The following is the first in a four-part series from a student contributor. If you enjoy this and wish to read more from Angella, you can start with her four-part series on her experience taking another one of our introductory courses, Taste of the Renaissance. Day One It feels great to be back at Academie Duello…
Punching: Vertical Fist or Horizontal?
It is very common for untrained people to punch with their palms down. I don’t know if it’s something that naturally feels right, or if it’s subconsciously learned from watching movies, boxing matches or other people. It is often taught as the correct way to punch in many Eastern martial arts. Is there anything wrong…
Hierarchical Sword Press: News for June 2015
“…In fact he marshalled such an host of many different nations that it was a world's wonder.” [1] Medieval Combat World Championships. Swordfish. Longpoint. Battle of the Nations. … and many, many others. We have an embarrassment of riches in HEMA in that we have a number of national and international competitions during which we…
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Criticality versus Judgment
Criticality is the process of analyzing how you could do something better. Judgment is the process of applying a subjective, emotional value to that something. In critical analysis you view the facts of the situation to understand your current reality. You can then measure those facts against your goals. From here you can understand the…
Friday Clinics at Red Colt
Once more we are offering a variety of special clinics related to the Mounted Combat Program at Red Colt throughout the summer. Clinics start up this Friday June 12th and continue through August with a variety of instructors and topics, from 6:00pm - 7:30pm each week. Some classes may run a half hour longer if…
Action Acting Starts Soon
Our Action Acting course starts on Monday, 15 June, so you’ve got just over a week a few days left to register. It will run Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm for two weeks. On the last day, there’s a written test and a performance test. There are three weapon systems and you’ll perform…
How Top Performers Cope with Bad Training Days
Not every training day is a brilliant one. Not every tournament is your best. Not every performance shows all that you’re capable of. Sometimes things are just plain crappy. You can’t get in the zone, you’re in your head, or you feel sloppy, flat footed, slow, out of shape, etc. Top performers are not devoid…
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Why Jump?
Riding Level 3: Trot Poles and Cross Rails I have been asked why, in the Cavaliere program, we require our riders learn to jump. After all, it's not a skill you need for mounted sparring or knightly games within our modern, arena-bound context. However, we believe jumping has value and deserves a place in the…
Suffragette Movies
SUFFRAGETTE is the first ever feature film to tell the inspirational story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement who risked everything in the fight for equality. Suffragette Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Carey Mulligan, Meryl Streep Drama HDWatch this video on YouTube I’m sure we’ll see a longer trailer before the release…
Don't Judge Your Performance Based on One Training Event
I’ve had many frustrating training and combat encounters. Ones where I have felt suddenly incapable of accomplishing something that may have seemed simple weeks before. It’s easy to jump to a conclusion: “I’m just not practicing enough”, “I’m not learning”, “My opponent is just way better than me.” Yet there are so many factors that…
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Horse Day in Canada
The first Saturday in June is Horse Day in Canada. This is a unique moment once a year where all Canadians are invited to honour, explore and discover the world of horse, and may for many Canadians be their first time experiencing the wonder and majesty of Canada's equine partner. In the spirit of Horse…
Book Review: "Self-Defense for Gentlemen & Ladies" by Col. TH Monstery (Ben Miller ed)
In about 1877, Colonel Thomas Hoyer Monstery wrote: “I hold that every gentleman should be able to protect himself from insult and violence, with or without weapons.” [1] Words as true now, as they were more than a century ago! [2] But why listen to Col Monstery? In Self Defense for Gentlemen and Ladies, Ben Miller…
Review of Sword Fighting by Ducklin & Waller
Published in 2001, Sword Fighting: A Manual for Actors and Directors is one of the best-selling books on stage combat. With choreographed sequences from several different sword styles, it gives the actor a direct way to jump in to sword fighting. However, it has some critical problems that make it tough to recommend. The pair…
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