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Mechanicsville Fencing Academy (MFA) is a club dedicated to the purpose of teaching the art of fencing. We offer both competitive and recreational instruction. We want you to enjoy fencing, get a great workout, and sharpen your mind. Our atmosphere is safe and we strive to develop our students to their highest potential. The end result is to become the best fencer you can be and still have fun. Come meet us and begin learning and exercising with one of the oldest sports in history. |
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In his younger years, he did nearly every sport in existence--baseball, football, and everything in between. It was not till college that he discovered the sport of fencing. Coach Bobby Robinson began his fencing career when he took a PE class at VCU in 1987. The coach at VCU saw he had potential and recommended he try out for the team. He then transferred to BYU and continued to fence at his new school. At BYU coach Robinson’s best finish was 8th out of 123. The tournament was a regional event with fencers from California, Arizona, Washington, and Oregon. At BYU he had two coaches--one who loved offence, and one who loved defense. From their examples he learned a well rounded game and approach to fencing. He then moved to North Carolina and taught fencing at the local YMCA. He later moved to Mechanicsville and in 2003 began a fencing club in a 16 by 20 room lent to them by Krieg Simpson of the School of Dance Arts. Since then he has placed consistently in State and National tournaments. |
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Jenna Robinson started 2003 when her Dad started the fencing academy in Mechanicsville. She was the first in the club to go to Junior Olympics, and has attended Junior Olympics five times since. She has attended over twelve national tournaments and placed at sectionals at various times in her career. Recently she has split her fencing career between coaching and competing at MFA during the spring and summer. During the fall and winter she is the captain of the fencing club and teaches the classes offered by the club at Brigham Young University - Idaho. |
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Shane Robbinson was inspired to start fencing because of his father, and wanted to begin as early as possible. Because of the difference in age from the rest of the students, he was unable to start until the age of ten. From there he began to practice fencing from the bottom up. He began when the club met in a small karate studio, and built his way up as the club began to expand. In 2004, MFA moved into the basement of Walnut Grove Baptist Church. With this expansion more people were able to fence and be fenced. By the age of thirteen--the age when a person can enter non youth tournaments--shane was already high in the ranks of his club, even against his young age. After this, Shane's skill grew exponentially. In the 2005 summer nationals in Atlanta, Shane was ranked in the top 32 in the nation. In Chicago 2008, Shane placed in the top 32 in division three, men's four. In the 2009 summer national, Shane placed in the top 20 in the nation. And in 2010, Shane won the Virginia State Championship, becoming the fourth B in Virginia, The 2010 Champion, and his head coaches biggest rival.
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