Kathryn Loveless
Bucks County Academy of Fencing is marking its 45th anniversary this year. Offering classes for everyone from beginners to experts, the academy’s membership boasts numerous medalists and National Cup Champions.
The academy focuses on training for both foil and épée. Once a month BCAF offers a three-session “Taste of Fencing” program at its Lambertville location. It is required for all beginners. From there, learners transition to Foil Foundations and eventually to foil and épée training classes.
Everyone trains first with the foil, learning the basics of balance, movement, and “right of way,” before moving on to the slightly more technical, and heavier, épée.
In foil, points are scored only with the “point” of the weapon (blunted, of course) on the torso only. But in épée, the entire body is fair game for the point. Saber, the third fencing weapon, differs from the other two. Points can be scored with both the “cutting edge” and Continued from page A1 the point of the weapon, but only from the waist up.
Passionate about fencing since college, BCAF-owner and head fencing master Maestro Mark Holbrow decided to forgo law school in favor of the sport. Holbrow apprenticed for seven years and coached as assistant for three before taking the test to become a fencing master. The Maestro test is an all-day ordeal involving a practical demonstration, a written exam, and a thesis paper.
“There’s no participation ribbon in fencing. You have to earn it,” said Holbrow.
When Holbrow earned his Maestro status at 28, he was the youngest fencing master in the country.
Holbrow opened the Bucks County Academy of Fencing in 1981 while still an apprentice. He loved where he grew up, and knew most northern New Jersey high schools had been training fencers for 50 years. By the third year, word of mouth had spread and the Bucks County Academy of Fencing’s membership exploded.
Lisa Martini, who joined Holbrow as operations manager in 2000 and married him in 2009, started as a student in 1996. She and Holbrow agree “there’s nothing more therapeutic after a tough week than hitting someone with a sword.” The mental intensity requires a fencer to be entirely focused on the moment to strategize well. Weekly worries melt away.
The benefits of fencing go beyond therapy. According to Holbrow “it’s roughly the same exercise level as tennis,” requiring explosive speed and leg strength. “It keeps your legs strong and your core strong.” Even better, because of the protective equipment and blunted blades, there is a very low risk of injury. And, with universal rules and equipment, it’s a sport you can continue no matter where you are in the world.
By 2003, Bucks County Academy of Fencing had outgrown its New Hope studio and moved across the river to Lambertville. A Hatfield location in Montgomery County opened shortly after.
BCAF has more than 200 members, with fencers as young as 8 and as old as 80, with a larger-than-usual number of adult and 40+ fencers.
For these older fencers, like Jim Bricker, a 2015 gold medalist, the academy offers more than just a way to stay active, though he admits he likes that fencing is “physical in ways you don’t expect.” BCAF also offers a community. Bricker says, “There’s good fencers here. And they’re really nice people.” He’s a regular in the Friday night open bouts where members can fence freely together across ages and levels.
Ken Lyons, another older fencer who serves as a referee at Nationals, started fencing at BCAF with his son back in 1993. Lyons also appreciates the intergenerational aspect and learning from all levels. “(In fencing) you’re trying to use your opponent’s abilities against them, but technique levels the playing field.”
Fencing has seen a surge of pop-ularity, especially since the 2020 pandemic. When Holbrow opened his school in 1981, his was the only one around for miles. Now, there are dozens of fencing academies in the area.
It’s on the rise in colleges too, according to USA Fencing. Fairleigh Dickinson University, Arcadia University, and Denison University are all launching programs for 2027. With more than a hint of pride, Martini notes that the head coach of Arcadia’s new program got his start fencing at BCAF.
Partly due to its history, fencing is often misconstrued as an elite sport. But Martini laughs at that idea. Their academy draws “people from all walks of life.” It’s true fencing requires expensive gear, especially since fencing scoring went fully electronic in 1988 to remove the guesswork in lightning-fast bouts. But, the Bucks County Academy of Fencing operates against that exclusive impression. For its Taste of Fencing class and for the first six months training, BCAF supplies all the equipment a fencer needs.
This is a huge draw for younger fencers like Maison Hamner, who took the Academy’s Taste of Fencing classes and got hooked. The young fencer also laughs at the elitist claim, “unique is a better word.” In fact, she views fencing as unique enough to be her “ticket into college.”
Hamner’s love of BCAF goes beyond any competitive or academic dreams. There’s a social and community aspect too, “here is where I’ve found my closest friends. We’re looking out for each other completely. We’re all trying to improve, but we’re also improving each other.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by another young fencer’s mother, “the veterans here really take the time to teach and encourage. We’ve found our family.” Her son also fell in love with the sport after his Taste of Fencing class. “It got his focus and taught him responsibility. He’s in charge of all of his gear and makes sure we leave on time for class.”
This community is very much in evidence during the Friday night open bout as Andrew Cotlar, a medalist and top-8 winner, fences opposite younger athletes and offers advice. Coach Kevin Orcutt points out that while the fundamentals apply to everybody, “moves work very differently for different people.” BCAF tries to “train to a student’s personal style and strengths.”
It’s all part of the respect, etiquette and camaraderie that Holbrow and Martini have aimed to foster in their athletes. Through moves and floods, the Bucks County Academy of Fencing continues its mission to inspire and train fencers across generations.
Class schedules, training groups, additional programs, and prices can be found on the Bucks County Academy of Fencing’s website.
