SCV's Fencing Master

7/31/2005
The Signal
Michelle Sathe
Signal Staff Writer

Tigran Shaginian always appreciated the strategy of his chosen sport. “Fencing is like a physical chess. You find a way to get to your goal,” Shaginian said.
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Shaginian went on to become a four-time champion of the Russian National Fencing team and a pentathlete at the 1980 Olympics, as well as an International Master. He left Russia on a visa in 1989 to stay with relatives and never looked back.
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[...] Shaginian [...] in 1997, [...] opened the first Swords fencing studio in his adopted city of Burbank, where he continues to reside with wife Taguy and daughters Diana, 15, and Anush, 13. He became an American citizen in 1994.

Today, Shaginian owns Swords studios from the San Fernando Valley to Ventura County in addition to the Antelope and Santa Clarita Valleys. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, you’ll find Shaginian at the Santa Clarita Athletic Club off of Calgrove Boulevard.
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Traditionally a European sport, fencing’s popularity is growing exponentially in America. When Shaginian opened his first Swords, there were only five fencing studios in all of Southern California. Today, there are 14 of Shaginian’s studios alone.
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Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.