At Open Floor on Friday night, there were several attempts at single-leg takedowns, but not with a lot of success. My main advice was to stay low and twist while driving the shoulder. The goal is not to lift the opponent, but to take them down. Picking the leg then twisting will prevent them from…
Category: News
Cyclical Sword Press: News for September 2015
“…14th-century fights rarely lasted more than a few moments.” Mr. Greg Mele of the item following notes that a lot of his students were brought to swordplay because of "popular culture" -- the television and movies that influence us in our lives to try something new and different. We have within the Western world seen…
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This Week in Video: London Brawling
We just came across this delightful video which is so fitting, since we have one of our super fun Umbrella Self-Defence workshops this Sunday October 11th, 1pm - 5pm. Come and learn what an awesome self-defence tool your brolly is! London BrawlingWatch this video on YouTube This Week on Duello.TV It's the beginning of a…
Autumn Riding at Red Colt
The days are getting shorter, but that doesn't keep us out of the saddle. There is still programming happening into December, so come on out and enjoy crisp autumn sunshine with a sword in your hand and a horse beneath you. Private Classes & Drop-ins There are one or two drop-in spaces available for selected…
On Authentic Reactions
There was something missing from my last post Authenticity of Combat on Stage: Pain. It's not the operator ("attacker") who convinces an audience that damage was done. No matter how accurately or fast they cut. No matter how much tension they hold in their muscles or how loud their battle cry. If the victim doesn't play…
Defences of the Spear
Blue Spur Spear Fundamentals: Basic Defences from the Ground Last week we looked at attacks with the spear as demonstrated in the Blue Spur curriculum; this week we'll focus on defences. There are six defences to practise: three from the high ward and three from the low ward. Defences from the High Ward Forehand (against…
This Week in Video: Swordplay at WMAW 2015
Last weekend, North America's longest standing Western Martial Arts conference took place. This is a beautiful four day event of swordplay and martial art that spans many disciplines. This year, workshops included everything from Bolognese sidesword to Persian sword & buckler, and from wrestling technique to combat psychology. Beyond workshops, free-fencing plays a part every…
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Bartitsu Punching Tips
I've noticed a bunch of videos in my news feed recently about punching. If you want to improve your hand strikes, check out these tips: The Lead Punching with the hand that is already forward is known as a jab in modern boxing. It’s considered a light punch because there’s not much room to accelerate…
Trans*gressions: the struggles and victories of trans athletes
It is refreshing to be alive in a time to see so much progress in our society in regards to LGBTQ* acceptance and civil rights -- though we still have a long way to go despite a lot of recent victories. This year in June we saw the Supreme Court of America legalize same-sex marriage. …
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Crispness, Smoothness, Quickness
What makes a technique in swordplay appear graceful, fast, and -- most of all -- effective, is usually the efficiency and precision of the movement. Being able to perform a technique with the least amount of extra movement and in a manner that does the job as directly as possible is essential to high level…
Attacks of the Spear
Blue Spur Spear Fundamentals: Basic Attacks from the Ground The second checklist item in Spear section of your Blue Spur guide is Demonstrate the basic attacks and defences of the spear in the extended position. This week we'll look at attacks, and cover defences next week. There are five types of attacks of the spear…
Authenticity of Combat on Stage
Stage combat performers and choreographers should always ask themselves the same question that magicians ask: will the audience believe this illusion? The Effect When teaching a magic trick, the illusionist always performs the trick first, so that the student can appreciate what effect the trick should have on the viewer. When reading magic instructions in…
Gimmick Self-Defence Umbrellas
You know the expression about teaching a man to fish instead of giving a man a fish. In the case of self protection, sometimes it’s a matter of teaching someone to fish compared to giving them a picture of a fish. Indian Vodafone Initiative Tony Wolf posted this video on the Bartitsu.org blog, along with some commentary: The…
Carosella 2015 Results
Our annual mounted combat symposium has come and gone, and what a wonderful weekend it was! The sun smiled kindly on us for the Friday and Saturday of Mounted Combat, Horseback Archery, Classical Riding, Ballet and Mounted Games, and by Sunday those of us competing in the tournament were grateful for some cooler, cloudy skies!…
Carosella 2015: Online Registration Extended
Carosella is almost here! To allow for the long weekend we've held over online registration for another day. Hurry though -- after midnight tonight you'll need to register by phone or in person! Join us at Red Colt farm from Friday through Sunday, 11 - 13 September for three full days of mounted magic. There…
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Trailer Ricochet: Macbeth
When you think of Shakespeare, you might first conjure up Romeo & Juliet and remember "The Bard" for his poetry. You might have had a bad experience in high school and remember how boring Shakespeare is with so many Histories and discuss why it's important or not to know the King's names in the Wars…
Carosella 2015 FAQ
With Carosella 2015 less than two weeks away, it's time to answer some of those frequently asked questions. Q: How can I sign up for Carosella? A: You can register online here for full and one-day passes. To register for individual workshops contact the front desk at 604 568 9907. Regular entries close Monday September…
This Week in HEMA Video - 360 Degrees of Awesome
Welcome to the first Historical European Martial Arts Video blog post on the Academie Duello blog! Our new weekly Monday post will feature awesome video content from our school and the broader community. Look forward to sparring videos, performances, great educational content, and more. This Week In Sparring To kick things off with a bang we're…
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