about

The Cabrillo Academy of the Sword was opened in February of 1996 at the location it still occupies. It has a threefold mission: (1) to provide a source of high-level, professional fencing instruction for the San Diego area (2) To offer a place for recreational fencers to learn the sport and to enjoy it on a regular basis, and (3) To provide the facilities, instruction and training to enable tournament fencers to be successful at the highest competitive levels.

That the club has been able to achieve these goals can be determined by the fact that roughly two-thirds of its members are recreational fencers, almost all of whom learned to fence right here.

In competition on the world stage, at Veteran World Championships our fencers have won two silver medals in Women's Sabre and a bronze medal in Men's Epee. At the national level, it is currently two national championships in Women's open Sabre, one in Veteran Women's Sabre & one in Veteran Men's Epee. Moreover, they have earned national medals in Men’s Foil and Veteran Men’s Sabre. Locally Cabrillo fencers have captured a large portion of the gold, silver, & bronze medals warded in San Diego every year.

Of our approximately 100 members, about a third are female. Currently our youngest fencers are 10 years old while our oldest are in their eighties.

Fencing is classified as a “Lifetime Sport” by the president’s council of Physical Fitness, which means that it can be learned and enjoyed at almost any age. However for instructional reasons, we set a minimum age of 10 years for participation in our group classes, but will take a student as young as eight for private lessons.