Personal Best: The City’s first family of fencing
By David Liepman
Special to The Examiner 10/5/08
Foiled: An influx of European coaches in recent years has helped fencing achieve greater prominence throughout the United States. Mike Koozmin/Special to The Examiner SAN FRANCISCO – Abbas Khoshnevissan has high hopes for the relatively under-the-radar sport of fencing.
“Fencing in the U.S. is where gymnastics was 15 years ago,” the San Francisco Fencers’ Club owner said.
As with the sport of gymnastics, the influx of great European coaches in recent years has sparked an increase in the talent level of American fencers. One consequence has been Olympic success, as the U.S. medal count in fencing grew from two in Athens in 2004 to six this year in Beijing.
Khoshnevissan and his wife, Miriam, opened the club in 2006 and promptly recruited highly regarded European coaches to work with their sons, Alex and Chris. Alex, a Stanford sophomore, fences for the Cardinal varsity. Christopher, a high school junior at Urban, is currently the third-ranked cadet (17-and-under) and is ranked 16th in the juniors classification (19-and-under) in U.S. foil fencing. He is slated to compete in three tournaments this month, including one this weekend at the Cadet World Cup in Budapest, Hungary, and the Junior World Cup in London the weekend of Oct. 18. Miriam Khoshnevissan, who tirelessly manages the club, which includes five coaches and more than 100 young fencers, recalls how she became introduced to the sport.
“When the boys were young, I would read Arthurian legends to them,” she said. “They were mesmerized by swords.”
Fighting with plastic swords simply wasn’t enough for the dueling brothers. At his urging, Miriam enrolled then-8-year-old Alex in a fencing class, and 5-year-old Chris followed soon thereafter.
“I saw how much fun he was having and I wanted to do what my brother did,” Chris said.
Abbas Khoshnevissan has plenty of praise for coach Alex Fortunatov.
“He’s the best coach in the U.S.,” he said. “Our ratings have shot up due to the coach.”
Fortunatov coached some of the world’s highest-ranked fencers in his native Ukraine, including his wife, Nadia, who competed in the Athens Olympics before being recruited by the San Francisco Fencers’ Club.
Fortunatov is unable to travel at present as he and Nadia are expecting a baby any day. The club’s maitre d’armes, assistant coach Guillaume Bechaux, is traveling with and coaching Chris Khoshnevissan in the important early-season tournaments. Bechaux has a simple philosophy.
“You play with your opponent and you fence for your referee,” he said, emphasizing the subjective element of foil fencing.
Chris Khoshnevissan has prepared for the upcoming season with a 24-hour-per-week training schedule. The coach is confident that his young fencer will earn a spot on the U.S. cadet national team this season after serving as the alternate in 2007-08.
“Chris is really strong mentally,” Fortunatov said. “He is a hard worker, a good thinker and a real fighter.”
San Francisco Fencers’ Club
WHAT: Class and private instruction in three styles of weapon: foil, saber, epee
WHO: Two full-time coaches, three part-time coaches, 100 fencers
WHERE: 4000 Balboa St. (at 41st Avenue), San Francisco
INFO: (415) 668-3623, www.sffencers.com
TRIVIA: The tip of the fencing weapon is the second-fastest moving object in sports; this first is the marksman’s bullet (source: www.usfencing.org)
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