Training
Training Schedule
Training at OUFC involves a combination of free sparring sessions and group coached sessions which are available with the purchase of an OUFC membership. There are designated sessions for experienced and beginner fencers, however we strongly encourage an intermingling of these groups - especially once the beginners have a command of the basic fencing skills.
Please note that while we will attempt to keep this timetable as up to date as possible, any changes which do occur will also be communicated via the mailing list.
Located at Iffley Roads Sports Centre, Oxford, OX4 1EQ
Our Coaches
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Paweł Osmanski
Weapons : Foil & Epee
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Pawel is a highly experienced foil and epee coach who has taken a long list of students to great success in national and international competitions. He is the head coach at Fencers Club London, along with coaching at Harrow School. In his personal career, Pawel boasts the title of Individual European Champion (Amsterdam, 2018) and 8 time Polish Individual Champion (2xU15, 2xU17, 3xU20, U23).
Lessons with Pawel are available to purchase through the club
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Aleksandar Lilov
Weapons : Sabre & Epee
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Aleksandar is an FIE qualified fencing sabre and épeé coach who started coaching at the Etropolski Fencing Academy, Bulgaria, at the early age of 17. Aleks was national champion and fenced with the Bulgarian national squad juniors and senior teams.
In 2015, he moved to the UK and is committed to training and developing strategies to improve athlete performance. He has an eye for detail and a creative coaching style.
Lessons with Alex are available to purchase through the club
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Lucas Baude De Bunnetat
Weapons : Foil & Epee & Sabre
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Lucas has worked with OUFC for over 6 years and coaches our beginners’ programme. He has previously coached with the British Army and the University of Kent and is passionate about introducing fencing to newcomers in a fun, welcoming, and rewarding environment. In the summer he runs the Oxford University staff fencing course and supports novices in preparing for competitions such as the Novice Varsity Match, Warwick National Novices, and Challenge X-systra.
More information about Lucas be found on our Beginners page
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Yvonne Chart
Weapons : Foil & Epee
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Yvonne is a qualified foil coach who has worked with athletes ranging from novice to National Team level. She started coaching alongside competing in 2017 and has recently stopped fencing to take on a larger coaching role. Yvonne competed internationally for GB for 10 years, and has multiple national and international medals. She is available to coach foil and beginner or intermediate epee.
Yvonne will be present at free sparring session to help out, please feel free to contact her if you would like further training from her!
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Caleb Klein
Weapons : Foil
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Caleb is an experienced coach who has been fencing for nearly 18 years, and has roughly 5 years of experience coaching fencers for the USFA, NCAA, and BUCS circuits. He has competed in US national competitions, North American Cups, and NCAA tournaments prior coming to the UK. He also is a certified referee for both foil and epee in the USA. Caleb specialises in foil and is dedicated to helping fencers build and hone their repertoires, regardless of skill level.
Caleb will be present at free sparring sessions to help out, please feel free to contact him if you would like further training from him!
Individual Lessons
OUFC members are able to purchase private lesson packages with our host of amazing coaches. Private lessons are £28 for 30 minutes and are bundled termly. Lessons are geared towards experienced fencers looking to refine their skills. For Beginners, the coached sessions by Lucas are included within the membership fee for the course, there is no added cost. As a beginner, if you do wish to get more personalised training then you are able to purchase private lessons, though we would recommend you do this after at least a term of fencing if you are so inclined. Caleb Klein is an excellent foil coach who is looking to take on beginners for private lessons once they are ready.
Squad Participation
OUFC has 4 different squads which represent the university: Men’s Blues (M1), Women’s Blues (W1), Men’s Assassins (M2), and Women’s Assassins (W2). Each squad has members skilled in Epee, Foil, and Sabre - usually with 3 primary fencers and 1 reserve fencer per weapon, adding to 12 overall team members.
During the season, the main fencing events for the squads are the BUCS league fixtures in which our squads face off against other university teams in their respective leagues. The results will then be used to decide the ranking of the team when entering an elimination round.
All 4 squads also participate in the annual Varsity match against Cambridge University. Other competitions in which squad members also participate include: The Landsdowne Exhibition Match (Oxbridge v London) and the BUCS individual championship.
FAQs
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The club offers a number of different lesson slots throughout the week to try best fit your individual timetable, however it is your responsibility to make sure that you attend these lessons as the club will not issue refunds based on an inability to attend. Many fencers will swap lesson slots around to improve flexibility, however these are privately arranged and the club is not responsible for these arrangements.
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Regarding individual lessons, if a coach is unable to attend the lesson, they are obligated to notify the Club and individuals involved 24 hours in advance of the planned absence. If this has not occurred or the coach is not present at the lesson venue for any reason then please let a member of the committee know. Some coaches also have substitute coaches to cover in case of illness or unforeseen circumstances.
For missed lessons (where the coach is at fault) a refund will be issued by the club for the particular lesson missed. If we are notified by the coach ahead of time about transport delays or other inabilities to attend lessons, we will contact you and first attempt to move your lesson slot.
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Lesson packages are paid for upfront with the expectation that you will attend all the lessons paid for. If you no longer wish to have lessons but have already paid for lessons, the club will not issue refunds. If this is the cause then you have the option of privately selling lesson slots to other members of the club, however these are privately arranged and the club is not responsible for these arrangements.
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The fencing teams (squads) participate in BUCS matches (inter-university competitions) which commence at the latter half of Michaelmas term. As such squads are usually selected by 5th week of Michaelmas.
The captains select their squads based on fencing skills, training performance, and competition experience. Each captain may consider these criteria differently, so if you do want to be on a squad make sure to turn up and be active during training sessions.