Whenever a new historical drama breaks we tend to question its historical authenticity, and that’s a good thing. However even with a critical eye unfortunately we invariably end up internalising something of the narrative and this can have lasting consequences for our understanding of history. Anyone in historical martial arts can relate to this, whether…
Read More... from Vikings: An interview with archaeologist Stephen Fox
The ever-popular Horseback Archery returns to Red Colt this Sunday, July 26th. We have two workshops with Robert Borsos of Borsos Torzs Horse Archery this weekend. These workshops are loads of fun, and won't return until Carosella. Don't miss out -- sign up today! Beginner Horseback Archery Whether you are an expert rider or archer,…
As I write this, my baby daughter is currently asleep in her crib, beside my bed. Behind her, leaning against the wall, is my longsword. I started swordfighting in February 2014. I wanted to learn, but I also wanted to improve my health. My husband and I had been trying for a baby for almost…
Everyone is buzzing about the release of the third installment of the Hobbit movie trilogy, set to premiere here in Canada on December 17th. The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies is bound to be filled with all of the amazing special effects, big battles, and action that Peter Jackson is famous for. Even though Jackson's Hobbit…
Read More... from The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies--Martial Mistakes Movies Make
Our next round of Beginner's Courses are just around the corner! Celebrate the start of Spring by swinging swords and pulling punches. We offer three different courses which cover different avenues of Western Martial Arts: Fight Like Sherlock Holmes Bartitsu is a complex martial art with many interlocking skills. Our four-week Fight Like Sherlock Holmes course…
Read More... from Start at the Beginning: April Courses at Academie Duello
The Province Newspaper features a half page article today about Archery that mentions a lot of different people with the last name Boorman. Interestingly I do have a distant relation to the Boorman's who run the archery store in New Westminster and certainly some shared passion for traditional martial arts. I'm really glad to see…
Read More... from Archery Continues to be Big News in Vancouver
This past weekend members were inducted into new ranks in the Academie, we indulged in Nerdy goodness at Nerdfest at the Rickshaw Theatre, and whole crews of new people tried Archery and Mounted combat for the first time. Rank Exams Congratulations to Rick, Dieter, and Steve on completing their rank examination for the second rank…
Read More... from Rank Exam Results, NerdFest, Archery, and Mounted Combat!
A recent article in the Vancouver Sun has brought a often discussed issue to the forefront again: Can I carry a sword or bow to class on public transit, or for that matter down the street in Vancouver? The short answer is "yes" but there are some nuances to be aware of and a few…
Read More... from Advice for Having Swords and Bows in Public
Greetings, Duelists! I bet everyone is getting pretty excited for the Multi-Format Tournament coming up this Saturday, June 23rd - Sunday June 24th. I know I'm going to be there--I love watching a good longsword tournament, and I've seen relatively little sidesword sparring at full-speed, so this weekend's starting to look like quite a treat.…
Rob'n Hood (verb): to shoot an arrow directly into another arrow that you previously shot. Pictured is one of our Archery apprentice instructors, Aaron, proudly giving us a pictorial example; nice work!
Our Archery program formally launched in February of this year and has been cruising steadily along with high popularity (for those wondering we're aiming - Hah! - to add a second class in September). Today's post is brought to you courtesy of the Head of the Archery Program, Patricia Gonsalves. She recently returned from…
Our ongoing archery class is launching this Sunday (5 February)! Class runs from 5:30 - 7:30 at Academie Duello (412 W Hastings St.). Archery is a 1.0 credit class, just like SwordFit, Mastery, Stage Combat, and Bartitsu. To join the archery class you must have completed our Intro to Archery workshop. Space is…