What is a "maestro d'armi?"
"Maestro d'armi" (master of arms) is a title that refers to a trained and board-certified professional teacher of fencing, a fencing master. "Maestro" is Italian for "master," and is what teachers, conductors, and fencing masters are called in Italy (think of the English term "schoolmaster,' which used to refer to teachers). In France the term is "maitre d'armes. The title is granted after a candidate completes a full professional training program in fencing pedagogy(including preparation of an academic thesis, linked here) such as the SJSU Fencing Masters Program from which Maestro Hayes graduated, or the programs through the United States Fencing Coaches Association, or the Associazione Italiana Maestri di Scherma (Italian Fencing Masters Association).
The title is sometimes appropriated by teachers who have not taken a professional training course in fencing instruction. While the individual may be a fine teacher, use of a formal title without benefit of formal training, examination and certification is inappropriate, and suggests that the individual has accomplished something that in fact they have not.
Is it better to study from a teacher with a formal rank?
Not necessarily - a good long-term student can turn his or her experience as a student of fencing or martial arts into an excellent training program for others, and become an excellent teacher. Many of Maestro Hayes' colleagues in our Fraternal Schools listing have done exactly that. All teachers should be evaluated on their performance, not their credentials.
A formal training program is simply a way to structure training experience, and a formal pedagogical (teacher-training) program is designed to educate potential teachers in a structured manner. Formal training programs have the benefit of transmitting the accumulated experience of the faculty in a very efficient manner, and are designed to test the student-teacher at regular intervals, including final exams.
How do I know you're the best school to train with?
You have to evaluate us. To help, we offer your first class free of charge or obligation. Students of any subject should actively evaluate the teaching they receive. Does the instructor appear to know his or her business? Can the instructor describe and demonstrate a history of serious training? If a formal rank is claimed, where does that rank come from? Does the instructor demonstrate a commitment to the student's best interests as a student of martial arts? Does the student mesh well with the instructor's teaching style? If the answer to these questions is "no," then a student should seek training where these questions can be answered affirmatively. We are happy to discuss these and other issues with students.
What is Armizare?
Armizare is the name given by the medieval Maestro d'armi Fiore dei Liberi for the medieval art of arms, the martial art of the aristocratic warrior class of Europe. Maestro Liberi recorded his recorded his martial system in the Fior di Battalglia (Flower of Battle), four manuscripts from Italy in 1409. They are copies of a manuscript prepared for Niccolo d’Este III, ruler of the principalities of Ferrara and Modena. Through them, Fiore teaches empty hands, sword and polearms techniques - a complete martial arts system which represents the pinnacle of the combat arts of the medieval knight. We teach Fiore's arts in reference to how effective they would be in a real encounter, and therefore place an absolute emphasis on safety, control, and skill at arms.
What is Traditional Italian Fencing?
Traditional Italian Fencing is the late 19th century practice of the foil (a blunted training weapon), the épeé (the dueling sword), and the sabre (a cutting as well as thrusting weapon). It is the art from which the modern sport of fencing derives. We study the traditional art as a means to develop the necessary fundamentals and complete command of technique required for both martial practice and contemporary sports competition. This approach is more in-depth and requires greater time than many modern sport systems, but gives the fencer the skills for a lifetime of successful development and enjoyment of fencing.