Current Coaches and
Instructors
Stanley Yee - Head Coach -
Foil, Epée, Sabre
Stanley
is a protégé of Master Zachary Kotlyar, studying under him since 1990. Stanley
has become an accomplished foil fencer in the 1990s winning several
individual and team medals in men's foil. He
has NCCP certification and a former Head Coach for the York University
Varsity Fencing Team and Club. His students have achieved
success at Secondary, University, Provincial, National, and
International level tournaments. He brings over 35 years of
coaching, martial arts, and fencing experience. Stanley has a
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from York University and a Marketing
Management Post-Diploma from Seneca College. Stanley is a former educational
publishing executive at Nelson Education
and
Pearson Canada. Stanley is the president, principal, and founder of the Dragon Fencing
Academy. Stanley was the Varsity Fencing Head Coach at Canada's
largest all boys boarding school,
St. Andrew's
College in Aurora from 2007 to 2020, Stanley still coaches
occasionally at St Andrews in addition to his duties running the
Dragon Fencing Academy,
Doug Tong - Kenjutsu
Sensei Tong
started his training in kenjutsu in 1990 in Japan. He studied in
some of the most illustrious schools of classical Japanese
swordsmanship. Mr. Tong studied Katori Shinto Ryu directly under
the late Master Yoshio Sugino in Kawasaki-shi. He was one of the
last direct pupils of Yoshio Sugino sensei. Mr. Tong also
studied Yagyu Shinkage Ryu directly under the tutelage of the
late Master Masao Mutoh in Zushi-shi. He currently continues his
studies in Yagyu Shinkage Ryu directly under the tutelage of
Mutoh sensei’s successor, Master Yasushi Kajitsuka in Japan.
Mr. Tong is the leader of the official study group in Canada of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu (Ohtsubo Branch). Mr. Tong has
over 35 years of sword arts and teaching experience and brings a
unique perspective and knowledge of Japanese sword fighting. He
is the founder of Tokumeikan, an organization dedicated to the
study of classical Japanese swordsmanship. Mr. Tong has a
Masters Degree in Education and is an elementary school teacher.
Scott Brodie -
Kenjutsu (Arakido)
Scott is one of
the instructors of Tokumeikan, the official Keikokai (study
group) of Arakido in Canada. He is a direct student of the
Head of Arakido, Kajitsuka Yasushi Sensei and Sensei Tong. Scott has 20 years of
martial arts experience in Arakido, Katori Shinto Ryu, karate,
and jujitsu.
Michael Hastings-Grgas
- Foil, Epee
Michael started fencing
in 2006 with Master Kotlyar and Master Yee. He is a founding
member of the Dragon Fencing Academy. He teaches Foil and Epee.
Michael is a winner of several medals in Foil and Epee including 1
Foil Team Gold and 1 Epee Team Silver at the Junior Pan
Am Championships in 2013. He also a teammate and trained with
Canadian Olympic Bronze medal winner, Eleanor Harvey at Ohio State
from 2013-15. Michael has a Bachelor of Arts in
History from York University. He is the current Head Varsity Fencing
Coach at
St. Andrew's
College. Michael is available for group and private
lessons in foil and epee at the Dragon Fencing Academy.
Past
Coaching Alumnus
Valerie Ossipova -
Foil
Studying under
Master Ramil Aupov and Master Galina Ivanova at the Dynamo and
Thunderbird fencing clubs in the Republic of Bashkiria, Russia.
Valerie became the women's foil champion of Bashkiria in 1992, 1993
and won the Cup of Bashkiria in 1992. In 1994 she became a Champion
of Russia in the team event. Valerie is the 2003 Ontario Provincial
Women's Foil Champion in the individual and team event.
Valerie is a Russian Master of Sport in foil. Valerie has a Masters
Degree in Education.
Nick Priore - Foil,
Epee, Sabre, Kenjutsu
Nick started fencing
in 2006 with Master Kotlyar and Master Yee. He is a founding
member of the Dragon Fencing Academy. Nick has his community
coaching certificate for foil in 2010. Nick also studied
Kenjutsu under Sensei Tong. Nick has a Bachelor of Science in Environment
Science and a Bachelors of Arts in Education from the
University of Toronto. He is a
science teacher at St. Thomas of Villanova College in King City..
Trent Wylie - Foil
Trent started fencing
foil in 2007 at the academy under the tutelage of Master Kotlyar and
Master Yee. Trent earned his community
coaching certificate for foil in 2011. Trent has a Bachelor of Science and
Management from the University of Ontario Institute of
Technology. He is a Chemical Technologist at the Ministry of
the Environment and Climate Change.
Dr.
David Donovan - Foil
Dr.
David Donovan started his fencing career at the University of New
Brunswick and continued under Master Kotlyar in 1990 at York,
where Dave completed his PhD in physics. Dave is an atmospheric
research scientist at
The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute in the
Netherlands, He continues to fence and represent
Canada in the Netherlands.
Dr. Julio Martinez-Trujillo - Foil, Epée
Dr. Julio Martinez-Trujillo began fencing in the1980s in his native
Cuba and in the 1990s at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen,
Germany. In 2001, Julio came to Toronto for his post doctoral
studies at York University. Dr. Martinez-Trujillo is a MD and PhD. Dr. Martinez-Trujillo is a Professor in the
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
and Department of Psychology at Schulich School of Medicine &
Dentistry at Western University.
Dr. Alexandre
Sévigny - Sabre
Dr. Alexandre Sevigny started fencing in 1990 with Master Kotlyar and expanded his studies
with Master
Jennay (Racing Club de France - Paris), Master Vladimir Solomon, and
Master Ken Wood. Dr. Sevigny is a former York University
Varsity Head Coach and has NCCP
designation. Dr. Sevigny has a PhD in computational linguistics and is an
Associate
Professor in the Department of Communication Studies and Meda Arts at McMaster University.
Filip Kotlyar - Foil
Filip started fencing
when he was 6 years old under the tutelage of his father, Master Kotlyar.
Filip has won several medals when he was a cadet and a junior. Filip has
a bachelors degree in business from York University and a Real
Estate Broker and founder of Urban Homes Realty in Markham.
Christopher
Sévigny - Sabre
Christopher started fencing when he was15 with Master Kotlyar and
continued with Master Vladimir Solomon, Fred Granek and his brother,
Dr.Alexandre Sévigny. Chris is the Ontario Junior Provincial Men's Sabre
Champion in 2000. Chris has a Master of Science in
Psychology from McMaster
University.
Vyacheslav Golubyev -
Epée
Vyacheslav started
fencing at age 13 with the "Galleon" Fencing Club in Lviv, Ukraine under
Master Mas'ko and Master Orlikovsky. In 1998, Slava continued his
studies in Canada under the tutelage of Master Kotlyar, Dr.
Sévigny and Master Yee. In 2000, Slava became the Ontario Junior
Provincial Men's
Epée Champion. Slava has a Bachelor or Arts in Economics from York
University.
In Memoriam
Dr. Zachary Kotlyar
- Master of Arms
Dr. Zachary Kotlyar
was a winner of numerous international fencing tournaments and a
former Soviet National Champion.
Master Kotlyar held the positions of the State
Coach of
Fencing of Sport Committee for the City of Kiev, Vice-Principal Spartak Olympic Reserve Fencing School in Kiev,
Coach of Dynamo
Kiev Fencing Club, Bercalieri Fencing Club (Rome), and the York
University Fencing Club. Under his supervision these fencing clubs made
significant contribution to the World and Olympic Fencing: 1980 Olympic
Champion Vladimir Smirnov, World Champions Serguei Kravchuck, and
Alexandre Bykov.
Master Kotlyar
earned a PhD in pedagogical sciences and sports psychology specializing
in the Olympic sport of fencing from Kiev State University and the
Institute of Physical Education and Sports. Master Kotlyar had the
very rare and distinct honour of holding the title of Maitre D'Armes in
all three weapon categories: Foil,
Epée, and Sabre,
After immigrating to Canada
Master Kotlyar taught math at Vaughan secondary. Master
Kotylar passed away on May 29th, 2021. Master Kotlyar's teachings
are the foundation of the Dragon Fencing Academy. His wisdom,
knowledge and passion for fencing lives on with his students,
Asti Livingston -
Women's Foil Team Captain
Asti was a founding
member of the dragon Fencing Academy. Originally her children
started lessons, she quickly decided that she wanted to learn
how to fence as well. At the age of 31 she took up the sport of
fencing and she quickly became an active member of the academy,
always helping out with demonstrations and actively competing in
tournaments. Winning many medals at domestic tournaments she
became quite an accomplished fencer under the tutelage of Master
Kotlyar and Master Yee. In addition to being a fencer she was
an actor, singer, writer, PADI Master scuba diver, and
a certified pilot on many aircraft. Asti passed away on
September 16, 2021 in a tragic plane accident. She was a very
positive role model to all our members. We will miss her
gregarious personality and charming smile. She has left an
everlasting impression to all who knew her.
