World's Largest Fencing SchoolVAF's Professional Coaching Staff
Alexandre Ryjik, Fencing Master/Head Coach
Head Coach Alexandre Ryjik, founder of Virginia Academy of Fencing, began fencing at age eight in St. Petersburg, Russia. At age 17, he earned a Master of Sport in Fencing of the USSR, one of the most prestigious certifications in this sport. He holds many championship titles: All Republic Champion, Army Champion, Leningrad Champion, and National Youth Champion of the Soviet Union. In the U.S., the Fencing Master coached at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Currently, he is Professor of Fencing at American and George Mason Universities. Internationally, he has represented the U.S. in numerous World Cup competitions and as a U.S. coach at the 2009 Junior & Cadet World Championships in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He developed a curriculum and trained coaches at the 2009 High Level Technical Courses at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His students include national and international medalists and champions. Coach Alex teaches master classes.
Coach Bill Grandy is the Director of Historical Programs at VAF. An authority on Historical Swordsmanship, he combines the athletic approach of sport fencing with extensive historical research. He has been invited to teach across the U.S., most notably the Western Martial Arts Workshop in Racine, Wisconsin for multiple years. He has written articles in martial arts publications on the German longsword, Italian rapier, training methodology and pedagogy. His new book Italian Renaissance Swordsmanship is due to be published later this year. Coach Bill teaches intermediate and advanced rapier and two handed sword classes at VAF, as well as introductory and intermediate sport fencing classes.
Coach Jim Murray has over 30 years of experience, 8 years as the head coach of women’s fencing at Johns Hopkins University. Coach Murray has trained college teams to compete in the Ivy League, Eastern College Athletic Conference and the NCAA Championships. He was twice named Coach of the Year by the Middle Atlantic Coaches Association. He teaches at the intermediate and master levels in foil, epee, and sabre.
Coach George King was trained by the Fencing Master. He has been with VAF since 1999 and has over 10 years of fencing and coaching experience. He is in charge of developing the youth, intermediate and electric sabre program. He has an extensive athletic background and brings dedication and enthusiasm to the sport of fencing. In his former life he was an NFL professional football player and a police officer with over 23 years in law enforcement. His students include numerous state champions and medalists and nationally ranked fencers.
Coach David Rowe has been with Virginia Academy of Fencing since 1999. He underwent training from the Fencing Master and the Director of Historical Programs. His longtime commitment to fencing has allowed him to develop an athletic yet personable teaching style. Coach David has assisted the Director of Historical Programs in various longsword and rapier workshops throughout the country, and is a highly regarded longsword and rapier fencer. Coach David also assists with research and interpretation. He has taught beginning sport and historical fencing classes to hundreds of students in the area at schools and recreation centers. He teaches intermediate foil classes as well as introductory sport and historical swordsmanship.
Coach Alex Wood has been involved in fencing for over 20 years, having trained under several Olympic coaches. He attended Stanford University where he became a three-time NCAA All-American in foil. Coach Wood was a U.S. national champion, a 5-time World Championships national team member and a 4-time Junior Olympics champion. He has been an athlete representative on the United States Fencing Association (USFA) Board of Directors since 2002. He is currently serving on the Executive Committee and Legal Resource Group of the USFA. Coach Wood is also currently the Chair of the USFA Athlete Council, a group serving the interests of elite athletes. He teaches intermediate and master classes.
Coach Pamela Muir brings her professional background in education to the sport of fencing. She has a degree in education from the University of Virginia and has over five years of experience as a certified teacher in the Arlington Public Schools. Coach Pamela was trained by the Fencing Master in sport fencing and by the Director of Historical Programs in historical swordsmanship at the Virginia Academy of Fencing. She has taken additional training at various venues across the country, including the International Swordfighting & Martial Arts Convention and the Western Martial Arts Workshop, and she has assisted the Director of Historical Programs with longsword and rapier workshops across the country. Coach Pamela is known for teaching sport fencing to our youngest members, ages 6-8 years. She also teaches several introductory sport and introductory and intermediate historical classes.
Coach Kelly Wynn was trained in sport fencing at James Madison University where she graduated in 1999. She continued her training under the Fencing Master and the Director of Historical Programs at Virginia Academy of Fencing and began teaching in 2002. Coach Kelly received specialized training in rapier and smallsword from the Director of Historical Programs. She teaches introductory historical swordsmanship and sport fencing classes. She also often performs demonstrations of sport and historical fencing at local and regional exhibitions in the area.
Coach Tom Leoni was born in Switzerland and raised in Northern Italy. His meticulous research of Italian swordsmanship treatises helped him become an internationally-known teacher specializing in the Italian styles of the 1500s and 1600s. He has published several books and contributes regularly to several Western martial arts magazines and serves as a consultant for historical swordsmanship projects and translations. He also has an extensive educational background in Latin, ancient Greek, history, philosophy, literature and music. He teaches advanced historical swordsmanship classes.