Jeannette Acosta-Martínez is a traditional master of arms, teaching classical and historical fencing. She began her training in 1982 under the tutelage of Maître d’Armes Frederick Rohdes, and after his death in 1984, continued with his protégé Maestro Ramón Martínez. In all, Maestro Acosta-Martínez has spent over three decades studying traditional fencing, both classical and historical. In 1995, she became an instructor at the Martínez Academy of Arms, the Academy’s business manager, and the chief assistant at all Maestro Martínez’s demonstrations and seminars.
In preparation for her Provost and Master certification, Maestro Acosta-Martínez devoted herself to learning the art of teaching, as well as extensively researching the fencing treatises of the classical and historical periods. In January 1999, she was instrumental in orchestrating a historical fencing exposition at St. Peter’s College, New Jersey, which had international participation and featured demonstrations not seen in public for more than 100 years. In May of 2000, she received her Master’s certification from the International Masters at Arms Federation and a second certification from the Martínez Academy of Arms the following November, thus becoming the only other Master certified to teach the Rohdes system of classical fencing and the Martínez system of Spanish rapier fence. Maestro Acosta-Martínez is also on the Board of Directors of the Association for Historical Fencing and was one of the original founding members of the International Masters at Arms Federation.
Maestro Acosta-Martínez has annotated and translated various works of classical and historical fencing over the years. She collaborated on the translation of Capo Ferro’s Gran Simulacro, published by Greenhill Press in 2004. She annotated and created some additional illustrations for the appendix of The School of Fencing by Domenico Angelo, published by Greenhill in 2005. In association with Palpable Hit Productions, in 2009 she created a three-volume instructional DVD on the French school of small-sword, L’École Française: A Practical and Combative Guide to the French Small-sword.
In addition to being a master of arms she is also a professional restorer of antique furniture who specializes in works of the 17th and 18th centuries. This, together with her interest in antique weapons, led her to the study of fencing.