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.

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.

LTC Michael D. Daniels was born in Chicago, Illinois and earned his Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) commission in 1993 at Eastern Illinois University. LTC Daniels holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History and a Master’s Degree in Military Operational Art and Science. His military education includes completion of the Armor Basic Course, Ordnance Transition Course, Jumpmaster School, Combined Logistics Officers’ Advanced Course, Lean Six Sigma Certification, Combined Arms Services and Staff School, and Air Command and Staff College.

His initial assignment was as a detailed Armor Branch officer. LTC Daniels served as Tank Platoon Leader and Assistant Operations Officer in the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 73rd Armor Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC. LTC Daniels transferred to Ordnance Branch under the Army’s Branch Detail Program. He then served as the Tech Supply Officer, Maintenance Platoon Leader, Shop Officer, and Battalion S-4 in the 307th (Airborne), Forward Support Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC. Upon completion of the Combined Logistics Officers Advanced Course and Combined Arms Services and Staff School, LTC Daniels was assigned to the 702d Main Support Battalion, 2d Infantry Division, Republic of Korea. He served their as a company commander. He commanded Echo Company, 702d Main Support Battalion, the Army’s last Missile Maintenance Support Company.

After successful completion of command, LTC Daniels served as the Plans Officer in the 528th Special Operations Support Battalion, Fort Bragg, NC supporting both Army and Joint Special Operations Forces. During this tour, he was selected for a second command. He commanded Bravo Company, 82nd Forward Support Battalion (Airborne), 82nd Airborne Division and later served as Deputy Materiel Management Officer, Materiel Management Center, 82nd Airborne Division. LTC Daniels continued to serve as the Battalion Support Operations Officer and Battalion Executive Officer in the 407th (Airborne) Brigade Support Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division. He then served at the United States Army North (Fifth Army) as a Logistics Plans Officer. LTC Daniels is currently assigned as the Department Chair and professor of Military Science at the University of Washington, Seattle. LTC Daniels has served overseas in both operational and combat tours to include Haiti, Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq with United Nations Forces, Coalition Forces and Joint Special Operations Forces.

LTC Daniels’ awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with five oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, The Meritorious Unit Award, the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, and the French Parachutist Badge.

LTC Daniels is married to the former CPT Regina G. Defluri, RN, CRNA.

Steaphen Fick is the founder and head instructor of Davenriche European Martial Artes School in Santa Clara, CA. Steaphen began his study of the European martial arts in 1989 and has been fighting and practicing in and out of armour for over 20 years. He has studied and taught in the USA, Canada and the UK. He has also competed with rapier and longsword in different events around the US and UK.

Steaphen has written a book called ‘The Beginner’s Guide to the Longsword’ which has been published by Black Belt Books. He is currently teaching the western martial arts as a full time instructor, and holds monthly seminars on different weapons styles. Steaphen has taught at the International Sword and Martial Arts Convention (ISMAC), the Paddy Crean Art of the Sword Workshop, the Western Washington WMA Workshop (4W) and has begun working on the study of theatrical combat with members of Art of Combat (AoC). He is also on the Reclaiming the Blade DVD special features and has an article coming out in KNIVES 2011.

Steaphen has also lectured at Stanford University and the history department for the UC system in California. He is currently working on a book called ’The Secret Language of Conflict’ in which he discusses and teaches ways to learn to understand the body language of the adversary in the midst of a fight.

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 has been involved in Western Martial Arts and Combat for Stage & Screen for over fifteen years. He has trained across the US and Europe with some of the finest instructors in this Art. As a stage combat artist he has worked with several organizations and taken certification tests with the BADC and SAFD. Ultimately, Jared found his home with the Art of Combat which merged his passion for historical fencing with his love of combat for stage and screen. As a historical/classical fencing instructor he has trained at the Martinez Academy of Arms for ten years and is an Instructor of Spanish and Italian Rapier as well as French foil.

He is currently the fencing instructor at SUNY Purchase and also teaches in New York City. Jared has taught a variety of workshops across the US and around the world including Canada, England, Scotland, Finland and Italy. He has taught at the Paddy Crean International Art of the Sword Workshop, the International Swordfighting and Martial Arts Convention (ISMAC), Redwood Rapier Camp and the Western Washington WMA Workshop just to name a few.

Jared is the editor and one of the translators of Italian Rapier Combat, the first complete, professional translation of Capo Ferro. He is also the editor and wrote the introduction for The School of Fencing by Domenico Angelo and annotated by Maestro Jeannette Acosta-Martínez. For more information, see Martinez Academy of Arms or Amazon.com.

He is 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 also 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. 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.

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 has been involved in fencing and martial arts since 1985, when he first learned to fence with the foil and sabre. Now one of North America's premier researchers of the Bolognese school of swordsmanship and Italian swordsmanship from the 1500s, Steve is an instructor from The Order of the Seven Hearts. In addition to swordsmanship of the Bolognese school, Steve also studies the works of the contemporary authors, such of Altoni, Di Grassi, Agrippa, and Meyer. He is also a competent researcher and practitioner of the Italian Rapier of the early 17th century, Baroque Sword of the later 17th century, and Italian Classical Fencing of the 19th century.

Tim began his study of martial arts over 20 years ago with modern boxing. While boxing introduced him to some basic principles of martial arts, such as timing, distance as well as physical training, he was compelled to go outside of boxing to pursue his search for a highly refined western martial art.

In studying for his Actor/Combatant certification with the Society of American Fight Directors, Tim was introduced to the idea of earlier European fighting and fencing arts. This training further refined his sense of movement, self-control and discipline. While learning to use weapons for stage and screen, Tim's interest in western martial systems of defense motivated him to further his knowledge of these arts. Ultimately, in 1997 this interest led to his discovery of the Dawn Duellists Society in Edinburgh, Scotland. Under the tutalige of Maestro Paul MacDonald, Tim built on the structural foundation established in his earlier training, and began to learn about the combat principles around which all effective martial arts are built.

Returning to the United States, Tim joined forces with Jared Kirby to found the New Dawn Duellists Society in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was there that Tim met and studied from such western martial arts luminaries as Pete Kautz, Col. Dwight McLemore, Ken Pfrenger, James Loriega, Brad Waller, Maestro Martinez, and Maestro Accosta-Martinez. As a result of meeting and training with these premier instructors, Tim learned of a previously little-researched form of bare-knuckle boxing popular in Britain and the US in the 18th and 19th centuries. Working with Ken Pfrenger and a U.K. instructor, Milo Thurston, Tim began researching, practicing and recreating Pugilism, which incoroporates elements of both boxing and wrestling used for self-defense.

Moving to Seattle in 2002, Tim formed the Seattle Pugilism Academy, which has been dedicated to resurrecting this phenomenal system of unarmed fighting. In 2009, the SPA merged with Salle Saint-George with the goal of presenting Pugilism as one method of a larger body of classical European martial arts.

W. Jherek Swanger was born in 1971 in the USA. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Molecular Biology from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Washington, and resides in Washington state working as a senior research assistant and lab manager in a major cancer research center. Jherek has been practicing, studying, and/or teaching various forms of fencing since 1986, within organizations and institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin, the Society for Creative Anachronism, Tattershall School of Defence, and the Academia della Spada, as well as conducting independent study. Since 1999 he has focused on Italian swordplay of the 16th through early 17th centuries. To this end, in 2000 he began to study the Italian language and has subsequently studied and translated, in whole or part, a number of texts from this period. Jherek’s chief weapon styles of interest are Bolognese sword and early Italian rapier, and he has recently taken up the French small sword. He is happy to share what he knows, tries to learn what he doesn't, and plans to sleep when he's dead.

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).

Brad has been a teacher and fight director with The Shakespeare Theater (Washington DC). He has produced the International Paddy Crean Workshop with such cultural institutions as: The Shakespeare Theater, The Smithsonian Institution, The Folger Library, The Shaw Festival, The Stratford Festival (Canada), and the Banff Centre for the Arts.

He is a certified teacher of stage combat with the Society of American Fight Directors, and Honorary Member of Fight Directors Canada.

Brad is an internationally recognized scholar in 16th Century fighting systems. In 1995, he was guest curator of "The Sword and the Pen," an exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library exploring the relationship between combat and drama. He hopes to eventually raise the money to mount an expanded version of the show at the Globe Theater in London.

Brad is the Founder, and serves on the Board of Directors, of the International Order of the Sword and Pen.

He enjoys gardening with his two kids, Lillian and Alan.