Blue Spur Spear Fundamentals: High and Low Wards A bevy of English longbowmen aside, nothing could make a mounted knight as nervous as a line of infantry with long spears. A spear from the ground can equal a sword from horseback in reach, and presents much more of a challenge to a knight than does…
Why go Slow? I have written several posts on the merits of “slow work”, which is the act of fencing at a slow and consistent speed. In summary, slow fencing gives you the opportunity to be more observant of the tactical environment. From this state of greater observance you can move more easily in time with…
Read More... from Soft Work -- Be Receptive and Adaptive In Your Practice Sparring
There are just a few Friday clinics left this year. Don't miss out on these opportunities to learn from different instructors and focus on different areas of your riding and combat skills. The clinics run from 6pm - 7:30pm every Friday, and the cost is only $60 including use of a school horse. Plus, if…
Mounted Combat Classes This week we're excited to launch a brand new Mounted Combat Class for participants of all levels. The five-week course will prepare students to take part in our annual tournament at Carosella 2015. There are two levels to the course: Beginner Participants at this level will practise from the ground and the…
Last night (Wednesday at the time of writing this) I conducted two Green Cord examinations. These are concluding exams at the end of our introductory course. The students were suitably nervous at the outset and did not seem very reassured by my comment that this first level examination is focused on language and familiarity with…
This Sunday from 1 - 4pm the arena at Red Colt will be alive once more with the thunder of hooves, the twang of bowstrings and the clash of swords for our August Playday. Mounted Games Anyone with Riding Level 1 or the equivalent can participate in these non-combative games of speed and skill, such…
Learning physical skills is a tricky thing. It’s important as a student that you’re practicing in the most effective and efficient manner for getting results in your desired performance environment (e.g. a duel, a tournament, a melee, etc.). Two Types of Practice There are two primary practice schema that can be applied when acquiring new…
Read More... from Optimising Your Learning: Blocked and Varied Practice Environments
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,…
Every year the Vancouver institution that is the Georgia Straight runs an open poll to determine the "Best of Vancouver" in a variety of different categories, and for many businesses it is the measure of success and recognition in the city. Whereas restaurants and hotels have comprehensively recognised marks of excellence, in a lot of cases…
What is Fancypants doing lying in the field? And who are those mysterious characters in black? To find out you'll have to wait till the next episode of the Vancouver B Movie Factory airs on Shaw TV. There will be swords, arrows, horses, and Fiore himself in 'The Flower of Battle'. In the meantime ...…
The official web page for the Academie Duello Instructor Training Program is now live! This page includes more details about the program, the intensive that starts on October 26th, instructor levels, our methodology, and some sample lesson materials. You can check it out here. Remember that registration opens for a limited time and for a…
Riding Level 3: Safety, Confidence, and Control of Pace This is the final checklist item on your Riding Level 3 test. In some ways 'safety, confidence and control' seem like nebulous criteria, and it is true that the final mark in the this category is based on an overall impression generated from your whole ride. …
Academie Duello was founded on two tenets: Proper Arms Proper Respect The purpose of these tenets was to provide a guiding light and governing principle for the way we pursue and practise our art, as well as remind us to do so more authentically. What I mean is, our goal was to get as close…
Day Seven Today is poleaxe day! My excitement abates slightly when I discover that we don’t actually get to use real ones. Adrian insists that our waivers do not cover that level of damage. The trainers we use are just as heavy with nice hardwood poles and tough rubber end bits to pierce and crush…
Cavaliere Assessments are coming up this Sunday. Please note the later-than-usual start time of 4:00pm to keep us out of the mid-day heat! Cavaliere Assessments Sunday 5 July 4:00 - 7:00pm cost: $50 (single assessment); $80 (both Riding & Horsemanship) This assessment is for Riding and Horsemanship only. If you plan to assess please contact jennifer…
Day Five I have a confession to make. I was neither able to attend Class 5 nor was I able to take advantage of the evening classes to make up for it. What’s a sword-fighting student to do? Thankfully, my trusty blade-wielding comrades filled me in on the general content for the class, and, wonderfully,…
This piece could have also been called: "Punching women respectfully; a guide" or, "How to be a douchebag by not hitting girls." I’ll frame this a little first. I am writing this as a man, drawing on two perspectives that are largely and unfairly male-dominated. The first is martial arts. The second is security work.…
Read More... from How respect may be holding you (and your training partner) back
To any action in combat there are typically multiple responses that can functionally deal with that action (for example you can parry it, control it, strike into it, and so on). The choice of responding action is generally dictated by overall strategy or tactical needs. There are times when you want to strike into an…