One of the most well-known fencers to come out of Hawaii, he has fenced since 1980 and has competed in five National Fencing Championships since 1987. His highest finish in Division I Foil was 46. In January of 1998, Colin became Hawaii’s first and only professional fencer and took 9th in the world in Foil and 25th in the world in Epée at the Inaugural Professional Fencing League Tournament in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Career Highlights: Competitions · Winner of the Pacific Northwest Sectional Foil Championship (fencers from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Montana), 1988, Spokane, WA · Highest winning percentage of any Pacific Northwest regional fencer, 1988-1989 · Top collegiate fencer in the Pacific Northwest 1988-1989 · Ninth in the world in Foil and 25th in the world in Epée at the 1998 Inaugural Professional Fencing League Tournament · Forty-six in Foil at the Division I National Championships · Competitor in the 1988 Olympic Trials, Chicago · 9th place Men’s Epée, Division Three National Championships, 1997, Santa Clara, CA, 138 Competitors · Foil Finalist at the Stephen Lazar Tournament in Vancouver, B.C., Canada · Oregon Division Epée Champ · Competed all over the U.S., and three times in Canada · Competed in five Nationals (1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1997) · Gold medalist in the inaugural Donald Appling Foil Tournament, February 1991 · Holds the record for most Aloha State Games Fencing gold medals won (five) · U.S. Fencing Association Hawaii Division Champion in Foil, Epée, and Saber · Holds the record for most U.S. Fencing Association Hawaii Division titles won · Hawaii’s top fencer since 1990

Captaincies: Captain of the Salle Auriol Fencing Club Foil Team (from Portland, Oregon), 1989, Orlando, FL; had the highest winning percentage on that team, which also included Olympian Robert Marx · Captain of the Lewis & Clark College Fencing Team (Portland, Oregon) · Captain of the Hawaii Division Men’s Foil Team 1992, Dolton, Illinois · Captain of the Hawaii Division Men’s Epée Team 1997, Santa Clara, CA · Captain of the Salle Honolulu Fencing Club Foil Team at the 1997 Summer Nationals, Santa Clara, CA · Co-captain (with famous American fencer Roy Nonomura) of the Hawaii Division Men’s Epée Team 1992, Dolton, Illinois · Salle Auriol Fencing Club Men’s Saber Team, 1988, Chicago Administration and Coaching.

Coaching: Honolulu Club Fencing Pro · President of the Hawaii Division of the U.S. Fencing Association 1995-1997 · Aloha State Games Fencing Commissioner 1996-2000 · Founded the Salle Honolulu Fencing Club 1997 · In Portland, Oregon, taught at Portland State University and Lewis & Clark College. · In Hawaii, taught at Punahou School; the Moiliili Community Center; Kamaaina Kids and Camp Lanikai (Kailua); Le Jardin Academy; Kamehameha Elementary; the Honolulu Club.

Grants & Other Awards: Received a grant from the U.S. Fencing Center Foundation to compete in a Louisville, Kentucky, North American Cup Circuit Event · Received a U.S. Fencing Association Hawaii Division Special Award in 1997 for writing and producing the video “The Making of a Swordsman.”

In the Media: The Ralph Stedman Show, KGU Radio, Honolulu; interviewed July 1997 · Honolulu Star-Bulletin, September 16, 1997; article by Burl Burlingame, photo by Craig Kojima; article available online by CLICKING HERE · Honolulu Magazine, April 1998; article by Thomas Kwock, photo by Laurie Callies · East Honolulu News, April 1998; article by Niki Lauren Ching · Hawaii Sports by Dan Cisco; 1999, University of Hawaii Press; mentioned in the entry on fencing · Principal writer for the USFA Hawaii Division newsletter “In Touch.” During its short run, the newsletter received national recognition from American Fencing magazine. · Writes a monthly fencing column for the Sports Hawaii newspaper “Other Than Fencing” · Has written a martial arts action screenplay, “A Diversity of Dragons”.

A Brief History of Salle Honolulu

I was Hawaii Division president 95-97, during which time I established a “generic” practice, i.e. a practice sponsored by the Hawaii Division for all fencers, whether Division members or not, whether locals or not. I chose the Moiliili Community Center (MCC) for our venue and established Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday practices there.

The Moiliili Community Center is well-situated; it is near the corner of King Street and University Avenue, the busiest corner of the university district; it is between Kinko’s (open 24 hours) and Down to Earth Natural Foods (the biggest and best known health food store in town).

The Moiliili Community Center has been around for many years and has offered (and continues to offer) a great variety of classes, practices, and meetings: yoga (probably its most well-known and popular classes); various martial arts; flower arranging; various dancing classes; aerobics; language classes; day care; summer fun; and more. 

When I did not run for re-election after my 2nd term as Hawaii Division president, I kept the practices and made them private. I and my fencers got together and tossed around some names, settling on Salle Honolulu.

Our Wednesday practice was never very well attended because on Wednesday evenings, the only opening the Moiliili Community Center had for us started rather late in the evening. Rochelle Uchibori, mother of fencer Clinton Bodley, suggested we rent a room from her son’s school, Lanikai Elementary, which is on the Windward side, in the town of Kailua. So we moved our Wednesday practice to Kailua, renting The Learning Center from Lanikai Elementary. -We never intended it, but our Wednesday practice turned out to be mostly a kids practice.

That’s because the room we rent is in an elementary school; thus mostly elementary school kids and their parents are exposed to us. Older kids and adults have attended Wednesdays, but if they decide to take up fencing, most opt to switch to our Monday and Saturday evening practices, which consist more of people their age. 

It’s fine with us that Wednesday practice is mostly a kids practice. Clinton is in 8th grade now, and attending Le Jardin Academy, the only private school on the Windward side. And, again thanks to Rochelle, I teach after school fencing there for all grades. 

I am in the process of changing Salle Honolulu into more of a school as opposed to a social club. 



To find out more about Salle Honolulu and its activites, you can visit its website at: sallehonolulu.com