Smallsword Academy 2026

Ramon Martinez

Maestro Ramón Martínez is a traditional master of arms, teaching classical and historical fencing. He studied with the late Maître d’Armes Frederick Rohdes in New York City for ten years. Maître Rohdes was one of the last fencing masters to teach fencing as a martial art. During that time Maestro Martínez became assistant and protégé of Maître 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, Maître Rohdes conferred the rank of Fencing Master on Maestro Martínez. Ramon Martínez is an inheritor of a “Living Tradition” generations old and a highly respected scholar of historical fencing. He has devoted nearly four decades to the study, practice and teaching of classical and historical fencing. In addition to the instruction in historical fencing that he received during his training with Maître Rohdes, he has also done and continues to conduct extensive research in historical fencing. Maestro Martínez has spent years researching many of the detailed treatises of the schools and systems left by some of the most prominent masters of the past in his effort to accurately reconstruct some of these systems. These historical forms are then taught as authentically as possible. His goal and responsibility is to teach, promote, and preserve these rare martial arts.

Jeannette Acosta-Martínez

Maestro Jeannette Acosta-Martínez is a traditional master of arms, teaching classical and historical fencing. She began her training in 1982 under the tutelage of Maître d’Armes Frederick Rohdes, and after his death in 1984, continued with his protégé Maestro Ramón Martínez. In all, Maestro Acosta-Martínez has spent over three decades studying traditional fencing, both classical and historical. Maestro Acosta-Martínez has created a three-volume instructional DVD on the French school of small-sword, L’École Française: A Practical and Combative Guide to the French Small-sword.

Jared Kirby

Maestro Jared Kirby has been involved in Historical/Classical Fencing and Combat for Screen & Stage for over 30 years. He teaches in New York City (and the metro area) and has worked on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Nationally, in London and Sydney.

Maestro Kirby released “The Gentleman’s Guide to Duelling” in February 2014. This is an modern British English version of Vincentio Saviolo’s Code Duello which is the foundation of the training for this Experience.

Jared currently teaches fencing at SUNY Purchase, and is a Master of Arms (Maestro d’Armi) through the Martinez Academy of Arms. He teaches a variety of workshops across the US and around the world including Canada, England, Scotland, Finland, Italy, Spain, France and Australia. He has taught at the Paddy Crean International Art of the Sword Workshop, the International Swordfighting and Martial Arts Convention (ISMAC), 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. Most recently “The Gentleman’s Guide to Duelling” was released in February 2014 and a reprint of Donald McBane’s The Expert Swordsman’s Companion was released in January 2017. For more information, see Amazon.com.

As a Fight Coordinator, Jared has worked with stars such as Peter Sarsgaard, Steve Guttenberg, Cameron Douglas and has trained performers who are working on hit shows. He is a member of Actor’s Equity and SAG/AFTRA. As a Stunt Performer he has worked on films like IF (with Ryan Reynolds) and Confess Fletch (with Jon Hamm) shows like Law & Order: Organized Crime, The Gilded Age, Bull, The Equalizer, Dickinson, Lisey’s Story, Prodigal Son, Blue Bloods, City on a Hill, and Gotham.

He is the past president of Combat Con in Las Vegas, past president of Art of Combat, and served for six years on the board of the International Order of the Sword & Pen.