Click to View The 1999 Examinations at San Jose State

Maestro Sean Hayes was born in 1962 and raised in the Midwest region of the United States. He initially studied classical French fencing under Maitre d'armes Adam Adrian Crown in Ithaca, New York; and also pursued studies of rapier and dagger under Maitre Crown. In 1995 he began his studies of classical Italian fencing at California's San Jose State University Fencing Master's Program, under the direction of Dr. William M. Gaugler. Maestro Gaugler, a graduate of the Accademia Nazionale di Scherma in Naples, employs the system of instruction developed by Masaniello Parise, first director of the celebrated 19th century Military Masters School in Rome (Scuola Magistrale di Scherma), with certain elements drawn from the methods of the earlier Military Fencing Masters schools in Parma (directed by Cesar Enrichetti), Milan (directed by Giuseppe Radailli), and from the later Livornese school (as exemplified by Eugenio Pini and Beppe Nadi). Maestro Hayes apprenticed under Maestro Gaugler from 1995 to 1999, and was trained to think critically about the details of fencing theory and the application of fencing theory in actual practice, to work with students closely and carefully, and to observe the most minute aspects of their performance in the lesson and when fencing. He earned his Fencing Master's diploma in May of 1999 after passing a rigorous three-year series of written, oral and practical examinations, including the preparation of an academic thesis in the final year. Maestro Hayes' examination for Master At Arms was advertised and open to the public, and conducted by an international board of 6 fencing masters representing the United States, France, and Italy. The examination included oral and practical components: intense questioning on the smallest aspects of classical Italian fencing theory; the candidate required to teach group lessons, individual lessons, take individual lessons; and finally to teach any actions or combination of several actions in any weapons desired by the board to a fellow candidate. Maestro Hayes teaches a strictly classical curriculum of Italian foil, épée and sabre at Northwest Academy of Arms in Eugene, Oregon, and through the University of Oregon and Lane Community College. He also researches and teaches Italian Rapier of the early and late 17th century and 18th century; the medieval martial arts system of Fiore dei Liberi; and German Sword & Buckler from Royal Armouries Manuscript I.33 (ca 1295 AD, the oldest known fencing manuscript).

Maestro Sean Hayes Italian Fencing Lineage from the 18th Century:
Roman-Neopolitan School		School of Livorno
Tommaso Bosco e Fucile, 18th century Neopolitan master and teacher of
Raffaele Parise (1773 - 1851), master at the R. College della Nunziatella e della Marina in Naples and father and teacher of
Achille Parise, master in Naples and Turin, international champion in Paris and London (1854) and father and teacher of		Guisepe Pini, master at the R. Accademia Navale in Livorno, father and teacher of
Mansaniello Parise, Neopolitan master, member of the Accademia Nazionale di Napoli, author of the Trattato teorico-pratico della scherma di spada e sciabola (Rome: 1884), and first director of the Scuola Magistrale Militare in Rome. Maestro Parise held this position for 26 years.		Eugenio Pini (1859 - 1939), master at the R Accademia Navale in Livorno, professional foil champion in Paris and London (1892), first director of the military school of fencing in Argentina, author of the Trattato Pratico e Teorico sulla Scherma di Spada (Livorno: 1903), and teacher of
Carlo Pessina, successor to Parise, professional sabre champion, co-authorwith Salvatore Pecoraro of La Scherma di Sciabola (Rome: 1910), father and teacher of	Antonio Pomponio, master at the Scuola Magistrale Militare, professional epee champion (1914) and teacher of	Beppe Nadi, master in Livorno and father and teacher of Nedo Nadi (1894 - 1940), amateur and professional champion in foil, sabre, and epee (six Olympic gold medals), master in Rome, and president of the Italian Federation of Fencing, father and teacher of
Giorgio Pessina, member of the Italian Olympic teams (1924, 1928, and 1932), Roman master, director of the fencing masters course, Instituto Superiore di Educazione Fisica, co-author with Ugo Pignotti of Il Fioretto (Rome: 1970), and La Sciabola (Rome: 1972), and president of the Associazione Italiana Maestri di Scherma, teacher of	Umberto Di Paola, Roman master, master of the Scuola Magistrale Militare, and director of the fencing masters course, Instituto Superiore di Educazione Fisca, teacher of	Aldo Nadi (1899 - 1965, amateur and professional champion in foil, sabre, and epee (three Olympic gold and one silver medal), master in Paris, New York, and Los Angeles, and author of On Fencing (New York: 1943), teacher of
William M. Gaugler, Founder and Director Emeritus of the Fencing Masters Program at San Jose State University, awarded fencing master's diploma from Accademia Nazionaledi Scherma di Napoli, honorary member of the Associazione Italiana Maestri di Scherma, author of A Dictionary of Universally Used Fencing Terminology (Bangor: 1997), The Science of Fencing (Bangor: 1997), The History of Fencing (Bangor: 1998) and teacher of
Sean Hayes