About | South Denver Fencing Academy

The Sport

Modern Olympic fencing is a fast paced combat sport. Fencers are strong athletes who are able to make tactical decisions and execute precise form while accelerating faster than a race car. Fencing’s combination of athleticism and complex mental components make it one of the most challenging sports in the world. Fencing is one of the four sports that has been included in every modern Olympic games since the first Olympiad (Athens 1896). There are three different weapons contested at the Olympics: Foil, Epee, and Sabre.

The Club

South Denver Fencing Academy, established in 2004, is located in Centennial, Colorado. Our facility is 5,600 square feet, especially designed for fencing. The fencing rooms have 13 feet from the floor to the lights, year round climate control, and floors designed to deaden impact. We have five fully regulation strips with electronic scoring systems and underground wiring. Our club teaches foil and Epee to students of all ages from ages 7 to 70+. Our fencers have fenced all over the world and have represented many NCAA teams at the collegiate level.

The Coaches & Staff

Coach Matt

Head Coach & Owner

Matthew Jordan, is a Colorado native who has been involved with the sport of fencing for over 30 years. Coach Matt is a certified coach with the United States Fencing Association and has completed courses through the National Coaches College and the Black Star Epee Program. He has trained hundreds of fencers, with many of his top fencers competing nationally and internationally. After overcoming a stroke in infancy, Matt went on to become nationally ranked fencer in both Foil and Epee, making the finals at a number of national tournaments. He holds a B.A. in Theology.

Coach Jeffrey

Coach & Owner

Jeffrey Miller has been fencing since 1999. Jeffrey has fenced internationally representing the United State, been a nationally and internationally ranked fencer, and holds an A rating as well as national referee certification for both Epee and Foil. Jeffrey fenced Epee for Penn State University where the team won the NCAA National Championship in 2014. Coach Jeffrey is a practicing attorney in Colorado and Washington D.C with a B.A. in Political Science from Penn State University and a J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Coach Cole

Assistant Coach

Matthew Cole has been involved in fencing since 2003. He started his career in fencing in Minnesota and Georgia before joining us in Colorado in 2011 as a competitive fencer, certified referee, and coach. He has also earned the rank of Prevot D’Epee with the United States Fencing Coaches Association. He holds a B.S. from Washington University and an International M.B.A. from the University of Denver.

Coach Ari

Assistant Coach

Ari Gold began fencing in 2004 as part of South Denver Fencing Academy’s initial Intro to Fencing class and has remained a dedicated fencer ever since. He has competed at both regional and national levels and continues to compete locally. Ari holds a B.S. in Psychology from Colorado State University and a Masters in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Harvard University.

Ginny Tory

Front Desk

Ginny Tory is a professional sports & science photographer and competitive sailor. She has been racing sailboats since 2009 and now leads the Denver yacht club. Ginny covers a wide range of sports as a photojournalist and can commonly be found shooting at fencing competitions. She has a B.S. in Botany and Horticulture from Penn State University.