The Fencing Center

What The Fencing Center does

The Fencing Center is a non-profit fencing institution founded in 1983 and headquartered at 1329 Blossom Hill Road in San Jose, California. It operates a single 14,000–14,800 sq ft training facility equipped with specialized flooring, 15 metal and grounded strips (11 competition, 3 training), and FIE scoring machines. The center provides fencing instruction in saber and foil across beginner, competitive, and elite tiers, organized into Developing, Competitive, and Elite group cohorts, with additional programming in private lessons, open bouting, summer camps, and tournament hosting (including the annual Bastille Day Tournament). Its coaching staff comprises five Olympic, International, and NCAA-caliber instructors led by Connie Yu (Chairwoman, Foil Coach, USFA/USFCA award recipient), Michael Kim (Lead Saber Coach, ex-Yale), Oleksandr Volkov (Lead Foil Coach, joined May 2025), and Tamara Pochekutova (Sabre Coach). The center's customer base spans youth fencers (ages 6–16), competitive athletes pursuing NCAA and Ivy League recruitment, adult recreational fencers, and visiting fencers from other clubs.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining recurring membership subscriptions, one-time camp fees, private-lesson subscriptions, usage-based open-bouting floor fees, and donations accepted via Square. Camp pricing is publicly disclosed at $400 for Learn to Fence camps and $600 for Competitive Foil camps, while membership pricing is quote-based and includes scholarship opportunities consistent with its non-profit status. Go-to-market is community-led: prospective students enter through free evaluations, with growth driven by word-of-mouth referrals, hosted competitions, and alignment with USA Fencing, CenCal Fencing, and AskFred.net competition infrastructure. The center markets itself as one of the fastest-growing youth fencing programs in the U.S., though no financial disclosures, membership counts, or revenue figures are publicly available.

Name

The Fencing Center

Legal name

The Fencing Center

Website

https://fencing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Fencing Center is a non-profit fencing club founded in 1983 in San Jose, California, offering Olympic-caliber saber and foil instruction across beginner through elite levels via a 14,000+ sq ft facility, memberships, camps, and competitive tournament programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fencing Instruction and Training Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Elite Performance Training Centers (High-Performance/Pro Prep) (MPAKAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Strength & Conditioning / Athletic Performance Training (HSADAEAB), Combat Sports Clubs/Teams (MMA Gyms/Teams, Boxing Clubs, Pro Wrestling Stables) (MPAKABAC)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Program: Members gain access to training facilities, competitive programs, private lessons, and unlimited open bouting. This is the primary recurring revenue stream for the non-profit organization.
2. Camps and Programs: Summer camps for youth including Learn to Fence camps ($400 value for 6-16 year olds, no experience required) and Competitive Foil camps ($600 value for 7-16 year olds with experience). These are one-time fee programs.
3. Private Lessons: One-on-one instruction with Olympic-level coaches, available to members with flexible scheduling.
4. Open Bouting: Non-members pay a floor fee to use facilities during open bouting sessions (Weekdays 8PM-10PM, Saturday 1-3PM).
5. Pre-Nationals Saber Camp: 7-day intensive training camp for competitive saber fencers preparing for Summer Nationals, led by Coach Kim and Coach Tamara.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Fencing Center operates a 14,000+ sq ft non-profit fencing training facility in San Jose, CA, offering in-person instruction in Saber and Foil across Developing, Competitive, and Elite group classes, private one-on-one lessons with Olympic-caliber coaches, open bouting sessions, and youth summer camps. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring memberships, per-camp fees, private lesson fees, and drop-in open bouting access for members and visiting fencers.

Product overview

The Fencing Center is a non-profit fencing facility in San Jose, CA offering a comprehensive range of fencing programs. The portfolio includes beginner-focused Learn to Fence Camps for ages 6-16, Competitive Foil Camps for experienced foilists, and Pre-Nationals Saber Camp for elite saber competitors. Core instructional offerings comprise group classes (sorted into Developing, Competitive, and Elite levels), private one-on-one lessons with Olympic-level coaches, and open bouting sessions. Additional offerings include membership plans providing facility access, private lessons, and competitive programs; free evaluations for prospective students; and event hosting including the annual Bastille Day Tournament. The center serves all skill levels from complete beginners through national and international competitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Learn to Fence Camps Five-day beginner camps for ages 6-16 introducing the Olympic sport of fencing, including equipment provision, agility games, footwork techniques, and attack and defense fundamentals. No experience required.
• Competitive Foil Camps Five-day intensive foil fencing camp for ages 7-16 with 6+ months or competitive experience, focusing on agility, fitness, footwork techniques, attack and defense drills, and bouting.
• Pre-Nationals Saber Camp Seven-day intensive training camp in June designed to sharpen tactical clarity, technical precision, and physical conditioning ahead of Summer Nationals, including footwork, bouting, strategy, video analysis, and mental fortitude training.
• Fencing Classes (Saber and Foil) Group classes in Saber or Foil where students are sorted into Developing, Competitive, and Elite groups based on experience or evaluation.
• Private Lessons One-on-one fencing instruction with Olympic-level coaches, available to members with flexible scheduling and tailored to each student's skill development.
• Membership Program Recurring membership grants access to training facilities, competitive programs, private lessons, and unlimited open bouting; the primary recurring revenue stream for the non-profit.
• Free Evaluation

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• AskFred.netminorOthersLocal competition registration platform where TFC's Bastille Day tournament is listed. Prospective students are directed to this site for tournament sign-ups.
• CenCal FencingminorOthersRegional fencing organization for divisional competitions. Listed as a resource for student hub navigation.
• USA Fencing (USAFencing.org)minorOthersNational governing body for fencing in the United States. Referenced for national and regional competition information in the student hub.
• Omar IturriagaminorOthersVideographer who provides videography services for TFC, contributing promotional content for the facility.
• Palo Alto JCCminorOthersPalo Alto Jewish Community Center where Connie Yu taught Youth Fencing classes from 1986-2007 as part of community outreach.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tim Morehouse Fencing Club: Fencing club founded by Olympic medalist Tim Morehouse in New York. Coach Kim has direct ties here — both clubs compete for similar elite saber athletes and run tournament-hosting programs.
• Zeta Fencing: NYC-area competitive fencing club where Coach Kim previously coached. Overlapping coaching lineage and direct competition for elite saber talent in the U.S. market.
• The Fencers Club: Historic NYC fencing club with a long-tenured membership model, multi-weapon instruction, and a tradition of producing national and Olympic athletes. Closely comparable to TFC's legacy non-profit positioning.
• Manhattan Fencing Center: NYC-based fencing club offering group classes, private lessons, camps, and competitive training across multiple weapons. Closely comparable membership-and-lesson-driven model and competitive-tier progression structure.
• Nellya Fencers: Long-standing Atlanta fencing club producing national and NCAA-caliber athletes. Comparable multi-weapon club model with structured competitive development and tournament hosting.

Regional players

• LA Fencing Center: Large Los Angeles fencing club with multi-weapon programs, competitive training, and youth development. Comparable scale and programming, though serving a different regional market.
• Peninsula Fencing Academy: Bay Area fencing club located on the Peninsula. Competes for the same Silicon Valley catchment of youth fencers and offers comparable group lessons, camps, and competitive training.
• Northwest Fencing Academy: Pacific Northwest fencing club offering group classes, camps, and competitive training. Comparable community-club model with structured development pathways.
• Academy of Fencing Masters: Bay Area fencing academy offering structured training for youth and adult fencers. Regional competitor with similar camp and class programming.
• Salle Mauro Fencing: Bay Area fencing academy serving similar San Francisco/San Jose market. Regional peer competing for the same youth and competitive fencer pool that TFC serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fencingcenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheFencingCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-fencing-center

Compliance1 record

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 The Fencing Center