Salem Classical Fencing is run entirely by volunteers. All fees paid
to the studio go to offset operational expenses. Aside from the fencers
themselves, our instructional staff make SCF a great place to fence and to
learn.
Mr. Michael C. Heggen
(pronounced "Hehg'-enn")
Instructor
Mr. Heggen has been fencing
since 1987. He studied fencing under Maestro James Ciaramitaro (see bio below). Mr. Heggen was frequently a teaching
assistant for Maestro Ciaramitaro until 1999. In 1999, Mr. Heggen began teaching
on his own at the Salem Family YMCA, where he remained until May
2004. Mr. Heggen receives additional instruction from Maestro
Charles Selberg.
In 2004, Mr. Heggen opened the fencing
studio for Salem Classical Fencing, where he now teaches. He continues to be involved with the Salem
Family YMCA fencing program, as well.
Mr. Rafael Villarreal
(pronounced
"Vee'-ya-rree'-al")
Assistant Instructor
Mr. Villarreal has been fencing since 1995. He
studied under Mr. Heggen and Maestro Ciaramitaro. He began teaching introductory
foil classes under Mr.
Heggen's supervision in the fall of 2003. Mr. Villarreal receives additional
instruction from Maestro Charles Selberg.
Mr. Villarreal also teaches fencing at
the Salem Family YMCA.
Maestro James V. Ciaramitaro, M.Ed.
(pronounced "Shar'-uh-mih-tar'-oh")
Honorary Staff
Maestro Ciaramitaro has been fencing since he was in high school in
the 1960s. He has been teaching fencing at Willamette University since
1987, when he founded Willamette's fencing program. Fortunately for
us, Maestro frequently leaves campus to drop into our studio to fence and visit.
He received his
master's certificate from the Selberg Fencing Academy in Ashland,
Oregon, where he studied under Maestro Charles Selberg in the early
1980s (Selberg studied under Erich Funke, Jack Nottingham, Hans
Halberstadt, and George Piller -- some of the great fencing masters of
the mid-20th century).
