About 18 years ago I took over running a rapier practice and class for the Society for Creative Anachronism. I was new to being in a leadership role and I sought out the advice of one of the senior members in the area about how to run a successful group.

He gave me one piece of advice: Without fail, always be there. Never miss a class.

He said the moment that you miss a class and someone shows up and you’re not there, you’ll instil a kernel of doubt, and that doubt will be leveraged into an excuse to not show up in the future.

If you’re starting something new, whether it be a class, or a practice group, or going to the gym with a buddy, there will always be temptations to forego a session. Maybe the weather isn’t great, or not everyone can make it out, or you were out really late the night before. Be aware of how quickly resolve can be eroded. Today it’s rainy, tomorrow it looks like it might rain, on Wednesday the rhythm is gone.

Make sure that those things that are important are not missed. Make sure everyone who participates knows they can rely on it. Make sure you know you can rely on it. It’s always there. It’s always happening. It’s what you do.

Devon Boorman is the Co-Founder and Director of Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay, which has been active in Vancouver, Canada since 2004. Devon’s expertise centres on the Italian swordplay tradition including the arts of the Renaissance Italian rapier, sidesword, and longsword, as well as knife and unarmed techniques.
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