Tony Barajas

IN 1991 TONY BEGAN FENCING WITH FRENCH FOIL AND HUNGARIAN SABER. HE EARNED HIS INSTRUCTOR’S CERTIFICATION OF PROVOST AT ARMS IN CLASSICAL ITALIAN FENCING (FOIL, SABER, AND EPEE) AT THE SAN JOSE STATE FENCING MASTER’S PROGRAM. TONY WENT ON TO STUDY FENCING WITH RAPIER AND DAGGER, SIDE SWORD, HEAVY SABER, AND LONGSWORD AS WELL AS FOOT COMBAT IN FULL ARMOR. CLASSICAL ITALIAN FENCING, ALONG WITH HIS TRAINING IN TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS INCLUDING AIKIDO, JUJITSU, KENDO, ESCRIMA, AND IAIDO GAVE TONY THE SCHOLARLY FOUNDATION TO INTERPRET HISTORICAL ITALIAN FENCING TREATISES. ULTIMATELY THESE STUDIES INSPIRED HIM TO ESTABLISH THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE SWORDSMANSHIP ACADEMY (IRSA) WHERE HE SERVES AS HEAD COACH. STUDENTS AT IRSA STUDY DAGGER, HEAVY SABER, RAPIER, SIDE SWORD, SMALL SWORD, LONGSWORD, AND GRAPPLING.

Ian Fry

Bio

Tina Ponzetti

Tina is an assistant instructor at the Italian Renaissance Swordsmanship Academy under Provost Tony Barajas. She has been fencing HEMA for eight years and classical Italian for two years. She is an instructor’s candidate at the Fencing Master’s Certificate Program at Sonoma State University scheduled to take my exam in the summer of 2024. She specializes in smallsword, saber, foil, and epee.