History

Kanza Fencing Club, situated in Salina, Kansas may seem an unlikely place for a world class fencing club to start, but it has grown to become
one of the most successful clubs in the Midwest.

In 1996 Gia Kvaratskhelia moved to Salina, Kansas from the Republic of Georgia. Gia was a successful member of the USSR and Georgian
fencing teams. He started the club with the help of Dr. Merle "Boo" Hodges. Coyote Fencing Club, as it was called, grew and developed
producing some of the highest caliber fencers in the United States. In 2006 Gia left Kanza to become the foil coach at Notre Dame University.
Recently he has lead the Notre Dame team to second place in the NCAA National Championships.

The empty coaching spot was filled by a friend of Gia's, Anna Katkova. Anna had visited the club a year before to help lead a summer camp.
When she heard Gia was leaving she jumped at the opportunity to come back to the United States and coach. Anna is a native of the Ukraine
and until 2006 she was the coach of the Ukrainian Women's Junior Foil Team. Coach Anna has since expanded the club and lead it to new
heights.

-From 1996 to 2008 Kanza's roster has risen from 5 to more than 30 fencers.

-Many high school graduates have gone on to fence collegiately:

Eric McConkey (Cleveland State)
Ryan Dunn (US Air Force Academy)
Chris Miller (Penn State)
Christina Tillman (US Air Fore Academy)
Steve Kubik (Notre Dame)
Mark Kubik (Notre Dame)
Teddy Hodges (Notre Dame)
Oksana Dmytruk (Ohio State University)

-Two fencers, Ryan Dunn and Chris Miller, have represented the United States and the USFA as Junior World Team members.

-The Kanza Fencing Team is the three time winner of the National Men's Open Foil Team Championships.

-Slavic Grigoriev of Westchester Fencing Academy (NY)
-Gary Copeland and Andrea Lagan of Northern Colorado (CO)
-Gia Abashidze of Ohio State University (OH)
-Julie Smith and Bethany Cox of Salle d'Escrime (UT)
-Emila Ivanova of Heartland Fencing Academy (KS)
-Kit Boesch of Lincoln Fencing (NE)
-Kelly Williams of Kansas City Fencing (MO)
-Ron Miller of the University of North Carolina

Our members and students represent both genders and all age groups. Some aspire to high-level national and international competition,
while others fence purely for exercise and enjoyment.
At Kanza we are committed to nurturing each individual's fencing goals - from achieving a better level of fitness, earning personal
recognition on the national fencing circuit, through acquiring college scholarships.