Erik Schmitt began learning European Renaissance Fencing using the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) system at Marlboro College in 2001. He graduated from Marlboro College in 2006 with a degree in European Medieval History and Visual Arts. Erik began his martial arts training under Kyoshi Patrick Donahue in January of 2002. He has trained in Shorin-Ryu Karate-do, Aikijujutsu, Kobudo, and a small amount of Iaido/Kenjutsu at the Brattleboro School of Budo. Using these foundations, in both Eastern and Western Martial Practice, Erik began to independantly research and explore historically authentic Western European Fencing technique. Unfortunately, the Western Martial Arts heritage has been largely lost to time, and thus the study of fencing techniques relies heavily on interpretation and recreation from surviving period manuals and replica weapons. During the last several years, Erik has focused his work on early 17th Century Italian Rapier fencing, drawing heavily on the fencing treatise of Salvador Fabris (1606) among others. Erik began teaching a class in this style of fencing in the Fall of 2004.

Currently, Erik teaches several classes in Rapier fencing around the Brattleboro area. On the days when Erik is not weilding a weapon, he can be found weilding a hammer as an aspiring armourer striving to reproduce medieval European plate armour. He is also the proprietor of "Winter Tree Crafts" and makes a variety of period-themed leather and metal goods from his shop in Brookline, VT.