Youth Fencers Travel to Grand Rapids, IA for Tournament

The first official Grand Rapids Youth Cup Fencing Tournament will be held downtown on Nov. 21, 2009 at the Grand Rapids Fencing Academy located at 1345 Monroe NW, Suite 102, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49505. Youth fencers from across the state of Michigan as well as Indiana and Illinois will be participating in this tournament. Mikhail and Arkadiy Sarkisov, Masters of Fencing and co-owners of the Grand Rapids Fencing Academy invite the community to attend the event free of charge.

"What makes Grand Rapids special for fencing is our location destination," said Mikhail Sarkisov. "Grand Rapids can become a new 'hub' for fencing competitions." The great thing about being located in downtown Grand Rapids is the area attractions and the convenient and safe access to the facility. Fencers can travel in from across the Midwest to a easily accessible location.

The Sarkisov brothers have been working for years to grow youth fencing on Michigan's west coast and it is finally coming together. Mikhail was a first professional fencing coach in West Michigan relocation to Grand Rapids in 1993 with the idea of the developing fencing in West Michigan. In 2002, they started the Grand Rapids Fencing Academy with a few other coaches. Three years ago they built a new facility. "Our new facility is one of the finest in the Midwest with 6,000 square feet to practice fencing," said Mikhail Sarkisov. The Grand Rapids Fencing Academy has grown to become one of the largest youth fencing programs in the state of Michigan with respect to the number of athletes that are trained. With the unique fencing program designed and implemented at the Academy, the good number of coaches from across the country have traveled to Grand Rapids with the goals of learning the program and implementing the same approach and teaching techniques in their own clubs.

Many of the fencers that attend the Grand Rapids Fencing Academy became the members of USA national team and have competed in national and international competitions. "We have a new promising and talented group of young fencers," said Mikhail Sarkisov.