Master of Arms/Maître
d'Armes
(Foil, Epée, Sabre)
Dr. Zachary Kotlyar
- Master of Arms - Foil,
Epée, Sabre
Dr. Zachary Kotlyar
is a winner of numerous international fencing tournaments and a
former Soviet National Champion.
Master Kotlyar held the positions of the State
Coach of
Fencing of Sport Committee for the City of Kiev, Vice-Principal Spartak Olympic Reserve Fencing School in Kiev, coach of Dynamo
Kiev Fencing Club, Bercalieri Fencing Club (Rome), and the York
University Fencing Club. Under his supervision these clubs made
significant contribution to the World and Olympic Fencing: Olympic
Champion Vladimir Smirnov, World Champions Serguei Kravchuck, and
Alexandre Bykov.
Master Kotlyar
has a PhD in pedagogical sciences and sports psychology specializing
in the Olympic sport of fencing from Kiev State University and the
Institute of Physical Education and Sports. Master Kotlyar has the
very rare and distinct honour of holding the title of Maitre d'Armes in
all three weapon categories: Foil,
Epée, and Sabre,
Master Kotlyar
offers over 50 years of fencing experience, coaching,
knowledge and wisdom.
Master Kotlyar is also a teacher of senior mathematics
and Canadian Math League instructor at
Vaughan Secondary School.
Coaches and
Instructors
Stanley Yee -
Foil, Epée, Sabre
Stanley
is a protégé of Master Kotlyar, studying under him since 1990. Stanley
has become an accomplished foil fencer in the 1990s winning several
regional and provincial individual and team medals. He
has NCCP certification and a former head coach for the York University
varsity team and club. Stanley brings over 20 years of coaching,
martial arts, and fencing experience. Stanley has an
honours
degree in political science and a post diploma certificate in
marketing management. Stanley is a former educational
publishing executive at Nelson Education
and
Pearson Canada. Stanley is the president, principle, and founder of the Dragon Fencing
Academy. Stanley is the varsity fencing head coach at
St. Andrew's
College in Aurora.
Doug Tong - Kenjutsu
(Classical Japanese Swordsmanship)
Sensei Tong
started his training in kenjutsu in 1990 in Japan. He studied in
some of the most illustrious schools of classical Japanese
swordsmanship. Mr. Tong studied Katori Shinto Ryu directly under
the late Master Yoshio Sugino in Kawasaki-shi. He was one of the
last direct pupils of Yoshio Sugino sensei. Mr. Tong and his
group of instructors continue to maintain regular contact with
Master Yukihiro Sugino in Japan. Mr. Tong also studied Yagyu
Shinkage Ryu directly under the tutelage of the late Master
Masao Mutoh in Zushi-shi. Mr. Tong maintains regular contact
with Master Yasushi Kajitsuka in Japan. Mr. Tong has over
20 years of sword arts and teaching experience and brings a
unique perspective and knowledge of Japanese sword fighting. He
is the founder of Tokumeikan, an organization dedicated to the
study of classical Japanese swordsmanship. Mr. Tong has a
Masters degree in education and is an elementary school teacher.
Assistant Coaches
Filip Kotlyar - Foil
Filip started fencing
when he was 6 years old under the tutelage of his father Dr. Kotlyar.
Filip has won several medals when he was a cadet and a junior. He
has returned to fencing after a brief respite to pursue the family
tradition and brings over 15 years of fencing experience. Filip is a
student in the faculty of arts at York University.
Nick Priore - Foil
Nick started fencing
in 2006. He is a founding member of the Dragon Fencing
Academy. He assists with teaching the youth, teen and beginner
classes. Nick has his community coaching certificate for foil in 2010.
Nick is also experienced camp counsellor. Nick also studies Katori Shinto Ryu under
Mr. Tong. Nick is an environmental science student at
the
University of Toronto.
Trent Wylie - Foil
Trent started fencing
foil in 2007 at the academy. Trent coaches the youth and
teens. Trent has his community
coaching certificate for foil in 2011 and many hours as a volunteer
camp counsellor. Trent is a biological
sciences student at
the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.
Ontario Fencing Association Community Instructors
-
Daichi Tong -
Foil (2011)
-
Chris Chan - Foil
(2011)
-
Michael Buslovich -
Foil (2010)
-
Elliot Crawford -
Foil (2010)
-
Justin Lam - Foil
(2010)
-
Scott Schembri -
Foil (2008)
-
Josh Xu - Foil
(2008)
Honourary Coaches and Instructors
Valerie Ossipova -
Foil
Studying under
Master Ramil Aupov and Master Galina Ivanova at the Dynamo and
Thunderbird fencing clubs in the Republic of Bashkiria, Russia. Valerie
became the women's foil champion of Bashkiria in 1992, 1993 and won the
Cup of Bashkiria in 1992. In 1994 she became a Champion of Russia in
the team event. Valerie is the 2003 Ontario Provincial Women's Foil
Champion in the individual and team event. Valerie is a
Russian Master of Sport in foil and has over 25 years of fencing
and coaching
experience. Valerie has a Masters degree in education.
Dr.
David Donovan - Foil
Dr.
David Donovan started his fencing career at the University of New
Brunswick and continued under Master Kotlyar in the 1990s at York,
where Dave completed his PhD in physics. Dave is an atmospheric
research scientist at
The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute in the
Netherlands, Dave has over 20 years of fencing and coaching
experience, NCCP designation. He continues to fence and represent
Canada in the Netherlands.
Dr. Julio Martinez-Trujillo - Foil, Epée
Dr. Julio Martinez-Trujillo began fencing in the1980s in his native
Cuba and in the 1990s at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen,
Germany. In 2001, Julio came to Toronto for his
post doctoral studies at York University. Dr. Martinez-Trujillo is a MD and PhD and has over
25 years
of fencing and teaching experience. Dr. Martinez-Trujillo is an
Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, McGill University and
a Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience.
Dr. Alexandre
Sévigny - Sabre
Dr. Alexandre Sevigny started fencing in 1990 with Master Kotlyar and expanded his studies
with Master
Jennay (Racing Club de France - Paris), Master Vladimir Solomon, Master Ken Wood
and Master Ranil Sonnadara.
Dr. Sevigny is a former York University varsity head coach and has NCCP designation.
He brings over 20 years of fencing and coaching experience from several different schools of
fencing. Dr. Sevigny has a PhD in computational linguistics and is an
Associate
Professor of
communications and multimedia at McMaster University.
Dr. Katya Belkina -
Foil
Dr. Katya Belkina
started studying fencing at the age of 8, under her mother, Master
Kostyakova at the Spartak Olympic reserve fencing club in
Novosibirsk, Russia. Katya became the Women's Foil Champion of
Russia a number of times during 1990s. After moving to Canada, Katya
won gold in 2006 at Ontario provincial women's foil championships.
In 2007, she became the women's foil Canadian national champion.
Katya is a Russian Master of Sport in foil, a certified fencing
instructor, certified provincial level referee and has over16 years
of fencing and coaching experience. Katya has a PhD in economics.
She is the head coach at Lycée Fencing Club at Lycee Francais de
Toronto and runs her own fencing club, the My Fencing Club in
Toronto.
Christopher
Sévigny - Sabre
Christopher
started fencing when he was15 with Master Kotlyar and continued with Master Vladimir Solomon, Fred Granek and
his brother, Dr.Alexandre Sévigny. Chris is the Ontario Junior
Provincial Men's Sabre Champion in 2000. Chris has a Masters
degree in
psychology from
McMaster University.
Vyacheslav
Golubyev - Epée
Vyacheslav
started fencing at age 13 with the "Galleon" Fencing Club in Lviv, Ukraine under Master Mas'ko and Master
Orlikovsky. In 1998, Slava continued his studies in Canada under the tutelage
of Master Kotlyar, Alexandre Sévigny and Stanley Yee. In 2000, Slava
became the Ontario Junior
Provincial Men's
Epée Champion. Slava has Honours degree in economics from York
University.
