Anibal Alvear - Head coach
With more than 29 years of experience in fencing as a competitive fencer, coach, and international referee, Anibal brings a rare combination of technical expertise, competitive experience, and a deep commitment to athlete development. He is the Owner and Founder of South Brooklyn Fencing, where he works with fencers of all ages and levels, from beginners to elite competitors.

Anibal moved to the United States in 2013 and began coaching at fencing clubs in Brooklyn from 2013–2016. His coaching career has also taken him to Princeton, New Jersey, and Campobasso, Italy, giving him extensive experience working with athletes from diverse backgrounds and at different stages of development.

With more than 12 years of dedicated club-coaching experience, Anibal has helped numerous fencers develop their technical skills, tactical understanding, competitive confidence, and mental discipline. His students have earned medals, podium finishes, and awards at national and international competitions, including SYC and RYC events, local tournaments, and other major fencing competitions. Many of his athletes have gone on to compete successfully at some of the highest levels of the sport.

Anibal has also established himself as an international Foil Coach, working with national teams at major championships around the world. His international coaching experience includes representing both Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 and Egypt 🇪🇬 as a Foil Coach.

Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 — Foil Coach

• 2026 Junior World Championships — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• 2026 Junior Pan American Championships — Bogotá, Colombia

• 2026 Senior Pan American Championships — Lima, Peru

• Junior Pan American Games — Asunción, Paraguay

Egypt 🇪🇬 — Foil Coach

• 2025 Junior & Cadet World Championships — Wuxi, China

These international assignments have given Anibal the opportunity to work with high-level athletes on the world stage, preparing and supporting fencers through some of the most demanding competitions in international fencing.

In addition to his extensive coaching background, Anibal has been an FIE-certified international referee since 2014, holding the highest level of international referee certification available.

His experience as a professional fencer, Foil Coach, and FIE international referee provides his students with a unique and comprehensive understanding of the sport. He brings firsthand knowledge of high-level competition, including fencing technique, tactics, rules, refereeing, preparation, and the mental demands of competing internationally.

Anibal believes that successful fencing is built on more than physical ability. His coaching philosophy focuses on developing the complete fencer through technical excellence, tactical awareness, discipline, confidence, mental strength, and a genuine love for the sport.

At South Brooklyn Fencing, his goal is to help every athlete reach their individual potential—whether they are stepping onto the strip for the first time or preparing to compete at the national or international level.

His experience on the strip, in the coaching box, and behind the referee’s table gives his students a perspective few coaches can offer.

STUDENTS RESULTS

INTERNATIONAL RESULTS
Sebastian Garcia 🥉BRONZE / Central American Games SENIOR 2026 Santo Domingo, DR 🇩🇴
Sebastian Garcia Ranked 16th in the world Junior ranking https://fie.org/athletes
Sebastian Garcia 7th place - Panamericanismos championship Junior 2026 Bogota, Colombia 🇨🇴
Sebastian Garcia🥇 GOLD - junior world cup 2026 San Jose, Costa Rica 🇨🇷
Sebastian Garcia🥉 BRONZE - Panamerican Games Junior 2025 Asuncion, Paraguay 🇵🇾
Sara Amr Hossny Olympian - Paris 2024 🇫🇷 (the youngest fencer ever to participate in fencing)
Sara Amr Hossny 6th place - World Championship CADET 2024 - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦
Sara Amr Hossny 13th place - world Championship JUNIOR 2024 - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦
Sara Amr Hossny 🥉 BRONZE - EUROPEAN CADET CIRCUIT - BUDAPEST 2023 🇭🇺
Natalie Joo🥉 BRONZE - EUROPEAN U-13 Challenge Wratislavia - Wratislavia, POLAND 2023 🇵🇱

NATIONAL MEDALS

Sebastian Garcia Qualified NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP 2026 🥉 Saint Johns University
Sara Amr Hossny🥇 GOLD / Y10 North American Cup - Texas 2021 🇺🇸
Sara Amr Hossny🥈 SILVER / Y12 North American Cup - texas 2021 🇺🇸
Sara Amr Hossny🥇 GOLD / Y10 National Championship - Philadephia 2021 🇺🇸
Sara Amr Hossny🥈 SILVER / Y12 North American Cup - Richmond 2022 🇺🇸
Sara Amr Hossny🥇 GOLD / Y12 National Championship - Minneapolis 2022 🇺🇸
Sara Amr Hossny🥈 SILVER / Y14 National Championship - Minneapolis 2022 🇺🇸
Sara Amr Hossny🥇 GOLD / Y12 North American Cup - Texas 2023 🇺🇸
Sara Amr Hossny🥉 TOP-8 / CADET North American Cup - Texas 2023 🇺🇸
Sara Amr Hossny🥇 GOLD / Y12 National Championship - Phoenix 2023 🇺🇸
Sara Amr Hossny🥇 GOLD / Y14 National Championship - Phoenix 2023 🇺🇸
Sara Amr Hossny🥇 GOLD / JUNIOR Egyptian Championship - Cairo 2023 🇪🇬
Sara Amr Hossny🥇 GOLD / SENIOR Egyptian Championship - Cairo 2023 🇪🇬
Emily Cascone 🥉 TOP-8 / Y14 North American Cup - Kentucky 2024 🇺🇸
Sebastian Garcia 🥇GOLD / Puerto Rico Championship JUNIOR 2024 🇵🇷
Sebastian Garcia 🥉BRONZE / Puerto Rico Championship SENIOR 2024 🇵🇷
Natalie Joo 🥈 SILVER / Y10 North American Cup - Richmond 2022 🇺🇸

Maestro Eduard (Ed) Elterman
Former (for over 30 years) Fencers Club (FC) and New York University (NYU) Foil/Epee coach.

Joined the Fencers Club coaching staff in 1991 and for over three decades developed a strong fencing program for his students of all ages from the beginner level to the National Championships level. His students were winning SYCs (Y10, Y12,Y14), getting medals at Junior Olympics (Cadet and Juniors), NACs (Y10, Y12, Y14, Cadet, Juniors, Division IA, Division I, and National Championships. They were competing in the designated International competitions for Cadets, FIE World Cups for Junior and Senior levels. As Foil/Epee coach Ed joined the NYU coaching staff in 1990. Over the years he personally developed over 30 NCAA qualifiers and NCAA ALL Americans (First, Second and Third Teams). He has been a member of eight NYU coaching staff that earned University Association Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Ed retired from NYU in August 2022. As a fencer and a coach Ed was trained in the former Soviet Union (USSR) in Minsk, Belarus.

STUDENTS RESULTS

Polly Adler
2019 USA Fencing Anaheim SJCC (Junior) 🥈 SILVER 🇺🇸
2018 USA National Championships & July Challenge (Junior) - 13th place
2017 USA National Championships & July Challenge (Junior) - 12th place
2017 November NAC (Cadet) - 17th place
2016 USA National Championships & July Challenge (Cadet) - 6th place 🥉 TOP-8
2016 Junior Olympic Championships (Cadet) - 9th place
2016 USA National Championships & July Challenge (Junior) - 13th place
2016 USA; National Championships & July Challenge (Division I) - 16th
2016 April NAC (Division I) - 16th place
2015 November NAC (Junior) - 17th place;
2015 October NAC (Cadet) - 5th place 🥉 TOP-8
2014 Junior Olympic Championships (Cadet) - 🥉 BRONZE 🇺🇸
2014 USA National Championships & July NAC (Division I) - 18th place
2014 Designated Cadet Women's Foil, Gyor, Hungary - 15th place 🇭🇺
2014 January NAC (Junior) - 16th place
2014 January NAC (Division I) - 16th place
2014 December NAC (Cadet) - 7th place 🥉 TOP-8
2013 USA National Championships & July NAC (Junior) - 12th place
2012 USA National Championships & July NAC (Y10) - 🥇 GOLD 🇺🇸
Melissa Du
2015 October NAC (Cadet) - 7th place
2015 Designated Cadet Women's Foil, Gyor, Hungary - Top 16 🇭🇺
Katherine Lane
JO (Junior) Bronze Medalist in Women’s Foil 🥉 BRONZE
NCAA Regional Champion in WF for Columbia University
Two Times NCAA ALL AMERICAN for Columbia University
Max Blitzer
Summer Nationals Junior MF - Bronze Medalist in Men’s Foil 🥉 BRONZE 🇺🇸
Two times top 16 in Junior FIE World Cups & NCAA ALL AMERICAN for SJU
Audra Fox
Division 1A Women’s Foil 🥉 BRONZE 🇺🇸
Captain of the NYU Fencing Team
Carrington Harris
2007 Summer National Championships – 8th Place Junior Men’s Foil 🥉 TOP-8 🇺🇸
2005-2006 US World Cup Traveling Team – Junior/Cadet Men’s Foil 🇺🇸
2006 Junior Olympics- Junior Men’s Foil – 8th Place 🥉 TOP-8
2005 Summer National Championships – Cadet Men’s Foil 🥈 SILVER 🇺🇸
Gabriel Sinkin
2005 NCAA All American (First Team) – 🥈 SILVER 🇺🇸
2004, 2006 NCAA All American (Second Team) – 7th Place 🥉 TOP-8 🇺🇸
2003 Division 1 NAC - 🥇 GOLD 🇺🇸
Gianni DiCioccio
2007 NAC “A” Cadet Men’s Foil – 🥉 BRONZE 🇺🇸
2006-2007 US Junior/Cadet World Cup Traveling Team 🇺🇸
2007 Junior Olympic Denver, Cadet Men’s Foil – 8th Place 🥉 TOP-8 🇺🇸
2006 Junior World Cup, Montreal: 8th Place 🥉 TOP-8 🇨🇦
2006 Junior Olympics, Hartford, Cadet Men’s Foil – 6th Place 🥉 TOP-8 🇺🇸
2004 Summer Nationals, Atlanta, Y-12 Men’s Foil – 🥈 SILVER 🇺🇸
Tracey Thorne
2002 Division 1A US National Champion in Women’s Foil 🥇 GOLD 🇺🇸
1997 FIE Fencing Grand Prix Rochester, NY - Top 32 🇺🇸
Arnaud Beauvais
NCAA All American (7th place in Men's Foil)
Top 10 French Junior Foil
Justo Rosario
1993 Under-19 Men's Foil National Champion 🥇 GOLD 🇺🇸
1995 NCAA All American – 🥉 BRONZE 🇺🇸 (First Team)
Richard Sobhani
1995 Under-19 Men's Epee Summer National Champion 🥇 GOLD 🇺🇸

Owen Cozine began fencing in 2008 and went on to win the Minnesota State Championship 2017 during his high school career. He was later recruited to fence at New York University (NYU), where he was part of two top-10 NCAA program finishes.

One of Owen’s most notable individual results was a top-8 finish at Summer Nationals 2023. Today, Owen continues to give back to the fencing community by regularly attending tournaments to coach SBFC students. He has helped SBFC athletes achieve strong results, including earning medals at regional competitions.