If a person in Malta wanted to feel the thrill of using a sword and to learn some techniques, he had no choice but to join a sport fencing club, and take part in competitions for points and medals.

This is exactly what Andrei Xuereb did in 1997, where he immersed himself in the training of foil for a couple years and later on specialized in epee. At the fencing club he made friends with Carlos DeBattista, who like himself shared a passionate, almost chivalric approach to fencing. That whippy foil they've been given, felt to them like the noblest of swords.

In the few years to come, between training and competitions in sport fencing, the two sought other directions where they could learn more on the practice of swords. Their journey took them from theatre, to re-enactments and mock battles, from afternoons spent going through various historical books to numerous visits to the National Palace Armoury studying the blades and armour that forged our national heritage.

In 2000 Martin Farrugia, an old friend of Carlos and also a fencer, came back to Malta after some years working abroad, and joined the two in organizing a number of fighting re-enactments.

After realizing that sport fencing and winning medals is not what they were really after, Carlos and Andrei left their sport fencing club, to continue their pursuit to something more 'true' and 'realistic'.

For three years they met up regularly for some free assaults, to practice and to share personal research and projects.

Early in 2004 while doing some free assaults, a common friend of Carlos, Andrei and Martin suggested that they should consider the idea of opening their own fencing club. At first this idea seemed impossible and they had already rejected the idea of competitions for titles and medals. But then after some thought, the three decided to give it a try, as long as they practiced in a more traditional way, with discipline, and an element of realism. For this reason they chose to practice mainly epee since from the 3 sport fencing weapons (Foil Epee Sabre) it was the one closer to reality with less rules, and having every part of the body as a valid target.

In the same period Andrei and Martin joined a course for stuntmen in movies, which apart from having fun learning to fall head first from a storey high building, making hand-brake turns with cars and shooting guns, it also offered lessons in hand to hand combat and sword-fighting. They soon found out that these lessons were taught by Sport Fencing Master Daniel Sammut, who happens to be Malta's most experienced sport fencing master with over forty years of fencing practice behind him. Maestro Sammut still teaches sport fencing and had learned and taught classical fencing as part of his life-long studies. They were very honored when Maestro Daniel Sammut gladly offered to help them and their club members in their Italian Epee training, and to prepare Andrei, Carlos and Martin for their exams to become Sport Fencing Masters like himself.

In October 2005 Mithras Sword Fight Club, opened its doors to the public and a good number of people joined. The lessons taught were mainly Italian epee and Italain and French foil which were all approached with a good classical foundation.

During this year while still holding regular classes Andrei, Carlos and Martin, together with some selected experienced fencers started practicing the basics of the hand and a half sword, rapier and smallsword techniques. When everyone had put all his experiences and ideas together, they realized that this is the true direction which they all wanted to follow.

In the meantime, while making research on Italian rapier techniques and methods of how it used to be taught, Andrei stumbled upon the name of Maestro Andrea Lupo Sinclair, who is the founder of the Federazione Italiana di Scherma Antica e Storica (FISAS). This federation is dedicated to the teaching of fencing as a true European martial art, as it used to be taught in the Sale d'armi as a means of combat and self defence. Andrei started corresponding with Maestro Sinclair and was invited to go to Italy for their yearly National Academy held in Rome. And so he did!

Over there he met up with Maestro Andrea Lupo Sinclair, and other instructors who, for a whole intensive weekend gave lessons in Rapier, Hand and a half sword, Side sword and Sabre. Attending the lessons were about 70 fencers mostly Italians and others from UK and Scotland.

Back from this experience Andrei brought back a new type of energy to Mithras Sword Fight Club, and a stronger determination to make their plans a reality. By this time the leadership of the club came entirely in the hands of Andrei as both Carlos and Martin resigned due to other commitments. Andrei made the very important decision, not to continue training towards a qualification of Sport Fencing Master under Daniel Sammut, in order to dedicate himself entirely to his research and training of Historical Fencing and European martial arts.

Many other visits followed in the recent past years to events organized by the Federazione Italiana Scherma Antica e Storica (FISAS). During these events Andrei took classes and made friends with teachers from Historical Fencing Groups from all over Europe and USA. In order to give our club members the most accurate and detailed teaching of such a complex and vast subject as that of Historical fencing, regular visits to similar events and seminars are always in the agenda of Mithras Sword Fight Club.