Coach Yousef Alaghehband, founder of Yousef Fencing International

ABOUT YOUSEF FENCING INTERNATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE.
STRUCTURED DEVELOPMENT.

YFI brings decades of international coaching experience into structured fencing programs for schools, developing athletes, competitive fencers and partner organisations.

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30+ YEARSInternational Coaching Experience
FIEMaster Coach
5 CONTINENTSProfessional Experience
2026SafeSport Trained — Coach Yousef

THE YFI STORY

EXPERIENCE
BECOMES A SYSTEM.

YFI is an international fencing organisation providing complete fencing solutions for schools and universities, alongside Level-Up Camps, high-performance training and international fencing programs.

Its approach grew from long-term professional coaching experience and a belief that fencing development should be structured, safe, progressive, technical, tactical, age-appropriate and focused on long-term development.

School fencing, athlete development and international cooperation sit within one connected system — adapted to the people, environment and objective in front of it.

Coach Yousef Alaghehband

ABOUT COACH YOUSEF ALAGHEHBAND

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE.
DEVELOPMENT & LEADERSHIP.

International Fencing Coach · FIE Master Coach · Former Canadian National Para Fencing Team Coach · International Referee

With nearly four decades in fencing and more than 30 years of international coaching experience, Coach Yousef Alaghehband has coached athletes and developed fencing programs across five continents, from grassroots and school fencing to national-team and international competition levels.

His work extends beyond individual coaching to athlete development, program building, coach education and international collaboration between schools, fencing clubs, academies and sports organisations.

His experience spans the full athlete-development pathway, from kindergarten and school-based programs to high-performance and international-level fencing.

Career Highlights

  • 30+ years of international coaching experience
  • Coaching experience across 5 continents
  • Former National Coach — Canadian Para Fencing Team
  • FIE Master Coach
  • International coaching & refereeing experience in 20+ countries
  • Founder & Head Coach — Silversword Fencing Academy, Montréal
  • Fencing programs from kindergarten to university level
  • Athletes achieving national and international medals under his coaching

Global Experience

Canada · China · USA · Italy · Brazil · UAE · South Korea · Australia · Hong Kong · Iran · Mexico · Poland · Austria · Kenya · Rwanda + others

Open to International Collaboration

International Schools · Fencing Academies · Training Camps · High-Performance Programs · Coach Education · Club Development · International Partnerships

Interested in bringing world-class fencing to your school, club or organisation?
Let’s discuss how we can build the right program together.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

EXPERIENCE ACROSS
FIVE CONTINENTS

Professional coaching and competition-environment experience across different fencing cultures. These locations describe Coach Yousef's professional experience; they are not presented as YFI offices or branches.

CanadaChinaKoreaItalyUnited StatesBrazilIranUAEMexicoAustraliaAustriaPolandFranceHong KongKenyaRwandaNamibiaBotswana

COACHING PHILOSOPHY

DEVELOP THE FENCER,
NOT JUST THE RESULT.

Strong fundamentals and technical precision create the base. Tactical intelligence, decision-making, distance and timing help the fencer learn to solve problems independently.

01

Technical Foundation

Movement, coordination, blade control and repeatable fundamentals.

02

Tactical Thinking

Distance, timing, observation, decision-making and adaptable solutions.

03

Athlete Independence

Build understanding, discipline and responsibility rather than dependence on instructions.

04

Progressive Development

Training evolves with age, experience, physical development, technical level and objectives.

DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY

DISCOVER → LEARN →
DEVELOP → COMPETE

The pathway is clear, but development is not identical for every fencer. Age, experience, physical development, technical level, tactical understanding, training environment and competitive objectives all shape the next step.

01

Discover

Engage with fencing safely and confidently.

02

Learn

Build sound fundamentals and understanding.

03

Develop

Deepen technical and tactical capability.

04

Compete

Prepare purposefully when competition becomes the objective.

BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE

FROM FIRST STEPS
TO INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Experience across early-years environments, school programs, developing fencers, competitive athletes, international competition and para-fencing supports a development system that can meet athletes at very different stages.

Early YearsSchool ProgramsDeveloping FencersCompetitive AthletesInternational CompetitionPara-Fencing
Young fencers developing through competition experience

PARA-FENCING EXPERIENCE

Experience in adaptive high-performance environments.

Coach Yousef has significant para-fencing coaching experience, including former Canadian national para-fencing coaching experience and work around international and Paralympic-level athletes.

INTERNATIONAL REFEREE EXPERIENCE

Competition knowledge that informs preparation.

International refereeing experience supports a practical understanding of competition rules, tactical context and the demands athletes encounter in international fencing environments.

Fencing coaching in an educational environment

EDUCATIONAL COACHING EXPERIENCE

EXPERIENCE ACROSS SCHOOL
& UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENTS

Professional experience includes educational environments such as YK Pao School Shanghai, Harrow International School Shenzhen, NYU Shanghai and Early Years settings.

Institution names describe educational coaching experience and do not imply endorsement or current YFI partnership.

EXPLORE SCHOOL PROGRAMS →

YFI VALUES

THE STANDARD BEHIND
THE PROGRAM.

Development

Progress with purpose, not shortcuts.

Respect

For athletes, families, schools, colleagues and the sport.

Discipline

Consistent habits that support meaningful improvement.

Safety

Age-appropriate instruction and responsible training practice.

Professionalism

Clear standards in coaching, communication and delivery.

Continuous Learning

Review, adapt and keep developing.

SAFEGUARDING & CHILD PROTECTION

SAFE, RESPECTFUL
COACHING ENVIRONMENTS

YFI's approach emphasises age-appropriate instruction, safe training practices, structured supervision, professional boundaries and child safeguarding awareness.

READ SAFEGUARDING APPROACH
SafeSport Trained 2026 credential for Coach Yousef Alaghehband
U.S. CENTER FOR SAFESPORTSafeSport Trained — 2026Coach Yousef Alaghehband · Personal training credential; not an organisational accreditation or endorsement.

WHY YFI

EXPERIENCE, STRUCTURE
AND PROFESSIONAL DELIVERY.

International Coaching ExperienceStructured Development PathwaysSchool & University ExperienceTechnical & Tactical ExpertiseBeginner-to-Competitive DevelopmentSafe & Professional EnvironmentFlexible Program DesignInternational Cooperation Capability

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

BUILD THE RIGHT
FENCING EXPERIENCE.

YFI can discuss guest coaching, Level-Up Camps, coach education, athlete development, school programs, training tours, competition preparation, seminars and consulting according to the host environment and objective.

DISCUSS INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

WORK WITH YFI

BUILD YOUR FENCING
PROGRAM WITH YFI

Start with your school, organisation or athlete-development objective.

REQUEST A SCHOOL PROPOSALCONTACT YFI