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The South Coast Fencing Center is committed to providing quality instruction and
the facilities to study and train for our sport. To that end, we have instructors
available to all members.
Brenden Richard
Head coach
Brenden Richard is Head Coach and President of the South Coast Fencing Center. Brenden
ran the fencing program at UC, Irvine for 8 years before opening Reál Fencing in 1999
to better serve Orange County and the surrounding areas. Since then, the center has grown
to over 150 fencers and changed its name to the South Coast Fencing Center (SCFC).
Brenden began his training in southern California in 1991 before joining
the UEA british collegiate team in 1993. Continuing to head the UC, Irvine program
in the mid-90's, he later returned to Europe for additional trainining. In 2001, Brenden
moved to Madrid, Spain, to train with their Olympic team for 5 months. During this time,
Brenden also traveled to Holland to study under 3-time World Champion Sergei
Golubitski.
Brenden is certified by the United States Coaches College (USCC) as a fencing instructor
and continues to return to Colorado Springs each year for additional training. He is a
lifetime member of the United States Fencing Coaches Association.
Brenden is also a member of the United States Fencing Officials and is
an active referee at the National level, having officiated in many North America Cups
(NACs) and National Championships. He holds a national Referee rating in both foil and
epée.
Brenden's students consistently place highly in local, regional and
national level competitions. They regularly medal at middle and high school league meets,
as well as local and regional adult competitions. Students have had multiple top 8
finishes at both North America Cups and National Championships. For a complete list of
competitive results, see our results page.
In addition to his coaching and refereeing responsibilities, Brenden is
currently serving as the Regional Youth Coordinator for the United States Fencing
Association (USFA) for southern California, Nevada and Hawaii. He is tasked with
developing and overseeing regional youth competitions in the southwest.
Brenden's coaches include Sergei Golubitski, Jesús Esperanza,
Daniel Costin, Ed Richards, Al Couturier, and Sud Deland.
Brenden is available for private lessons Tuesdays through Saturdays.
For more information on lessons with Brenden, contact us at
info@southcoastfencing.com.
If you are already a member of our center, you can sign up for private lessons at
Brenden's scheduling page.
Nick Dinu
Coach
Nick started fencing in 1977 in his native Romania. His coach and mentor
was Daniel Costin, who refined his exemplary technique and helped him become a member of
the Romanian Sabre National Team. During his career, Nick won gold medals at the
National Championships both at junior and senior levels.
While still an active competitive fencer, Nick began his coaching career in his hometown
of Brasov in 1988. Here, among other students, he coached Mihai Covaliu, future Olympic
Champion in Sydney 2000 and current World Champion. After retiring from competitive
fencing in 1992, Nick became a coach for the Romanian Olympic Junior Team.
In 1995, after moving to Canada, Nick started coaching at Beaches Sabre Club in Toronto.
During his 10 years of coaching in Toronto, he helped many fencers attain a very high level
of skill and performance. Among his most notable students are Olga Ovtchinnikova and
Ursula Bero, winners of many national and international medals, including gold at National
Championships. Olga also went on to win the bronze medal at the World Championships for
Cadets in 2002.
Nick enjoys working with elite fencers as well as novices. He believes that good
pedagogy is one of the most important qualities of a fencing master. His coaching style
emphasizes the learning of correct and diversified technique as the foundation for
building a sound set of skills to achieve the full potential of the fencer.
For more information on lessons with Coach Dinu, contact us at
info@southcoastfencing.com.
If you are already a member of our center, you can sign up for private lessons at
Nick's scheduling page.
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