Martial Arts have meant many things to me over time. Here are some of the excellent outcomes I feel are found within the Western disciplines we practice at Academie Duello: Personal Growth Martial arts help us test our capabilities, push our limits, build our confidence in our physical and mental selves, and face challenges of…
Unless you plan to do all your equine activities within a few miles of your stable, you will eventually have to deal with trailering horses. For level 3 we don't expect you to demonstrate hauling, but we do want you to: Describe how to lead in and out of a trailer There are many videos…
This post is part of a series on the Segno of Fiore that displays 4 animals each representing a different martial trait the lynx, tiger, elephant, and lion. “I am the lion: nobody carries a more courageous heart. I offer everyone battle.” Tom Leoni translation - Fior di Battaglia, Getty Museum To stand across from…
It's that time of year again, and we are taking registration for Carosella 2014! This three-day Mounted Combat Symposium has something for everyone, from absolute beginners to accomplished knights. Friday and Saturday consist of workshops on foot, on falsemount, and on the ground, and Sunday is our annual tournament where you will have a chance…
At the Fight Directors Canada annual National Workshop, we are always honoured by the presence of our Maitre d’Armes J.P. Fournier. This year, the Basic Actor-Combatant class were privileged to learn single sword from our living legend. Honour to Him The Nationals this year coincided with the gala to honour J.P. with a Sterling Lifetime…
“I’m the elephant, who carries a castle as freight. I never kneel or lose my stride.” Tom Leoni translation - Fior di Battaglia, Getty Museum To harness the ideals of the elephant in your martial form you must consider: Structural Alignment Placing your body in optimal positions to apply and resist force. Finding the ground…
Read More... from The Elephant and It's Castle - Structural Strength in Training
This week, we take a short look at successful people and activities within the HEMA/WMA community. But what is “success” for a HEMA/WMA ‘guild’ or swordplay salle? Is it represented by numbers …. the number of students that show up consistently for class? The number that are ‘on the books’? The number of students that…
Horsemanship 3 - Stall & Pasture The first thing you will be asked on the Level 3 practical test is to Describe good and bad features of a horse’s pasture & stall. You can read chapters 14 and 15 of the Manual of Horsemanship for an in depth look at desirable aspects of stables and…
One of the fears among city-dwellers in 1890’s London was being strangled by an unseen attacker from behind. And why not? That’s a pretty dangerous situation, and one that seems difficult to escape. That particular fear drove the development of Bartitsu. The neck feels particularly vulnerable, and for good reason. There are 3 types of…
Here at Academie Duello you will often hear us talk about the True Fight and the Adaptive Fight. Both are important to learn so one can transition and flow between the two of them using both to paint a full combative picture. In the True Fight the attacker and defender are in a dance of…
This post is the third in a series on Fiore's four animals and their relation to required traits in martial arts training and execution. “I, the tiger, am so quick at running and turning that I can’t even be overtaken by a lightning bolt." Tom Leoni translation - Fior di Battaglia, Getty Museum Though I…
We’re about halfway in our walk through the Blue Spur curriculum, and now it’s time to turn our attention back to Horsemanship. For the next couple of months the blog will look at the requirements for Horsemanship Level 3. Whereas Level 2 was simply a more in-depth version of the Level 1 topics, in Level…
As many of you know I recently attended the Rossfechten Symposium in Zwiebrücken, Germany. This four-day event brought together Mounted Combat practitioners and aspirants from all over Europe and even North America. Attendees hailed from Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, the USA, and Canada. The event was held at the…