Kwong-Hyun Nam

Teaches at New Amsterdam Fencing Academy

Coach Nam brings two decades of coaching experience to New Amsterdam Fencing Academy, 19 of it spent coaching foil at the highest level in Korea, where fencing is organized through a national system. Coach Nam began his pedagogic carrier upon retiring from a successful competitive carrier cut short due to injury. His competitive record includes 1st place in the National Championships and the National University Championships in 1989. He earned 2nd place in the 1988 National University Championships the year before. He earned Physical Education degree from the Korean National Sports University and obtained his teaching license in 1991 from the Korean National Ministry of Education. His accolades include coaching the Korean Junior National Team. He has worked with members of the Korean World/Olympic teams, he has developed elite fencers who progressed to International level. He was assistant coach of the Korean Paralympics Team. Additionally, he was the Physical Education Teacher and Head Fencing Coach at a high school in Seoul, Korea. His team won multiple City Championship titles. Although there is no “club” type of fencing instruction in Korea, Coach Nam has worked closely with NAFA staff to meld his style with that of the existing program. The result is a curriculum that has reached new levels of excellence in offering instruction that is rich in technical progression and dynamic education models. John, Nam and Lael have been committing extra time to develop the best possible system for our students by culling from, and combining the strengths from their collective teaching experience.