Everyone has heard this one. You need to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Every health source will tell you that. So, do you drink that much water? I didn't think so. But this is the single most important nutrient you ingest every day, and the single easiest way to cleanse your…
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…
Read More... from Advice for Having Swords and Bows in Public
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,…
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…
Our next round of Beginner’s Courses start in a couple weeks! May is a month of growth -- the perfect time to challenge yourself and have fun with our unique, engaging beginner programs. Both our Beginner’s Courses, Taste of the Renaissance and Warrior Fundamentals, are 8-classes long and can be taken twice a week for one month or…
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,…
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…
Read More... from Functional Movement Screen now available at Academie Duello
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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. …
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…
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…
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…
The Eight Cuts, Contorted for the Saddle Cast your mind back to the eight cuts which are available to the swordsman on foot. Now consider: ... which sword blows can and should be thrown from horseback to a mounted rider and a fighter on the ground As you face forward in the saddle, an immediate…