Here's a news release from a brand-new enterprise:
Local residents interested in expanding their fitness options will have a new choice to consider when En Garde: Batavia, a new fencing club, opens on July 1 in the Artisan Center on Harvester Avenue.
Several classes will be available for adults and children. No prior athletic experience is necessary.
Colin Dentino, a Batavia resident and lifelong fencing enthusiast, is the owner/lead instructor of En Garde: Batavia and believes that the benefits of the sport are far-reaching.
“Fencing is great because it allows anyone to be successful," he said. "Each fencer has his/her own style and technique so everyone you fence is a different puzzle to be solved."
Dentino first started fencing at the age of 4 under the guidance of Sir John Halasz, from the esteemed Hungarian fencing program.
“I’ve been trained more as a fencing coach than a fencer,” he notes.
Sport fencing is an interval-based sport with ties to martial arts and yoga. Interval-based physical activities burn 30 percent more calories than steady-state exercise. But beyond that, fencing is a sport that can be enjoyed by the entire family, for a lifetime.
“It can be great fun to come in as a family and get everyone involved,” Dentino said. “Because people with various fitness levels can be successful fencers, it can build confidence for those new to exercise.”
The benefits of fencing do not stop there; fencing is a game of analytical decision making and as such, can improve things like creative problem solving and long-term goal planning.
“Fencing is referred to as ‘physical chess’,” Dentino says, “It’s not always the case that the stronger, faster fencer wins.”
Hourly afternoon and evening classes meet twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays and also on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning July 1. Hours are 4 to 5, 5 to 6, 6 to 7, and 7 to 8.
Children and adults aged “5 to 95" who are interested in "health and mental wellness” are encouraged to attend. Monthly cost is a flat $50 per person, and includes all equipment. There are no long-term contracts, it's a month-to-month deal.
Weekly summer camp sessions for children aged 9 to 16 and up run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. starting in mid-July and continuing until late August. Cost is $125 a week and includes all equipment. The schedule is as follows:
• July 12 – 16
• July 19 – 23
• July 26 – 30
• August 2 – 6
• August 9 – 13
• August 16 – 20
• August 23 - 27
For more information about En Garde: Batavia, contact Colin Dentino at 585-409-3993, email at engardebatavia@me.com, or visit www.engardebatavia.com.
