Coaches

Brian Chen

Head Saber Coach

TFA Founder & Executive Director

Highlights

  • 20+ years competitive fencing experience

  • 6+ years coaching experience

  • USA Fencing Certified Coach

  • Former Lead Saber Coach at Allegro Fencing Center

  • Top National and Regional ranked students

  • Multiple All-American / All-Long Island / All-County award winners

Coach Brian Chen brings over twenty years of competitive saber fencing experience and over six years of professional coaching expertise to Titan Fencing Academy, combining elite technical knowledge with a proven record of athlete development. He began fencing at age 12 under the guidance of former U.S. Junior and Cadet National Team Coach Boris Khurgin, and later taught alongside acclaimed fencer and coach Andrew Fischl.

Coach Brian’s training was further shaped at Manhattan Fencing Center, studying under legendary 7-time Olympic Coach and Hall of Famer Yury Gelman, gaining exposure to world-class systems and high-performance methodology.

Coach Brian also served as a training partner for multiple national team athletes and developed a deep understanding of elite competitive preparation. His fencing background was further refined through additional domestic and international training programs training alongside national team fencers from around the world.

As a USA Fencing Certified Coach, Brian has spent nearly six years coaching Saber at several fencing clubs across Long Island, serving as the Lead Saber Coach for fencers across multiple levels. He also previously served as the Head Coach of the Cold Spring Harbor Varsity Fencing Team, leading the program and mentoring student-athletes.

Coach Brian has guided many students who began as complete beginners into highly accomplished competitors, earning medals and top placements at competitions of all levels. His students include multiple-time USA Fencing National Championship medalists, as well as numerous students that are consistently ranked among the nation's and region's top competitors.

Many of Coach Brian’s students have earned All-American, All-Long Island, and All-County awards, including both Suffolk and Nassau County Saber Individual Champions and medalists. His coaching philosophy emphasizes technical excellence, competitive intelligence, and the discipline required to perform under pressure.

Coach Brian holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science from Stony Brook University and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from New York University.

Luka Oboladze

Senior Saber Coach

Highlights

  • Former Saber Coach at Tim Morehouse Fencing Club

  • Former Georgian National Team Saber Fencer

  • European U23 Team Gold & Bronze Medalist

  • Extensive experience coaching beginners, youth competitors, adults, and national-level athletes

  • Founder of MyFencing24.com, an online platform dedicated to fencing tactics, strategy, and education

Luka Oboladze is a former Georgian National Team fencer and highly experienced saber coach, bringing elite international competitive experience and more than a decade of coaching athletes across all ages and levels.

As a competitive fencer, Luka represented Georgia on the international stage, competing at European Championships, World Cups, World Championships, and the Summer Universiade. His career includes European U23 Team Gold and Bronze Medals, along with numerous other international results.

From 2016 to 2026, Luka coached at Tim Morehouse Fencing Club in New York, spending a decade developing fencers from complete beginners to experienced regional and national competitors. His extensive coaching background includes youth athletes, adult recreational and competitive fencers, and professional actors, demonstrating an exceptional ability to adapt his teaching to different athletes, goals, and levels of experience.

Beyond the traditional club environment, Luka has helped lead adult fencing programs and fencing programs within New York City public schools, expanding access to the sport while gaining extensive experience developing successful programs for diverse groups of athletes.

Luka’s coaching emphasizes technical precision, tactical intelligence, timing, distance control, and competitive preparation, with an individualized approach designed around each fencer’s strengths, experience, and goals.

Luka is also the founder of MyFencing24.com, an online fencing education platform created to make high-level tactical and strategic fencing knowledge more accessible. Through the platform, he extends his coaching beyond the traditional lesson environment with educational resources focused on fencing tactics, strategy, training, and competition.