Week two of classes began with my getting ill, and subsequently missing the next class. We had been assured at the beginning of the course, however, that there were multiple catch-up options. I was easily able to arrange a half-hour session before the beginning of the Wednesday class to cover what I had missed through my convalescence.…
Sidesword Skills Clinic- Level Up Your Freeplay
It's one thing to be able to perform an action in a drill, another thing entirely to do it in freeplay. How do you take what you learn in class and apply it to combat where you don't know how your opponent may (or may not) react? The sidesword is a very versatile weapon --…
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FDC Certification Wrap-Up
Congratulations to the successful candidates of Academie Duello’s January Combat Acting course. The following students have earned their Basic Actor-Combatant certification with Fight Directors Canada: Sayer Roberts Many of the other students will complete their conditions to satisfy FDC Fight Masters, involving additional hours of training and practice. Conditional Passes Some students receive a “conditional…
Beginners' Courses March 2015
We are continuing our Beginners' Courses for the next month. To all who are interested in broadening their martial arts horizons, we offer three different courses which cover three separate avenues of Western Martial Arts. Bartitsu is a complex martial art with many interlocking skills and is still very useful for learning practical self-defence today. Its introductory course, Fight…
Eat Like a European - A Metaphor for Awareness
Last night, a student of mine approached me before class to inform me that his shoulder was bothering him and he might not want to participate. I’m a fan of trying things out, even if you’re not sure if you’re up to them. I often encourage students to try class out for 5 minutes and then make…
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Mounted Combat & Horseback Archery
Mounted Combat Classes We're excited to announce our newly formatted Mounted Combat course at Red Colt, starting up in less than a month. This four-week course takes the skills developed in the Mounted Combat Skills classes and moves them to horseback with sword, spear and grappling plays as well mounted games and drill team work. The…
Gentleman Scholar on Umbrellas
Slate.com contains a column By Troy Patterson called "Gentleman Scholar" in which he offers etiquette advice for the contemporary man. One of his articles from April 2014 was brought to my attention recently: A Gentleman’s Guide to the Umbrella. His advice regarding buying an umbrella is the same advice I give: don't get a $5…
I Would Duel Anything For Love- Historic Duels Fought "In The Name of Love"
Duels have been fought for hundreds of years for a variety of reasons with a multitude of weapons. With today being St. Valentine's Day, we are going to take a look back into the pages of history where people hurled insults, hauled out swords, or came armed with pistols in order to prove a point in the…
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Take Agency in Learning
In the Western martial traditions the master of a school was an employee of the student. In an art where a successful instructor was teaching many above his social station, the bowing and scraping went the other way than we may see in other cultures. Having come from an Eastern martial arts background, this is…
Losing the Stirrups
Riding Level 3: Riding without Stirrups At all levels of riding we ask you to drop your stirrups periodically. There are two main reasons for this: You never know when you might lose your stirrups when riding. It's good to be able to keep your seat without them, and regain them on the fly. Riding…
Kids Experience Hands-On History with Knight Camp
Perhaps my opinion is biased, but I believe that one of the best things that takes place at Academie Duello is our Summer and Spring Break kid's program Knight Camp. Youth (ages 8 – 14) are transported back in time as they are taught the knightly arts in an engaging and safe environment by Academie…
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Three Types of Practice
I was talking with a student of mine the other night, encouraging them to start pushing themselves toward their next rank at my school. They commented to me that they felt like they were getting worse in their skills, not better. They felt that they were flailing, imprecise, and out of control. I personally had…
Effective position
Riding Level 3: Position It's one of the first things we teach you when you start riding, and something your instructors will continue to adjust throughout your riding career. Your position in the saddle is far more than just a matter of aesthetics. Good position is the foundation of effective riding. At level three we…