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…
More than two years ago, I got together with Greg Reimer, a group of other Duello students and a filmmaker to lay down the footage for a new DVD: Introduction to Italian Longsword. After two years of post-production problem solving it is finally available to the public!! This DVD is an efficient and thorough approach to…
Riding Level 4: Single-handed Reining For Level 3 you were asked to demonstrate single-handed reining at a walk, trot, and canter. For Level 4 we also want to see: 8. Single hand reining. Control & confidence at all paces. Turns, halts. This Level 3 blog post covers the mechanics of single-handed reining. For Level 4 we…
Say that your car has broken down. You go ask your friends for recommendations of a good mechanic. You don’t ask for recommendations on how to fix it yourself with zero automotive knowledge, and then do your best to follow the instructions on what “worked for them”. Health and fitness are weird. You can do…
Let me say first that I am all for the pursuit of excellence. Challenging yourself to be better is daunting, daring, and rewarding. On this road, you must find the edges of your comfort, push beyond your physical limitations, and surmount many an emotional hurdle. And though much of this is truly hard, little of…
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Riding Level 4: Forward Movement pt II Last week, we looked at forward movement. This week we'll look at the remainder of checkbox #7 in your Level 4 riding assessment: the free walk and work on a loose rein. The Free Walk A free walk on a loose rein is a common element of dressage…
No* Sorry to disappoint, but as much as we want to hate on a particular foodstuff, it’s really not, because the fact is food is not good or bad. Nor is it evil, “clean”, healthy or pure. Food is food. A better question than whether something is “good” or “healthy” is does this suit my…
Read More... from Is Sugar The Root of All Evil, Hellbent on Destroying Us All?
These days, there is very little impetus to end up in a duel with sharp swords or even a true in-earnest fist fight on the street. In fact, I'm quite happy to live in a time and place where I do not need to defend my life on the regular. However, I am a teacher and…