Hi – Tom here.  We’ve had a number of changes in our team since we started back in 2015, but I think the team we have today is pretty damn amazing, as is our community of students – always supportive, encouraging, and respectful to each other.  We are continuingly growing and learning together and the team below helps make sure that happens.  If you have an idea how you would like to get more involved and be a part of the core team, let me know.

Tom Amoroso

Owner and head instructor at CSA, Tom started his adult martial training in ITF Taekwondo under Grandmaster Suk Jun Kim in 1991, transitioned to training in the Bujinkan under Mark Guest in 1997, and in 1999, Tom layered in the study of classical fencing under Maestro Ramon Martinez at the Martinez Academy. 

Tom’s martial training continued following his move to Columbus Ohio in 2008, and in January 2015 he founded Columbus Saber Academy – a fencing and martial training academy that empowers personal growth and emphasizes the importance of fundaments, structure, mechanics, tempo, and measure. 

Bringing over 35yrs of martial training, Tom teaches weekly classes in fencing, self-defense, and conditioning.  Tom’s ninpo and fencing training continues through attendance in classes, workshops, and tournaments across the country throughout the year.

Kat Sullivan

At the recommendation of her father to find “saber training” to combat the isolation of the Plague, Kat found CSA and started her fencing training in January 2021.

Kat is the heart (and armorer) of CSA and practices Longsword, Sabre, and Rapier and Dagger. She loves how swords bring nerds together to improve their bodies, spirits, and minds. CSA is more than fencing, and for Kat, finding her people and being able to support them in their growth and through their struggles has been a great honor.

Kat attends tournaments and trainings across the country and has medaled in women’s Lightsaber and Longsword externally and placed in her first advanced longsword tournament August 2025. She has also medaled in longsword, dagger, and sabre in our in-school tournaments and has begun directing rings to better support fighters at these events.

Mark Petrilla

Mark started his martial training at the ripe old age of 16 with his brother – sword and shield for what is considered “Heavy Weapons” combat in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). Mark started with CSA back in 2019, and has been instructing in our longsword program since 2024.  Just this past year, Mark and Ben have been exclusively running our Sword and Buckler program on Tuesday nights.  In addition to his HEMA and SCA training Mark has trained in TaeKwonDo.

When asked what his favorite weapon is – “with HEMA I’ve trained the longest with longsword, so that is one of my favorites, but I also really like saber, rapier & dagger, arming sword & buckler, dagger, and quarterstaff (I guess I just like hitting my friends with sticks, LOL) as well”.

Mark is always learning and always available to help his fellow fencers – new and old. 

Ben Hevel

Ben started with CSA in 2024, attending as many classes as possible and continually working on improving – “The first 6-9 months were really humbling. It takes some real courage to publicly suck at something for a long time, and keep going back. But the community was a great help, people really wanted me to succeed and to see me keep coming back better. That’s what I want to give back to everyone when I teach, an earnest desire to help them get better.”

Ben’s martial background includes boxing/kickboxing, airsoft, and practical shooting and in the search to find something unique yet competitive – something that would allow him to follow his passion for personal growth and development – he (like many of us) found HEMA vidoes online which lead his search for local clubs and ultimately, finding CSA.

Teaching has always been a priority for Ben, since his days during his EMS training and the “see one, do one, teach one” method. Ben teaches our Sword and Buckler program with Mark on Tuesday night.