The Gotham Fencing Club, (GFC), was opened April 7th of 2007. Our mission is to promote the sport of Sabre Fencing in the NYC region. The founder and head coach, Patrick Durkan, has been in the sport for 24 years and won multiple National Championships and been on many U.S. Teams. In 1998, Patrick was the then youngest ever Senior National Champ. He was on both the All Ivy and All American teams four years running at his alma mater, Columbia University.


Adults


GFC is currently working with adults three times a week in Manhattan at the Ripley Grier Studios.  Our team is made up of professionals who are looking for a competitive sport to help them both get in shape and stay in shape over the years that also offers an outlet for the thrill of competition.  We encourage students to use fencing as a great form of exercise and, for those who choose to, take the sport to a higher level and compete.  In late January we plan on attending Division II & III American circuit events.


High School Students


As of January 2008 Gotham Fencing began an after school program at Regis High School that focuses on preparing students to reach a level of fencing which will impact favorably on their college applications. As a high school student, Patrick Durkan, brought his fencing students/classmates to a level of fencing that allowed them to compete in the Junior Olympics and all of his fencing student/classmates used fencing on their college applications. They attended Harvard, Columbia, MIT, Vassar, Princeton, McGill (in Canada), etc.


Fencing is presently a serious sport in many high schools with a growth of after school programs and private clubs. There is a major interest in the sport by families of high school students. In the eyes of a university, fencing is among the highest valued extra curricula sports for a high school student. Unlike a football team it only takes one fencer to win a NCAA championship. The schools take into consideration that their alumni value athletic results and, to encourage continued giving at high levels, many schools have invested in their athletic departments with state of the art coaching and fencing facilities. The admissions committees like unique talents such as fencing. And, in many schools there is athletic scholarship money for the sport of fencing.


At the present time GFC is subleasing space from the Ripley-Grier Studios. The objective is to have a permanent club exclusively for fencing by July 1, 2008. At that time we will begin hiring other coaches for both foil and sabre.


If you are interested in taking fencing classes and learn the joy of fencing please email me at: patrick@gothamfencing.com.

Click here for an explanation of common fencing terms.