Atlantic Fencing Academy

What Atlantic Fencing Academy does

Atlantic Fencing Academy (AFA) is a private fencing instruction and training club founded in 1999, operating from a single facility at 1 Sheila Drive, Tinton Falls, New Jersey. It teaches all three Olympic fencing weapons — epee, foil, and sabre — to fencers of all ages and skill levels, segmented across youth (ages 3–13), adult/junior, competitive, and recreational cohorts. The facility is anchored by 11 full-sized grounded electric strips with scoring machines and repeaters, an on-site pro-shop for equipment sales, rental, and repair, and spectator areas designed for tournament hosting.

Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring and transactional streams: annual memberships ($1,850/year or pro-rated monthly/quarterly options) providing access to open bouting, group classes, free footwork classes, and equipment rental; private one-on-one 20-minute lessons ($75 member / $95 non-member); weapon-specific group classes (e.g., $125/month for beginner practice, $120/month for college fencers); tournament coaching ($60/day per fencer); and pro-shop equipment sales, rental, and repair. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the physical facility, with online scheduling through ScheduleFencing and online trial-lesson booking.

The coaching staff — led by owner/head coach Sean McGrath (acquired the business in 2025), with sabre coach Rich Beischer (17 Prep State championship titles at Lawrenceville), 3-weapon coach Justin Gonzalez, and epee coach Michael Bindas (2x MACFA Coach of the Year) — constitutes the academy's primary value proposition and competitive differentiator. AFA operates within the USA Fencing ecosystem, hosts sanctioned tournaments via AskFRED/FencingTimeLive, and is positioned as the premier fencing academy in Central New Jersey and the Jersey Shore area.

Name

Atlantic Fencing Academy

Legal name

Atlantic Fencing Academy

Website

https://atlanticfencing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Atlantic Fencing Academy is a private fencing instruction club in Tinton Falls, NJ, founded in 1999, offering epee, foil, and sabre training for youth through adults via memberships, private lessons, group classes, and tournament hosting across Central New Jersey and the Jersey Shore.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fencing Instruction Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Single-Sport Skill Academies (Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, etc.) (MPAKAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Referee, Umpire & Coach Education/Certification Academies (MPAKAJAN)

Keywords

• Fencing instruction
• Fencing club
• Olympic weapons training
• Competitive fencing coaching
• Youth fencing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership at $1,850 paid yearly, or $170/month, $500/quarterly, or $970/bi-yearly. Membership includes discounted private lessons and group classes, bouting during open floor hours, free footwork classes twice weekly, equipment rental, and discounted tournament fees.
2. Private Lessons: One-on-one 20-minute lessons with experienced coaches: $75 for members, $95 for non-members. Package of 8 lessons/month for $480.
3. Group Classes: Monthly fees for weapon-specific and skill-level classes. Beginner Practice class at $125/month. College fencers pay $120/month.
4. Equipment Sales and Rental: Pro-shop offers fencing equipment for all levels from beginner to advanced. Equipment rental included in membership. Repair services also available.
5. Tournament Coaching: Coaching at tournaments at $60/day per fencer with minimum four fencers plus expenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Atlantic Fencing Academy is a sports club that provides fencing instruction and cross-training across all three Olympic weapons (epee, foil, and sabre). Its core offerings are structured memberships, weapon-specific group classes, and 20-minute private lessons delivered on-site at an 11-strip facility in Tinton Falls, NJ, with ancillary revenue from an on-site pro-shop for equipment sales, rental, and repair, plus tournament hosting and summer training camps.

Product overview

Atlantic Fencing Academy is a fencing instruction and training facility offering a comprehensive suite of programs for fencers of all ages and skill levels. The core offering consists of structured membership programs providing access to group classes (weapon-specific training in epee, foil, and saber), private lessons, open bouting, and footwork classes. The academy also operates a Pro-Shop for equipment sales, rental, and repair services. Additional offerings include summer training camps and tournament hosting. The product portfolio is unified around progressive fencing instruction, from introductory lessons for beginners through competitive training for national and international level fencers, supported by facility access and equipment services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Introductory Lesson One-on-one introductory lesson with a fencing coach, available by appointment. Designed for beginners to learn about the three Olympic weapons, target areas, and basic rules. Priced at $40 per lesson.
• Introduction to Fencing Package Package of four private lessons designed to prepare new fencers for group classes by teaching fencing fundamentals and basics. Priced at $240.
• Individual Membership Yearly membership providing access to open bouting, practice facilities, discounted private lessons and group classes, free footwork classes twice weekly, equipment rental, and tournament fee discounts. Available in yearly ($1,850), bi-yearly ($970), quarterly ($500), or monthly ($170) payment plans.
• College Fencer Membership Monthly membership at $120 for college fencers, including discounted private lessons and group classes, bouting during open floor hours, and free footwork classes.
• Group Classes Weapon-specific classes including Youth Epee, Epee Intermediate/Advanced, Sabre, Epee Beginner, and Future Fencers for ages 3-6, plus footwork classes, beginner practice, and advanced bouting sessions. Beginner Practice class at $125/month.
• Private Lessons 20-minute one-on-one coaching sessions focused on blade positioning, attack and defense, muscle memory, timing, distance awareness, and concentration. Priced at $75 for members and $95 for non-members; package of 8 lessons/month available at $480.
• Summer Camps Training camps for fencers of all levels offering focused training, access to experienced coaches, and opportunities to practice with diverse opposition.
• Tournament Hosting Hosts fencing tournaments for members and external participants, with discounted tournament fees for club members. Events are registered through AskFRED with results posted on FencingTimeLive.
• Pro-Shop On-site equipment retail service offering fencing gear for all skill levels from beginners to advanced, including FIE-approved jackets, knickers, underarm protectors, masks, blades, and spare parts. Also offers equipment rental and repair services.
• Coaching at Tournaments Coaching service provided at tournaments at $60 per fencer per day, with a minimum of four fencers plus expenses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of fencers trained and graduated from the program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USA FencingcoreOthersOfficial governing body for the sport of fencing. All fencers must register as members of USA Fencing to participate in club activities or competitions. Atlantic Fencing Academy is a USA Fencing member club and follows all association rules and standards.
• AskFRED.netcoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial tournament registration and management platform used by Atlantic Fencing Academy for hosting and managing tournaments. Fencers register for AFA events through AskFRED.net.
• FencingTimeLivecoreTechnology or IntegrationTournament results and timing platform. Atlantic Fencing Academy directs members to check tournament results through FencingTimeLive.com.
• ScheduleFencingcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline member scheduling platform allowing fencers to book classes, private lessons, and manage their training schedule. Available as web portal and mobile app for Android devices.
• FIE (Federation Internationale d'Escrime)minorOthersInternational fencing federation that determines rules for the three Olympic weapons. Atlantic Fencing Academy follows FIE rules for foil, epee, and saber competition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Life Time Fitness: National multi-sport fitness club chain with broad athletic programming including some fencing-adjacent offerings. Comparable only at the broadest level as a large-scale membership sports club operator; does not specialize in fencing or compete in Atlantic's niche.

Direct peers

• Manhattan Fencing Center: Long-established NYC fencing club offering group classes, private lessons, and competitive training across all three weapons. Comparable to Atlantic Fencing Academy as a full-service fencing academy with memberships, lessons, camps, and tournament hosting.
• Marx Fencing Academy: Long-running Northern California fencing academy with full weapon offering, competitive team, and summer camp programming. Directly comparable as a single-sport fencing academy combining youth development, private lessons, group classes, and tournament hosting.
• Academy of Fencing Masters: Bay Area fencing academy focused on developing competitive fencers with structured pathways from beginner through national-level training. Comparable in offering structured progression, multi-weapon instruction, and a strong competitive outcomes focus.
• LA Fencing Center: Southern California fencing club offering classes, private lessons, camps, and competitive training in all three Olympic weapons. Comparable to Atlantic Fencing Academy as a multi-weapon academy serving recreational through elite competitive fencers.
• Nellya Fencers: Atlanta-based fencing academy offering instruction across epee, foil, and sabre with a strong record of NCAA placements and national-level competitive success. Comparable to Atlantic Fencing Academy in scope of weapons taught, competitive training pathway, and emphasis on college recruitment outcomes.
• Peter Westbrook Foundation: NYC-based fencing academy founded by Olympic medalist Peter Westbrook offering instruction across epee, foil, and sabre to youth and adults. Directly comparable to Atlantic Fencing Academy in product offering (Olympic weapons instruction), target market (competitive and developmental fencers), and business model (club membership + lessons + camps).
• Fencers Club: Historic NYC fencing club founded in 1883 with a strong Olympic and NCAA placement track record. Comparable as a premium, multi-generational fencing club offering coaching in all three weapons, competitive team training, and a membership-based model with private and group instruction.
• Hub City Fencing Academy: New Jersey fencing club where new AFA owner Sean McGrath coached for 15 years. Operates as a membership-based fencing academy serving youth, adults, and competitive fencers, making it a near-twin peer in product and regional customer base.

Regional players

• Salle Auriol Seattle: Seattle-based fencing club offering instruction across all three weapons with both recreational and competitive programs. Comparable in product offering and member-based model, but operates on the West Coast and does not directly compete with Atlantic Fencing Academy's Northeast territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AtlanticFencers
• Facebookfacebook.com/atlantic.fencing.academy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-atlantic-fencing-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Atlantic Fencing Academy