ENFIELD — The study of fencing offers its young students a unique opportunity to build skills that will help their future selves. The New England Blades, a new fencing club in Enfield, focuses on developing young athletes into high-level fencers who can use their skills outside the fencing world.
“Fencers and parents, along with fencing master Juan Carlos Changanaqui, felt there was a need for a new high-level club in the New England region that taught proper fencing technique, footwork and blade control with a focus on competition,” explained Jonathan Green, one of the parents. “Our goal is to take young fencers with talent to college and national level. We tailor the training to each fencer.
New England Blades started in spring 2024 and now have around 10 to 15 regulars, not just kids, but adults too. That list is rapidly expanding because we offer intense one-on-one instruction so that students get personal attention every step of the way.”
That instruction is already yielding results, with two of the young fencers taking home medals at the International Fencing Club’s Trick or Treat and Flunge in West Roxbury on Oct. 27. Christian Green, 11 years old from Longmeadow, brought home gold and bronze in the Y10 and Y12 categories. Kavya Jawale, also 11 years old from Longmeadow, shared third place with Green in Y12.
“I have done local competitions, but this was much harder because of the level of the fencers out near Boston,” said Christian Green. “I couldn’t believe I won a gold medal.”
“New England Blades took three fencers and they all did supremely well. We were up against well-established clubs from the Boston area, some of the best clubs in the country in fact, and we represented very well,” added Jonathan Green. “We are a new, upstart club but we punch way above our weight.”
That success largely comes from the diligent hard work of Coach Changanaqui, an officially certified Prevot D’Armes, one of the highest grades in fencing coaching. Changanaqui is certified to Level 3 in all three weapons: saber, foil and epee, and is one of only 22 coaches of his standing in the United States. He is also an International Fencing Federation referee and has won medals at major international tournaments including the Pan American Games.
“I love competing, but my first love is coaching and seeing my students flourish. My students doing well is the most important thing for me,” noted Changanaqui. “Fencing is about discipline, being a gracious loser and a modest winner. It places huge emphasis on the individual and personal responsibility under pressure. I want my fencers to become skilled champions, but I also want them to become better people through the sport.”
The focus on seemingly small details that make a huge difference and having the appropriate mindset are key to success in fencing as they are to life.
“Think of a burst sprint at full tilt whilst having to put a thread through the eye of a needle. That’s fencing,” explained Jonathan Green. “It requires precision and balletic poise, all at high speed. It’s also long been known as physical chess because it demands intellectual rigor and problem-solving under high pressure. We think fencing is not just an Olympic sport but that it is also a useful tool to help our children grow in confidence when faced with life’s seemingly insurmountable obstacles.”
Changanaqui himself has seen the value of facing when facing challenging circumstances. After learning fencing as a child in Lima, Peru, Changanaqui and his fellow fencers had to stop when their coach died and nobody else could teach them. Due to the volatile military dictatorship at the time, none of the European coaches could come. Changanaqui left for Brazil and Venezuela to take coaching classes. Once the political situation eased, European coaches came and trained 40 new coaches at the military academy at Chorillos.
“I know how important proper coaching is and how fencers only do well with the right coach,” said Changanaqui, the founder of the club. “I wanted a club where I can coach seriously at a competitive level and a club where every fencer matters.”
Changanaqui’s methods are drawing in students who want a new challenge.
“After several years of team sports, I became interested in finding a sport where I could challenge myself individually while learning something new,” recalled 12-year-old Max Comire, one of the young fencers. “I love the pace of fencing. It requires a lot of hand-eye coordination and the ability to think and move quickly. For now, I’m focused on improving my technique and applying what I’ve learned from my coach, Juan Carlos, in competition.”
The club intends to build at a steady pace as it focuses on building a competitive mindset for its athletes.
“We don’t want to expand too fast. The onus is on quality and giving every fencer what they need in terms of high-level instruction,” said Jonathan Green. “Ideally, I’d like to see our fencers competing nationally with an eye on Olympic competition. America has been fielding some excellent fencing champions in recent years and we want to build on that. We also do not have a permanent home yet, so we’d like to put down proper roots to develop a regional center for fencing.”
For more information about the group, visit its Facebook page: New England Blades.
