Francesco Lodà - PhD, has been practicing historical fencing since 1999 and is today one of its most recognized exponents worldwide. A multiple international champion, awarded several awards for his career and contribution to the development of the discipline, he has trained Italian champions and is now Technical Commissioner for the Italian Fencing Federation and other sports bodies. An academic specializing in historical and religious subjects, he is the author of six monographs and numerous studies on fencing, the social history of the gun professions, and the history of religions. He teaches regularly in Italy, the USA and Canada, and has been a lecturer and speaker at La Sapienza University of Rome, University of Cambridge, USA War College, Shippensburg University and many others.

As a Master of Arms and popularizer, Francesco dedicated many years to teaching young people (HEMAKids), adapting the two-handed sword into an intelligent game of movement, imagination, and discipline, where sport, pedagogy, and storytelling intertwine. From this experience this book was born: a first step to accompany boys and girls in the fascinating world of Historical Fencing.