Moniteur Jim Liebich has been fencing for over twenty years in the
Bay Area. He developed a love for fencing by starting out in a local
community center class, like many of his students, and has enjoyed it ever since. Jim strongly
believes that fencing is a fun and wonderful sport that can be enjoyed
at any age.
Jim began coaching in 2000 and eventually earned his Moniteur
teaching degree from the United States Fencing Coach's Association
(USFCA) in both foil and épée. He founded En Garde Fencing in January of
2008 with the goal of providing high-quality fencing instruction in
Santa Rosa and Sonoma County, and of creating a vibrant community of
fencers in the North Bay. He enjoys sharing its myriad benefits with
kids and fencers of any age and he is always working to improve his
skills as a coach.
Jim teaches classes six days a week at En Garde Fencing, and has run
after-school fencing classes at many schools in the area. He teaches
beginning fencing at Sonoma State University, and is often
seen conducting demonstrations around the county to promote the
sport of fencing.
As a former Vice-Chair of the Northern California Division of the
United States Fencing Association, and a current member of the Executive
Committee, he is committed to growing the sport in the Bay Area. Jim is
a full-time fencing instructor, and strives to provide the finest
coaching available in Sonoma County.
Dimitri Elias Nicholson
Coach
Coach Dimitri has been active in the world of martial arts for over 15
years, having trained and offered instruction in styles ranging from
Okinawan Karate to Russian Systema. Caught up in the thrill of fencing
since 2009, he currently fences competitively to hone his own skills and
constantly gather knowledge for EGF students’ improvement and health.
Dimitri teaches beginning to intermediate level Foil and Epee.
John Sullins
Coach
I am a Professor
of philosophy at Sonoma State University in California as well as the
director of the Fencing Masters Certificate Program at the same
university. I help coach the university club and teach theatrical
fencing in the theater arts department. I have worked in all aspects
of fencing from classical to sport, historical to theatrical.
At
En Garde Fencing I teach adults and teens in classical and historical
fencing. We train mostly in heavy sabre but we also work with, foil,
epee, smara, rapier, dagger, and longsword/montonte. My specialty
within the tradition has always been traditional Italian sabre,
though I am also very familiar with the Hungarian style as well. What
I teach would have been recognizable to Giuseppe Radaelli, (La
Scherma di Sciabola e di Spada – 1876) very close to Masiello,
Ferdinando, (Trato teorico-pratico della scherma di spada e sciabola
– 1884), and almost identical to Luigi Barbasetti (The Art of the
Sabre and the Epee, (E.P. Dutton and Co., Inc., 1936)). During a
fencing trip to Italy in 1990, I encountered heavy antique fencing
sabres in an arms and armor shop; since then I have been interested
in returning to this style of fencing. In the mid 1990’s I started
the Broadsword and Heavy
Sabre yahoo group, and that group has been
successful in getting some manufacturers to build heavy sabre blades
and weapons. The time is now ripe for a traditional sabre
renaissance. At the En Garde Fencing Club Provost William Byrne and I
work with all manner of sabres, classical fencing weapons, and WMA
styles and we hold a number of heavy sabre tournaments each year.
I have studied
under many great fencing teachers over the years but most of my
training was done with Maestro William Gaugler and Military Master at
Arms Ralph Sahm at the San Jose State Military Fencing Masters
Program (1986 to 1997) where I earned three Military Instructors at
Arms (1988), a Military Provost at Arms (1989) and MilitaryMaster
at Arms (1994). This program was built on
the pedagogy and traditions of the SCUOLA MAGISTRALE MILITARE DI
SCHERMA. This
curriculum has a very long and storied pedigree. Maestro Sherman,
another graduate of this program, traced the lineage of our school
and has posted it to his website.
My fencing roots stretch through the Roman-Neapolitan School and the
School of Leghorn which both have much deeper roots to earlier styles
of fencing back at least 500 years or more. I am deeply honored to be
carrying on such a rich living tradition and I am doing my best to
help others attain their fencing master certificate to extend this
tradition to future generations.
Bill Bailey
Assistant Coach
Bill started fencing at En Garde in 2010 at the age of 46. He quickly
fell in love with the sport and believes it is one of the best things he
can do to stay in shape, keep the mind active, have fun, meet great
people and most importantly be with his three sons. “As a family we have
tried all the conventional sports. Fencing is really the only sport
where I can actually participate with my sons on a weekly basis. This
has been absolutely priceless to me and my boys.” Bill loves teaching
beginning fencers the fundamentals of fencing. He started coaching in
2013 and his goal is to earn a USFCA Moniteur teaching degree
specializing in foil and to become a certified referee.
Levi Bailey
Assistant Coach
Levi started fencing at En Garde in the fall of 2009 at age 11. He began
to excel in the sport and loves the friendly competition, private
lessons, In-Club Tournaments and the strategy of each bout. He has
numerous medals from in Club Tournaments both at En Garde and from Napa
Fencing Academy. He has a passion for the sport and strives to help
young fencers increase in their knowledge and understanding of fencing.
He began coaching in 2013 and his goal is to earn a USFCA Moniteur teaching degree specializing in foil and to become a certified
referee.
Jared Bailey
Assistant Coach
Jared started fencing at En Garde in the fall of 2009 at the age of 9.
He too began to excel in the sport and like his older brother loves the
competition, private lessons, In-Club Tournaments and friendly people.
He enjoys the fast-paced excitement each bout brings. He also has
numerous medals from In-Club Tournaments both at En Garde and from Napa
Fencing Academy. He enjoys working with the youth class at En Garde and
challenging himself in multiple weapons (foil & épée). Jared started
assistant coaching in 2014 and desires to become a full coach with the
goal of earning a USFCA Moniteur teaching degree in both foil
& épée.