For many years I have kept a training journal. This is a log book of personal practice goals, training plans, progress toward those goals, and a ticker tape of general thoughts, comments, struggles, and successes. At its simplest, the journal is a way of keeping my training front-of-mind and it helps me keep continuity from…
Horsemanship Level 4: Saddlery pt I The final checklist item for Horsemanship 4 is: 10. Saddlery. Fit and care of own tack. Identify & fit nosebands, girths & common tack. Put on & remove a blanket. Once more, this is a large topic that we'll break down into several posts, looking at saddle fitting this…
This week, we're adding to our appreciation of Bartitsu from all angles: more fun, more science, and more people! Additional Fun Tony Wolf, editor of The Bartitsu Compendium, the author of the Suffrajitsu graphic novel trilogy, manager of Bartitsu.org, and awesome guy, has converted a board game from 1909 that pits Suffragettes against Police into…
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Canoeing is one of the first physical activities I remember being captured by. I love the water, and there was something powerful and graceful about navigating a craft with a simple flat piece of wood through the chaotic eddies and currents of a river or inlet. This interest may never have taken hold if it…
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Horsemanship Level 4: Vet & First Aid pt III Last week for this topic we looked at discerning emergency versus non-emergency ailments of the horse. This week we'll cover treatments of some minor illnesses and injuries. Thrush Thrush is a foul-smelling infection that occurs in the grooves (sulci) of the hoof on either side of…
Blood adds horror. That's the single reason to add a blood effect to a death scene. So, the only creative question in whether to consider a blood effect is: does this scene need more horror? In Romeo and Juliet, for example, do we need Mercutio's death to be horrific? I'd say yes. Do we need…
Practising does not always mean "working on". It’s important to give yourself time with the passions and skills in your life to just simply indulge in the activity. It's vital to allow yourself on occasion to indulge in pure enjoyment. This helps you remember why you do this thing in the first place, and can…
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Horsemanship Level 4: Vet & First Aid pt II The second check box for Level 4 Vet & First Aid is: 9. Signs of cold, laminitis. Causes of colic. Cause & treatment of thrush, abscess, minor injuries. When to call the vet and what to tell her. Again, you have learned much of this in…
Bartitsu is a historical practice, but it is stimulating to study because it is a scientific approach to self-defence from an age of Western science. I don't seek to impose a scientific analysis on top of an ancient tradition, because Bartitsu was founded on the two pillars of sound engineering: Employ proven principles from established…
Academie Duello is one of Vancouver’s largest martial arts schools, and the largest centre dedicated to the study of European swordplay. For this job, we are looking for someone with vision, drive, and know-how. You must also be willing to work for a share of the profits to take the Academie Duello entrance area from its…
From Alexander the Great, to the Sultan Mehmed, to Louis XIV of France, monarchs entered battle on the backs of horses. There are practical reasons for this: from a horse you can see farther, move faster, and avoid many of the dangers a foot soldier faces. In addition, the beauty and power of a horse…
The team at Film Riot have just finished Action Month, during which they shot several short action films (and a lot of behind-the-scenes footage) with their production company Triune Films. Listen to host Ryan Connolly describe the reasoning behind decisions and choices of equipment made in the early stages of pre-production planning, through the process…
Objective measures can be compelling. They’re easy to inspect and they can allow you to see progress in a way you can graph. However, often people choose the wrong goals to measure and this has a detrimental effect on their development. For example, when a student gets focused on winning or “getting hits”, a few…
Read More... from Seven Ideas for Setting Useful Sword Training Goals