MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS
At Blood and Iron, our instructor training program is world-class.
We are the teacher of teachers. Our ranking instructors, our instructor candidates, and our group leaders are all vetted through a rigorous training and examination regimen and will provide you with the absolute best HEMA training available on the planet.
Here is our list of the best of the best.
Nicole Smith
HEAD INSTRUCTOR
BUSINESS MANAGER
Nicole’s passion for HEMA comes from a lifelong love of reading, history, and competitive sports. She is a noted rapier and Women’s longsword champion and is widely considered to be one of the world’s top female HEMA practitioners.
She is one of North America's only women teaching Historical Fencing and has taught at noted events around the world. Nicole is extremely well-rounded in her practice and understanding of the art. She spends much of her time fencing, training, and testing her theories with a sword in hand. Her specialties are the rapier and longsword. She is also known for her skill with the dagger/knife, and late-period sword and buckler.
Nicole is also one of the faces of our popular YouTube channel as well as its editor.
Syd Smith
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
LEAD INSTRUCTOR
Sydney Smith is one of the world's best historical fencers and top fencing coaches.
With an impressive competitive career spanning 15 years, Syd boasts 50 first-place tournament finishes in a variety of disciplines from combat knife to longsword and everything in between.
In addition to his successes, he is a proven coach with his students winning and placing in dozens of tournaments worldwide. Many of these students have gone on to start their own successful clubs in a variety of countries.
Today Syd spends much of his time producing videos for our successful YouTube Channel, teaching teachers, and improving the methodology of Historical fencing. Currently, he holds a health sciences associate degree (pre-med focus) and is an ISSA-certified personal trainer
Stephen Kime
LEVEL III INSTRUCTOR
Stephen hails from a long martial background in multiple styles ranging from TaekwonDo to Historical European Martial arts over the course of more than 20 years
12 years ago Stephen first picked up a sword and began his HEMA journey, competing all across North America in tournaments and teaching a wide variety of weapon sets including but not limited to Longsword, Sword and buckler, Modern Knife, Side-sword, Single stick, and cutting.
Over the course of his career, he has earned more than 20 medals in multiple weapon sets including gold medals in sword and buckler and cutting as well as sharing the medal podium with many of the world's top competitors.
MIKKEL KLAUSEN
LEVEL I INSTRUCTOR
Mikkel embarked on his HEMA journey training in Victoria, Canada, well before beginning his academic journey, where he earned his ‘BA Honours Medieval Studies (Minor Greek and Roman Studies)’ in Canada and MA ‘Viking and Medieval Norse Studies’ in Iceland and Norway, where he engaged with Classical Latin, Middle English, Old Norse, and began learning Norwegian (Bokmål).
His HEMA career and expertise in martial culture, the Viking Age, and berserkir (berserkers), has brought Mikkel invitations for numerous roles such as instructor of the cutting seminar at Vinter 2023 HEMA/historical re-enactment training event held in Tistedal, Norway.
VIER TAJONERA
LEVEL I INSTRUCTOR
A South East Asian Games gold medalist in fencing among others, is an accomplished swordsman, trainer, and recognized instructor. His passion for the sport is reflected not only by his competition record, but also by his commitment to training the next generation of duelists. Now with his founding of Forge Pioneer and his instructorship from Blood & Iron, he is training the next generation of HEMA fighters for success in both the competitive arena and their personal growth as accomplished swordsmen.
RAFAEL ORTIZ
LEVEL I INSTRUCTOR
Is a perpetual student of sword combat and a co-founder of Forge Pioneer, dedicated to bringing together and training like-minded martial artists. Rafael began fencing at an early age and went on to win a tournament, compete in the Asia Youth Championship, and be a member of his college varsity team. Currently focused on HEMA, he has earned his instructorship from Blood and Iron, and is pursuing his dream and passion of swordfighting by serving as Forge Pioneer's instructor.
RG CABREDO
LEVEL I INSTRUCTOR
a founder of Forge Pioneer, also happens to be its resident bookworm and is a patron of all things sword related. Being an accomplished fencer in his own right competing in various tournaments, he is one of the instructors certified by Blood & Iron's Instructor Certification Program and now offers his wisdom to his pupils with unique insights and viewpoints.
KRISTOF LAJBER
LEVEL I INSTRUCTOR
Kristof is a martial art practitioner with almost 20 years of experience mainly in Japanese arts. He started with Aikido, continued with full contact Kyokushin karate and added about 13 years of Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū kenjutsu. He eventually earned his Reiken Instructor certificate from Suzuki Kimiyoshi in 2019. Now he is continuing his sword art career with European martial arts. Leading his yet small but growing study group in Szombathely, Hungary.
LOGAN RAYMOND
INSTRUCTOR CANDIDATE
Join BIG Mandeville's weekly meetings, led by the illustrious Logan Raymond. The Youth Class runs from 5:30pm to 7pm, while the Adult Class is scheduled from 7pm to 8:30pm. Come to Castine Center in Pelican Park every Thursday night to participate.