Gold Blade Fencing Center

I fenced at Gold Blade Fencing Center 3 nights a week from 2003-2006. After 2006, I left DFW to attend college, but I still fenced at GBFC as much as possible when I was home from school. I left DFW in 2013, but I still try to visit the club for good fencing and to see great friends whenever I am back in town.Fencing at GBFC helped me grow as a person. At GBFC, I learned how to fence at an internationally competitive level, and the coaching I received helped me become part of the 2015 NCAA Div1 National Championship Notre Dame fencing team. But more than that, I made lifelong friends with my fellow athletes and my coaches. GBFC helped me learn the value of healthy competition, physical fitness, dedication, strategic thinking, teamwork... the list goes on and on.If you're interested in a sport that will challenge you, teach you how to be a smart, tough, and healthy competitor, and will also help you stand out from the crowd when it comes to college applications or water cooler conversations, you should definitely check out GBFC.

My son really wanted to try out fencing. It seemed like a logical choice but the coaches were jerks. Well. The younger helper coaches were super nice but the owner/older men were way less than friendly and welcoming. My son really dreaded going after a few weeks. It really wasn't tailored to kids at all. Plus all their equipment smelled. The coach asked if my son was homeschooled because he "wasn't friendly." I asked if friendly was a requirement to fencing. Random. I think if I were an adult or teen wanting to try it out it would be a good fit, but definitely not for elementary school kids.

My 10 year old daughter loves the camaraderie at this center. The beginner's class held on Mondays was a great intro to the footwork, warm up and style. The coach made it fun, too. It was a group of about 8-10 students ranging in age from 6-13, and included boys and girls. The coach is very nice, attentive and strives to teach proper form. There's lots of opportunities for bouting with fencers at all levels. This is our second fencing club, and we can honestly say it's a great club to learn fencing and to foster the love for competing. It's also great to see their teen fencers both male and female--winning regional competitions.

I took my kid in to learn a new individual sport, but the moment I stepped in I regretted my decision. We went for their beginner Monday class and there maybe three people there. Not in the beginner class but in ALL. The place also does not look in good shape, the equipment they had us try on was dirty and smelled. I don't know when the last time they actually washed them. The owner, Mohamed, was rude and wanted membership fees for several months up front without really telling us what it is that he was going to offer. The beginner class definitely is not worth the price. The whole thing was very shady, which is too bad cause I really thought this would motivate my kid to do sports.

I am dissatisfied with the management of this business. On numerous occasions, when I've visited to pick up the child I care for, I've observed him sitting idle and not actively participating. It's evident that he has been treated poorly, even from an outsider's perspective. The overall operation of the business leaves much to be desired. The schedule is inconsistent, with different pickup times communicated to me on multiple occasions.Recently, we dropped off our student after he had six vials of blood drawn. We stated we would be picking him up early in order to limit his activity for health reasons. However, upon picking him up, we were informed that he couldn't participate because he was being picked up early. SO essentially, he sat there for two hours. Additionally, our student has been accused of incidents like spilling water on equipment, which I genuinely believe he did not do.Following these concerns, we decided that this facility was not suitable for our family. Today, when I went in to request a cancellation, I was met with rude behavior. I was told to "calm down," repeatedly interrupted, instructed to "sit down," and eventually left due to the disrespectful manner in which I was spoken to. When I attempted to call back to address the issue, my call was abruptly hung up on. The owners are unprofessional and rude.

My daughter has been fencing here for about one year. This is the best club in the DFW area for epee fencing. The coach is kind and good with kids, but takes class seriously. There are multiple, experienced coaches to work with. There are lots of fencers of all ages and skill-levels. On any given day you may fence a former Olympian, a couple of former National Champions, someone who has been fencing for 30 years and some people who started last week.