Generations of Historical Swordsmanship
Our Mission
Meet the Owners
We can’t wait to meet you!
Natalie Pixley
Owner & Marketer
While not a fencer, Natalie shares a passion for small business with her husband and brings her experience as a small business marketing executive. She works each day to help small businesses achieve their goals and is thrilled to bring her own business goals to life along side Isaac.
At Iron Rose Fencing, we believe in passing down the tradition of swordsmanship. As modern weapons replaced swords in combat, fencing transitioned into a competitive sport. It is our mission to keep the traditions of historical fencing alive and teach the methods of self-defense that have been passed down through the generations.
Honor, humility, grace, and a good sense of humor, are all qualities we wish to impart to our students. We encourage an atmosphere of fun and friendship, all while sharing the theory, tactics, and techniques of western swordsmanship.
We open our doors to all interested in learning! We believe that the more techniques a student of the blade is exposed to, the better overall fencer they become. Every crossing of a pair of blades is an opportunity to learn and to grow as a person and as a fencer.
Isaac Pixley
Owner & Head Instructor
Isaac began fencing in 2010 and has passionately studied fencing since. He has a classical Italian background with an influence of the French Style; he draws the strengths from both styles in his teaching. After teaching at White Rose Fencing for two years, he decided to take a stab at entrepreneurship with his wife, Natalie. (pun intended!)
Our Roots
Iron Rose Fencing can trace its lineage all the way back to Aldo Nadi, one of the most talented Italian fencers of all time (1899-1965). Nadi and his student William Gaugler both have written numerous texts on fencing which heavily influence our curriculum. Sharon Boyer, White Rose Fencing, and Burton Taylor, Southern Tier Hoplological Society, both shared French influences with Isaac, leading to Iron Rose’s blend of Italian and French instruction.
Iron Rose Fencing is rooted in Italian and French fencing, in the two schools that dominated much of Western Europe in the 15th-17th centuries.
Fencing was originally developed to train swordsmen for combat, but as weaponry modernized, there was less need for trained swordsmen and fencing transitioned into a competitive sport (modern day Olympic Fencing). As a historical fencing club, we continue to educate students in the original methods used for combat. Our school takes the principles learned from standard practice weapons and applies them to the historical weapons, working backwards through history.
All of our classes begin with the foil, working up to the other Olympic weapons: saber and epee. Our intermediate classes have opportunities to explore other historical weapons such as smallsword, spadroon, hand and a half sword, stick fighting, and knife work.
