system.

Pierre Harper represented GB at the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games, won six National Senior titles and six Commonwealth Games gold medals (over three consecutive Commonwealth Games) during his competitive career, which has never been equalled, making him the most successful male British fencer of the 80s.

Pierre's greatest achievements as a GB coach to date include gaining a Team Silver at the 2010 Cadet World Championships, a Team Bronze at the 2013 Junior European Championships, an Individual Gold and Team Silver at the 2015 Veteran European Championships, and a Team Bronze at the 2016 Junior European Championships.

Pierre's coaching career (spanning 34 years) has been equally successful, having taken a total of forty-five young people from grass roots to international level. These young fencers have gone onto win titles at national, cadet, Junior, U23 and Senior level, at Junior and Senior Commonwealth Games, and at Cadet and Junior European and World Championships.

Pierre is now Head Coach at Newham Swords Fencing Club where he looks after the club's fifteen international fencers, including the current number one ranked GB U14 Women's Foilist and the number one ranked GB U17 Men’s Foilist.

In 2016, Pierre was awarded the BF Silver Award for his outstanding work in coaching and contribution to fencing generally.

Kenichi Yamamoto is a distinguished fencing coach with a career spanning over two decades. Starting as a member of the Japan National Squad, he quickly rose to prominence by reaching the finals in multiple Epee World Cups.

Kenichi’s journey took him to Hungary, where he both studied and coached, earning an International Coaching Diploma. He served as the National Coach of Japan at the Beijing Paralympics before founding the Basara Fencing Club in Wembley.

Throughout his career, Kenichi has guided numerous athletes to national and international success, including champions in various age categories and disciplines. His roles have also included coaching the British Cadet National Team and serving as the National Coach of Japan at the Beijing, Tokyo and Paris Paralympic Games.

Alex Bela has been a fencer for over 20 years and a coach for more than 10. His career has taken him from winning the Romanian National Championships to coaching top junior and senior fencers from the UK at European and World Championships.

As a fencer, he was part of the Romanian National Squad for more than 10 years and competed at several world cups and grand prix, European and World Championships.

As a fencing master, Alex started coaching at Cambridge University in 2013. In 2015 and 2016 Alex led the Cambridge fencers to win the university national championship title. Alex coached several UK fencers and achieved medals and podiums at national and international events. In 2018, Alex’s top fencer Ian Ren won the silver medal at the Cadet European Championships and finished 1st in the world U17 rankings. That was the only medal that a British sabre male fencer has won in the last 20 years at a major international event.

“Coach Bela” knows that the future of sabre fencing in this country depends on strong youth programs in all the fencing clubs. That’s why he enjoys working with beginner fencers as much as teaching advanced competitive classes.