Alain Barbasiewicz

With experience in all 3 weapons - as BB&O County and Southern Region Champion at Arms every year since 2002 - Alain is a BFA Regional (Level 4) coach in épée and County (Level 3) coach in foil.  Al has recently started his coach education under the British Academy of Fencing with a view to becoming a professor (Level 5 in all three weapons).  From September 2004 he has been running our hugely popular Beginners Course with the help of Robin (see below), and also has experience teaching at his old university and running fencing lessons for school holiday camps.

Robin Salt

Robin started his coaching after helping out with the juniors at Reading Activity Centre and attending a basic coaching course at Eton.  Robin joined RFC in 2002 and is a valued member of our coaching staff; along with Alain (above) teaches our popular Beginner Classes.  Robin was awarded his County Coach (Foil) qualification under the BFA and has recently completed his Level 1 epée qualification under the BAF.  A keen foilist and sabreur, he can often be seen practising épée after lessons have finished.  [TOP]

Ian Briggs

Ian started coaching when his local club needed another coach. He liked it so much that he took a Hungarian fencing masters course through the BFA and is now a full time professional. Ian still competes on the national circuit and, in addition to this Ian runs a fencing equipment company, PBT UK . [TOP]

Mick Johnson

Mick started fencing in 1973, and went on to represent both Surrey and Middlesex counties.  He became Middlesex County Champion in all 3 weapons and regularly made the finals in many Open competitions, training with Great Britain's Epée Squad.  A founder member of Egham Fencing Club, Mick has also been both Middlesex County Fencing Union's Team Captain and Chairman from 1997 to present.

Mick started coaching in 2001, coaching for Godalming, Egham, Morely Fencing Clubs, as well as Hampton, Charterhouse, Sir William Perkin, and Farlington Schools, and started to coach at RFC in 2006.  He holds Diploma (Level 5) Epée and Foil, and Advanced (Level 4) Sabre under the British Academy of Fencing.  He is also a BFA Regional (level 4) coach in both épée and foil, as well as County Coach (level 3) in sabre.  [TOP]

Dave Hillier

Over the past 13 years Dave has fenced all three weapons under five coaches, representing three clubs, two universities, two counties, one region, one company, the civil service and almost anyone else who has asked him. Competing at foil and epee for years Dave loitered around small competitions picking up easy medals, most of them bronze. On moving to Reading in 2005 Dave stopped dallying with the other weapons and switched to doing épée full time and his results started to improve dramatically - moving up in the British national rankings as well as being selected on the Winton Cup-winning Southern Region team in 2007.  Dave has been coaching on and off since university and is currently working his way through England Fencing's coaching qualifications.  [TOP]

Will Ross

When the world was yet young, in the 1970s, Will fenced in Scotland at schools and youth international level, as well as coaching at school club level. He then took a bit of a breather, coming back to the sport in 2005 and can now be viewed on club nights in a (BIG) pool of sweat.  In fact, a bout with Will has been described as "just like real fencing, but slower".

Will is brushing up his coaching skills on England Fencing's coaching course and hopes to be available to club members soon. Meanwhile, he is experimenting on his sons...

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