Hey everyone,
We have another guest blogger this week.
Ivan Sim has been teaching the Taste of the Renaissance program for several months now.I asked him to put together a blog post directed more towards our newer students though in truth it's just as valuable for veteran students.
Catch Ivan Saturdays for some fun sparring and good insights.
Enjoy!
Clint
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The past year of getting involved in the Taste of the Renaissance program as an instructor has been a
fruitful and rewarding experience. In addition to being able to hone my own skills, the experience opens
up opportunities to meet people and make new friends.
I have always been impressed by our new students' enthusiasm. They come to us with an exploratory
mindset coupled with positive energy and attitude. It encourages me to see students putting in effort to
own and master the materials I share with them.
A common question that I often get from our new students is, "Where can I get more information on
this topic?" If you are one of them, here's a list of non-exhaustive tools that have helped me in my own
personal training. Try them out and I am sure you too will benefit from it.
1. Duello TV. A picture is worth a thousand words. And if the picture is interactive, it is worth even
more! Academie Duello has put together one of the largest sword fighting video clip archives.
With weekly featured videos and regular updates, there is something for everyone regardless of
your level of expertise and area of specialties.
2. Facility And Equipment. As long as it doesn't interrupt on-going classes, students
are welcome to make use of loaner equipment and the studio space for their own practice. I
like to show up at least 30 minutes before class so that I can get some time to warm-up and
do simple drills to perfect my lunges, cuts, footwork, and body mechanics. Most of these don't
require a lot of space. As Socrates once said, "The more I know, the less I know". And the less I
know, the more I want to practice. And the more I practice, the more rewarding are the fruits.
3. Community. The path to mastery is one that is filled with mountains, valleys,
plateaus, and wolves. Without the continuous feedback and support from others, it's easy to
succumb to the temptation to quit. Academie Duello has fostered a friendly and supportive
environment where we want everyone to succeed. We are really a friendly bunch! So if you
haven't, join us on facebook, follow us on twitter, and also check out our blog (which you already are).
I am sure there are many other tips and tools around. But those that I mentioned should be more than
enough to get you started. Whether you are a dedicated enthusiast or a leisure practitioner, our goal is
to provide you with the resources to maximize your experience on this journey.
Having joined Academie Duello in 2004, Clinton achieved his Provost rank in August of 2015. He's been teaching since 2008. Clinton's expertise centers around Italian rapier, longsword and sidesword. Read more from Clinton Fernandes.