Coaches
Salle Auriol provides coaching in all three weapons.
Maitre Leon Auriol Foil, Epee, Sabre
Maitre Auriol has been a fencing master for almost 50 years and is the namesake of our club. He is from Toulouse, France and moved to the US in the early 1960s. He is a past US National coach, US Pentathlon coach, Pan American Team coach, and Canadian Olympic coach. His students have many national and international medals to their credit, both individual and team. Maitre Auriol is a three weapon master (foil, epee, and sabre) and teaches fencers of all ages.
Marshall Hibnes Foil, Epee
Marshall is the President of Salle Auriol Seattle, serves as the Chair of Coaching Programs for the club and is a protege of Maitre Leon Auriol. Under the guidance of Maitre Auriol, Marshall has coached various Salle Auriol Seattle fencers to nine World Championships. Marshall's students have earned more than 150 national and international medals, including several National Championships. Marshall teaches foil and epee to youth, junior, and adult fencers.
Russ Redding Foil, Epee
Russ has over 35 years of fencing experience and is a member of Salle Auriol Seattle's Board of Directors. He has been the Washington State champion in foil, epee, and sabre many times. In addition to competing, he teaches and coaches all three weapons. Russ is certified as a level four coach by the USFA Fencing Coaches College. Russ has worked as an assistant NCAA coach and has taught a number of collegiate and community fencing classes. He works with both recreational and competitive fencers of all ages, from youth to adult.
Nikita Sakhanenko Saber
Nikita began fencing twenty-two years ago at the age of eight in Novosibirsk. From 1986 to 1998 he studied sabre under the tutelage of Alexander Mashin and Andrey Butakov. From 1994 to 1995 he was a member of the cadet saber fencing team of the Novosibirsk region of the Russian Federation, during which period he participated in a number of national and international competitions. After attending university he continued to practice and compete locally. In 1997 he acted as assistant youth coach at his club, "Victoria". In Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Nikita later attended school, he became personal coach for several sabre fencers, although there was no fencing club at the time. In 2005 he joined the newly established Duke City Fencing Club as a sabre coach. Nikita taught sabre fencing classes for adults and youth, giving private lessons, and teaching fencing footwork classes. In 2008, Nikita moved to Seattle and began coaching at, and competing for Salle Auriol.
George Tidrick Foil
George Tidrick started fencing 1999, and actively competes in foil and epee. He has coached foil since 2002. George coaches beginning and intermediate classes, as well as training foil fencers for recreational and competitive fencing.
Stewart Stremel Foil, Epee, Saber
Stewart Stremel has fenced since 1989 in foil, epee, and sabre. Stewart has been coaching foil and sabre since 1994 and epee since 2004. Stewart works with both recreational and competitive fencers of all ages.
Mitch Kief Foil, Epee
Mitch has been fencing at Salle Auriol since 1989 and teaching beginning classes since 1992. Mitch likes working with beginning and recreational fencers.
Instructors
Kathryn Bernstein
Kathryn began fencing in 2000 at Northern Colorado Fencers in Boulder, Colorado. Competing in many national and international competitions, she medalled 20 times at the national level. At ten, Kathryn became assistant instructor, eventually running several children's classes. Kathryn continues her teaching career at Salle Auriol where she assists with several classes, and leads her own epee practice on Mondays.
Laura Clement
Laura is an assistant instructor with the after school program for ten to fourteen year olds. She is lead instructor for Saturday's youth class. Laura has fenced Sabre for nine years and epee for one and is a national medal winner in sabre.
Monica Exum
Monica is lead instructor for Salle Auriol's Introduction to Fencing for seven to nine year olds. She is Coordinator for Salle Auriol's Camp Program. Monica has fenced epee for twenty-three years and has medalled in national competitions.
Alaina Floyd
Alaina started fencing epee in 2005 on the Clemson University fencing
team. After four years of competing at the collegiate level, she
entered the national scene, earning a top 8 finish and a silver medal
in her first Div III and Div II North American Cup. In the fall of
2009, she joined Salle Auriol Seattle and has continued fencing at the
national level. Alaina has been assistant instructor for the Saturday class since 2009 and became head instructor in the spring of 2012.
Catherine Slaton
Catherine instructs sabre in SAS' Introduction to Fencing program for seven to nine year olds. She has fenced sabre since 2006 and holds three national medals.