Toronto Fencing Academy
Discover the strategy, speed and excitement of fencing with world class coaching for children, teenagers and adults.
Trial lessons are $30. Equipment is provided for beginners.
Find your program
Whether you are holding a sword for the first time or building toward competition, the Academy offers flexible training and expert guidance.
Ages 8 to 12
$140 + HST / month
An ongoing program with 75 minute lessons full of games, excitement and skill building. Seven year olds may be admitted case by case.
Youth
$140 + HST / month
A flexible ongoing program. Join at any time, learn at your pace and develop from first touches to competitive fencing.
All levels
$140 + HST / month
Unlimited fencing during club hours for adults who want a demanding workout, a strategic challenge and a strong community.
New to fencing
$240 + HST
Eight Thursday classes at 8:00 pm covering footwork, attacks, counter attacks, feints, parries, ripostes, rules and etiquette.
Focused coaching
Ask your coach
One on one lessons are approximately 20 minutes. Lessons finish at the scheduled time if you arrive late.
Experienced fencers
$40 / visit
Visiting fencers with reasonable fencing experience are welcome to train at the Academy.
Trial lessons and listed cash payments may also be sent by e transfer to info@swordplayers.com. Call 416 732 8582 to schedule a visit or register for the adult introductory course.
Train on your schedule
6:00 pm · 75 minutes
10:00 am · No Saturday classes in July or August
8:00 pm · Join any Thursday
Ongoing program · Join any time
Meet the team
From first footwork to international competition, Sword Players combines elite athletic experience with practical, personal coaching.
Coach and Program Director
World Champion, Seoul Games medalist with team USSR in 1987 and 1988, the last Champion of the Soviet Union, and a repeated European, international and World Cup medalist. As Canadian National Champion in 2007, Igor also won Canada's first men's épée medal at the 2006 World Championship in Torino, gold at the 2006 Pan American Championship in Valencia, and represented Canada at the 2008 Beijing Games. He brings more than 30 years of practical experience and four years of formal study at Moscow's State Institute of Physical Education.
Coach
A decorated World Cup medalist and many time National Champion with years of National Team experience. David helps everyone from young beginners to competitive athletes move toward their goals.
Senior Coach and Sales Associate
An experienced épée coach with more than a decade of training and coaching. Arseni has represented Canada at domestic and international tournaments, including Grand Prix and World Cup events. He also creates private events and is the Academy's equipment sales contact.
Discover fencing
Fencing is the modern sport of swordplay. It blends physical control, tactical creativity, ceremony and respect into a challenge that can be enjoyed from age 8 to 70 and beyond.
A light, flexible weapon about 35 inches long and under 16 ounces. Points are scored with the tip on the torso. The head, neck, arms and legs are not target areas.
The modern duelling sword is about the length of a foil, but heavier and stiffer, with a larger guard. The whole body is target, and an electric tip records touches.
Descended from the cavalry sword, sabre scores with both thrusts and cuts. The target runs from the waist to the head, and the modern weapon weighs about one pound.
A fencing match is called a bout. The objective is normally to score 15 points in direct elimination or five points in preliminary pool play before your opponent does.
Fencers often try all three weapons locally, then specialize for national and international competition. Canadian fencing is governed nationally by the Canadian Fencing Federation and provincially by associations such as the Ontario Fencing Association.
The competition area is called a strip. Unlike historic duels where opponents circled each other, a modern strip is two metres wide and fourteen metres long.
Competitions are grouped by weapon and age, usually separated for men and women, though beginner events may be mixed. Courtesy and ceremony remain part of the sport's long tradition.
Despite the thrusting and cutting actions, fencing is a very safe sport. Regulation protective equipment is worn at all times and the goal is to score a controlled touch, never cause harm.
Why fence?
Improve speed, agility, flexibility, reflexes, balance, coordination, cardiovascular fitness, stamina and muscle tone. Fast footwork creates an intense aerobic workout and a strong calorie burn.
Develop concentration, observation, strategy, decision making and emotional control. Fencing offers a safe outlet for stress and teaches you to anticipate an opponent, adapt and think in second intention.
Join a dynamic circle of peers and mentors, travel to competitions, build friendships and discover university, scholarship, Olympic and international opportunities.
Encourage play, discipline, self assurance, responsibility, coordination and independent problem solving. Children learn to think on their feet, own their actions and win through timing and technique rather than size.
Our mission
Sword Players exists to help Canadians discover one of the most exciting and challenging sports, while creating a home for future Olympic medalists and champions.
The Academy aims to grow a large fencing fellowship across the Greater Toronto Area, make fencing a mainstream physical activity, welcome every skill level and promote a healthy, active lifestyle.
Founder Igor Tikhomirov brings the perspective of an Olympic medalist and World Champion to a wide variety of programs, competitions and training sessions, with instruction designed to exceed accepted standards.
Private events
Learn basic rules, theory and skills, then fence real competitive bouts with FIE level electric épées and electronic scoring.
Request an event quoteAt your office, home or backyard, at a school gym, aboard a cruise boat, on a golf course, or inside the Academy's fully equipped facility near Highway 401 and Downsview station.
Corporate team building, birthdays, backyard gatherings, gifts, camp activities and evenings with friends. Gift certificates are available.
Club events are usually scheduled on weekends. Outside events can also run during weekday office hours. Pricing depends on group size, duration and travel. Elementary school events may qualify for travel fee only.
Sword Players is a member of the Ontario Fencing Association and Canadian Fencing Federation.
What people are saying
“Your instructions and sense of humor made for an excellent experience. Your clean, modern facilities and state of the art scoring equipment made the evening lots of fun.”
George K. · Toronto Mystery Group
“This year's tall ship cruise was a great success thanks to the fencing lessons you provided on board. Everyone had a great time.”
Andrea Y. · Comark Services
“You gave these kids an experience they will never forget. Many of them could not stop talking about it for days.”
Alik · Ruskoka Summer Camp
Camp: Musketeers fencing day camp for children. No experience required and equipment provided.
Dates: Monday to Friday, August 8 to August 12, 2016.
Time: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Early arrivals and late pickups were available at no charge on request.
Ages: 7 to 12, co ed. Seven year olds admitted case by case.
Cost: $200, or $180 for Sword Players members, plus HST.
Food: Some snacks and drinks were offered. Families were asked to share allergy information.
Registration: Online registration one week before camp, followed by phone confirmation. Full refunds before the deadline and no refunds after.
Coaching: OFA registered coach. The camp included games, duels and first time instruction.
Good to know
Still curious? Call us and we will help you find the right way to begin.
416 732 8582Indoor shoes and sweat pants. We provide all necessary fencing equipment for beginner classes.
Programs begin at age 8 and there is no upper age limit for healthy adults. Many people begin in their fifties and love it.
The basics are relatively easy to learn. Mastering the sport is a rewarding challenge, and every experienced fencer once began at the same starting point.
A firm touch can occasionally leave a bruise, but regulation protective equipment works very well. The sport is designed around scoring touches, never causing harm.
Speed, fitness, strength, dexterity, flexibility and reaction time all help. So do adaptability, observation, strategy, focus and emotional control. Every body type can develop a style that uses its natural strengths.
Some students compete after about six months. Serious competitive skill often takes two to three years, while elite international fencing usually requires several days of training each week and five to ten years of experience. Progress depends on aptitude, dedication, instruction and regular practice.
It is easy to acquire poor habits without knowledgeable guidance. Quality coaching is the best investment for anyone serious about improving.
Ontario Fencing Association membership is strongly suggested, required by many clubs including Sword Players, and required for OFA and CFF competitions. The old site lists membership starting at $5 per year.
The Canadian Fencing Federation is the national governing body for fencing in Canada.
Equipment
All Sword Players members are automatically registered as Fencers Network members. They may purchase fencing equipment at discounted prices and are exempt from Fencers Network annual membership fees.
Visit Fencers NetworkVisit the Academy
Kodiak 5 and Kodiak 7 are connected. If you see Kodiak 7, you are in the right place.
Near Downsview subway station, Sheppard and Dufferin / Allen Road.
Open in Google MapsFrom the Academy
Academy history includes Matthew Litwin's silver medal at the Pan American Championship in Cancun, Mexico, and the Musketeers Squadron youth participants at The Grand Duel of Musketeers tournament.
