Gallery
Training, team days, tournaments and medals at West Coast Fencing Academy in Austin, and head coach Pavel Bykov’s years on the Russian national team.
Training in the salle
Lessons, drills and bouts in the salle.
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En garde in a T-shirt and sneakers. For the first class you need no kit of your own. -
A one-on-one lesson on the strip. -
Close work with the coach. -
Blade work against the coach’s padded sleeve. -
A lesson across the salle. -
Squaring up to a taller fencer in full whites. -
Getting into the jacket before class. -
A training bout in full kit. -
Lunges on the strips. -
Evening training. -
Blades crossed in a bout. -
Face to face across the strip.
In the salle
Bouts, kit and portraits, up close.
Your first class is free, and equipment is lent free for your first month.
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One attack, frame by frame. -
Two young fencers mid-bout. -
Watching a bout from the bench. -
Mask pushed up for a moment. -
Half in the mask, half out. -
Through the mesh. -
Blades upright, face to face. -
A sabre guard on the shelf. -
Masks, guards and jackets on the shelf. -
The mask rack. -
Jackets hung up along the cubbies. -
Blade raised, on the move.
Team and medals
Club celebrations, medals, the club banner and Coach Pasha at tournaments with the team.
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A club celebration in the salle. -
The team in kit beside the club banner. -
Wearing their medals. -
A medal, and a thumbs-up from the coach. -
With Coach Pasha at a tournament in Houston. -
A medal and a photo with the coach. -
Two teammates and Coach Pasha, medals on. -
Medals on, beside the club banner. -
Peace signs by the podium. -
Two thumbs up, one medal. -
Sitting on the gym floor in sabre lamés. -
A talk with Coach Pasha at the venue.
Podiums and results
The club’s congratulation cards, each printing the tournament and the place, and podium photos.
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Fifth place at Battle in the Space City, on the club’s card. -
San Antonio: first place, on the club’s card. -
North Texas Roundup SYC/RJCC: eighth place, on the club’s card. -
Third place at a cup tournament, on the club’s card. -
By the podium with Coach Pasha in Houston. -
Teammates on the podium together. -
A podium under the Battle in Space City backdrop. -
The astronaut podium, medals on. -
A medal on a yellow ribbon. -
Two medals, side by side. -
Up on the podium block. -
On the podium in fencing whites.
Head coach Pavel Bykov
An Olympian: fourth in men’s team sabre at the London 2012 Olympics, with team gold at the World and European Championships.
Coach Pasha runs every newcomer’s first class himself.
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Pavel Bykov with his medals. -
The Russian national team in first place, under a 2011 championships banner. -
A team hug in Russian national team whites. -
Russian teammates on the piste, arms around each other. -
On the Russian team bench, fists up. -
A word with the team, mask pushed up. -
Mask off, body cord still clipped on.
Come try a class. It’s free.
Meet Coach Pasha and try sabre fencing on Pond Springs Road. Your first class is free, and we lend you the equipment free for your first month.
No payment details needed to book. Parents are welcome to watch the first class. If the coach is on the strip, leave a voicemail; he calls back within 24 hours.