Our next round of Beginner's Courses are starting soon! Shake off that lingering winter chill and greet Spring with a sword in hand! Both our Beginner's Courses, Taste of the Renaissance and Warrior Fundamentals, are 8-classes long and can be taken twice a week for one month or once a week on Saturdays for two months. Try before you buy: Sign up for a FREE TRIAL LESSON for either of our Beginner's Courses!

Taste of the Renaissance (our Weapons Mastery stream) runs Monday/Wednesday at 7:00pm, Tuesday/Thursday at 5:00pm and 7:00pm, or Saturdays at 11:30am. Classes start Monday, April 1st, Tuesday, April 2nd, and Saturday, April 6th.

Designed to bring you from a beginner to a master of the complete arts of swordplay, this course will give you the opportunity to:

Study the rapier, longsword, sidesword, polearm and dagger, as well as unarmed combat techniques.
Learn a modern martial art with content derived from the works of Italian masters from the fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries.
Benefit from a program with a set structure and curriculum that builds on itself.
Advance through a ranking system of coloured cords (not unlike belts in Eastern martial arts) to measure accomplishment.

Warrior Fundamentals (our Warrior Fitness stream) runs Monday/Wednesday at 6:30pm, Tuesday/Thursday at 6:30pm, or Saturdays at 10:00am. Classes start Monday, April 1st, Tuesday, April 2nd, and Saturday, April 6th.

This course is designed to teach you the fundamental skills of the traditional European warrior including wrestling, longsword, sword and shield, spear, and quarterstaff. Students can expect:

An invigorating workout combining combat drills with contemporary aerobics and callisthenics.
Instruction in the basics of Armizare, a medieval Italian combat system designed to train knights for battle.
A focus on heavy, slashing swords like the longsword and sidesword.
An encouraging and supportive environment for learning new skills and meeting fitness goals.

Our Beginner's Courses are both an affordable $99 (+ tax) for 8-classes. Check out our website for more information and to sign up for a free trial lesson!

Call us at 604-568-9907 or drop by any time during business hours (Monday to Friday, noon to 8:00pm or Saturdays 10am to 5:00pm) to learn more about our school!

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.