CHARLOTTE SABERS
FENCING ACADEMY

At Charlotte Sabres Fencing Academy (CSFA), we are on a mission to develop young athletes into champions—both on and off the fencing strip. We provide top-tier coaching, foster sportsmanship, and promote the Olympic sport of fencing throughout the Charlotte Metro Area.

Charlotte Sabres Fencing Academy (CSFA) was founded by Boris Khurgin, Maitre d'Armes, a highly respected and accomplished fencing coach with decades of experience in training elite athletes and developing young talent. As both a competitor and coach, Boris has played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of national and international champions. His expertise, leadership, and dedication to the sport of fencing form the foundation of CSFA, making it a premier training ground for fencers in the Charlotte Metro Area.

Boris Khurgin began his fencing journey in 1971 in Kharkiv, Ukraine, under the guidance of esteemed coaches Oleksii Ivanov, Boris Gontar, and Leonid Averbach. As a young competitor, he quickly rose through the ranks, earning medals at the Cadet and Junior Ukrainian Championships. His success led to his selection for the Ukrainian and USSR National "Stormbringer" Teams, a prestigious program equivalent to NCAA-level competition in the United States.

Boris's coaching career began in 1981 at the Olympic Reserve Fencing School in Kharkiv. At just 24 years old, he was appointed Sabre Head Coach at one of Ukraine’s most prestigious fencing institutions, leading his team to multiple national championship victories. During this time, he also served as the fencing coach at Kharkiv State Polytechnic University, his alma mater, mentoring young athletes while refining his approach to elite coaching.

In 1996, Boris immigrated to the United States, where his coaching career flourished. He began at the Polish-American Fencing Academy before being invited to join the NY Fencers Club and later the Manhattan Fencing Center, both among the most prestigious fencing institutions in the world. In 2007, he co-founded Island Fencing Academy in Long Island, NY, where he trained and developed numerous high-level fencers, including Sarah and Peter Pak, who went on to become national team members and world medalists.

A defining moment in Boris’s career came in 2007, when he was appointed as the USA National Junior and Cadet Sabre Team Coach by the U.S. Fencing Association (USFA). His contributions helped shape the next generation of top American fencers, including Olympians Dagmara Wozniak and Monica Aksamit, as well as Aleks Ochocki, a two-time NCAA Champion and the current Head Coach of the U.S. National Men's Sabre Team.

With a vision to bring high-level fencing instruction to the Charlotte Metro Area, Boris founded Charlotte Sabres Fencing Academy (CSFA), where he continues his mission of developing young athletes into confident and competitive fencers. His coaching philosophy is built on technical mastery, strategic understanding, and mental resilience, ensuring that every fencer reaches their highest potential. Under his leadership, many CSFA athletes have achieved regional dominance and earned national rankings, further establishing the academy as a leading fencing institution in North Carolina.