Coaches & Staff

Olympia Fencing Center Founder and Director, Daniel Hondor

Daniel started his swordplay career with dreams of earning a spot among the Three Musketeers.
Enthralled by the adventures of the trio, 7-year-old Daniel picked up his first rapier, beginning a lifelong journey that continues today.
Member of the Romanian National Épée Team, 12 times in a row National Champion, multiple times winner of Balkanic Games (a fencing championship very popular in Europe) and a finalist in World Cup Competitions during the ’80s, Daniel basically grew up with the épée in his hand.
A receiver of the Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from the National Academy of Physical Education and Sport in Bucharest, Romania, Daniel has laid down the sword and took up the mantle of coach, teaching the Romanian Junior Team techniques he’d learned throughout his career.
The 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games brought him to America, where he continues to share the art of fencing with students of all ages and experience levels.

Daniel named his club, Olympia Fencing Center, in honor of the Romanian fencing club where he grew up and trained, “Clubul Sportiv Olimpia Craiova” (in Romanian, Craiova being his hometown). Daniel’s coach was the reputable Dumitru Popescu (Maître), at the Junior Olympic Centre for épée, the same coach and the same place where Olympian Ana Maria Popescu spent most of her training years.
Daniel’s students achieved top national and international rankings; among these: Youth Bronze Olympic, World Silver Medalist, and multiple NCAA champion Emily Vermeule; Senior Épée National Champion, NCAA and world medalist, Gabriel Feinberg; Cadet/Junior Women’s Épée medalist and US Team member, Natalya Cafasso; and more (see some of our best results here).

Email Daniel using our contact form.

Sello Maduma, Oly.

Sello joined our coaching team in May of 2024 after receiving his O-1 visa (for extraordinary ability in athletics).
Sello comes from South Africa, a country he represented at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, CH. With over 20 years of competitive fencing experience, he brings to Olympia his extensive coaching experience:
– Former head coach of the Bangladesh National Team 2018 – 2019
– Former head coach of the Angola national team, 2021
– Head coach at Sello Maduma Fencing Academy in South Africa before joining Olympia Fencing Center.

Mr. Maduma was recognized by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) as the first black African athlete to compete at the Olympic Games.

We believe that Mr. Maduma is a great addition to our team of coaches, and we’re thrilled to watch his new American students’ growth on their path to becoming successful fencers, just like their coach!

David Abdelmalak

Robert Hondor

Robert started fencing at the age of nine.
Even though fencing wasn’t his first choice of sport, and despite not being athletically inclined, Robert’s passion for fencing drove him to work hard, and by his teen years, he won the Junior Olympics, medaled at several National and Regional Championships, and made the USA Cadets Team.
After high school, Robert was recruited to the Division I NCAA at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and received an Academic Excellence Award and an Athletic Scholarship, which he maintained throughout his college years.
At the time he left for college, Robert was ranked 9th in the USA and 51st in the world.
During his college years, Robert won a Bronze medal at the NCAA 2021 and graduated with a major in Mechanical Engineering.

Robert teaches classes at both locations and is available for private lessons.

Miles Weiss

We’re thrilled to welcome Miles to our incredible team of coaches!

Kevin Katayama

Kevin started fencing at the age of ten.
Through years of dedicated training and competition, he developed into a high-level national athlete, earning a top-12 ranking in Juniors and reaching as high as 37th in Seniors in the United States. His competitive highlights include a top-8 finish at the 2018 Division I Summer Nationals, a top-8 result at the November NAC in Juniors, and a win at the 2018 Junior Nordic Championships.
After high school, Kevin was recruited to the Division I NCAA program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology on a full athletic scholarship. During his collegiate career, he qualified for the NCAA Championships twice (2022 and 2023), competing among the top fencers in the country.
Since 2021, Kevin has been coaching fencing, bringing his competitive experience and technical knowledge to help athletes develop at all levels.
Kevin teaches classes and is available for private lessons.

Benjamin (Ben) Rogak

After not making the basketball team in 7th grade, Ben decided to give fencing a shot and immediately fell in love with the sport.
Fencing provided a unique social outlet, paired with intense physical training, that greatly helped develop his confidence and athletic abilities. Ben went on to finish 2nd place at the 2017 World Maccabiah Games team event, Gold at the 2018 Div 1 classification event in Milwaukee, WI, and holds an impressive number of medals from national and regional championships
before competing for Brandeis University 2019-2024.

Ben finished his collegiate career as an NCAA qualifier (2020), two-time Division III All-American, and 2024 All-Academic Team member, with several UAA Athlete of the Week awards earned along the way. He graduated from Brandeis with a BA in Business and Psychology in 2023 before earning an MBA in Marketing and Strategy in 2025.

George Scott

George has over 40 years of fencing experience, both as a coach and competitor.
He started fencing during his freshman year at Temple University and ended with two conference team titles and the Most Valuable Player award as a senior.  After college George fenced at the historic Salle Csiszar under Maestro Lajos Csiszar.  Moving to Boston, George was an assistant coach at Boston College from 1992 to 1999.
George shares his passion for fencing with his son, Noah, an Olympia alumnus, a graduate of Stevens College, NY, and currently a Navy officer.
Along with his wife, Angelica Brisk, and her daughter, Isabela Trumble, they founded the Falcons high school fencing team at Cambridge Rindge and Latin, in their hometown of Cambridge, MA.
George currently holds a Level 1 coaching certificate from the US Fencing Coaches Academy.

Paul Bennett

Paul first began fencing foil with Olympian and USFCA Fencing Master Vincent (Vinnie) Bradford at the University of Texas when he was 18. Shortly after, he also joined the University of Texas Fencing Club, where he learned from Maître Eric Mallet.
Paul spent his undergrad and graduate years fencing at the university club level, ultimately taking a break from fencing to focus on his career as an AI researcher. However, random furniture cushions in Paul’s house may have been used as fencing targets during that time.
With his son joining Olympia in 2024, Paul found a reason to throw himself back into fencing, while switching to epee and being eternally thankful that Vinnie and Eric helped lay a foundation that can be adapted for both weapons. Finally, Paul’s spouse is happy that Paul now leaves the house to fence as opposed to sacrificing countless innocent cushions.

Edward Mullarkey

Ed began fencing at a very young age, with Fencing Master Joe Pechinsky.
Among his great results during the years are the New England YMCA league championship, the New England High School Foil and Épée championship, and the NEUSFA U20 Men’s Foil and Épée Championships. Ed was a medalist in numerous USFA North American Cup events and placed 37^th in the Veterans Men’s Épée World Championship in 2006.
A retired Electrical Engineer, Ed continues to fence competitively in both local and national events and has dedicated himself full-time to being a fencing coach.
Ed works with fencers of all ages, and is glad to share from his rich experience outside his teaching time.

Co-Owner and Business Manager: Iulia Hondor

A proud fencing mom since 2009, Iulia learned about fencing by watching her son, Robert, from the beginning of his fencing career until the present day.
To her surprise, seeing Robert transformed from a chubby and slow child who hated all sports, to an accomplished athlete, muscular, fast, and witty, she soon became mesmerized by the way fencing models people’s bodies and characters.
She quit her job in the banking industry to support her husband, Daniel, in his ambition to build his dream fencing club, to give more people the opportunity to discover and fall in love with this unique sport, and change more lives.

They founded Olympia Fencing Center in 2012 and have worked tirelessly since to make the often-overlooked sport of fencing more popular and to make Olympia the biggest and most successful fencing club in the country.
In 2022, their dream became reality: Olympia became officially the largest one-weapon club in the USA, and produced four NCAA medalists, a Youth Bronze Olympic Champion, and numerous national and world medalists.
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Parent Liaison: Allison Wade

Ms. Wade is a fencing enthusiast and mother who learned about the sport while watching and cheering on her daughter, Ava, for over seven years.
An Adjunct Professor at Boston University and Clinical Worker by day, Allison spends her nights at Olympia during Ava’s classes. Due to her experience with fencing and fencing competitions, Allison quickly became a trusted parent advisor and office helper. She is the person behind the club’s newsletter, travel booking for coaches, events planning, and more.
A valuable asset to our club and a joyous presence, Allison greets everyone with a big smile, good advice, and great support.