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Gil Pezza
Maestro Gil Pezza is an author, attorney, technology consultant and a lifetime student of fencing. He is an advocate of a methodology predicated on fencing fundamentals coupled with risk management: “Fencing is distance, tempo and speed variations within an ever-changing, dynamic, tactical context; the three weapons are just a corollary to this proposition.” Maestro Pezza is a former member of the Italian National Fencing Team and holds Master of Arms degrees from the Italian Academy of Arms and the USFCA. He has served as National Coach for Women’s Epee and, as a member of the National Coaching Staff, led the epee clinics at the Coaches’ College. Maestro Pezza was also one of the most successful fencing coaches in NCAA history. Maestro Pezza is the current Chair of the Certification and Accreditation Board of the USFCA; where he served for two terms as President and for one term as Executive Vice President. He has also been a member of the board of directors of USA Fencing. |
Pezza, a native of Milan, Italy and graduate of Milan Albert Einstein Scientific with a maturitá scientifica (high school learning certificate), has had several outstanding achievements both as a Wayne State men's fencer and as its men's and women's fencing coach from 1983-91. As an undergraduate student at Wayne State, Pezza earned varsity letters in men's fencing in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981. Fencing as a men's epeeist, he was a four-time NCAA All-America during those same years. He became Wayne's first men's epeeist ever to win the NCAA Men's Epee Individual Championship in 1980, and repeated as national champion in 1981. While fencing Pezza was instrumental in Wayne State winning its second and third NCAA Men's Fencing Team Championships in 1979-80. A 1981 B.A. graduate in History and Political Science, Pezza returned to the University to pursue his Master's in Sports Administration degree, which he received in 1985.
In 1982-82 Pezza joined the Wayne State coaching staff under Aladar Kogler as an assistant coach, and helped guide the Tartars to the 1983 NCAA national title. After Kogler left for Columbia University, Pezza was elected to head coach, and entered the NCAA record book in 1984, guiding the Tartars to a NCAA-record third straight men's national championship, all under different coaches. WSU Hall of Famer Maestro Istvan Danosi won the 1982 title, his last before retiring, and Kogler won the 1983 title before leaving. Pezza's 1985 team capped off an amazing four-year run by winning its seventh overall NCAA Men's Fencing National Championship.
As head coach, Pezza also guided the women's team to two NCAA national championships in 1988 and 1989, and when the NCAA combined the two sports into one national championship in 1990, helped Wayne State to the 1990 NCAA women's foil team national title. Nineteen Wayne State fencers gained All-America status during his coaching tenure, and three fencers, men's epeeist Ettore Bianchi (1984-85), men's foilist Stephan Chauvel (1985), and women's foilist Yasemin Topcu (1989) won individual NCAA titles. In 1989 he was named Women's Collegiate Coach-of-the-Year by the Unites States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA), and in 1990 won the same award from the NCAA.
Along with Danosi and Kogler, Pezza was named by the NCAA in 1990 as one of the Women's Coaches-of-the-Decade for the 1980's. While coaching at WSU Pezza pursued three additional degrees, two in fencing. He received his "maestro" certification in 1984 from the Italian Academy of Arms, and in 1985 from the United States Fencing Association (USFA). The maestro degree is fencing's highest certification. Pezza also attended the Detroit College of Law, where he received his J.D. with high honors in 1990, graduating fifth in his class. He is currently a practicing attorney in the international practice group and real estate group with the firm of Butzel, Long, P.C. While a fencer in Italy, Pezza was a member of the Italian National Epee Team, and in 1974 was ranked sixth in the world in epee. Several of his junior and senior clubs won national titles, including the prestigious Italian Cup in 1974.
In 1982-82 Pezza joined the Wayne State coaching staff under Aladar Kogler as an assistant coach, and helped guide the Tartars to the 1983 NCAA national title. After Kogler left for Columbia University, Pezza was elected to head coach, and entered the NCAA record book in 1984, guiding the Tartars to a NCAA-record third straight men's national championship, all under different coaches. WSU Hall of Famer Maestro Istvan Danosi won the 1982 title, his last before retiring, and Kogler won the 1983 title before leaving. Pezza's 1985 team capped off an amazing four-year run by winning its seventh overall NCAA Men's Fencing National Championship.
As head coach, Pezza also guided the women's team to two NCAA national championships in 1988 and 1989, and when the NCAA combined the two sports into one national championship in 1990, helped Wayne State to the 1990 NCAA women's foil team national title. Nineteen Wayne State fencers gained All-America status during his coaching tenure, and three fencers, men's epeeist Ettore Bianchi (1984-85), men's foilist Stephan Chauvel (1985), and women's foilist Yasemin Topcu (1989) won individual NCAA titles. In 1989 he was named Women's Collegiate Coach-of-the-Year by the Unites States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA), and in 1990 won the same award from the NCAA.
Along with Danosi and Kogler, Pezza was named by the NCAA in 1990 as one of the Women's Coaches-of-the-Decade for the 1980's. While coaching at WSU Pezza pursued three additional degrees, two in fencing. He received his "maestro" certification in 1984 from the Italian Academy of Arms, and in 1985 from the United States Fencing Association (USFA). The maestro degree is fencing's highest certification. Pezza also attended the Detroit College of Law, where he received his J.D. with high honors in 1990, graduating fifth in his class. He is currently a practicing attorney in the international practice group and real estate group with the firm of Butzel, Long, P.C. While a fencer in Italy, Pezza was a member of the Italian National Epee Team, and in 1974 was ranked sixth in the world in epee. Several of his junior and senior clubs won national titles, including the prestigious Italian Cup in 1974.