I call stage combat the illusion of violence because I realized that convincing an audience that a fight is genuine while hiding the safety features is a magic trick. This is especially obvious if you watch magicians who saw their assistants in half or thrust swords through them. Misdirection About half of the effects in…
Game of Thrones. Whether you have read the Song of Ice and Fire books by George R.R. Martin or are glued to the tv screen every week when HBO debuts a new episode, one thing is clear: this is some of the best story telling out there. The characters feel so real and multifaceted- there…
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Swords in public venues? Under the right conditions, the public will flock (and sometimes pay) to see your historical swordplay demonstration or visit a historical exhibition of swords. But, display those very same blades in a park or dimly-lit alley, and the public reaction is apt to be significantly different – notwithstanding your best and…
The Calcio Storico in Venice is purported to be the most violent sport still practiced today. In fact, it has remained unchanged in the last 600 years. The Inside Story: The main thing I noticed in watching these films is that although they count score as a team, they tend to compete as individuals. They…
Human cooperation is a wonderful thing, and it’s my belief that cooperation is the singular reason why humanity has thrived. Although a single performer can put on a one-man show, theatre is most often a group effort. Filmmaking is nearly always done in teams. How do you fit into a team? What makes a good…
We're thrilled to welcome back Robert Borsos of Borsos Torsz Horse Archery Club to teach two workshops on Saturday May 3rd: Horseback Archery - Beginner In this three hour workshop you will spend an hour and a half on the ground learning the fundamentals and body mechanics of Hungarian style horse archery. You will then…
I hope you’ll forgive Us, but the demands of the Ukraine-Russian situation have resulted in the total loss of my ‘free time’ of late (We just had a 71 hour work week … and We still have over a hundred herps to care for once we’re home!) So … We’ll just peddle our bike past…
The weather is getting warmer, the horses are shedding their Winter coats, the days are getting longer and brighter, and Academie Duello along with Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op are gearing up for our next Introduction to Mounter Combat workshop. Experience the childhood fantasy of being a knight as you take the first step into…
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Everybody is talking about season 2 of Vikings which premiered on History Channel just a few weeks ago. Loosely based on the famous Norse saga known as the Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok, which was a sequel to the Völsung Saga, the series has gathered quite a following and various blogs and social media sites are a buzz…
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We’re always fascinated by the variety and complexity of the different styles and techniques of historical swordplay that are being rediscovered and explored by our HEMA/WEMA peers. But a part too long neglected, is what happens when two historically-compatable but regionally separate styles meet? Let’s take the year 1550 as an example … An elder…
As a community We try to remain as true to form in recreating ‘authentic’ swordplay as our understanding of medieval and renaissance fight-books will allow us. Modern technology has resulted in us being able to have access to functional (and affordable) armour and weaponry that allows us to practice techniques with the same ‘heft, feel…
Swordplay from the Ground - Guards of the Sidesword Our core weapon for Mounted Combat is the longsword, but we use it in one hand when mounted. For that reason it is useful to look at guard positions from the sword and buckler tradition. In the Blue spur we ask that you Demonstrate six core…
Saturday’s Viking Ragnarök follow-on to the Y2K and the Mayan calendars 2012 cataclysmic predictions was similar in effect in that we’re all here together to read this bit. But the recent Viking (non) event did have a HEMA/WMA bonus. We were reminded for a short time of the spirit and fighting techniques of the medieval…
The month of March heralds the start of Spring and an extra hour of daylight! What better time to start learning a skill? Whether you're a practitioner looking to expand your horizons or completely new to WMA, start by checking out our various Beginner's Courses: Fight Like Sherlock Holmes Bartitsu is a complex martial art…
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We are super excited to announce a brand new Leather Working & Armour Course at Academie Duello. It has been quite awhile since last we ran this on-going workshop. Instructor and armourer Mark Charke will take you through the steps involved to go from hide-to-finished product in this 6-week course in the art of leather-working. Students…
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So, why did You take up HEMA/WMA? Fitness? Historical interest? Social leveler? A Pointed Introduction. HA'ARETZ (Tel Aviv, Israel) 31 January 14 Herzl, swords and the Nazi salute: The curious history of Jewish fencers (Shay Fogelman) “Jews were forbidden most duelling groups, and formed their own. And reached a degree of expertise to establish…
People with "dark skin” and “Europeans” are not separate and mutually exclusive groups. There has never been a time when Europeans were exclusively white people. Europe was never a culturally or racially isolated place. Europe has been connected through trade and politics with many different nations where the locals were black, and many countries…
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Talhoffer takes the Train DER KURIER (Vienna, Austria) 07 February 14 Rapier, Säbel und Pluderhose: Fechten wie die Musketiere (Anna-Maria Bauer) Dreynschlag, one of the 20 historical fencing groups in Austria, hosted 200 of their peers during their 10th annual "Dreyn Event" in Brigittenau. Combatants learned new skills and competed in rapier, sabre and pole-arms…
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