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.

Steve is one of North America's premier researchers of the Bolognese school of swordsmanship from the 1500s, and he is undertaking an intense exploration of the systems of Manciolino, Marozzo, and Dall'Agocchie and The Anonymous Bolognese Manuscripts from Ravenna. In addition, Steve is experienced with the Italian Rapier of the early 1600s, is one of the leading exponents of the Baroque Rapier system described by Francesco Marcelli in his 1686 treatise, and practices the classical Italian dueling sword of the 1800s, most notably that of Masaniello Parise.

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's specialties include the Bolognese system of swordsmanship, as well as the Baroque Rapier and the Classical Italian Dueling Sword.

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