So, let’s get this down on paper first. I hate the word functional. It’s not a problem with the word itself, it’s that like the words “natural”, “healthy” and “fitness” it has become virtually meaningless. Every time someone uses the word functional, ask them the question “functional for what?”. Most of the time they won’t…
Most sports require a novice to spend a lot of money to equip themselves with those pieces of kit necessary to start learning the basics of the game. (European football and ultimate Frisbee perhaps being the exceptions here). Ice hockey, lacrosse and American football require significant equipment commitment before the first timer can safely set…
Read More... from Spring Season Sword Press: News for April 2017
We're delighted to welcome back Robert Borsos of Borsos Torsz Horse Archery for another day of workshops on Sunday May 7th! The Beginner workshop is suitable for riders and archers of all levels from those who've never held a bow or sat upon a horse on up. The Intermediate workshop is for those who have…
Read More... from Shooting from the Saddle: Horseback Archery Returns May 7th
Your learning is only based partly on the effectiveness of your teacher. It is largely based on your own personal effectiveness as a learner. Good teachers should certainly help you on this journey, but the more you can help yourself, the more you stand to gain in each of the learning situations of your life.…
Read More... from Being an Empowered Learner: Know Your Learning Style
It's that time of year again! As the furry coats are shedding out, we shift our class times to take advantage of lingering daylight. This means Riding & Horsemanship classes move to Saturdays from 4pm onward, starting this Saturday, April 22nd. Mounted Combat mastery classes and Mounted Combat Fundamentals remain on Sundays starting at noon. …
We often do too much from a fear of doing nothing. We don’t give ourselves enough time to think about what we do because that’s when doubt can creep in. The problem with never really embracing this zero state is that often we do too much and never do anything well. If we constantly need to…
Read More... from Zero: How Starting From Nothing Builds Success
This recent inclusion to the HEMA body of common knowledge is very much a 'beer and peer' book. That is to say, you can open the book into most any chapter, and find a statement or assessment that should lead to intelligent debate among your knowledgeable sparring partners. In ‘Cut & Thrust’ Martin Dougherty describes…
Read More... from Book Review: “Cut & Thrust – European Swords and Swordsmanship” by Dougherty
I have fought in a lot of tournaments, and for a while that was what really lit my fire when it came to Western Martial Arts. There was a certain attraction to the intensity of the environment, the training program beforehand, and then winning a prize or a medal was pretty exciting too. However, as…
Though safety may seem boring, uncool, or like an unnecessary consideration, it is a vital foundation for pursuing excellence in martial arts in both the short- and long-term. Having a solid approach to safety in your group is important for retaining members, keeping your body healthy, and for creating the space for experimentation. At Academie…
I recently had a discussion on social media about this particular item: They are a kind of cutesy self defense device being marketed to women. Now, these are stupid, illegal, and unlikely to even offer an advantage in a self defense scenario. Not only that, but they are explicitly sold as a weapon, and therefore…
It is easy to fall into the idea that there are right approaches and wrong approaches, true paths and false paths. If your group does things one way, if you've invested your time in one path, it can be difficult to allow that those who practice a different system, approach, or have invested in a different strategy,…
Read More... from The Pursuit of Learning Should Not Be Partisan
A new path to Mastery? Well, and old one really, but one we've renamed it. Weekly Mounted Combat classes are now known as Mounted Combat Mastery, and you can use the same tuition credits you use for Rapier and Longsword Mastery classes. Here are the answers to a few frequently asked questions to get you…
I have made this statement many times, but never in print. But let’s face it, it’s a hard thing to quantify and I can only speak from my observations as a weightlifter, a martial artist, a coach, an ex-nightclub bouncer, and a man who has never really found a place in traditional masculine roles. The…