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…
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…
Read More... from Eat Like a European - A Metaphor for Awareness
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…
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…
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…
Read More... from I Would Duel Anything For Love- Historic Duels Fought "In The Name of Love"
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…
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…
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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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…
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…
The Chinese New Year is upon us as 2015 enters into the Year of the Ram. I live in the city of Vancouver, which will be hosting a huge celebration and parade to ring in the Chinese New Year. People from many different cultures and backgrounds will be out enjoying the festivities. Living in a…
Read More... from When East Meets West: The History and Influence of The Silk Road
This past weekend a crew consisting of me and five senior students from Academie Duello headed down to the 2015 Ursulmas Championship tournament in Monroe, Washington. This is a tournament hosted by the Society for Creative Anachronism, an organization devoted to re-enactment of the middle ages and renaissance in various forms, including combat. (In the…
Riding Level 3: Tack Check The first item in the Riding 3 assessment is: 1. Mount independently. Adjust girth while mounted. We assume you learned to mount in Riding 1, and improved on it for Riding 2. At this level we expect you to be smoother and more organized. It doesn't matter whether you use…