October is the month of death and candy in North America, so let's talk about a steampunk-Holmes-Victorian Halloween. Besides your best clockwork sky pirate garb, I don't have costume ideas, just some inspiration and factoids. Jack the Ripper Synonymous with the words "serial killer", Jack the Ripper murdered female prostitutes in the Whitechapel district of…
Category: Events
I'm Teaching Workshops in Eugene and Chicago
If you live in Eugene, Oregon or Chicago, Illinois I'll be in your area in the next few weeks teaching workshops on Italian Knife, Longsword, Sidesword, and Rapier. This weekend on Saturday the 27th I'll be visiting Northwest Fencing Academy in Eugene Oregon to teach two workshops, one on Italian Knife and the second on…
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Join us for a Hallowe'en Cabaret Saturday October 27th!
Greetings, Duellists! It's that time of year again--time to dust off your costumes, gorge yourself on sweet stuff and then work it off swordfighting and rocking out with your friends! Details This coming Saturday, October 27th, join us at Academie Duello from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. for a Hallowe'en Cabaret featuring: a Pumpkin Carving…
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Fitness Super-Class at Victory Fitness Day this Thursday!
If you work downtown, or perhaps have your Thursday afternoon free, come visit us at Victory Square at W. Hastings and Cambie St. this Thursday (the 18th) for Victory Fitness Day! Academie Duello, the Hastings Crossing BIA, and Kalev Fitness Solution are teaming up to offer a health and wellness fair from 3pm to 5pm…
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New! Cavaliere Class!
Well, sort of new. The name of the Riding & Horsemanship classes has changed to the Cavaliere Class. Why? Because we've added 45 minutes of sword drills and practice time to the end of class. You'll still get your all your horsemanship instruction -- feeding, grooming, vet & first aid, conditioning etc -- as well…
What a day for Knightly Games!
We couldn't have ordered nicer weather for our annual Cavaliere Tournament ... or asked for a better group of riders and volunteers! We had four teams of grooms out bright and early to make the horses beautiful, and once more our volunteer judges from Richmond Pony Club lent their critical eyes to check horses and…
Knightly Games Tournament this week!
Come one, come all! The Knightly Games Tournament has something for everyone this Sunday September 30th, at Red Colt Farm! As promised last week, here is a list of games and their descriptions. Groom Competition Grooms will have 45 minutes to turn out a well-groomed and correctly tacked up horse. Entrants may participate with their…
What's Happening in the Wrestling Workshop Tomorrow
So I've polished up the last parts of my outline for the Abrazare workshop tomorrow and it's going to be a great one. In the first part students will be learning the fundamentals of striking in the Italian system including hammer fists and open hand strikes. We'll be using strikes and counters to strikes to…
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Tournament details & shedrow progress!
Entry forms are now available for our Knightly Games Tournament, to be held Sunday 30 September 2012 at Red Colt. The day will begin at 9am sharp for the Grooms competition. Teams of grooms will have 45 minutes to groom and tack up their horses to sparkling perfection before meeting the critical eye of our…
[photo] Armizare Academy Deed of Arms
The combatants at the Saturday afternoon deed of arms, after 90 minutes of fighting in harness. Fighting at axe, spear, sword, and dagger.
Bartitsu Fight Night
Tonight is the second Friday of the month, and that means it's Bartitsu Focus Night. You can spar with any weapon you like on the main floor, and we'll be using the museum space for sparring using cane, boxing, savate and jujitsu. See you at 8pmComment on this post on our Posterous Blog.
[Photo] Great Mounted Combat Workshop Turnout
Thanks everyone who came to our mounted combat workshop today! We had a great turnout and everyone did a fantastic job of learning a very diverse set of content.
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Abrazare: Wrestling That's Fun to Say
"Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength." - Henry Ward Beecher Abrazare Workshop Saturday, September 22, 2012 3pm-7pm Learn the art of Abrazare, the fundamental system of Italian wrestling that underlies the martial system of historical fencing master Fiore dei Liberi. This workshop begins with grappling and wrestling fundamentals,…
Raise the Roof!
You are invited to a good old-fashioned barn raising! Okay - we're not raising a whole barn, but we are building a new shedrow shelter for our horses and we need a whole lot of talented, strong, wonderful people like YOU to help us! If you haven't been able to join us for a…
Date Change for Mounted Tournament
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for this important announcement: Due to everyone being too mind-meltingly busy this month we have postponed the Mounted Games tournament till September 30th. However, since we have the time set aside this Sunday we will run a Practice TournamentSunday 26th August1pm - 4pmRed Colt Equestrian Farm Co-opcost: $5 (own…
CNAT Ate My Class
Just a brief reminder: Stage Combat and Bartitsu classes on Saturday 18 August are cancelled because your dutiful instructor will be at CNAT. See you next week! Comment on this post on our Posterous Blog.
Event Report: World Wide Open Championships Germany
Greetings all, I have been rather silent on the Academie Duello blog over the past 2 weeks as I have been away in Germany at the third World Wide Open Championship that took place just outside of Hannover. I thought I'd take a few moments to share my impression and experiences of this Historical European…
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Bartitsu Focus Fight Night
The second Friday of the month is upon us, which means it's Bartitsu Focus for sparring. See you at 8pm for walking stick, purring, pugilism and jujitsu. Comment on this post on our Posterous Blog.