Advice for Having Swords and Bows in Public

A recent article in the Vancouver Sun has brought a often discussed issue to the forefront again: Can I carry a sword or bow to class on public transit, or for that matter down the street in Vancouver? The short answer is "yes" but there are some nuances to be aware of and a few…

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Training Videos Apr 22: Defenses Against the Cut, Sidesword Provocations IV, Longstaff Grapples

Greetings Duello.TV subscribers. We're wrapping up this month on Duello.TV and in classes at Academie Duello and is usually the case it is in this last week that we look at tying together all of the new skills that we've learned as we work to integrate drill into application. First level students are countering cuts,…

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A Breed for Every Need

Horsemanship Level 2: Identification Horses come in many shapes and sizes; display strange colours, such as chestnut, bay, buckskin and skewbald; have exotic body parts, such as pastern, stifle, dock and chestnut (no relation to the colour); and have other interesting markings such as black points, ermine spots, snips and stockings. This is not just…

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Fight Craft

I have been musing for the last year or so about the Art of Stage Combat. The question that keeps rolling around in my head is a combination of these elements: There is more to art than aesthetics or technique Other arts are appreciated both in isolation and as an element of theatre/film (dance, singing,…

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Functional Movement Screen now available at Academie Duello

Academie Duello is excited to announce that we've added The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) to our repertoire of activities offered to you. The Functional Movement Screen is a grading system for assessing seven fundamental movement patterns that are used in everyday life and martial practice. Our FMS program is designed to give you specific feedback and guidance not…

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Video Lessons: Rapier Cuts to Recover Control, Sidesword Provocations III, Longstaff Blows, Longsword Defeating Finestra

Welcome to Week 3 of April. Duello.TV productions have continued to be on a steady rhythm oner the past few weeks with new Longsword content we hope you are enjoying as well as some forthcoming dagger material. This week in classes and online we are continuing to explore cutting with the rapier, provocations of the…

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Cavaliere horsemanship

Horsemanship Level 2: what's old is new

Our Horsemanship curriculum, like the Canadian Pony Club system it stems from, is designed to deepen and expand students' knowledge in the key areas of horsemanship with each progressive level.  What starts as simple identification of colours, breeds and markings in levels one and two, becomes measuring and identification in level three, and conformation, teeth…

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Jiu Jitsu Complete

My new favourite book is called Jiu Jitsu Complete by Kiyose Nakae. Let’s take a look. Background I found this book at the auction of the estate of Alex Mahler. I didn’t know Alex well, but he was a valued contributor at Academie Duello, creating armour pieces for dozens of fighters, teaching others how to…

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Video Lessons: Rapier Stringer via the Cut, Sidesword Provocations 2, Quarterstaff Tempos, Longsword Finestra in Context

It's week two!  At Academie Duello we are working on defeating posta finestra through engagement in longsword focus. In Green Cord we're using the cut to gain control of the opponent's rapier. In Blue Cord we are provoking the opponent through well placed attacks with the sidesword. At Red Cord we are working on striking…

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The Blue Spur Curriculum

Having completed our blog tour through the Green Spur, it's time to move on to Blue. Blue Spur candidates are able horse-keepers with basic equine first aid knowledge, and are riding at a level that includes cantering, small jumps, and a secure and confident seat.  Swordplay from the falsemount and horse are part of regular…

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Youth Stage Combat

What's good for kids, especially your little actors? Why is the stage combat course age 16 and up? Physical, Mental and Emotional I do not have offspring, but I do have an opinion about how they should be raised. Maybe I should rethink this entire post. No, I have too many requests for kids' classes…

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Striking from the Saddle

The final item on the Green Spur checklist is: Describe the mechanics required to keep your seat when striking from horseback. And here we come back to that Independant Seat once more.  It keeps cropping up because it is probably the most important component not just of mounted combat, but of all your riding endeavours. …

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Video Lessons: Rapier Cutting Mechanics, Sidesword Provocations, Quarterstaff Postures, Longsword Tempo II

We have a quadruple threat this month: Rapier, Sidesword, Longsword, and Quarterstaff. Yes some of our most senior students at Academie Duello in Vancouver are having their minds overloaded as they move through a day of classes -- now it's your turn at home to enjoy the same overwhelming sensation. Longsword Focus http://duello.tv/featured-videos/this-week-in-class/ This week…

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Turn your Guard Dog into En-guard Dog!

Academie Duello is proud to announce a new program to take place at our Vancouver location starting this month. The En-guard program is a specialty dog training program based on the 1461 Hundekämpfe manuscript. I'm excited because this is one of the first times that we'll be drawing from German sources. Dogs were used by many European…

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Throws: Traditional, Judo and Otherwise

The traditional throws of Judo and Jujitsu are covered in many sources online. Although in Bartitsu class we never use the Japanese terms, we perform many of these throws. As an evolving mixed martial art for self-defense, Neo-Bartitsu also borrows from other traditions for the best combination of techniques, especially in the tricky realm of…

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Video Lessons: Rapier & The True Fight, Defeating the Offhand/Dagger, Rapier & Cloak Specialty Plays, Longsword Tempos

We're into the closing topics of the month. In Green Cord we're looking at the fundamental strategy for rapier combat: the True Fight. In Blue Cord we are countering defences of the offhand, and at Red Cord we're making some tricky plays with the cloak and then defeating them. In our longsword focus classes we…

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