Archil Lortkipanidze (“Achiko”) is an Olympic-level fencer and internationally recognized fencing coach. He received his degree from the Tiblisi State University, Republic of Georgia.

As a fencer, Achiko is a five-time Georgian National Champion, a Soviet Union Cup Finalist, World Cup Finalist, and a member of the Georgian Olympic Fencing Team (1996 Atlanta Olympic Games). As a coach, he has over 25 years of experience as a Master Saber Coach for a variety of leading athletic Organizations and institutions, including the Georgian National Team, Lincoln Fencing Club, Fencing Academy of Westchester, Fencers Club, Tim Morehouse Fencing Club, and Yale University Fencing Team.

Achiko has raised and coached numerous students onto national and international success in fencing. Several of his students became members of the National Saber Fencing Team, winning numerous medals at international competitions, including Cadet and Junior World Championships and World Cups. His students have also gone on to win regional and national medals at the North American Cups, USA National Championships and Junior Olympics. Many of Achiko’s fencers have been placed to fence Division One at top universities, including Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Princeton, Notre Dame, Penn State, and the University of North Carolina.

Maksim Lohotska is a world-renowned fencing coach and referee. As a coach, Maxim has trained Olympians and World medalists. For nearly a decade, he was the National and Olympic Coach for the Republic of Belarus. Most recently he was also the elite coach at Tim Morehouse Fencing Club.

Many of the students under his instruction have achieved remarkable feats as Championships in Catania, Italy and several of his students have gone on to win medals at international competitions. His student Aleksandr Buikevich earned an individual bronze medal at the 2012 World Fencing Championships in Legnano, Italy. Another student of his, Misha Akulo, took fifth place in the Cadet World Championships in Baku and fourth place at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010.

Maxim is also a referee, overseeing fencing competitions at the highest level of the sport. He participated in the 2004 and 2012 Olympic Games as FIE Referee, officiating the gold medal matches. He was also appointed as a FIE referee at World Championships in 2005,
2009, 2010, and 2011.