Rob
Handelman
Personal History:
In 1974, Maître Rob Handelman joined Halberstadt Fencers’ Club in San Francisco, and was the head coach until 1982. He started a private practice as a Doctor of Chiropractic specializing in sports injuries in 1983, and semi-retired from chiropractic in 2005. Rob began fencing in 1968 in New York and competed in sabre. After university, Rob spent nearly three years in Paris at the Institut National des Sports (INS), earning his Fencing Master credential in all three weapons (sabre, foil, and épée). He is one of only three Americans to ever graduate from the INS.
Competitive Experience:
He was an A-rated competitor in the three weapons and fenced in many European "A" World Cup competitions. His students have been national finalists, national team members, and national champions in all three weapons. He was head coach for the varsity team at UC Berkeley, has taught coaches' clinics for the US Fencing Association at the Olympic training center at Squaw Valley, and training camps for our top junior fencers. He has coached US teams at the Olympic Sports Festivals, World Cup Events and Junior World Championships. Maître Handelman has also been the chair of the certification board for the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association, and is currently President. He organizes and teaches coaching clinics in San Francisco, throughout the U.S. and internationally. He is a co-author of two fencing texts that are both used to train coaches in the US and Canada - Fencing Sabre: A Practical Guide for Training Young Athletes (2010) and Fencing Foil: A Practical Training Guide for Coaches, Parents and Young Athletes (2014).
USFCA Credentials:
Maître d'Armes
Currently teaches:
youth/junior sabre program
Goals for their students:
Our program helps children learn new skills, set goals, overcome adversity, and exhibit good sportsmanship while having fun and building character. The sport of fencing is a conduit for young athletes to develop skills and learn life lessons that have a beneficial and positive impact on their lives. We focus on properly preparing our fencers so that they can achieve their full potential locally, nationally, and internationally.