A formidable fighter

Meet Long Island’s latest musketeer.

Dan Levitan is a 14-year-old freshman at Oceanside High School, and he’s been fencing competitively for the last three years. “I liked the challenge at first, so I stuck with it,” said Levitan, a graduate of School 9E and Oceanside Middle School. “I also like the athleticism of fencing — it’s very physical but mental, too.”

Levitan was introduced to the sport when he attended a fencing studio for his friend’s birthday party. Since that time, he has slowly developed into a formidable fighter as he practices at the Five Towns Fencers Club in Hewlett under the direction of his coach Jon Tiomkin, who competed on the 2004 U.S. Summer Olympics Fencing team in Athens.

Under the assistance of Tiomkin, Levitan has accumulated an even win-loss record. But Levitan insists that his record is improving, and he is looking forward to the 2011 USA Fencing National Championships that will be held July 1 to 10 in Reno, Nev., where he will compete on the junior and senior teams and represent the Hewlett club.

“I’m a little nervous because it’s a big deal competition,” said Levitan. “My focus now is on national events and bigger and better things.”

The teenager practices at the fencers club five times a week. Twice during the week, Coach Tiomkin — the owner of the club — works with him one-on-one. For the remaining three days, Levitan hones his skills, working in practice groups that run anywhere between 30 minutes to two hours.

Tiomkin, who retired from fencing in 2007 to coach full time, has high praise for Levitan. “He’s a highly intelligent person,” said Tiomkin, who has coached him since he started. “He’s also a hard worker, making him one of the easier kids to coach.”

Levitan competes around the metropolitan area once or twice a month, in New York City and across Long Island. He has also competed out-of-state in New Jersey.

When he suits up for contests, Levitan wears several pieces of fencing equipment: special pants, an underarm protector and a vest. He also fights with a blade and wears a protective glove.

Fortunately for the Oceanside native, fencing has not interfered with school work. His mother, Jodi, can testify to that. “His discipline in fencing has helped him stay focused on his homework,” she said. “He’s an awesome kid and he gets a lot of satisfaction out of what he does.”

Looking ahead, Levitan says he isn’t sure if he wants to compete in the Olympics like his coach. However, he does want to remain active in the sport. “I’m definitely going to continue fencing into college,” he said. “My focus right now is on national events and bigger and better things. It’s good to have goals and to keep your head up.”

“We’ve all encouraged Dan,” said Tiomkin. “He’s pushed himself to compete more and become better.”