Fiore dei Liberi

We don't know much about Fiore dei Liberi's birthplace or year of birth, like many other swordsmen on this list, but we can infer it was sometime in the middle of the fourteenth century from his writings. He was one of the top swordsmen in Europe during the Middle Ages, and his writings and illustrative essays remain some of the most ancient sources still in existence for instruction in medieval and Renaissance swordsmanship.

Liberi's exact beginnings with the sword are similarly unknown, despite the fact that we know he was raised in a royal family and trained since he was a little child. He was very good at it, and by 1383 he had already gained a reputation as a fearsome martial arts teacher.

In the years to come, he would travel around Europe instructing noblemen from royal families, meeting other masters along the way, and learning a variety of new skills. His publications are renowned for their thorough, colorful descriptions, particularly the Fior di Battaglia, or the Flower of Battle. His methods had such an impact that they are still taught at fencing schools all around the world.