We have the most talented and experienced group of Fencing Masters in New England — including the National Team Coach of China, as well as the Head Coaches of Harvard University and MIT. Our coaches have mentored many champions including Olympian Fencers and national teams.
Brand Club and School of Fencing coaching staff
 Peter Brand continues to serve as the head coach of Harvard men's and women's fencing, a post he has held since 1999.
In 2005, Peter Brand was named the first winner of the USFCA Outstanding Coach of the Year based on balloting of all other NCAA head coaches. Under Brand's leadership, both the Harvard Men's and Women's programs made history in 2005 by capturing the Ivy League Crown. This was the first time for the women and the first time for the men since 1977. Additional history was made because this was the first time the Harvard programs won the Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championship (IFA), the oldest collegiate athletic event in the United States.
During his tenure, Harvard squads have enjoyed both dual and tournament success, and he also led both Crimson teams to the 2003 Northeast Fencing Conference Championships.
In the summer of 2001, Brand coached the United States entry at the Maccabiah Games in Israel. Before taking the reins of the Harvard program, Brand spent six years as the head men's and women's coach at Brown University. At Brown, Brand guided a successful program that regularly sent qualifiers to the NCAA Championships, which included three members of his 1998-99 team. He coached the Bears' women's team to a pair of New England championships (1994 and 1995), while the men's squad captured the 1993 New England title. Brand was the Northeast Collegiate Fencing Conference's 1994-95 Coach of the Year. Prior to his tenure at Brown, Brand was an Assistant Coach at MIT. While at MIT, he also gave private lessons and one of his students, Peter Cox, was selected to the 1996 United States Olympic Team.
Brand has an extensive background as a competitor as well. In 1972, he was chosen to the U.S. Junior Fencing Team, and one year later was a gold medalist at the Ottawa Shield, one of three elite fencing events held in Canada. He placed seventh at the 1975 Canadian national championships and fourth at the 1985 U.S. Championships. Brand participated in the 1987 U.S. Olympic Sports Festival, and in 1989 was a gold medalist for the U.S. at the Maccabiah Games.
Peter provides solid training at all levels and offers private and group lessons in Foil, Epee and Sabre. Contact Peter at peter@brandfencing.com
 In 1982, our coach, Polish native, Jarek Koniusz placed 3rd at the World Championships in sabre. In 1989, he placed second. Shortly afterwards, he came to the United States and shifted his focus from competitive fencing to coaching. Jarek enters his 11th year as head coach of the MIT men and women fencing team.
Under Jarek's coaching, the MIT Women's Varsity team has won the New England Collegiate Championships five of the past seven years, including the 2002 title. The MIT Men's Varsity team won New England Championships in 2002, 2000 and 1999, finishing 2nd at New Englands in 2001.
In 1999 and 2000, four of Jarek's fencers qualified to the NCAA National Championships, bringing home MIT's first Individual NCAA title with a first place finish in Women's Sabre. Five fencers qualified to NCAAs in 2001, and four more in 2002. Contact Jarek at jarek@brandfencing.com
 Andrew was classically trained in the European style and brings to the club more than 25 years of competitive fencing experience. He trained with the Polish Junior National Team in the 70's and has won numerous saber competitions in Poland and in the United States. After he left Poland in 1981, he coached at UMass Amherst, setting the UMass fencing program on a competitive track. He has continued his coaching at Seacoast Fencing Club in Manchester and currently at Amoskeag Fencing Club in Nashua. Andrew provides solid training at all levels and offers private and group lessons in Sabre. Contact Andrew at andrew@brandfencing.com
 Eric was a late comer to the art of fencing, picking up the sport as a Harvard freshman. Amazingly, he was elected captain of the freshman squad due to his talent and early successes. With intensive lessons throughout his college fencing career, Eric was able to become captain of the varsity squad as a senior. He also made second team All-America, took fifth place in the 1952 NCAA championships, won all three divisions of an American Fencing League Association tournament and won the Greater Boston Open Foils Championship.
Greatly intrigued by the fencing ability of blind students and impressed by its value in their rehabilitation, Eric has coached for the Carroll Center's Blind Program for many years.
As for retirement, "I like keeping busy and enjoying life as much as possible," he says. For Eric, that means teaching what he loves and he continues to offer classes and private lessons in Foil, Epee and Sabre. Contact Eric at info@brandfencing.com
 With 40-plus years of fencing experience, Wen arrived in the United States four years ago from China, where he served as both the National and Olympic coach of the Chinese National Fencing Team from 1977 until 1996. Under the leadership of Wen, the Chinese ranked consistently among the world's top fencing programs an claimed numerous individual and team medals in the Asian Games, World University Games, World Fencing Championships, and the Olympic Games. Included among the elite athletes trained by Wen are Luan Jujie, the gold medalist in women's foil at the 1988 Olympics, and Wang Huifeng, the silver-medal winner in women's foil at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
He works as an assistant coach at Harvard University under Head Coach Peter Brand, who is entering his sixth season at the helm of the Harvard University program.
Coach Wen provides solid training at all levels and offers private and group lessons in Foil and Epee. Contact Coach Wen at info@brandfencing.com |
