Blood adds horror. That's the single reason to add a blood effect to a death scene. So, the only creative question in whether to consider a blood effect is: does this scene need more horror? In Romeo and Juliet, for example, do we need Mercutio's death to be horrific? I'd say yes. Do we need…
Bartitsu is a historical practice, but it is stimulating to study because it is a scientific approach to self-defence from an age of Western science. I don't seek to impose a scientific analysis on top of an ancient tradition, because Bartitsu was founded on the two pillars of sound engineering: Employ proven principles from established…
Academie Duello is one of Vancouver’s largest martial arts schools, and the largest centre dedicated to the study of European swordplay. For this job, we are looking for someone with vision, drive, and know-how. You must also be willing to work for a share of the profits to take the Academie Duello entrance area from its…
From Alexander the Great, to the Sultan Mehmed, to Louis XIV of France, monarchs entered battle on the backs of horses. There are practical reasons for this: from a horse you can see farther, move faster, and avoid many of the dangers a foot soldier faces. In addition, the beauty and power of a horse…
The team at Film Riot have just finished Action Month, during which they shot several short action films (and a lot of behind-the-scenes footage) with their production company Triune Films. Listen to host Ryan Connolly describe the reasoning behind decisions and choices of equipment made in the early stages of pre-production planning, through the process…
Horsemanship Level 4: Vet & First Aid The Vet & First Aid section of Level 4 Horsemanship is very similar to the Level 3 requirements, the difference being you are expected to know the subject more thoroughly. 8. Vet & First Aid. T, P, R; Identify minor wounds; cause, care & treatment. Since these topics…
La Canne de Combat is French for "combat cane" and is distinct from Bartitsu's walking stick self-defense. La Canne Francaise ("French cane") was a branch of savate, and remains a part of some savate schools. Pierre Vigny brought some of the aspects of La Canne to Bartitsu, with his own interpretations and modifications for the…
Horsemanship Level 4: Conditioning pt II At the end of April we covered work versus exercise in our Level 4 conditioning topic: 7. Work vs. exercise. Warm-up and cooling out, reasons why. Cooling out was covered in this Level 3 post, so this week we'll look at what constitutes an effective warm up. Just like…
At the top of the year, I was approached to be the fight director for Romeo and Juliet at Bard on the Beach. Kim Collier is directing the play, and liked my work on her Hamlet two years ago. I was very proud of our results in that play, and was eager to put some…
How much is your sword, armour, or related kit worth to you? ...financially? ...emotionally? ...professionally? Was it a gift? A prize you earned? Looted? Swords are by nature "desirable" -- and not just by the HEMA community. As we can and have read in the "Snippets" section of past editions of Sword Press, swords are not…
Read More... from Recoverable Sword Press: News for May 2016
Please join us in welcoming Red Colt's new resident caretakers, Elise Marquis and Graham Dube! Elise and Graham moved in at the end of April, and we are thrilled to have them join our team. Over the past year there has been a fair amount of upheaval at the barn with co-op members pulling in…
With new series of Riding, Horsemanship and Mounted Combat having just started, I thought it may be useful to re-post links to blogs which cover topics in the curriculum. You can use these blog posts as refreshers and checklists to support the material taught in classes. Each group of posts is searchable under tags such…
The use of violence and the threat of violence to force someone to do something they wouldn't ordinarily do is not only universally regarded as wrong, it is also universally regarded as unavoidable. I just read a great article on Kotaku about the short series in Calvin and Hobbes that featured the bully Moe: http://kotaku.com/a-string-of-upsetting-calvin-hobbes-strips-told-a-bol-1777424191 So…
Okay. This is Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard in the movie adaptation of Assassin's Creed. Let's do this. Assassin's Creed Official Trailer #1 (2016) - Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard Movie HDWatch this video on YouTube Is that the story of Assassin's Creed? Also, why's he running around? Also... I don't understand anything that happened there.…
Help Us Breed FlavieWatch this video on YouTube A short history of the Canadian Horse The Cheval Canadien originated in Québec in the late 1600s with horses sent to Canada by Louis XIV of France. Bred from Spanish, Breton, and Norman stock, only the hardiest animals survived the infamous Canadian winters, and these horses grew…
Although Bartitsu does not draw from the Italian traditions, the four hand positions clearly match. Especially for the rapier students at Academie Duello who are also Bartitsuka, I present “Boxing Interpreted as Italian Sword” without further commentary: Prima This pairs with what I call "over-pronated" punches, and what some mistakenly call "the chopper". Seconda This…
Popular media is pushing people towards an interest in historical swordplay. But how do those same people find a school in which they can explore their new interest? Chances are, they’ve seen a demonstration of swordplay on television or at a local event -- an event that is not necessarily dominated by swords or swordspersons.…
Read More... from Professionally Responsible Sword Press: News for April 2016
As many of you know, Flavie has been the cornerstone of our Mounted Combat program. Solid, dependable, and bombproof, she carries our most timid beginners and our heaviest riders, with a trot that's heaven to sit. She's a pro at lessons, horseback archery, mounted games, and sparring, able to turn on the speed or the…