At just 21 years old, Air Specialist Class 1 Jay Kitchen from RAF Coningsby has already made his mark in military fencing, representing the RAF at the prestigious Inter-Service Fencing Championships whilst running his Station's fencing club.
The Telford native discovered his passion for the sport during Phase Two training at RAF Cosford, where a notice board advertising sporting opportunities caught his eye.
"I saw Kendo first and thought it looked great, but there was no club there. Then I spotted the fencing club at Cosford, and I've been fencing for three years now."
What draws him to the sport is its demanding pace and precision.
"It's the speed – I love how fast-paced the game is. I'm always trying to be faster with my parry and riposte. When I'm holding the sword, I know it's going to be fun. As you progress, it becomes more sophisticated and skilful, and I really enjoy that feeling of developing both physical and mental dexterity."
Jay's journey to the RAF began at 17:
"What got me most interested was the adventurous training. I liked school but didn't want to go back into education. I saw the RAF as an opportunity to learn aircraft engineering whilst doing sport and adventurous training and expeditions."
Coming from a military family; with his grandfather serving in both the Army and RAF, and his father and uncle in the Army, Jay initially considered various career paths including Communications Engineering and Physical Training Instructor roles. However, aircraft engineering won out, influenced by family connections and his hands-on nature.
"My Dad, Uncle and Sister are all aircraft engineers, and I'm a very hands-on person. When I leave, aircraft engineering will be a nice transferable skill."
Now serving as both RAF Coningsby fencing captain and Officer in Charge of the Station's fencing club, AS1 Kitchen manages everything from funding bids to risk assessments. His dedication has paid off at competition level, where he achieved top ten placements in all three fencing disciplines at the RAF Championships.
At the Inter-Service Championships, Jay Kitchen helped secure second place for the RAF sabre team in their match against the Army, whilst individually placing seventh in foil, eighth in sabre, and twelfth in épée.
"It's always an eye-opener when you fence people at a higher level," he reflects. "It's about refining movements and being tighter with the sword."
The sport's technical demands present ongoing challenges.
"Precision and hand-eye coordination are probably the biggest challenges. I'm quite agile, but you still need stamina to maintain that energy throughout. The most important part is precision; if you're accurate enough to hit someone on the wrist, it comes down to that level of precision and hand-eye coordination."
AS1 Kitchen believes fencing delivers significant benefits beyond personal achievement.
"It benefits the RAF very well because it requires fitness, focus, and determination. It's a break from work that lets you come back refreshed. With any sport, your mood lifts that little bit more, and I'm able to give more of myself back to the RAF."
Ends.
