I have gone from being able to do 100 push-ups in a set to not being able to do one and back again. I spent years developing myself as a fencer only to have to tear down what I’d built and start from scratch. Years ago I could touch my toes without bending my legs, sometime in…
With buzz in the air about breeding Flavie, we thought we'd make this week's blog all about babies. Did you know? A newborn horse is called a foal. Female young horses are known as fillies, and male young horses are known as colts. Adult females are mares and adults males are stallions -- or geldings…
Okay. This is Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard in the movie adaptation of Assassin's Creed. Let's do this. Assassin's Creed Official Trailer #1 (2016) - Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard Movie HDWatch this video on YouTube Is that the story of Assassin's Creed? Also, why's he running around? Also... I don't understand anything that happened there.…
This past week during my polearms class one of my students, who is hard of hearing, asked me to put on a wireless microphone (worn as a necklace). This microphone connects to a receiver in his hearing aids that allows him to hear me more clearly regardless of where I am in class, which way…
Read More... from Taking Charge of Your Learning Environment
Help Us Breed FlavieWatch this video on YouTube A short history of the Canadian Horse The Cheval Canadien originated in Québec in the late 1600s with horses sent to Canada by Louis XIV of France. Bred from Spanish, Breton, and Norman stock, only the hardiest animals survived the infamous Canadian winters, and these horses grew…
Although Bartitsu does not draw from the Italian traditions, the four hand positions clearly match. Especially for the rapier students at Academie Duello who are also Bartitsuka, I present “Boxing Interpreted as Italian Sword” without further commentary: Prima This pairs with what I call "over-pronated" punches, and what some mistakenly call "the chopper". Seconda This…
Popular media is pushing people towards an interest in historical swordplay. But how do those same people find a school in which they can explore their new interest? Chances are, they’ve seen a demonstration of swordplay on television or at a local event -- an event that is not necessarily dominated by swords or swordspersons.…
Read More... from Professionally Responsible Sword Press: News for April 2016
“You see first with your mind, then with your eyes, then finally it is in your body." -- Yagyu Munenori. Family Traditions on the Art of War, 17th century. Stuck In Your Head Whether it’s swordplay, dancing, or driving a car, when you first learn a skill it exists within the conscious learning part of the…
As many of you know, Flavie has been the cornerstone of our Mounted Combat program. Solid, dependable, and bombproof, she carries our most timid beginners and our heaviest riders, with a trot that's heaven to sit. She's a pro at lessons, horseback archery, mounted games, and sparring, able to turn on the speed or the…
For a better understanding of the daily breakdown of lessons in our Fight Directors Canada Basic certification course, I've prepared this outline. You may find this useful if you're a participant (starting tomorrow) or if you're considering signing up for September's session. (Online registration is now closed, but there are still spots in the session…
Season 6 is upon us, and now's as good a time as any to look back on one of A Game of Thrones' most prominent features - its armor and costuming. The question everyone likely wants to know the answer to (around these parts, anyway) is whether you really could go into battle wearing Jaime…
The path to mastery is as little as 25% technical, and 75% psychological. Not to diminish what it takes to learn and apply a martial art physically, but I have met very few students that I didn’t feel were physically capable, with sufficient practice, of mastering their arts. The real barriers to long-term mastery are…
Read More... from Share Your Struggles to Get Through Your Blocks
Horsemanship Level 4: Conditioning pt I The checklist item for Level 4 conditioning read: 7. Work vs. exercise. Warm-up and cooling out, reasons why. This week we will examine fitness, work, and excercise, and then look at warm-up and cool-down next week. Condition Along with his conformation, your horse's condition determines the type of activities…