"Arte, Ardore, Onore" is the motto of Academie Duello, which simply means: skill, passion, honour. These are the three guiding principles of our school. To practice the art as authentically as possible; to pursue and feed our passions for a happier, more fulfilling life; and to honour our teachers, training partners, and opponents.

Arte, Ardore, Onore is also the name of a documentary by filmmaker Tatiana Balashova about Academie Duello. It follows the story of Lilly Milroy (a young knight camper), myself, and David McCormick and our experiences at Academie Duello. The film came out more than a year ago but it won an award that limited Tatiana's ability to distribute it. It is now available online and it is a charming view into many of the aspects of Academie Duello.

Tatiana has a link to the full HD version (it's 10 minutes) on her website and it's definitely worth a view. Also fill out her survey and send along some words of encouragement if you enjoy it.

Devon Boorman is the Co-Founder and Director of Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay, which has been active in Vancouver, Canada since 2004. Devon’s expertise centres on the Italian swordplay tradition including the arts of the Renaissance Italian rapier, sidesword, and longsword, as well as knife and unarmed techniques.
Read more from Devon Boorman.