Peninsula Fencing Academy

I am into my first few weeks of ever doing any fencing in my life.
It takes some learning and some getting used too.
Its very different then anything I’ve ever done.
The coach is very patient, the atmosphere is great and he’s made me feel very welcome.
Sometimes its very easy to understand because he shows us things visually first and I am a very visual person.
He starts things out very safe and teaches us the ropes in a way that you can tell he’s a very experienced person.
He reminds me too do homework and tells me where too go too research things too which I love.
The place is very clean, the music is pretty cool, the uniforms are very clean too.
I’ve learned some things here and have had a pretty good time too.
Seems like a great place for kids and adults.

Coach Jay is great! I like the rolling beginners classes for teens /​adults that he teaches twice a week. My teenage daughter reports that this is her favorite place to take lessons from. I like how comfortable I feel in the classes, even though there are other students who are much better skilled than I. Jay designs his classes in a way that makes a variety of skill levels work to everyone’s advantage. My family will likely be coming here for a long time.

Amazing attention to each student… great instructors!

Jay and Chris at PFA have an unparalleled devotion to the sport of fencing and to the fencers themselves, whether they be older (like myself) or younger. If you are looking for a new way to exercise for yourself or to find something new and different for your child, you have to check out PFA. Fencing is so much fun! No matter your skill level or ability, you are never put down. Jay and Chris have fostered an environment that promotes positive methods for achieving goals.

Fencing is a fantastic sport. My son has been fencing for 4 years and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the sport for so many reasons.
— It’s great exercise. It doesn’t look like it, but if you go through the lessons and engage in a bout or two, you will come away drenched in sweat.
— It’s a thinking person’s sport and has been described as chess on your feet. Every time you fence, you learn. You/​your child will also learn the valuable lesson that directed practice and hard work will eventually lead to strong results. The best fencers are not the physically most gifted, but are those who work harder and smarter than others. Some of the best fencers describe themselves as «klutzes» in other sports.
— Fencing attracts a nice group of people and as you compete you get to know fencers in your club, in the local competitions, and eventually in the national competitions. My son has friends of many different ages, male and female.
— Compared to other sports (e.g., soccer, basketball, baseball, etc…), there are relatively few kids fencing, so when your child applies to college, it is a great differentiator and the percentage of kids getting scholarships is higher than any sport except perhaps crew.
Coaches Jay Choi and Chris Atwood bring a ton of positive energy to their club. They are excellent teachers of the fundamentals and do it in a positive, fun way. The facilities are spacious, and the emphasis on training rather than just bouting is very valuable.

Coach Jay Choi is on the forefront of what will hopefully be a permanent trend in fencing — positive coaching, welcoming and fun atmosphere, top-​notch instruction. Every level of fencer, of every age, will learn, improve their fencing, meet great people, get a work out, and enjoy their time at Peninsula Fencing Academy.
Our son has been involved with five different fencing clubs in the Bay Area, and is very happy to have found a permanent home at PFA.

I settled on Peninsula Fencing Academy (PENN) after trying 4 other fencing clubs in the Bay Area. Why do I like Peninsula Fencing Club?
1. I’m an adult fencer and I was looking for a club that had some good group lessons (basic conditioning, footwork and blade drills) that I could take part in. I find that I need these to keep from getting rusty. Too many clubs only have these for kids but Peninsula has them for both adults and kids and group lessons are included in the club membership.
2. I was looking for coaches that gave good one-​on-​one lessons. I find both coaches at Peninsula to be great, I had know Jay from the now-​closed Elite Musketeers Fencing Club (EMFC) and I’ve found his coaching, which was always very good, has gotten even better. Both in the one-​on-​one lessons and in the group lesson I find that the goal at Peninsula is to teach fencers to think not just to react, this is one of the skills of a top fencer but it can be difficult to teach.
3. I wanted a club with enough Epeeists to be interesting and Peninsula has a good number. (They also have a very strong youth Saber program)
I will also mention that if you are an adult fencer that doesn’t want to be bothered with the group lessons this club welcomes you to come during open bouting and many members do. The club is very welcoming in general both to members and to visiting fencers that can come and pay a floor fee for open bouting.
In regards to their fencing lessons for kids/​youths: Jay and Chris are good coaches that support their fencers, there are many fencing couches out there that yell and berate their fencers but Jay and Chris do not believe this is good coaching. I’m not as familiar with Chris’s background but Jay spent time refereeing at the National Level, honesty and sense of fair play is one of things that he teaches to all of his students.