By Bill Roser

Sharon Center resident Herb James runs the Salle D’ Armes Kadar Fencing School in Medina. James is the 1985 National Senior’s Sabre Fencing Champion, two-time member of the U.S. Olympic Epee Training Squad, member of the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame, eight-time all-Ohio Champion in all three fencing weapons.

He was the first Ohio fencer to accomplish the feat. James is also beginning his 16th season as the head fencing coach at Case Western Reserve University.

In 1997, he was named the University Athletic Association Women’s Fencing Coach of the Year.

His team regularly competes at Notre Dame, Ohio State, New York University, Northwestern University, Air Force, Brandeis, John Hopkins and Cornell.

"Herb brings with him a wealth of experience, seemingly boundless patience and a genuine love of fencing," says student Scott Quade.

Quade, an English teacher at Medina High School, is now making his own name in the world of fencing.

This past summer, Quade ventured to Austin, Texas, to compete in the Division III, United States Fencing Association (USFA) Summer National Finals.

When Quade left Medina, he was ranked 105th in the nation. When he returned home, he was ranked 53rd.

Not bad for someone who only started fencing with James in 1996.

Quade was only eliminated from competition by the eventual Division III champion. This month, Quade will compete in a major USFA meet, the North American Cup in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Much credit must go to Quade’s distinguished coach who, says Quade, brings enormous talent dignity to the fencing.

"On his shoulders, he carries the honor and nobility that define this sport."

There are three weapons used in fencing competition: Sabre, Foil and Epee. Quade competed in the Sabre in Austin.

In order to qualify for the national finals in Austin, Quade had to compete in the USFA Great Lakes Sectional Tournament held in Detroit last March.

A native of Jamestown, New York, James did a little fencing in high school. At one point, he joined the Rochester Institute of Technology Fencing Club.

His mentor and coach for 27 years was the late Menyhert Kadar, an internationally known fencing master and Olympic coach.

It was actually Kadar who founded the Salle D’Armes School of Fencing in Cleveland. When Kadar retired as head fencing coach at CWRU, he insisted James become his successor. In total, he has won more than 320 fencing medals.

Full-time, James is a commercial artist and lives with his wife, Susan. The couple’s daughter, Syreena Haden, lives in Virginia.

He is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art and restores old sports cars in his spare time.

Quade lives in Medina with his wife, Emily, a speech therapist for Norton City Schools.

The couple is expecting their first child in February.

The Salle D’Armes Kadar Fencing School meets in Medina at the A.I. Root School. For more information on the club, call (330) 239-0282.