Instructors for 4W 2008

Jeannette Acosta-Martínez is a professional restorer of antique furniture who specializes in works of the 17th and 18th centuries. This, together with her interest in antique weapons, led her to the study of fencing. She began under the tutelage of Maitre d'Armes Frederick Rohdes, and after his death in 1983, continued with his protege Maestro Ramon Martínez. In all, Maestro Acosta-Martínez has spent a total of 26 years studying traditional fencing, both classical and historical. In 1995, she became an instructor at the Martínez Academy of Arms, the Academy's business manager, and the chief assistant at all Maestro Martínez's demonstrations and seminars.

In preparation for her Provost's and Master's certification, Maestro Acosta-Martínez devoted time to learning the art of teaching, as well as extensively researching the fencing treatises of the classical and historical periods. In January 1999, she was instrumental in orchestrating a historical exposition at St. Peter's College, New Jersey, which had international participation and featured demonstrations not seen in public for more than 100 years. In May of 2000, she received her Master's certification from the International Masters at Arms Federation and a second certification from the Martínez Academy of Arms the following November, thus becoming the only other Master certified to teach the Rohdes system of classical fencing and the Martínez system of Spanish rapier fence. Maestro Acosta-Martínez is also the Vice President of the Association for Historical Fencing and a founding member of the International Masters at Arms Federation.

Maestro Acosta-Martínez has annotated and translated various works of classical and historical fencing over the years. She collaborated on the translation of Capo Ferro's Gran Simulacro, published by Greenhill Press in 2004. Also published by Greenhill in 2005, The School of Fencing by Domenico Angelo is annotated by, and includes some of her original drawings.

Nathan's interest in martial arts began in 1982 with the study a number of Asian styles. Despite intensive study, none of them struck a warm spot in his heart until in 1999 he began to study European swordplay. In 2000, still frightfully green in sword but with a wealth of training and instructional skill from other styles, he joined Cecil Longino at Academia della Spada. In 2001 he devoted himself to the cut-and-thrust sword, eventually settling upon the treatises of George Silver. Since then he has worked to develop a practical interpretation true to Silver's text which can be pursued by serious scholars of fencing. In 2004 The Academy began a curriculum devoted to Silver's backsword with classes taught 3 days per week in the Seattle area.

Antone Blair began fencing in 1995 while studying Anthropology and Classical Mediterranean Civilization at Beloit College in Wisconsin. Finding that he was more interested in fencing as a martial art, he began seeking information on the rapier and the duelling sword.

In May 2001 Antone attended a seminar on the art of Spanish rapier taught by Maestri Ramon Martinez and Jeannette Acosta-Martinez. Antone immediately developed a passion for the Spanish school of fencing and soon there after became a student of the Martinez Academy of Arms. Antone primarily studies French foil, duelling sword and Spanish rapier. Antone also studies and trains in the use of the Spanish Navaja under Maestro James Loriega of the Raven Arts Institute. In January of 2006, Mr. Blair received the rank of Instructor in French foil and épée, and in June of the same year, he received the rank of Instructor in Spanish rapier.

He is the fencing instructor at Humboldt State University, where he teaches French foil, and for advanced students, French duelling sword and Spanish rapier and navaja technique. He also offers fencing instruction at the Destreza Pacifica Fencing Club in Arcata, California, where students are taught the art of defense with an emphasis on universal principles of self-defense.

After receiving his Bachelor of Science and Education from the University of Arkansas in 1985, Mr. Charron spent twenty years participating in Historical Reenactment of the Medieval era. His personal research and training in education led him to teach classes in topics ranging from Vegetius' De Rei Militari to Government and Law in 12th and 13th century Jerusalem.

Always seeking after primary source material in the use and instruction of arms, he acquired a copy of the Getty-Ludwig manuscript of the Fior di Bataglia, a treatise written by Fiore Dei Liberi, the early 15th century instructor at arms to the court of Nicolo d'Este, Marquise da Ferrara. This master work includes an extensive prologue describing Fiore's personal experience and advice to the combatant, a complete explanation of the structure of the treatise, and a list of his famous students and their opponents. Following this introduction are hundreds of illustrations and accompanying paragraphs of text explaining this complete martial arts system and its concepts as it moves from hand-to-hand combat, knife fighting, swordplay, the use of the spear and the pollaxe, and ends with techniques for the mounted combatant.

Mr. Charron has spent the last several years translating the text, interpreting the techniques, and further researching the scientific principles on which the art is based and the biographies of the men who employed it. He teaches weekly classes and private lessons through St. Martins Academy of Medieval Arms, a martial arts academy using the Fior di Bataglia as its curriculum for instruction. He has traveled the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe teaching the material from the treatise. He has presented three papers at the Kalamazoo Medieval Conference on Fiore's work, with a fourth scheduled for the 2005 session.

In addition to the translation of the text and the demonstration of the techniques, Mr. Charron also presents on the internal organization of the manuscript, the links within this work to memory systems, academics, art and culture of the period.

Mr. Charron uses his skills and enthusiasm as an educator to bring the art to life, and to share it within the context of the science and society which created such a beautiful and effective martial arts system.

Kristina Charron holds a B.S. in Animal Science with an Equine major from The Ohio State University. She has been riding horses for over twenty five years and has been a professional riding instructor and horse trainer for over fifteen years. For the last ten years she has applied her practical knowledge to researching the use of the medieval warhorse, including cavalry tactics and the use of sword, bow and spear from horseback. She has been invited to publish several articles, and to deliver numerous lectures and demonstrations on her award-winning research.

William Elder has been an active student of historical fence since joining Academia della Spada in 2001. During this time he has studied extensively with Cecil Longino and Nathan Barnett, and has also sought out instruction from such notable HEMA scholars as Maestro Ramon Martinez and Maestro Jeannette Acosta-Martinez, Bob Charron, and Stephen Hand. His primary studies include the rapier of Saviolo, the Spanish La Verdadera Destreza, and Fiore dei Liberi's system of medieval combat. Currently, William leads the regularly-scheduled Fiore Studies classes at Academia della Spada.

In addition to his studies at Academia della Spada, William also performs with the Elizabethan musical troupe Blood, Love, and Rhetoric and serves as the drill sergeant for the sixteenth-century pike group "Goode's Company of Foote", a role which lets him relive his youth as an overenthusiastic military cadet.

Maestro Sean Hayes was born in 1962 and raised in the Midwest region of the United States. He initially studied classical French fencing under Maitre d'armes Adam Adrian Crown in Ithaca, New York; and also pursued studies of rapier and dagger under Maitre Crown. In 1995 he began his studies of classical Italian fencing at California's San Jose State University Fencing Master's Program, under the direction of Dr. William M. Gaugler.

Maestro Gaugler, a graduate of the Accademia Nazionale di Scherma in Naples, employs the system of instruction developed by Masaniello Parise, first director of the celebrated 19th century Military Masters School in Rome (Scuola Magistrale di Scherma), with certain elements drawn from the methods of the earlier Military Fencing Masters schools in Parma (directed by Cesar Enrichetti), Milan (directed by Giuseppe Radailli), and from the later Livornese school (as exemplified by Eugenio Pini and Beppe Nadi).

Maestro Hayes apprenticed under Maestro Gaugler from 1995 to 1999, and was trained to think critically about the details of fencing theory and the application of fencing theory in actual practice, to work with students closely and carefully, and to observe the most minute aspects of their performance in the lesson and when fencing. He earned his Fencing Master's diploma in May of 1999 after passing a rigorous three-year series of written, oral and practical examinations, including the preparation of an academic thesis in the final year.

Maestro Hayes teaches a strictly classical curriculum of Italian foil, épée and sabre at Northwest Academy of Arms in Eugene, Oregon, and through the University of Oregon and Lane Community College. He also researches and teaches Italian Rapier of the early and late 17th century and 18th century; the medieval martial arts system of Fiore dei Liberi; and German Sword & Buckler from Royal Armouries Manuscript I.33 (ca 1295 AD, the oldest known fencing manuscript).

Jared Kirby began his studies of historical fencing in Minneapolis, MN. After several years, he moved to Scotland in order to work with Maestro Paul Macdonald, focusing on Italian Rapier, Longsword and Dusack. In pursuing his studies of Western Martial Arts, Jared has done research in to the historical forms of Dusack and the Italian Rapier, extensively studying the treatises written by the respective prominent masters of these weapons. He is the editor and one of the translators of Italian Rapier Combat, the first complete, professional translation of Capo Ferro's 1610 treatise.

Jared moved to New York in 1999 to focus his studies on the Spanish school of Rapier at the Martinez Academy of Arms. Since then he has been studying both the Spanish and Italian systems of Rapier at the Academy. In December of 2003, he received the rank of Instructor for Spanish and Italian Rapier.

Jared is the co-founder of The New Dawn Duellists Society in Minneapolis, MN. He is also the co-coordinator of the International Swordfighting and Martial Arts Convention in Detroit, MI. This workshop, created in 2000, brings together the finest instructors from around the world for one of the largest annual Western Martial Arts workshops. Jared is a full member of the Dawn Duellists Society in Edinburgh, Scotland and a member of the Association for Historical Fencing.

Tom Leoni was born in Locarno, Switzerland and grew up in rural Northern Italy. His education in the humanities included the study of Latin, ancient Greek, history, philosophy, Early Music and philology. Tom continued his academic studies at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (Switzerland) and then at Texas Christian University where he earned a Bachelor's degree cum laude in classical music composition and a Master's in business administration.

Tom's interest in swordsmanship began in the early Nineties, at which time he started a systematic investigation of most extant fencing treatises from 16th and 17th century Italy. This analysis lead him to a lifelong commitment to the rapier system of Salvator Fabris (1544-1618). Thanks in great part to Tom's research, Fabris is emerging from the mists of history as one of the most celebrated Masters of his time and the founder of an important International fencing lineage traceable well into the 18th Century.

Besides the rapier, Tom Leoni's other martial interests center around Baroque sword, French smallsword, the 16th Century Bolognese tradition, Italian polearms and Neapolitan dueling styles, for which he is pursuing the Military Master at Arms diploma from San Jose State University. As a rapier and martial arts teacher, Tom is regularly invited to appear as an instructor at several International events in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.

Tom Leoni's methodology as a researcher and a teacher is strongly philological, and relies on the direct and precise analysis of the period texts within their cultural context. As the leading researcher of the rapier system of Fabris, Tom has published the first complete critical English translation of Fabris' treatise Scienza d'Arme which is available at Amazon.com under the title The Art of Dueling. Tom Leoni resides in Alexandria, Virginia, where he runs the group he founded, the Order of the Seven Hearts; by day, he is employed as a technical and marketing writer.

Cecil's formal martial arts training began with his study of Tae Kwon Do from Grand Master Kyu Il Cho in 1983. It was this strict training and formal environment that would inform his judgment to seek out quality instruction in all his future endeavors. In subsequent years, Cecil continued his exploration of Eastern martial arts; however, while living in Germany, he became captivated with the notion of European historical fencing. In 1994, from the University of North Florida, he received his Bachelor of Arts in Drama with a focus on Elizabethan stagecraft. Founder of the Elizabethan reenactment troupe, Blood, Love & Rhetoric, Cecil has spent many years examining various aspects of Elizabethan society and culture: literature, philosophy, dance and fence. He founded the Academia della Spada in 1998 to focus on reconstructing the rapier play of Vincentio Saviolo, a well known Italian fencing master teaching in London at the end of the 16th Century. In 2003 Cecil felt compelled to seriously pursue formal training under Maestro Ramon Martinez and Maestro Jeannette Acosta-Martinez. He is currently a Certified Instructor in French foil and French smallsword with the Martinez Academy of Arms in New York and is also an active board member of the Association for Historical Fencing, an organization dedicated to preserving the arts of classical and historical fencing.

In his teaching he strives to connect the art of fencing back to the greater historical mindset from which it was developed, because it is crucial to keep in mind that every martial art is a child of the specific culture that gave it birth, and therefore should adhere to a particular ideal esthetic in its form, movement, and manner inherited from its parent culture.

Ramón Martínez is a master of classical and historical fencing. He studied classical fencing with the late Maitre d'Armes Frederick Rohdes in New York City for ten years. Maitre Rohdes was one of the last fencing masters to teach fencing as a martial art. During that time Maestro Martínez became assistant and protege of Maitre Rohdes and was the only one of his pupils permitted to teach with full authorization at the Rohdes Academy. In late 1982, shortly before his death, Maitre Rohdes conferred the rank of Fencing Master on Maestro Martínez.

Maestro Martínez has devoted over 35 years to the study, practice and teaching of classical and historical fencing. In addition to the training in historical fencing that he received during his training with Maitre Rohdes, he has also done and continues to conduct extensive research in historical fencing. Many of the most prominent masters of the past centuries left elaborate, highly detailed treatises of the systems and styles, which they taught. Maestro Martínez has spent years carefully and thoroughly researching these treatises in an effort to accurately reconstruct some of these varied styles. These ancient and historical forms are then taught as authentically as possible. His goal and responsibility is to teach, promote, and preserve these rare martial arts.

He is the world's preeminent authority on the Spanish school of fencing La Vedadera Destreza. Maestro Martinez has devoted over a quarter of a century to the research, reconstruction and resurrection of this unique system of swordsmanship. He has brought more international recognition and respect for the Spanish school than any other master and swordsman within the last one hundred and fifty years. Maestro Martinez is an inheritor of a "Living Tradition" generations old and a highly respected scholar of historical fencing. In association with Anthony De Longis and Palpable Hit Productions, Maestro Martinez has created two instructional DVDs for rapier fencing. One two volume set for the Spanish School La Verdadera Destreza: The True Art and Skill of Spanish Swordsmanship and another two volume set for the Italian School La Scherma Italiana: The Basics of Italian Rapier Fencing which have gained international attention becoming top sellers.

Maestro Martínez is the director of the Martinez Academy of Arms in New York City. He is the current president of the Association for Historical Fencing, founded to promote, preserve and revive classical and historical fencing. He is one of the founders of the International Masters at Arms Federation, as well as a fencing advisor to the Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts, and is associated with the Federazione Italiana Scherma Antica e Storica.

Maestro Martínez has made himself available for lectures, seminars, workshop demonstrations and presentations worldwide. He collaborated on the translation of Gran Simularo by Capo Ferro, published in 2004 by Greenhill Press. As president of the AHF he has been instrumental in the republication of fencing works by Dover Publications and has written the forewords for Old Sword Play, Cold Steel: The Art of Fencing with the Sabre and The Sword Through the Centuries all by Alfred Hutton. These republications also include Schools and Masters of Fencing: From the Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century by Egerton Castle.

Ivan Peterson has an on going love affair with the Ancient and Medieval world. This obsession led to degrees in Education, History, Philosophy and Classics. As adjunct faculty at the University of Idaho He has taught a variety of courses for the History and Philosophy departments and is currently teaching "The Sacred Journey" and "The Monsters We Make" for the University of Idaho CORE program.

Mr. Peterson's research interests are varied and include a fascination with pre-industrial science and technology. His graduate work was concerned with the large scale metal industry in the Weald region of southern England from 1200-1600 and its relationship to the forest it depended upon.

Steve grew up in rural north-central Pennsylvania. His long and varied college career included time as a music performance major for the Classical Guitar before graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.

Steve's interest in swordsmanship started in college in the mid eighties as a casual practitioner of sport fencing and kendo. He also dabbled in eastern martial arts, including a few years of Shaolin Kuntao. Recently he re-acquainted himself with swordsmanship through the works of the Italian Maestri of the Renaissance as well as the classical Italian dueling sword and dueling saber.

An interest in Indo-European linguistics complements Steve's meticulous and systematic approach to researching and learning western swordsmanship. His research currently focuses on Bolognese swordsmanship where he is undertaking an intense exploration of the systems of Manciolino, Marozzo and dall'Agocchie.

Steve's martial interests focus on the 16th-Century Bolognese school, the 17th century Italian rapier and the Classical Italian fencing of the 19th century, as well as participating in the occasional Jodo class. Steve lives in Arlington, Virginia, where he is an instructor in the Order of the Seven Hearts. In his professional career, Steve is an independent contractor specializing in Software Engineering and Systems Architecture.

Tim began studying swordplay as a stage-combatant, and now holds his actor-combatant certification with the Society of American Fight Directors.

Several years ago, while working in Edinburgh, Scotland, Tim stumbled across the Dawn Duellists Society and its somewhat mad president, Paul Macdonald. Upon learning that this group of nutters studied and practiced historical technique, Tim immediately threw himself into the fray, and has not wised up since.

After returning to the States, Tim and his friend Jared Kirby founded the The New Dawn Duellists Society in Minneapolis, MN.

Tim has been teaching for several years now in a variety of historic western weapons and unarmed styles.

Christian Henry Tobler has been a longtime student of swordsmanship, especially as it applies to the pursuit of the chivalric ideals. A passionate advocate of the medieval Liechtenauer School, his work in translating and interpreting Sigmund Ringeck's commentary firmly established him as an important contributor to the growing community of Western martial artists. This work is encapsulated in the 2001 Chivalry Bookshelf title Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship: Sigmund Ringeck's Commentaries on Johannes Liechtenauer's Verse, and Fighting with the German Longsword (Chivalry Bookshelf, 2004), a training guide for students of the Liechtenauer tradition. His most recent work is In the Service of the Duke, a full-color 1:1 scale reproduction, translation and analysis of the magnificent manuscript of Paulus Kal, a 15th c master at arms to the Duke of Bavaria.

Mr. Tobler was born in 1963 in Paterson, New Jersey. A graduate of the University of Bridgeport's computer engineering program, Mr. Tobler has worked as a software developer, web designer, product manager, and marketing specialist in the analytical instrumentation and publishing fields. He is the Grand Master of the Order of Selohaar, an eclectic, mystic order of chivalry that he co-founded in 1979. A veteran of 20 years of tournament fighting, he is also an avid collector of reproduction arms and armour. He has been focused on the study of medieval fechtbücher (fight books) since the late 1990's. He has taught classes at the annual Schola St. George Swordplay Symposium, in the San Francisco Bay area, and at five of the annual Western Martial Arts Workshops, and has traveled the United States teaching weekend long seminars. He has also lectured at the 38th International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In 2002 he was named to the Advisory Board of Swordplay Symposium International (SSI).