History Alan Blakeborough begin his fencing career at the age of 14 in Troy, New York while attending Troy High School. He began training at the R.P.I College fencing club, which offered a beginning-fencing program for high school students in the hopes of sending scholastic fencers to the New York State Empire State Games. Alan Blakeborough began his fencing career with foil. He quickly excelled at the sport over his peers based on his past five years of martial arts training in Seido karate. Alan Blakeborough went on to attend Siena College in Albany, New York and started his first fencing club through the ROTC program in 1986 The program became so successful that soon the College decided to open the program to all students on the campus. It was here that Alan Blakeborough developed his military training style for fencing and began taking up sabre as his primary weapon. In 1992 Alan Blakeborough moved to Florida and begin the Knights of Siena Fencing Academy schools. In 1994 the academy began sending students and instructors to national competitions to see how things were done on the national level.  This is the philosophy that is the foundation for Knights of Siena Fencing Academies today. In 1995 Alan Blakeborough moved back to New York to his hometown of Troy and began an incredible growth to grass roots fencing which earned him an award from the United States Fencing Association in new member recruitment.(look for the free fencing shoes in the trophy case) This growth included the creation of seven independent fencing facilities in the Northeast.  Four of these facilities are currently still up and running but under different names now.   In 1996 Alan Blakeborough won all three divsion championships; foil, epee, and sabre. From 1992 the Knights of Siena Fencing Academy has been developing champions from the grass roots level.  The Knights of Siena Fencing Academy has had students who have won Divisional, State, Regional and National titles.  Alan Blakeborough has built over 50 high school programs over the last 10 years.  Students from the Knights of Siena have also gone on to many of the NCAA fencing programs throughout the United States In 1997 Alan Blakeborough and a group of forward thinking national and international fencers launched the first ever Professional Fencing League (PFL).  The PFL was the first professional fencing league in the world and was was on ABC for three months.  However, with opposition from the USFA the league could not continue financially and held it's last event in April 1998.  The PFL is probably one of the most controversial moments in fencing history.   1999 Alan Blakeborough open the first full time fencing facility in Charlotte, NC. It is here that he states. "I intend on making the Queen City the US capital for the sport of Kings!".  The first wave of people that were trained to fence nationally and to teach fencing were James Kinney, Brian Toomey, Todd Butcher and Bruce Juenst.  In February of 2000 Blake moved David Burns to Charlotte to run on a Knights of Siena Fencing School.  Today fencers in Charlotte have the opportunity to choose from 3 different fencing facilities.  All have been the result of Alan Blakeboroughs efforts to make Charlotte fencing a national fencing powerhouse.   In 2001 Alan Blakeborough retired from competing Nationally.  I would rather spend the time on my students.  Their victories are what matter more now.  Besides, soon there will be the veteran circuit, right?  You may get lucky though and what him fence in some of the more local tournament in order to help fill the ranks for the tournament organizers.   A listing of Alan Blakeborough competitive highlights and teaching credentials: Competitive Highlights: 1992 Gold Coast Florida Division Sabre Champion 1993 Gold Coast Florida Division Sabre Champion 1994 Gold Coast Floridaa Division Sabre Champion 1994 US Olympic Festival Sabre Gold Medalist (Team) 1995 NAC II Foil Gold Medalist 1996 Hudson Berkshire Division Champion Foil/Epee/Sabre 1998 Professional Fencing League Foil Gold Medalist 1999 North Carolina State Sabre Champion 1999 Southeast Section Sabre Champion 1999 Bronze Medalist US Nationals Sabre 2000 North Carolina Foil State Foil Champion 2000 USFA US Nationals Foil Finalist 2004 Sword in the Summer Sabre Gold 2004 Tech Open Sabre Gold 2004 Clemsen Open Sabre Gold 2007 Sword in the Stone Sabre Gold 2007 Swordmaster Series Sabre Champion 2007 Southeast Sectionals Finalist 2008 South Carolina Epee State/Divisional Champion Teaching Credentials: USFCA - Prevost Lists of Coaches who have been taught by Alan Blakeborough: Dan Bingham Jay Choi Tim Cosgrave Brian Crowley Eric Delarue Bernie Desautel Adam Devaney Karen Blakeborough Erik Hanson Marcia Sullivan Bruce Gillaman Jeffrey Kallio Steve Kamke Jim Levandowski Mary Mahon Rodrick Meagher Mike Polunchek Roger Rice Chris Stonestreet Fred Stone Brian Toomey Steve Zakely David Burns Dan B-Y ( the last name is much longer but he knows who he is) Rachel Oehring Mike O'Connor Bobby Ziechmann Kevin McCloy Matt Parmer Allison Benfield Cadria Clymer Matt Herndon Stephen Flemings Gabe Green Greg Bean Ken Murphy Cindy Jolley