Author: NY Fencing Academy (NYFA)

fencing, PRESS RELEASES

For Immediate Release: LI Student Isabella Chin Becomes Fencing Junior World Cup Champion

January 26, 2023By NY Fencing Academy (NYFA)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sergey Danilov, info.nyfa@gmail.com, (614) 302-9009

LI STUDENT ISABELLA CHIN BECOMES FENCING JUNIOR WORLD CUP CHAMPION

Port Washington, NY (January 26, 2023) – On January 21, Isabella Chin (17) from Manhasset, fencer at New York Fencing Academy, competed in the Junior World Cup (under 20 years old) in Maalot, Israel. Only the twelve best fencers in the country earn spots to represent Team USA at the prestigious competition as part of the final selection towards the World Championships.

Chin showed a real desire to represent Team USA proudly and prove that she is the strongest fencer of the day, winning the Gold Medal and becoming a World Cup Champion.

Chin started the direct elimination round (playoffs) by beating an Israeli opponent, and then besting her friend and USA teammate by just one point. The next challenge was waiting for her in the quarterfinals where she faced the current Word Cup Champion, Kravetz from Israel, but nothing could stop her that day. With a close score of 14:13, Chin secured her spot on the podium. Determined to move on, Chin eliminated her next Ukrainian challenger 15:12, and advanced to the final match where she fenced her current USA teammate and future teammate at Harvard University. Chin delivered a decisive answer to who was the best on that day – winning 15:10. Chin became the Junior World Cup Champion, adding another gold medal to her collection of three National Champion titles.

Chin’s coaches and the owners of New York Fencing Academy, Sergey Danilov and Michael Mokretsov, commented, “Isabella is not just a great fencer, but also a great student at school, an amazing teammate, and simply a hardworking person. She spends numerous hours on her studies to remain an excellent student and countless hours perfecting her actions at the gym, and yet, she manages to remain social with her family and friends. If there is one person who deserves this result, it is Isabella. She always stays for extra practice in the gym to get better but never forgets to help her younger teammates at New York Fencing Academy to succeed as well.”

Chin’s results are excellent not only in fencing but also in the classroom of Manhasset High School, helping her to get recruited to Harvard University, where she starts this fall and where she will continue her athletic and academic career. “There is no doubt that Harvard earned a great person,” says Coach Danilov. “Our congratulations to Isabella Chin and the entire “village” which helped her get great results on and off the strip.”

New York Fencing Academy (NYFA) was founded in 2010 in Brooklyn, NY by owner and head coach Michael Mokretsov. In 2018, NYFA opened their second location in Port Washington, Long Island, NY with head coach and co-owner, Sergey Danilov. NYFA is a center for excellence in epee, with one of the strongest competitive epee programs in the country. NYFA has produced Olympic, World and National Champions, and has members on the USA, French, and Greek national teams. NYFA provides private lessons, group classes, after school programs, and camps for students of all ages and all levels, beginners to advanced. Visit www.fencenyfa.com for more info.

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Contact: Sergey Danilov, (614) 302-9009

Company: New York Fencing Academy

Brooklyn: 2896 W 12th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11224, club phone: (718) 996-0426

Long Island: 8 Haven Avenue, Port Washington, NY 11050, club phone: (516) 472-7042

info.nyfa@gmail.com

www.fenceNYFA.com

CLUB NEWS, fencing, fencing camps

2022 NYFA International Fencing Summer Camp Highlights

August 23, 2022By NY Fencing Academy (NYFA)

“Camp is over! It’s been a great month with kids from all over the world, from small beginners to pro-level athletes who fence on the national teams of their countries, so you can find both sparring and a good friend for anyone. Daily training outdoors and indoors, personal lessons with different coaches, video reviews, food for every taste, a variety of activities such as rafting and hiking, and incredible nature among the mountains – that’s what a NYFA Sleep away camp is. We were glad to see everyone here and invite you to join us next year, there will be even more different, cool people and experiences!” – Coach Misha Mokretsov

Huge thanks to our stellar coaching team! Pictured below (l-r): Yarik Ponomarenko (NYFA), Misha Mazur (CIFA),Slava Danilov (UPenn), Sorah Shin (True Focus Sports Academy), Zhanna Bikkina (AFM), Zoryana Semeryak (Lviv Fencing Academy), Sergey Danilov (NYFA), Misha Mokretsov (NYFA), Alexey Sintchinov (Penn State), Anton Dutchak (NYFA), Tim Svidnitsky (TFC), and (not pictured) Stefano Buratti (NYFA). Let’s also thank our support staff including camp manager Marina Temiryaev, and camp health director Marina Krumholz.

This was our biggest camp so far with almost 300 athletes over 3 sessions including 14 National Team Members, 5 World Championships medalists, and about 100 A-rated fencers! They came from across the US, Ukraine, Canada, UAE, Great Britain, China, Italy, France, Switzerland, Taiwan, Israel, and Mexico.

“Just take a look at these hard working and amazing athletes who took part in three different sessions, this year we gathered almost 300 fencers and 15 coaches. We are looking for next year to make this camp even bigger and better! 💪🤺” – Camp Team NYFA

For many more photos, videos & highlights, follow us on Instagram at @fencenyfa!

We love to get your reviews & feedback! Here’s some of the great comments we’ve received so far.

Looking forward to seeing everyone next year. Be sure to join us for Summer 2023!

CLUB NEWS, fencing camps

2022 Summer Sleepaway Fencing Camp Registration Open

February 3, 2022February 3, 2022By NY Fencing Academy (NYFA)

Registration is open for the 2022 NYFA International Summer Fencing Camp! Spots are limited and early deadline is April 1. We will have 3 sessions at the Storm King School in Cornwall-On-Hudson, New York:

JULY 16-25, 2022
JULY 26-AUGUST 4, 2022
AUGUST 5-14, 2022

Sign-up for all 3 sessions and receive 6 free private lessons with top college and club epee coaches. Our sleepaway camps are ideal for fencers ages 10 & up with at least 1 year of experience. Go to our Summer Fencing Camp page to register and get all the details you need to join us for another fantastic summer of fencing and fun!

Check out our new camp video below (or here: https://youtu.be/NaVczm8nAAs)

CLUB NEWS, College fencing

Sergey Danilov Named Assistant Fencing Coach at St. John’s University

October 7, 2021By NY Fencing Academy (NYFA)

Congratulations to our Coach Sergey Danilov who has been named Assistant Coach for St. John’s University. St. John’s has a long and proud history as one of the best fencing programs in the country and with Sergey’s expertise, we’re sure they will reach new heights and become NCAA champions once again!

Sergey Danilov, Fencing Coach at NYFA and St John’s

BLOG, CLUB NEWS, fencing, Parents

Where Do I Start?

September 17, 2021September 18, 2021By NY Fencing Academy (NYFA)

By Sergey Danilov

Where do I start? That’s a common question for anyone new to a sport. Let’s say your friend brought you to fencing and they’ve been doing it for a while. Then you have someone you can turn to for help with some of your questions… But what if you discovered fencing by watching the Olympics or a movie…or you simply have more questions?

Well, you’ve come to the club for a reason. You did some research and decided to give your trust to your club and your coach. Good, the first step is done.

1. Communicate with your Coach directly

While it seems like your Coach is too busy all the time, please remember that the Coach is there for you. Find the time and politely push to get an answer to your question. After all, you know very little about the sport and you deserve to have some answers. You chose to learn from the Coach for a reason: because he/she has expertise in this sport. But it’s important to realize that the Coach’s expertise goes beyond teaching technique and showing how to “stab” an opponent. The Coach also has a wealth of knowledge about how best to set your training schedule (how often, when, and what training you need based on your goals), nutrition, time management, and more. So don’t be afraid to “bother” the Coach. Believe it or not, Coaches are also inquisitive and curious by nature, just like their students.

2. Set your goals

Well, this one, we believe, is very important during your journey in the sport. The goal makes you train harder, not only on regular days, but also on those days when you do not want to. On days when you do not perform the way you like, goals can help you focus on the tasks and training, and can remind you to put aside other things that won’t help (like electronics and social media.)

Also, setting your goals should come from your heart. No one can push you hard enough except you. Coaches can motivate you, guide you in the right direction, help you to push yourself, maybe help you find motivation, but at the end of the day, your motivation should come from YOU. This will drive you in the sport to the highest possible results you desire. Of course, over time, your goals may change… well, whatever it is, remember the advice in the first paragraph – you need to discuss it with your Coach.

3. 21st Century, time of the Internet…so let’s talk about paragraph #1 again

You chose the sport, you learned the basics, and now you are dreaming about becoming an Olympic Champion, NCAA Champion, or High School Champion. You start researching the Internet and find so much information (equipment, supportive training, fencing videos, advice and much more) that now you’re getting lost. Well, we come back to where it started. Before committing to some “cool” looking exercises, buying an extremely good-looking piece of equipment, or following a certain “direction” in your training routine, communicate with your Coach. In our opinion, if you decide to trust the Coach, trust all the way. At the end of the day, your Coach knows you the best, well at least in fencing, and he/she knows what is best for you so your performance can be effective.

4. Tournaments

The last stage is when you decide to become competitive. And you discover that there are numerous tournaments and events, starting from little local events, to regionals (RYC, SYC, RCC, RJCC) and nationals (NAC, etc.) — the list can be extensive. In fact, there is an event every weekend in the drivable distance for you. Here is where you have to be very careful. Going to events, gaining experience, becoming a stronger fencer, is important. But on the other hand, training, mastering the skill, learning new skills, is also important for your competitive performance. So, you have to learn to find the right balance, choose wisely when to go to a competition and when it’s better to stay at the gym and train. And who knows best?? Yes, you are right again – the Coach!!

To conclude, trust the professionals that you chose to learn from. They did not become experts right away – they went through all the ups and downs, mistakes and successes, defeats and victories themselves and with many, many other students, and now they are here for you, helping you to avoid those obstacles. Oh well, sometimes you will still run into them – and your Coach will help you to overcome them.