Port Coquitlam is ready to engage! Have you always wanted to start swordfighting but our downtown studio has simply been too far away? Well, great news, we have now added another location for people to access our classes!

Our two beginner swordplay courses will now also be offered at Clinch MMA and Fitness, a mixed martial arts gym located at:

#2150-1368 Kingsway Avenue,
Port Coquitlam

Each course will run a 90 minute weekly class on Saturdays through May and June for 8 weeks.
These courses are for students 15 years of age and older.

Taste of the Renaissance

Taste of the Renaissance is an introduction to our Weapons Mastery Program with rapier, sidesword, and longsword. Here's some specifics of what you will learn in this course:

Rapier Posture and Measure - learn the four guards, movement, combat range and attacking.
Finding the Sword - learn to defend and attack simultaneously while gaining an advantage over your opponents’ sword.
Engagement - counter-attacking and regaining control of the fight.
Cutting (sidesword) - learn the 8 cuts of the sidesword, how to block a cut, deflect a blade and the secrets of the narrow and wide play.
Tempo - learn about the rhythm of combat.
4 Tempos for Striking - learn when and how it is best to strike your opponent and make defence.
Heavy Weapons Fundamentals - learn the basics of the longsword wielded in two hands.
Review and Tie-in - Review the first 7 classes and learn how the principals of swordplay tie the Longsword, Rapier, and Sidesword together. This class is followed by the First Rank Examination and graduation.

Course starts: Saturday September 5th, 3:30pm - 5:00pm

Click here to register online now!

Warrior Fundamentals

Warrior Fundamentals is our introduction to the Warrior Fitness Program with longsword, sidesword, sword & shield, and spear. In this course, students can expect:

Stance and Steps: Learn how to properly hold a longsword or sidesword and move your body in coordination.
Strokes and Guards: The key positions to hold a sword to defend against oncoming attacks, guards are also the starting positions of various strokes that end up in a different guard. In learning strokes, you will also learn how to aim effectively and remain in proper measure with your opponent.
Meeting in Front and Behind: Learn what happens when two swords clash together from different strokes and different sides of the body, and how to follow up.
Pushing and Pulling: Supplementary wrestling and grappling exercises to help you knock your opponent off balance with pushing or pulling force.
Sidesword & Buckler: Learn how to coordinate your guards and strokes with a sidesword while holding a buckler, a small steel shield, in your other hand.
Quarterstaff: Learn the guards and thrusts of the quarterstaff, and how to use the weapon to knock away enemy attacks from a distance.

Warrior Fundamentals and our conditioning class Swordfit begin together with a 10-minute warm up of running and dynamic exercises to flex the joints. Warrior Fundamentals then separates from Swordfit for the main period of instruction, which involves a series of solo exercises following the instructors, as well as partner drills. For the last 25 minutes of class, Warrior Fundamentals rejoins Swordfit for three sets of vigorous callisthenics for 15 minutes (with rests) and another 10 minutes of stretching.

Course starts: Saturday September 5th, 5:00pm - 6:30pm

Click here to register online now!

If you have any questions, feel free to call our friendly staff at our West Hastings Street location in Vancouver at 604-568-9907, or e-mail us at info(at)academieduello.com! We look forward to meeting the folks in the 'burbs who can now make it to class!!

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.
Read more from Devon Boorman.