Coaches

Maestro Mark Holbrow - Head Fencing Master

Maestro Holbrow is the Head Fencing Master and founder of Bucks County Academy of Fencing. Maestro Holbrow holds his fencing master's certification from the United States Fencing Coaches Association and the Academie D'armes Internationale. He studied under Stan Sieja, Head Fencing Master for Princeton University, for seven years from 1974 to1980, and acted as his apprentice and assistant coach for Princeton from 1978 to 1980. Over the last 37 years, he has produced a number of cadet (under 17), junior (under 20), and senior national finalists in all three weapons.

In 1986 Maestro Holbrow was a member of the US team that competed in the World Fencing Masters Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. He was the only member of the five man team to qualify and compete in all three weapons at the championship. Although he considers epee to be his favorite competition weapon, he was on the three-man team who took the bronze medal for the US in sabre. In May of 2001, Maestro Holbrow was invited to the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to take part in the US Fencing Association's new "Black Star" elite coaches training program. Coaches having students in the top 32 of the US national point standings were invited to participate in this program. Maestro Holbrow was one of 12 coaches from across the United States who took part in this program.

Maestro James Flint - Fencing Master

Maestro Flint is a Fencing Master certified by the United States Fencing Coaches Association and the Academie D'Armes Internationale. Prior to coming to BCAF in 1984, he was the women’s coach and assistant men’s coach for Princeton from 1980 to 1983.  Two of his current students have been veteran National Champions and members of the US World Championships Veteran team in recent years (one in epee and one in foil).  He has in the past been a student under Stan Sieja (Princeton), Lajos Csiszar (U. Penn), and Michel Sebastiani (Princeton).

Still active as a competitive fencer in epee (currently a B2019), he has twice represented the US in the AAI Fencing Masters Championships (1992 and 1996) – finishing second across all three weapons in 1996.  A Veteran 50s National Champion in 2003 (epee), he has also represented the US in two FIE World  Veteran Championship events (2003 and 2013) finishing in the top half in both events.  He is a former A fencer in both epee and foil and has held a C classification in saber as well. 

Dirk Goldgar - Moniteur

Dirk Goldgar is certified by the USFCA and rated AAI in foil, epee and sabre. He is an independent computer consultant who resides in Pennington and has been an instructor with BCAF for over 14 years. He has over 18 years of extensive competition experience in foil and epee. He has dominated foil competitions at BCAF and has been one of the top ranked competition foil fencers in the Philadelphia Division for many years. Mr. Goldgar holds a B classification in foil and earned his A classification in epee at the NAC in Pittsburgh in December 2005. He is active in the Veteran's circuit and took 3rd in V50 Foil at Nationals in Atlanta, August 2006 and 3rd in V50 Epee at the Richmond NAC, December 2006.

Jim Ferrone - Moniteur d'Armes

Jim Ferrone is certified by the USFCA in foil and epee. He started fencing for North Hunterdon High School in 1987 and began instruction under Maestro Holbrow in 1988. Mr. Ferrone is currently an A-rated epee fencer and has competed in several national and regional championship events. In 1999, he helped BCAF to an 8th place finish in the team epee event at Summer Nationals. He was the head coach at the Lawrenceville School from 1995-1997, taught fencing at a summer camp program in 1996 and has been coaching privately since 1998.

Jon Kurpaska - Moniteur D'Armes

Jon is certified by the USFCA in foil and began fencing foil at the BCAF in 2002. He took up fencing for a graduation project while in high school and has been fencing ever since. Jon was president of the Fencing Club at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 2004-2005 and vice president from 2005-2007 years. While there Jon trained hundreds of IUP students on the basics of fencing. He competed regionally at various colleges across Pennsylvania during that time, mainly Penn State, University of Pitt and Carnegie Mellon, fencing at the top level at many club collegiate events. After graduation, he went on to teach English in Europe and fenced with the Krakowski Klub Szermierzy from 2008-2009. In 2010 he returned home and has continued fencing and is a foil instructor at BCAF and BCAF-West.

Operations Manager

Lisa Martini 

Lisa started as a beginner at BCAF in 1996 and enjoyed fencing for 4 years. She became co-owner and Operations Manager of BCAF in 2000. Ms. Martini is here to answer questions, help with equipment ordering, keep track of class payments and schedules, etc. Please feel free to contact here with any questions, comments or feedback.