Tom was born in Locarno, Switzerland and grew up in the Brianza region of Northern Italy. His extensive 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 serious and thorough investigation of most extant primary sources 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 rapierists of his time and the founder of a long and illustrious fencing lineage traceable well into the 18th century.

Tom’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. Thanks to this approach, he and his students have been recognized as being singularly true to their source and "looking like the book." As the leading researcher of the rapier system of Fabris, Tom has published the first complete critical English translation of the Scienza d’Arme which is available at Amazon.com. Also, he operates as a consultant on other research projects throughout the WMA community.

Besides the rapier, Tom’s other martial interests center around French smallsword, the 16th Century Bolognese tradition and Classical fencing.

Tom may be contacted through the forums

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.

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 as well as an analysis of the system of Francesco Marcelli as presented in his 1686 treatise.

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. 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.

Steve may be contacted through the forums

Kara began fencing relatively recently in 2002. Her attention to detail and precise body mechanics make her a valuable assistant for teaching classes and as a demonstration partner.

Kara lives in Arlington, Virginia, where she works as a volunteer at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History preparing and categorizing fossils for display and study for the Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleobotany departments.

Kara may be contacted through the forums