Our Coaches
ALL COACHES are USFCA MEMBERS
Co-Head Coach, and co-owner Alan Uthoff, Moniteur d’ Epee
Coach Alan has had over 27 years of fencing experience before becoming a coach at the club in 2020. He is an alumnus and former president of the Southwest Texas State Fencing Society (now Texas State Fencing Club). During his collegiate years, he competed with the SWTFS epee team at Southwest Intercollegiate Fencing Association (SWIFA) competitions, achieving several first-place finishes with the team. He enjoys sharing his love of fencing with his students, seeing them grow and improve, and helping to build the RRFC program. Coach Alan is the main designer of the new RRFC website and online one-on-one lesson program. He is now a co-owner in the RRFC which officially became an LLC Partnership in late April of this year. He is preparing for his Prevot certification. Coach Alan is a qualifier for the 2021 National Championships in Men’s Epee.
Co-Head Coach, and co-owner Peter Kaskan, Moniteur d’ Epee - Epee Rating D23
Coach Peter started fencing with the Round Rock Fencing Club in 1994. He was a competitive foil fencer for 7 years and fenced in the Junior Olympics on three separate occasions. He is currently the Intermediate Epee Coach for RRFC. He oversees the administrative details of Round Rock's competitive fencing program and, attends as many tournaments as possible to coach the team fencers. He has a strong passion for fencing and advocates it as a lifelong sport for people of any age. He is now a co-owner in the RRFC which officially became an LLC Partnership in late April of this year.
Assistant Coach Jennifer Uthoff, Moniteur d’ Epee
Jenn (USAFA/USFCA) is our new assistant beginners coach. She began fencing in the fall of 1999 at Texas State University (back when it was Southwest Texas State) and was a competitive member of the SWT Fencing Club before joining the RRFC later that year. She was an active and competitive epee fencer for a number of years before taking a hiatus during which time she was a busy wife and mother. Now she's back to fencing and is having a fantastic time introducing the sport to brand new fencers! Jenn has started the process of obtaining her Assistant Moniteur d' Foil, and is delighted to have come back to fencing after such a long break.
Assistant Coach Christopher Summers
Coach Christopher currently coaches foil, epee, and sabre for beginner and intermediate fencers. While recently re-joining Round Rock Fencing Club from Alliance Fencing Academy in Houston, Christopher began fencing at the University of Texas in 1987 where he competed in both foil and epee for the UT Fencing team. He also worked closely with Coach Murray starting as an assistant coach for new fencers in the early ‘90s. Christopher competitively fenced sabre with the Olde Town Fencing Gang in Alexandria, VA. He has spent the last 20 years coaching youth and focused on discipline and precision while being both enthusiastic and positively motivating. He is the most versatile coach on the RRFC staff.
Assistant Coach Michael Cravey, Moniteur d’saber - Saber Rating D19
Michael Cravey’s first coach who gave him a strong foundation in fundamentals and blade work was Prevost de Armes Gary Murray. He was also assistant coach to and trained by Adam Brewer at ACE Academy in downtown Austin as well as at UT Austin SIG program, who is a highly rated FIE Sabre referee who travels internationally. He does not agree when people say "Sabre is just about who is more aggressive and who is faster, yells louder, hits harder, who is stronger, etc..." and his experience and success prove that to not be the case. He went to a significant number of camps and clinics for further education and training with such names as Sabre Olympian Daryl Homer, Olympian Ariana Klinkov, and also a lot of very good coaches including Coach Mischa at Manhattan Fencing Center in New York, Chris Slaughter from Kairos Fencing Academy in Plano, etc... He qualified for NCAA Sabre fencing and got scholarship offer to fence at the University of the Incarnate Word, but chose to attend UT Austin as a student-athlete instead to focus on academics.
Founder, Former Head Coach and Owner
Gary L. Murray Sr. Prevot d’ Armes (Retired)
Coach Murray has been involved with fencing for over 40 years. He started the Round Rock Fencing Club on July 1, 1986. Recently, he sold the club to two of his most trusted and accomplished coaches, Alan Uthoff, and Peter Kaskan. In May 2022, the three of them formed a partnership to relieve Coach Murray of more of the administrative duties. This was so Coach Murray could relax a bit after 36 years of running the club by himself as a sole proprietor. This would allow more time to coach and teach. In late November, Coach Murray made a decision to sell the club completely, and semi-retire. He no longer owns or operates the RRFC, however, he will remain as a specialty coach and consultant. He will continue to operate the Lakeway location, build up the membership, and train the coaches through the holidays of this year. He will conduct his last class as a coach on Friday, December 15th. He published his first children’s book “Freddie The Frustrated Fencer”, which is available in the club store online. He will continue to write and do some volunteer work. Coach Murray is currently working with a group from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired to bring fencing to the blind community. He is also working on a Certification Program for coaches to teach the basic fundamentals of fencing to the blind and visually impaired. This is being done through the NCDP with the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association. He is awaiting word on the finalization of being certified as a Maitre d’Armes, or Fencing Master. The highest level a Fencing Coach As he once stated, “I will never fully retire. I will probably just fleche’ off the end of the strip.” The love of fencing will remain in his heart, and he will always be available to anyone who needs him.
Assistant Coach (Trainee) Julia
Julia has been with the Round Rock Fencing Club for over 5 years. She started her coaching at a summer camp during her first year with the club. She has coached at every summer camp since then. Julia is currently training for her certification as an Assistant Moniteur d’ Sabre. She is currently the assistant sabre coach and is planning on joining the club team to start competing in sabre.
Assistant Guest Coach Tim French - Epee Rating B23
Coach Tim French began fencing at age 8 at Round Rock Fencing Club. His fencing experience includes both national and international competitions. He was consistently ranked in the top 3 nationally and represented the United States at four World Fencing Championships in Italy, Hungary, Turkey, and the United States. He was the 2001 national champion and a 2003 All-American at the U.S. Air Force Academy. His coaching experience ranges from the collegiate level, coaching 4 All-Americans as an assistant at the U.S. Air Force Academy and instructing beginner classes at local fencing clubs in Colorado and Texas. He is passionate about teaching fencing and instilling lifelong values gained from competitive sports. Recently, Coach French took first place at the U.S. Nationals in Veterans Men’s 40 Epee, also receiving his B23 National Rating.