Club de Esgrima Vallarta
   Vallarta Fencing Club  

 Maestro Charles R. Randall, July 2003

After the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Charles Randall left the U.S. National Women's Saber training center to start his own saber club, PDX Fencing, is located in the North West Fencing Center in Portland Oregon (also a designated U.S. National Training Center. In June 2005, our co-founder and coach Charles Randall moved to the United States to join Ed Korfanty, U.S. National Women's Sabre Coach at the Oregon Fencing Alliance (U.S. National training center). Coach Randall continues to assist us long-distance and has brought students up to Portland to train with U.S. team members and Olympic champion Mariel Zagunis. Mr. Randall remains a life-time member of Club Esgrima Vallarta.

Charles Randall trained exclusively saber under both incomparable Maestros Giorgio Santelli  and legendary Hungarian Maestro Csaba Elthes for many years. Maestro Santelli was a fencing champion (born of a fencing champion - Italo Santelli who was also the coach of the Hungarian Olympic Team) who won the Austrian, Hungarian and Italian sabre championships AND the Austrian and Hungarian foil championships - equivalent to winning the Olympics in two different weapons, he also won the gold medal at the 1920 Olympic games. Santelli also fought and won a "first blood" duel - click here for the details.  He moved to the USA, became the national coach leading teams to 5 consecutive Olympic games and with his students success at National, World Cup and Olympic events became known as "the maker of Champions".  Csaba Elthes,  was coach to 6 U.S.Olympics teams, a tough demanding man who help create many champions including Olympic medalist Peter Westbrook (who is now in the Guiness Book of World Records for most Pan Am. Games and national  medals won). Other teachers included A. John Geraci (coach at Rutgers University, U.S. Military Acadamy at West Point, past president of the USFCA). Maestro Randall is certified by  the SICCED Levels 1 &2 Sports Trainer certificates, and the USFCA.

Coach Charles R. Randall was awarded "Coach of the Year" by the city of Puerto Vallarta in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and in 2005 given the cities highest honor, a special award for his students incredible wins at the National Jr. Olympics (students brought home the individual men's cadet sabre gold, team MS gold, individual gold and bronze in women's sabre).
He is called "The Father of Fencing in Puerto Vallarta" by city officials, and the local press has nicknamed him "El Tremendo" (The Tremendous One - in English)

Highlights:

2005:  Randall's students again comprise 50% of the National Women's Sabre team (Ariana Aranda ranked #1 and Jennyfer Lobato ranked #4).

2 students win National Champion titles: Ariana Aranda, Div.1 Women's Sabre, and the Jr. Olympics Champion Title. Hector De La Torre wins the Men's Cadet National Sabre Champion title and the Jr. Olympic title.  Ana Hernandez wins the bronze medal at the Jr. Olympics.

2004: Coach Randall now has 50% of the National Women's Sabre Team
Dec. 2004 - Student Ariana Aranda is awarded one of  the State of Jalisco's Highest Honors - The Medal and Recognition of Merit Award for Sports, she also wins the city of Puerto Vallarta's highest award - Athlete of the Year 2004
Dec. 2004 - Hector De La Torre becomes the #1 ranked Men's Cadet Saber Fencer in the county, Ariana # 1 Jr. Saber Fencer
Oct. 2004 - Student Hector De La Torre becomes the #2 ranked Men's Cadet Saber fencer in the county
June 2004 - Coach Randall leads the Mexico Women's saber team to the N.Y. World Cup in New York
Coach Randall and student Ariana Aranda attends as part of the official Mexico delegation, the Pre-Olympic Americas Tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 2004.
Student Ariana Aranda wins National Female Saber Champion title - youngest in Mexico history
All saber students (male & female) finish in the top 10 in the country, new students Hector de la Torre and Ana Hernandez, w/less than 1 yr. experience make the state Jr. Olympic Team (Cadetes). Lobato wins her first Div. 1 medal (bronze). Jorge de la Torre wins his first medal, silver in Jrs., The P.V. team brings home 5 medals from the Jr. Olympics
Students Yesenia Anylu Cruz, Ariana Aranda, Jennyfer Lobato finish 1-2-3 and Jorge de la Torre #9 in jr. ranking for the USFA Pacific Region.

2003: Student Ariana Aranda makes the National Teams in Div. 1, Juniors, and Cadetes
Yesenia Anylu Cruz becomes National Female Saber Champion of Div. 2, Jenny Lobato &
Jorge de la Torre finish #2 in Div. 2, all remaining saber students finish in the top 9.
Ariana wins a medal (#7) at the North America Cup in Kansas, USA in Oct., She finishes #35 at her first Jr. World Cup in Louisville, KY  in Nov. - the highest finish of the entire Mexico team.
Anylu (gold), Ariana (silver), and Jenny (bronze) sweep the medals at the San Diego Regional Jr. Invitational in Aug.
Ariana and Jennyfer Lobato come home from the Jr. Olympics with 4 medals, 1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze

2002: Yesenia Anylu Cruz w/ just 14 mos. experience wins a spot on the National team.
Dec. Anylu comes home w/bronze Medal for Team event at the Central American & Caribbean Games
Anylu represents Mexico in the World Cup in Germany, and the World Championships in Cuba
May - Jr. Olympics - Anylu wins individual silver and team silver medals
Ariana Aranda becomes National Female Saber Champion in Div.2

2001: With just 3 mos. experience Randall enters Cruz into her first competition where she places an amazing #14. She decides to train seriously and wins a place on the State Olympic Team. In May w/8 mos. total experience she comes home from the Jr. Olympics with a Gold medal for the Team event, the first fencing medal for the club and the city.

An overjoyed 17 yr. old Ariana Aranda, with her coach Charles Randall, becomes the youngest National Women's Saber champion in the history of Mexican Fencing - 2004.

                 
           Jan. 04, in the fencing room at home      Especially sweet, Jorge's & Randall's first medal for men's Jr.saber (silver)

           
The 2004 female saber team - it's grown!    The 2003 team w/1 year experience - Ariana, Nadia, Jenny, Anylu

2002 and Coach Randall finally has a team to enter, first timers! Charles, Nadia, Jenny, Magda, Anylu, Ariana

                    
                              Charles with Peter Westbrook June 2003                 Charles w/ Jeff Bukantz June 2003 NYC

      
                      With student and 2004 National Champion, Ariana Aranda Garcia

Maestro - Saber,  Charles Randall, with Ariana Aranda 2003
"se puede" during the 1 min. rest,  Ariana finishes to win her first gold medal.(Photo by Pedro Lopez/EsgrimaMex)

Coaches of the Year 2004, Epee Master Eugenio Davidson, Ariana, Saber Master Charles Randall and city councilman Caesar Abarca

  
Coach of the Year 2002 ! Anylu and City Sports Director Prof. Benito Castillo Lerma, coach Charles Randall

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