It’s a sport that requires strength, agility and quick reflexes.

You also need a focused mind that can make split-second decisions.

Eric Guth, founder of Cleveland Fencing Academy in Beachwood, calls it “physical chess.”

“It’s not only a physical battle. It’s a mental battle,” agreed Nadia Taylor-Osborn, 16, who has been fencing for four years at the academy. “You have to have a plan.”

Guth, a native Clevelander and Pepper Pike resident, had a plan five years ago to share his love of fencing with the community.

“It’s an awesome activity,” said Guth, who started fencing while a student at Columbia University in New York City.

A lot of people told him that opening a fencing school would never work. “I took a big risk.”

The gamble has paid off. The academy, which offers instruction to

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