INSTRUCTORS (in order of appearance)
Ken Pfrenger is a hoplologist from Northeast Ohio who has a background in teaching Muay Thai, JKD concepts and the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). Several years ago his focus changed from the Asian arts to the Western Martial Traditions of Europe and the United States. He has devoted most of his time researching the Martial Traditions of the various Celtic cultures, from Irish Collar and Elbow wrestling and stickplay to Cornish Close Hugg wrestling. He is one of the founding members of CMARS (Celtic Martial Arts Research Society) and is on the internation advisory council to the American Heritage Fighting Arts Association. An avid boxing fan since a young age, Ken has been seriously studying the sweet science for many years. His focus now is on the techniques and fighting concepts of the old pugilists.
Josh Little is the founder and main instructor for Ars Gladii. Ars Gladii focuses on the martial traditions of 14th and 15th century Germany, specifically the Liechtenauer lineage. His primary focus is on the longsword as presented in the Döbringer and Ringeck manuscripts. Josh has been running Ars Gladii and working with historical sources since 2000. Prior to that, he worked with various free combat groups including the SCA and fenced Olympic style for 6 years. Besides the longsword, Josh also works with I.33, dagger, wrestling, and the pole axe. He is also working with modern defensive tactics, knife fighting, and combat shooting. Josh holds a BA in Philosophy and Medieval History from Western Michigan University.
Steve Huff is the founder and director of the Historical Martial Study Society, a WMA practice group focusing primarily on the 17th through the 19th centuries with a strong emphasis towards the fighting arts of early America.
The Historical Martial Study Society (HMSS) is an affiliate of Dwight McLemore's School of Two Swords, and Steve holds not only a full Instructor Certification through Dwight but an official School of Two Swords charter as well. The HMSS is recognized by Pete Kautz as an American Heritage Fighting Arts Association study group, and has close ties to Larry Tom's Mid Atlantic Society for Historical Swordsmanship (MASHS). The HMSS is also affiliated with the Historical Maritime Combat Association, founded and directed by Gareth Thomas, and Steve holds an Instructor rank in that organization as well.
Aside from his many years practicing WMA, Steve has conducted seminars and lectures for several reenactment and historical groups, local area colleges and high schools, as well as seminars for WMA groups, including classes taught at the WMAW event this past year. Steve has also worked as an Assistant Director for Camp Flintlock, an 18th century style residential summer camp for children, which has given him the opportunity to not only introduce WMA (primarily tomahawk throwing and basic fencing) to a new group of younger students, but also to "live" an 18th century lifestyle in period conditions. He is also currently working with John Lennox of Art of Combat, Inc. and Gareth Thomas (both HMSS Instructors) on weapons techniques from the late 18th through mid-19th centuries.
In addition to his WMA practices, Steve holds several certifications in Eastern martial arts in both unarmed and weapons styles, and holds an Expert Level Instructor ranking in knife combat in the Scientific Fighting Congress. He has a Bachelor's degree in History (with a focus on the Colonial era) from St. Mary's College of Maryland, and is currently working towards his Master's in Teaching through Towson University.
He currently works as a teacher at the high school level (history and literature) in the Emotional Adjustment program, working with students with emotional problems, and also owns and operates the Universal Martial Study Center (a martial arts facility offering both Eastern and Western martial studies) in Waldorf, MD.
Stephen Logan began studying Western Fighting Arts several years ago through Ken Pfrenger. In his free time he studies pugilism manuals and practices the Irish cudgel. He is currently a graduate student at The University of Toledo in Toledo, OH and is studying American Literature. He may be reached at Stephen_logan81@yahoo.com.
Christopher Scott Thompson is the president of the Cateran Society, an organization devoted to researching and practicing the historic Highland martial arts. He is 32 years old, and lives in Portland, Maine.
Randal Gustitis has been training in the martial arts for 21 years. His early training was in karate and Western Fencing, although he has branched out over the years to a variety of Eastern and Western martial arts. An amateur hoplologist, he has traveled to New Zealand (where he was the first mainland American to be ranked in Maori martial arts) and Portugal to research and study. In the Asian arts, he is an instructor of Yang style Taijiquan, with 19 years experience, and holds a Nidan ranking in Meishin Muso Ryu Iaido. He is also a practicing Kendoka. In the Western arts, he is a ROSS instructor, and an avid practioner of Jogo do Pau do Ilha Terceira. Randal currently runs a ROSS/Jogo do Pau club at Bryn Mawr College, and teaches wushu for Physical Education credit at the college as well.
Kirk Lawson has been training in martial arts for 19 years. He started
his training in oriental Martial Arts including Tang Soo Do and Tomiki
Aikido, and Judo, which he still practices. Kirk's interests have
expanded to include Western Martial Arts and he has been training
under Ken Pfrenger in Cumann Bhata as well as dabbling in other
Western methods. Kirk joined the Bartitsu group as part of his
interest in Western stickwork and has been an active participant since
2003.
C. Allen Reed is a law enforcement officer with over twenty-five years experience. He is a firearms, baton and police combatives instructor for a Federal agency. He is a State of Illinois certified defensive tactics instructor. Allen also holds the rank of Kaiden (equivalent of 7th dan) in Paracombatives Jujutsu,. Allen studies and recreates the sword arts of Medieval and Renaissance Europe. He is a past member of the Chicago Swordplay Guild. Currently Allen is Headmaster at Gallowglass Academy in northwestern Illinois. Allen can be contacted at GallowglassAcad@aol.com.
Mark Rainey has been practicing Western Martial Arts for 5 years and holds
the rank of Free Scholar with Cumann Bhata. He was an avid practitioner of
modern fencing for 3 years prior to moving toward historical systems. He has
dabbled in many weapons, but his primary focuses have been shillelagh,
saber, bowie knife, tomahawk and polearms.
Bruno Cruicchi is a language professor specializing in language
teaching. He speaks eight languages
and is working on a couple more presently. In his own words he says, "I am no spring chicken, so don't expect
any cartwheels from me; I only cartwheel for the ladies and this after a couple
of beers." He has been in martial arts for more than 35 years, having started out in Judo at age
12, making brown belt, then sampling some Shotokan and Jiujitsu and achieving 1st kyu in
Hakko-ryu and in Taijutsu before settling for a long time with the Korean martial arts, attaining 1st dan
in Hapkido and 2nd in Kuk Sool.
Since then he has trained in diverse arts: Filipino
Kali, Hsing-i, Chen
taichi, and many others.
For the past several years he has been concentrating on Silat, Kali, and Garrote
Larense, still actively investigating the native South American arts and, most recently, the old
Italian knife fighting arts from Sicily.