If you want to fence for *recreation*, this is a fine club. Your child will have some fun. They will not learn to fence. Children here do not improve and when they compete, they do very poorly. They don't know the basics of competitive fencing. They fence for years without ever competing (sometimes five years!) because that is the philosophy of the club. My child (11) attended classes for well over a year. Then, they went to another club for an introductory lesson and a child of 7 who had been fencing there for 3 months was significantly better. It me realize that I had wasted time and money since the goal for my child was to improve and be able to compete, while also enjoying the sport. All three are possible. It's never fun to leave a negative review. Jay is a nice person. But parents need to know what they are getting, or rather, not getting. The review by Ed B. is absolutely right. He had no reason to leave it other than to help parents. He was not even affiliated but left a true and honest review. On the other hand, the review by Michael H. does not make sense - Ralph Bissdorf is a foil fencer. Maybe this was a foil club when he learned? It is now a saber club. And these kids are not learning how to fence saber. read more

My son has been attending classes for about 3 months and he loves going each and every time!

I would like to address one of the one star reviews from Ed B who has made a claim that the coaching here will not get you looked at by the top fencing schools. Jay is an absolutely fantastic coach, when I was in High School he was my coach, I often worked with him on weekends, and was at the club every night on weekdays. He got me to the point where I was comfortable fencing in Div I NACs in under two years with no prior fencing background and by the time I was a junior I was being looked at and met with the coaches for recruitment by Penn state, Brown, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Duke, and a handful of less prominent small Div I fencing schools. While working with Jay, I was invited to train in Germany at Heidenheim over the Summer by Ralph Bissdorf who is an 11 times World Cup winner and the Olympic silver medalist in Sydney. I was the only American student invited and I attribute that entirely to Jay's coaching I am now in my 30s and starting a family, and in the back of my mind all I can think about is that when my daughter is old enough, I would like her to try fencing and I cannot think of a better coach to place my faith in than Jay. His patience as a coach and ability to see the natural strengths and weaknesses of a fencer and how he teaches them to lean into their talents while mitigating their weaknesses is a skill I've been able to transfer to every other aspect of my life. I am honored to have been one of his students and he is one of the finest coaches in the Bay Area. read more

I am into my first few weeks of ever doing any fencing in my life. It takes some learning and some getting used too. Its very different then anything I've ever done. The coach is very patient , the atmosphere is great and he's made me feel very welcome. Sometimes its very easy to understand because he shows us things visually first and I am a very visual person. He starts things out very safe and teaches us the ropes in a way that you can tell he's a very experienced person. He reminds me too do homework and tells me where too go too research things too which I love. The place is very clean, the music is pretty cool, the uniforms are very clean too. I've learned some things here and have had a pretty good time too. Seems like a great place for kids and adults. read more

Jay has a solid knowledge of Sabre fencing. His private lesson was very thorough and he highlighted many aspect of forms and strategy that many of the dogmatically trained coaches never have. Had to clarify some of what he said but when I finally understood it, it really did click and make me realize I still didn't understand absolute fundamentals. read more

Coach Jay Choi is on the forefront of what will hopefully be a permanent trend in fencing -- positive coaching, welcoming and fun atmosphere, top-notch instruction. Every level of fencer, of every age, will learn, improve their fencing, meet great people, get a work out, and enjoy their time at Peninsula Fencing Academy. Our son has been involved with five different fencing clubs in the Bay Area, and is very happy to have found a permanent home at PFA. read more

I settled on Peninsula Fencing Academy (PENN) after trying 4 other fencing clubs in the Bay Area. Why do I like Peninsula Fencing Club? 1. I'm an adult fencer and I was looking for a club that had some good group lessons (basic conditioning, footwork and blade drills) that I could take part in. I find that I need these to keep from getting rusty. Too many clubs only have these for kids but Peninsula has them for both adults and kids and group lessons are included in the club membership. 2. I was looking for coaches that gave good one-on-one lessons. I find both coaches at Peninsula to be great, I had know Jay from the now-closed Elite Musketeers Fencing Club (EMFC) and I've found his coaching, which was always very good, has gotten even better. Both in the one-on-one lessons and in the group lesson I find that the goal at Peninsula is to teach fencers to think not just to react, this is one of the skills of a top fencer but it can be difficult to teach. 3. I wanted a club with enough Epeeists to be interesting and Peninsula has a good number. (They also have a very strong youth Saber program) I will also mention that if you are an adult fencer that doesn't want to be bothered with the group lessons this club welcomes you to come during open bouting and many members do. The club is very welcoming in general both to members and to visiting fencers that can come and pay a floor fee for open bouting. In regards to their fencing lessons for kids/youths: Jay and Chris are good coaches that support their fencers, there are many fencing couches out there that yell and berate their fencers but Jay and Chris do not believe this is good coaching. I'm not as familiar with Chris's background but Jay spent time refereeing at the National Level, honesty and sense of fair play is one of things that he teaches to all of his students. read more

Peninsula Fencing Academy - Fencing Clubs Near Me - Belmont, California

My review is purely based on someone who was a competitive and division 1 fencer. If you're someone that wants to sweat a lot and try something different then by all means try it. The coaches here have a solid understanding of the basics of fencing, form, and strategy. However if you'd like your son/daughter to take advantage of the opportunity fencing has in terms of helping get kids accepted to top schools(FYI yes this is a thing, if you're kid gets good at fencing they could have the chance to be recruited to some of the most elite and top schools in the country such as: Notre Dame, Penn State, Upenn, Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Uconn Duke) this isn't the place that will help you get there. Although some have said they encourage adult fencers to come into open bouting, the coaches will definitely try to persuade you to join their club if you are competitive rather than fostering an area where any fencer can come in. This club used to have a very open environment to fencing however due to changes in management that changed entirely. I have seen this a countless amount of times with this club is that in their youth classes they will have maybe a few kids that excel i.e, do well at youth tournaments, sometimes even at the National competitions. However outside of youth competitions I have yet to see strong results from fencers from this club. The sad case of trying to get recruited for fencing in college is that you simply must excel at the higher age group tournaments i.e, in either cadet, or junior national competitions. Doing well in Youth competitions, sad to say, means very little to any Division 1 fencing coach. Any parent understands the amount of money, (FYI if you didn't know being a competitive fencer can be expensive when you account for private lessons with a coach, travelling to competitions, and equipment), and the time it takes to be a good fencer. Why on earth would you spend all that money and time to be with a coach that doesn't have a track record of success and has the knowledge to take kids from youth fencing onwards? I'm not saying that these coaches will never be able to have kids at that level, but in my past 10+ years of fencing I have yet to see it. read more

This review is based on many years of experience with this fencing club. My kid goes here and I fence here myself as adult saber fencer. This club has a welcoming atmosphere, great coach and a good system for teaching saber. If you care about the sport of fencing, this is a great place to learn it. Coach Jay Choi is a positive, wise and knowledgable guide on this journey. read more

Jay and Chris at PFA have an unparalleled devotion to the sport of fencing and to the fencers themselves, whether they be older (like myself) or younger. If you are looking for a new way to exercise for yourself or to find something new and different for your child, you have to check out PFA. Fencing is so much fun! No matter your skill level or ability, you are never put down. Jay and Chris have fostered an environment that promotes positive methods for achieving goals. read more

Amazing attention to each student... great instructors!

Coach Jay is great! I like the rolling beginners classes for teens / adults that he teaches twice a week. My teenage daughter reports that this is her favorite place to take lessons from. I like how comfortable I feel in the classes, even though there are other students who are much better skilled than I. Jay designs his classes in a way that makes a variety of skill levels work to everyone's advantage. My family will likely be coming here for a long time. read more

My son is 12 and started taking lessons 4 months ago. He really likes his teacher, Chris. He feels comfortable there and is excited to learn more and to compete in the future. I think this is a great place for kids to learn. They play really fun games with the kids, too. My son always walks out with a smile on his face. read more

This is exactly why I call before making any purchases. I called the facility to confirm what was included in the Gruopon deal, just to make sure I came prepared. The idiot who answered the phone hung up in my face after I said " Hello to him". I will not spend my money on a trash location with TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! Thank you so much for your services! read more

I am writing this review purely from a summer camp experience. My son has been interested in fencing from all the Youtube videos he was watching. So we gave the summer camp session a try. He loved it and he's very comfortable with the pace. He felt intimidated at first because he's never done fencing before, but he just wanted to learn the art and I wanted him to do something he could have fun with. Jay is a great teacher and has a lot of patience and my son really connects with him (this is very hard for my son) so he actually listens to Jay. We even bought additional camp weeks because my son loved it. read more

I've been here a couple of times for a Groupon. This place rocks! The owner/teacher is very friendly and knowledgeable about fencing. I highly recommend coming here! read more

Words are insufficient to describe how well-treated I was by this fencing club. I fenced here for four years of my life. I went from a teenager to an adult at this club, and there isn't a single thing I'd trade for those years. The coaches (while I was there, Jay Choi and Chris Atwood) instill in every fencer who settles on this club a sense of friendly competition, an appreciation for skill, and overall camaraderie, such that PFA feels like a family. Not only did I go from an absolute novice to a competent recreational fencer under their tutelage, but I made friends and memories that I will treasure forever. We fencers are a strange sort, and while it takes us time to open up to people, by the time I left for university this club and its members had become a fixture of my life- other clubs I've visited since haven't been the same. I cannot recommend this club's group lessons enough if you are looking for a place to hone your skills and share good times with new friends. More relevant to those of you looking for serious competitive fencing, though, the coaches here are the most brilliant I have ever seen. Their private lessons are unparalleled in quality and in attention to the needs of the student. I wish I could more adequately describe how delightful an experience it was learning here, Jay and Chris: you guys should be proud. The atmosphere of fairness, friendliness, and self-improvement you have brought is a testament to the quality of this club. Tldr: for sabre fencers of any age, level of skill, or level of competition who want to improve or simply exercise in a positive environment, I cannot more highly recommend this institution to you. read more

Fencing is a fantastic sport. My son has been fencing for 4 years and I've been pleasantly surprised with the sport for so many reasons. - It's great exercise. It doesn't look like it, but if you go through the lessons and engage in a bout or two, you will come away drenched in sweat. - It's a thinking person's sport and has been described as chess on your feet. Every time you fence, you learn. You/your child will also learn the valuable lesson that directed practice and hard work will eventually lead to strong results. The best fencers are not the physically most gifted, but are those who work harder and smarter than others. Some of the best fencers describe themselves as "klutzes" in other sports. - Fencing attracts a nice group of people and as you compete you get to know fencers in your club, in the local competitions, and eventually in the national competitions. My son has friends of many different ages, male and female. - Compared to other sports (e.g., soccer, basketball, baseball, etc...), there are relatively few kids fencing, so when your child applies to college, it is a great differentiator and the percentage of kids getting scholarships is higher than any sport except perhaps crew. Coaches Jay Choi and Chris Atwood bring a ton of positive energy to their club. They are excellent teachers of the fundamentals and do it in a positive, fun way. The facilities are spacious, and the emphasis on training rather than just bouting is very valuable. read more

My son has been fencing at Peninsula Fencing Academy since the fall and really loves it. Even on days he doesn't feel like going, he comes out of class smiling and energetic. It is a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere yet Coach Chris is able to keep structure, focus and learning happening while still having fun. Though we were planning on taking a summer break, my son emphatically asked to go to Star Wars fencing camp, so we signed him up. read more