I have always loved the martial arts, ever since I was young. I learned basic self-defence from my father,
who was an RCMP officer, and I took formal lessons in Karate once I got to college. I studied Shotokan
and Shinto-Ryu for a while. I continued with Shotokan in 1991 in Toronto, reaching the green belt level.
In 1998, while starting my Ph.D., I joined the varsity fencing team since my office-mate was an assistant coach. This clicked with me, as it allowed full-speed competition, no pulling punches, but with protective gear nobody gets hurt! I fenced mainly foil with some epee and a little sabre.
I fenced varsity for 4 year, but didn't really get much better until I was a visiting student for 8 months at UC Berkely. There I fenced with the Golden Gate Fencing Academy and got regularly beat by some of US Fencing's up and coming national team members. I learned a lot, and when I returned to my Ph.D. program in Hamilton, Ontario, I started my own Fencing Club off campus, and recruited my experienced office-mate Ranil Sonnadara (a British Fencing Master) to be the head coach.
I earned my N.C.C.P level 1 foil coaching certification and coached beginners while trying to improve my own skills. Westdale Fencing Club was very successful, and I sold it to Ranil to continue when I left Canada for my post-doc in the US at the University of Wisconsin. I assistant coached for head coach Mike Garrison at UW for a year, but didn't have a lot of time to devote to fencing. When I became a faculty member at Kutztown University in 2007, I started the Kutztown University Fencing Club, working as head coach and faculty advisor, and we worked up to full electric competition in all three weapons before I had to leave in 2011 (due to an intolerable commute!) to join Keystone College.
In 1998, while starting my Ph.D., I joined the varsity fencing team since my office-mate was an assistant coach. This clicked with me, as it allowed full-speed competition, no pulling punches, but with protective gear nobody gets hurt! I fenced mainly foil with some epee and a little sabre.
I fenced varsity for 4 year, but didn't really get much better until I was a visiting student for 8 months at UC Berkely. There I fenced with the Golden Gate Fencing Academy and got regularly beat by some of US Fencing's up and coming national team members. I learned a lot, and when I returned to my Ph.D. program in Hamilton, Ontario, I started my own Fencing Club off campus, and recruited my experienced office-mate Ranil Sonnadara (a British Fencing Master) to be the head coach.
I earned my N.C.C.P level 1 foil coaching certification and coached beginners while trying to improve my own skills. Westdale Fencing Club was very successful, and I sold it to Ranil to continue when I left Canada for my post-doc in the US at the University of Wisconsin. I assistant coached for head coach Mike Garrison at UW for a year, but didn't have a lot of time to devote to fencing. When I became a faculty member at Kutztown University in 2007, I started the Kutztown University Fencing Club, working as head coach and faculty advisor, and we worked up to full electric competition in all three weapons before I had to leave in 2011 (due to an intolerable commute!) to join Keystone College.