About Charles Selberg
Maestro Charles Selberg, author of the widely read fencing text "Foil" (New York: Random House, 1976) and the eagerly awaited, sorely anticipated successor, the revised "Foil" (Ashland, OR: Spotted Dog Press, 1993) is well known in the fencing world for his keen insights into the psychological and aesthetic, as well as the competitive dimensions, of fencing.
He has a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Art from San Francisco State University and was awarded the Maitre D'Armes degree by the Federation International d'Escrime in 1967.
He was a student of Eric Funke, Jack Nottingham, Hans Halberstadt, and George Pillar.
Experienced in all levels of private and public education as a teacher of art as well as fencing, he has been training recreational and competitive fencers for over thirty years, and was himself a member of the three-man U.S. foil team which won the first (and only) gold medal for the U.S. in the World Masters' Foil Championships, in 1970.
After retiring from his senior tenured faculty position at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he taught for sixteen years, he moved to Ashland, Oregon, and established the Selberg Fencing Academy, which has the distinction of being not only a salle d'armes of growing importance for development of teaching methods and audio-visual aids, but also a major photographic archive of American fencing. Maestro Selberg was honored during the 1986 fencing season by having one of the North American Cup Circuit tournaments, the Selberg Open, named after him.
In addition to the competitive fencers he currently trains, Selberg devotes time to the production of instructional video tapes relating to ALL aspects of modern fencing. Through the miracle of electronics, a first-rate fencing master is now available to everyone interested in fencing and fencing equipment.
Selberg's videos present a complete, authoritative, accurate and intelligent view of both competitive and recreational opportunities. Selberg offers an in-depth examination of fencing theory and practice as well as clear view of technique and methodology. In addition, he presents invaluable information for the teacher as well as the student, for both individual and class instruction on all levels of fencing interest.
As a coach, teacher, and fencing master, Selberg covers the subject in a way that is not only informative, but is also highly interesting. His videos are certain to be a landmark for fencing instruction.
Charles A. Selberg