It is not about the medals - it is about what we learn chasing them.
Update! 9 10 National Medals since 2024
Dozens of Qualifiers for US National Championships
2025 USA Fencing Community Impact Award Winning Club
Top ranked fencers in Arizona in 5 categories
Nationally Ranked Athletes (i.e. US National Points Lists top 100)
GFA is Arizona’s elite fencing development program.
Join our ranks of National Medalists and Junior Olympics Athletes and compete with the best from California to New York!
The German Fencing Academy is a USA Fencing accredited program, with roots to the fencing school of Heidelberg, Germany.
Our coaches are certified at the highest level by USA Fencing, the USFCA, and the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB).
Increase discipline, focus, reaction times, and flexibility! Fencing is a sport for all ages, with competitions from Youth (6 years) to Veterans (80+), so it’s never too late to learn how to lunge, parry and riposte!
GFA is a proud partner of the Global Fencing Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed to foster fencing in underserved areas.
What we do
(and do well)
Focus and mental development.
Fundamentals and physical development.
Character development and life skills.
Physical and Character Development through Fencing
Our program develops future champions in sport and life, emphasizing discipline, grit, and good character both on and off the strip. Our standards are meant to challenge and prepare athletes for high-level fencing and meaningful living. We expect our athletes to rise to those expectations and discover the greatness we see in them.
Jens Stephan
Head Coach & Co-Founder
USFCA Master of Arms (Level 5), USFCA Master Certifier, USA Fencing Rated Referee
“More than 25 years ago, I was blessed with access to world-class coaching in Heidelberg (Germany). Now that my kids are old enough to fence, I look forward to bringing the same quality of coaching to my wife’s home-state!”
Coach Jens Stephan is accredited by the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) and a US Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) Master of Arms. He features 20+ years coaching experience at the Club, NCAA, and Federation level. His students include NCAA athletes and recruits to Columbia University, Stanford, Notre Dame, Caltech, UCSD and other outstanding academic institutions. Among his current and former students are NCAA All Americans, NCAA Regional and National Champions, as well as Junior Olympic Medalists, and World Championship Team Members.
Coach Jens is also a USA Fencing certified referee. As a competitor, he won individual and team tournaments in many countries, including the 2000 National Collegiate Championships in Germany. He was for many years on the German and US Senior Points Lists. Most recently he won bronze at the 2025 US National Championships (Vet40) and finished the 2024/25 season in 3rd place on the US National Points List.
Coach Jens also holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California and has published research on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
He and his wife Leticia (Co-Founder of GFA and also a USFCA Coach), have three children, who are all active in the fencing community.
