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…
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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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 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…
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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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…
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…
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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About 18 years ago I took over running a rapier practice and class for the Society for Creative Anachronism. I was new to being in a leadership role and I sought out the advice of one of the senior members in the area about how to run a successful group. He gave me one piece…
Riding Level 3: Riding without Reins and Stirrups Our curriculum is liberally dosed with tests of your independent seat, as you can see from these previous blog posts on dropping the reins and stirrups (which in turn link to other blog posts on related topics). This is because a secure independent seat from which you…
This November, join Maestro Roberto Laura for a week-long training intensive, studying the traditional knife arts of rural Italy. Over the course of 30 hours, students will cover all the material required to achieve the rank of trainer (allenatore), which is recognized by the ASAMIR (Associazioni Sportive Arti Marziali Italiane Riunite) in Italy, as well as on…
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Today, a poll: I want your opinion for a new logo for Fight Like a Gentleman and the Bartitsu classes at Academie Duello. Without further ado, here are the candidates: Please vote and comment in the comments section below!
There is a fallacy that is often presented in martial arts (and physical culture as a whole) that for people on the outside looking in there is no point to practicing. Why learn to fight with a sword, choke a person out, or lift a heavy weight if those things do not translate to a…
Read More... from Why you should wrestle, and everyone throughout history thought so as well!