As for Captain Merrill, the mysterious freelancer was born and raised in a small port town along the outskirts of the Sri Vijaya Empire. Born to a Western trader and local woman, Captain Merrill spent a childhood entranced by tales of adventure and exploration. However, the declining empire brought poverty and hardship to Merill’s village. …
David Laudenslager is a National Fight Director and Media Lead of The Saber Legion (TSL), an international LED saber combat organization. David has fought in TSL international tournaments in Minneapolis and Las Vegas, placing every year since 2017. He is currently one of the TSL Tag Team Champions. In addition to LED saber combat, David …
Strangely, the world’s premier goosecore solo artist, has thrice circled the globe with the “genre-busting” [TheWest] solo cabaret Accordion Fight Show. Accordion Fight Show is a rambunctious collection of drinking songs, party games and bawdy stories, mostly for grownups. A quieter show, Seance with Strangely, features a darkly whimsical tale, told through historical narrative and …
Michael Kirkley has been studying martial arts for most of his adult life. At first it started with Kempo, Aikido, Kung fu and Krav Maga. In the early 2000s he started taking his first HEMA (Historic European Martial Artes) classes. From that stemmed wrestling, knife fighting, sword fighting, axes and pugilism. One thing he will …
David Dierks, Co-Chair of the War Room, has studied Bartitsu under Tom Badillo since 2009. He has been part of Tom’s fight team at many venues, including ones in Portland, Oregon; Las Vegas, Nevada; and several Bay Area appearances. He has studied with Tony Wolf, one of the foremost authorities of Bartitsu in the modern …
Maestro Boyer began fencing modern at the age of eight. The Maestro fenced competitively within the US and Europe from 1966 to 1978 and was Coach for the US Navy/Marine Corps Fencing team from 1986 to 1988. He began studying Historical Fencing in 1978 and continues today with interest in rapier, dagger, and sabre. Brooke …
Professor Hans Ingebretsen has been practicing martial arts since 1974, when he began his study of Danzan Ryu Ju Jitsu and Kodokan Judo with Sensei Ben Patterson at College of the Redwoods in Eureka, California. Continuing to study with Sensei Dale Kahoun, Hans began cross-training in a variety of other styles, eventually falling in love …
Martial Arts has been the focal point of Henry M. Hill IV’s life since the age of 13. He started out using martial arts to escape from street life in Richmond, CA. Once reaching adulthood, he joined Black Swords in Oakland, California. This is where he trained with shanai and earned his first spot as …
In 2012, Lora and Greg Price joined a maker space and discovered laser cutters. They have both been makers since childhood – Greg with music, Lora with a variety of arts and crafts. When they found lasers they were able to combine a love of making and an interest in high tech to create something …
Lee Presson and the Nails (LPN) are an award-winning big band out of San Francisco. Led by the manic Lee Presson, LPN has been pounding out their peculiar brand of sinister swing since 1994. They are the “spookiest swing band on the west coast”! They have been warmly embraced by the steampunk community despite their frequently …
Chad Goerzen holds a yondan (fourth degree black belt) in Naginata. He began training under the late Miya-ko Tanaka in 2003, and has continued practicing naginata since then. He also has 18 years of experience in Tendo Ryu, is ranked 2-kyu in Kendo, and has 10 years experience in practicing Joachim Meyer’s multi-weapon system. He …
Sifu Fred Kaye’s martial career spans over 50 years. Coach Fred’s martial foundation is in the Chinese martial traditions, ranging from external Northern/Southern Shaolin styles to Internal Ba Gua Zhang, Xing Yi Quan, Lu Huo Quan, and Tai Chi Ch’uan. Over the last 8 years, Fred has expanded his martial journey with a continuous exploration …