Coaches
Who We Are
Julian Rueda
Owner & Head Coach
Julian Rueda Espinosa brings over 15 years of coaching experience at both national and international levels. He graduated from the National Sports School in Cali, Colombia in 2015 and holds the Level 3 Fencing Master certification—the highest level—from the Royal Spanish Fencing Federation (2012).
In 2015, he was awarded an Olympic Solidarity Scholarship for Coaches and completed an advanced program in Applied Sports Sciences at the Institut Nacional d'Educació Física (INEFC) and the High Performance Center (CAR) in Barcelona, Spain. Julian began his coaching career with the Colombian Air Force and later served as the National Coach for Colombia’s Cadet and Junior teams. In 2018, he moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he has since trained numerous high-performing athletes.
Julian's students have earned 30+ national and international medals, including recent golds in the Bratislava and Grenoble World Cups.
Among his most notable students are:
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Jonas Hansen, #1 in the U.S. during the 2023–2024 season and NCAA Champion in 2023, with over six national podium finishes.
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Luka Loncar, Cadet #1 in the U.S. for the 2022–2023 season, winner of three international gold medals (Grenoble 2022, Bratislava individual and team 2023), and over eight national podiums.
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Isabel Di Tella, 2022 Pan American Champion, silver medalist at the 2023 Vancouver World Cup, 2023 Pan Am Games Champion, and ranked Top 16 in the world during the 2023–2024 season.
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Ashley Lou, gold medalist at the 2023 Lima World Cup and three-time U.S. Nationals medalist.
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Sierra Springer, with seven U.S. National podiums and a current member of Team USA.
Coaching Approach:
Coach Julian prioritizes individualized development, refining technique, and instilling a winning mindset. His tailored coaching approach, combined with a keen eye for detail, strategic insights, and a supportive training environment, helps students unlock their full potential and achieve their goals.
Shang Qiao
Coach
Coach Shang was born in Beijing, China, where he began his fencing journey at the age of 10, under coaching from Asian Champion & Olympian, Lihong Wang. Shang was selected into Team Beijing at the age of 13, and competed in the National Games. He also achieved the rating of 1st-Class National Fencing Referee.
He pursued his career as a fencing coach at Wang Haibin International Fencing Club since 2013 and moved to US in early 2017. Coach Shang is a certified coach by the United States Fencing Association and a prévôt-level fencing coach in both Foil and Épée. With his coaching achievements in the US, Shang founded ECHO Fencing in Boston in 2021, and he serves as the head coach at The Newman School.
Coaching Approach:
Coach Shang's coaching methodology is tailored to each fencer’s unique abilities and traits. He specialized in identifying each fencer’s strengths and crafting training plans. His expertise in fencing fundamentals, footwork, and in-match strategies. He also simulates opponents in drills to help fencers to break through their challenges.
