Coaches

Eric Guth, Head Coach

Safe Sport Certified

I am a native Clevelander. Was a tennis player at University School, before going to Columbia University where I took up fencing. After college, I moved to Russia and lived there for 9 years. That is its own book. In the parameters of fencing though, I studied under 10 time world champion foil fencer Alexandra Ivanovna Zabelina, a true Soviet icon! She is the 6th most decorated women’s Olympic fencer – EVER! 3 Gold!

I came back to Cleveland to start a family in the early 2000’s. I fenced at the Alcazar’s Fencing Club under the instruction of Fencing Hall of Fame inductee Bill Reith.

One thing led to another, and my wife Polina and I have five kids. We love each one of them more than the other. And without my wife’s tenacity and laser beam ability to focus on detail, this Academy would have never become a reality. Thank you, honey!

I decided to start the Cleveland Fencing Academy as a place to fence for my kids and the community, and to continue on the legend of the Alcazar Fencing Club.

I enjoy fine wine, thick cigars, the Cleveland Museum of Art, my pescatarian diet, the jazz age, Art Deco, 60’s swagger, 80’s music, Grace Kelly, Dostoyevsky, yada yada yada..

Ahmad Taqi

Safe Sport Certified

Coach Ahmad most recently was the captain of the Cleveland State University fencing team and now is a volunteer coach at CFA.  He reached 5th place in the NCAA regionals in foil losing out to an Olympian and future Olympian.

Coach Ahmad comes to us from the country of Kuwait.  Like the rest of our staff, he has been trained in the Russian style of fencing and coaching. He was on the Cadet and Junior teams for Kuwait before coming to the US as a student athlete.  Coach Ahmad also trains in boxing and is a kids favorite since he is so positive and light hearted about the sport he loves so much.  He teaches foil and epee as well as oversees part of our physical fitness training program and does a great job of it!

Phillip Tangel

Safe Sport Certified

Coach Philip has been fencing since he was 12 and later joined his high school team in Long Island, NY. That was a wee bit ago. He won multiple school awards and later became president and saber coach at The Fencing Club at Albany. He made his C rating in Saber in Albany. Like coach Eric, Philip considers himself a New Yorker at heart, but Cleveland has become his home. He moved to Cleveland in 2015.
Philip likes his board games (Dungeons and Dragons) and the outdoors. Who doesn’t with our awesome Metropark system?!

Sergey Kobzar

Safe Sport Certified

Sergey comes to us from San Diego California. Born in the USSR and trained in the famous Soviet system, Sergey comes to us with a pedigree we could only dream of.  Once again, CFA has nabbed the best available coach in the United States.

Notable Students:
• James Williams – Member of USA National Team, 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist – USA Team Saber.
• Kevin Madrid – Silver and Bronze Medalist PanAmerican Cadet and Junior Games.
• Annika Davis – Division 1 Women’s Sabre NAC Champion USA.
• Victor Bianchini – Word Champion USA Veterans Sabre Team.

Starting from 2023-2024 season Sergey will be leading our saber program to take it to the highest heights of our region.
His passions include his SPHYNX cat, Blues and Classic Rock, watching every season of Formula One Championship for 35 years.