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Danny Assad - Head Coach

As a long-time student of fencing Danny enjoys teaching and

watching his students succeed.  Danny started fencing at age 5 and

learned how to fence from the previous coach of SIFC Steve Khinoy. 

Once he became older Danny began taking fencing more seriously

and started to train and take lesions at the Fencers Club in Manhattan

over 5 years. Danny has competed in numerous fencing events all 

across the country including summer nationals and junior Olympics. 

Danny's family would plan and take vacations that would coincide

with many of these events. Danny was also a Staten Island Advance

All Star as a Tottenville High School fencer.  Danny was named

Head Coach of the SIFC in December of 2018.

           

In Danny's professional life he has a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics and currently works as a Project Manager for a telecommunication company.  Danny has found that fencing has helped in his life, enabling him to develop life skills to a higher level.  For example, fencing has helped him learn to focus and listen as well and taught him to be careful but decisive.  Fencing overall is a great sport and Danny enjoys teaching it to people.

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Evan Arbeitman - Epee Coach

Evan Arbeitman is our guest Coach teaching Epee to our advance students

in the Knights class.  Coach Evan is an accomplished Epee fencers with

a great resume that includes top finishes in PSAL tournaments in 2010 &

2011. PSAL Boys Fencing Invitational 2010-11 Second Place finish. PSAL

Boys Fencing Individuals 2010-2011 Second Place Finish. PSAL Boys 

Fencing Season Opener 2010-11 Bronze Finish. Rutgers University fencing

team 2011 to 2015 and was the Rutgers University Epee team Captain in

2015. USACFC top 4 finish team Epee in 2012.  Evan was USACFC individual

qualifier in Epee in 2015.  Evan was a fencing student of the Staten Island

Fencing Centers Coach StephenKhinoy and was a frequent participant in

open fencing here at the SIFC.In 2022 Evan has joined our club doing

special training in Epee to our students of the Knights!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 David Setlow - Club President & Manager

 

David has been a member of the Staten Island Fencing Center since 2004

when he and daughter Corinne began with an 8-week introduction course.

His wife, Deborah, knowing David's fascination with sword fighting in

movies, found out about the club and signed them up. David was 48 at the

time and Corinne was 13.  Both David and Corinne enjoyed it so much they

became club members and took regular classes every week.  Corinne joined

her high school fencing team at the High School of Art & Design in

Manhattan and became the team Captain and assistant Coach and led the

team to its first PSAL playoffs in years.

David soon became a board member, working along with Club President

& Coach Susan Monardo and Founder and Head Coach Stephan Khinoy.

He helped in several areas including the move to some of the different locations that the club called home, even helping to build the new facilities.  Utilizing his skills as an artist and designer, David created posters, promotional flyers and ads and other graphics for the SIFC including several  logos the club still uses.  He spearheaded important marketing initiatives to promote the club including having the SIFC host a vendor table at the Richmond County Fair and the Back to the Beach Festival. 

When Club President Stephan Khinoy decided to retire in 2018, David was named the new President and ran the SIFC along with fellow board members Ed Shaughnessy and Alan Miller.  Ed Shaughnessy passed away in 2019 and management of the SIFC is done by David who oversees the clubs’ finances, promotion, website, and equipment purchases and repairs.  He oversees Friday night Open Fencing while the teaching of all club classes and private lessons is handled by Coach Danny Assad, Michael Dote, David Godovich & Evan Arbitman.

Outside of fencing, David has been a professional designer and Art Director of high-end carpet for one of New York’s most prestigious interior design carpet and fabric companies for over 43 years.  He is currently a freelance carpet designer and illustrator. David is a graduate of the High School of Art & Design and has a BFA from the School of Visual Arts, both schools are in Manhattan.

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David Godovich - Assistant Coach/Armorer

We are excited to add to our staff David Godovich, David will be acting as 

an assistant coach to Head Coach Danny Assad on our Musketeer class on

Saturday mornings. In addition to assisting Coach Danny David will also be

our new armorer taking care of repairs to your damaged weapons.

David started fencing at Hunter College High School in 2015.  He had a 

successful record with Hunter's PSAL team, including 4th place at Boy's

Fencing Individuals 2017-2018, and leading the team as Foil Captain to a 

third place finish in the city playoff.  Continuing fencing during college, David

became the armorer of the Binghamton University Fencing Club.  As armorer

for two years he maintained and repaired all the club equipment as needed.

During his senior year David was the president of the BUFC and brought the

club to it's first ever showing at the USACFC Nationals.

          

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Michael Dote - Foil Coach

 

Michael Dote is a private lesson Foil Coach for our newer students who

wish to do mostly private lessons in Foil. Michael has been a fencing coach at

the Brooklyn Fencing Club from 2004 to 2008 and coached at the New

Amsterdam Fencing Academy from 2016 to 2019.Many of Michael's students

have gone on to great success on the local, regional and national levels.

Professionally Michael is the Founder and CEO of Foxing Productions and the 

owner of Mike Dote Photography.  He has done photography for the U.S.

Olympic Fencing Team.

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Brian Pan- Foil Coach

Brian began fencing at Tottenville High School in 2006 during his

sophomore year. He started taking lessons at the Staten Island Fencing

Center from Coach Stephan Khinoy.  During his senior year of high school,

he co-captained theTottenville fencing team as foil captain.  Brian has been

a regular at Friday night Open Fencing and has occasionally helped with

group classes on Saturdays.  Brian will be giving private lessons on 

Fridays and Saturdays and will be assisting Coach Danny on group

classes on Saturdays.

           

Outside of fencing , Brian is currently a senior at Macauay Honors

College at CUNY Baruch in his final semester. He is majoring in

Finance with a minor in Data Analytics.

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