Lexington, KY - Tucked inside a non-descript building off Clays Mill Road in Keithshire Place, the Bluegrass Fencing Club is one of Lexington's best kept secrets. During a regular Thursday night practice, electronic buzzers sound as masked, white-clad figures wield their swords and twist their bodies in eager attempts to touch their opponents.
Many may not realize that fencing, which is one of only four sports to be included in every modern Olympic Games since the first in 1896, is offered in Lexington. But after spending some time with coach Amgad Khazbak, it's clear that not only is the Bluegrass Fencing Club alive and well, but it also boasts some of the best young fencers on the planet.
The mastermind behind the team, Egyptian-born Khazbak acquired a working visa in 2003 and moved his family to Lexington the year after a short coaching stint in Houston, Texas.
Originally working as a civil engineer in his native country, Khazbak heard there was a lack of good coaches in the United States, which prompted him to pursue his first love: fencing.
After viewing Khazbak's resume, it's clear he has one major advantage to his credit which has undoubtedly helped account for the success of his team: he has coached all over the world. After leading fencing teams in France, Germany, Hungary, as well as his native Egypt, Khazbak honed in on the best strategies and techniques from each country, which he has now instilled in his Lexington students according to their levels of skill.
"Seeing all these other schools helped me know exactly what is suitable for every fencer. We are working here with different levels," said Khazbak, who also teaches weekly fencing classes at the Beaumont Centre YMCA and Eastern Kentucky University, in addition to the Bluegrass Fencing Club in Keithshire Place. "Some people come here just to (practice) the sport. Others want to compete only in Kentucky, and some people want to compete internationally. So there are all kinds of choices, all kinds of levels."
Khazbak said there are about 50 active fencers in Lexington, and around 150 total in the state of Kentucky.
While some of the Bluegrass fencers practice once a week, others that compete internationally practice four to five days a week. The club also has summer, winter and spring camps for members and non-members to improve physical fitness and individual skills.
Khazbak caught his first glimpse of fencing at age 10 in Egypt while working at a fitness club. "I asked the coach if I could try (the sport), and he said yes," he remembered.
"I started to find out that I was good and I began to practice more and joined the international team," said Khazbak, who has competed in the World Championship and World Cup (the two most important international fencing competitions).
Like many successful coaches of other various sports, however, Khazbak eventually found he was much better at educating others than advancing his own career.
"I was competing in the World Cup and World Championship, but I didn't get the results I wanted," he said. "So I try to accomplish these results with my fencers; I try to extend my own fencing life with my fencers. I'm doing what I didn't do when I was fencing."
Khazbak said in addition to being an extremely competitive sport, fencing is also beneficial for people with special needs, or for those who are recovering from accidents and injuries.
"We are different from all other sports in the world in the way we talk, communicate with one another, and help each other," he explained. "It's a mentally and physically challenging sport. It takes a lot of coordination between the brain and the muscles.
"(In this sport) it's also important for people to have good attitudes and etiquette, because in fencing, violence is not allowed. There are no injuries in our sport."
Before fencing matches it is typical for opponents to salute each other and shake hands before and after each competition.
"(In fencing), there is no body contact; you always work with the sword," said Khazbak, who explained how specially designed masks and jackets provide fencers with all the necessary protection.
There are three types of weapons used in fencing: foil, epÈe and sabre, each of which has a specific purpose and strategy. Fencers are placed in competitions according to which weapon he or she will be using.
"The different weapons are for the different personalities of the fencer," Khazbak said. "So everyone can choose which weapon is suitable for them. The main object (of fencing) is to touch your opponent before he can defend himself. You try to find a way to be faster and touch your opponent before they touch you."
To be a successful fencer, one must be agile and quick on his or her feet. In practice and competition, the validity of touches is determined by an electronic scoring device, with an audible tone that indicates when a touch is landed. The system is used to minimize human error and bias in judging.
In true coaching fashion, Khazbak doesn't hesitate when he's talking about what he likes most about his job. "I like seeing the results (of my fencers), especially in the World Championships," he said. "Coaches and fencers from all over the world know my name and know my results."
Two of Khazbak's biggest bragging points - sisters and Dunbar high school students Lee and Alex Kiefer - have been practicing the sport for nearly a decade.
Lee took silver in the cadet women's foil division of the recent World Championships in Belfast, Ireland, April 5, and on April 11 fenced in the team event, helping the U.S. Junior Women's Foil Team take the gold.
"Lee is one of the best fencers in the world," Khazbak said, his face beaming. "I promise she will get a medal in the next Olympic games."
Blushing, Lee, 14, humbly talked about how she had first learned the sport from her father, who was a competitive fencer in college.
"I had seen him fence before and thought it was so cool, and then he started showing me the footwork and we started taking classes in Louisville," she remembered. "Then I was stuck in it, and I didn't really like it for the first couple years, but I didn't really have a choice. But once you get good, it's a lot more fun."
It's safe to say that with all her success, Lee is now having the time of her life, though she has also worked extremely hard to reach the elite level where she is today.
"It's fun traveling and missing school and winning," said Lee, who practices the sport for several hours at least four times a week. "You have to practice a lot if you want to be good. (Fencing) teaches you a lot of stuff - like to be dedicated and work hard."
"Everyone who comes (to the club) a lot, we're pretty much all like siblings," she continued. "People at school think (the fact I'm a fencer) is really funny. They're like, 'So, were you out poking people this weekend?' and I'm like, 'Sure.' People also ask, 'Can you kill people?' and I say, 'No, sorry.' I try to explain fencing for about 20 seconds, and then realize I'm not getting anywhere. It's hard to explain that it's a real sport."
Of her recent runner-up finish against fencers in her age group from all over the world, Lee said, "I know it was really good I got it, but at the same time, I was really disappointed because I always lose to the same girl - she lives in Brooklyn."
Alex Kiefer, 16, placed second in the World Cup this year in France. The sibling rivalry with her sister is strangely reminiscent of prominent tennis players Venus and Serena Williams.
"(Lee) is more aggressive than I am and better than me overall," Alex admitted. "I definitely like the competitions the best and doing well. I like traveling a lot, and it's cool that fencing has given me the opportunity to do that."
Admittedly, Alex said that crossing swords with her sister was the most challenging aspect of the sport. "When I was younger, it was harder for me to practice regularly, because it was just tiring. But now the hardest thing is fencing Lee, of course. Sometimes we'll go all the way over to Europe and fence each other and I'll lose, and it's not a big deal, just frustrating."
Some of Khazbak's other talented fencers include his 12-year-old son, Hazem, and 9-year-old daughter, Mayar; Lee and Alex Kiefer's 12-year-old brother, Axel; and Frank Thomiszer and Josh Preston.
In the future, Khazbak said he would continue pursuing the main mission of the club: to help everyone, regardless of skill level, be the best they can possibly be.
"Some people come here to just do the sport, and some come to be a champion," he said. "I know exactly how to work with different people, and I have different goals for different people. All are welcome. Some people that come here are over 65 years old, and I think that's great."
For more information on the Bluegrass Fencers' Club, visit www.bluegrassfencers.com.