Welcome to Duello.TV for the week of July 15. Sorry that we missed our post from last week; sickness can strike even the most stout of us and I succumbed for a good part of the week. Now I'm back at it and we're into week 3. This week we're continuing our focus on single…
Riding Level 2
Now that we've finished with the curriculum for Horsemanship Level 2, it's time to move on to Riding. A Level 2 Rider is someone with a good basic seat position, capable of riding with one hand or two and switching posting diagonals, who has begun to work on canter, gaming skills, and dropping the reins…
Academie Duello and Bard on the Beach: Shakespeare's Rebel Book Launch
Shakespeare's Rebel Book Launch DATE/TIME: July 22nd, 7:00pm to 10:00pm LOCATION: Vanier Park, Vancouver On the night of July 22nd, Bard on the Beach, together with Academie Duello, Canada’s premier medieval martial arts school will put on a swashbuckling night of swords and words! Come join us at Vanier Park to celebrate the launch of…
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Rainy Day Sword Press
As We sit here trying to sort through the wealth of links that have appeared this week, We take a moment to look up at the omnipresent rain clouds that have dogged Ottawa so far this year and think: “I wonder where the roof went to?” And like the rain, We’re all over the place…
Blunt Force Strike Targets
Generally, I don't worry too much about hitting exact locations, especially when I'm striking with a stick. A solid blow with a cane can shatter any bone, and failing that, will hurt like the dickens. Therefore, my advice to beginners is to strike any part of the opponent's body that you can hit with vigour.…
Post 30 for 30 Swordplay Training Challenges
Congratulations to everyone who made it all the way through the 30 for 30 Swordplay Challenge last month, whether you hit every day or missed a few! It's a pretty cool feat to up your training to any degree and set a new habit that reflects your goals. I hit every day and got a…
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Training Videos July 1: Lunging Mechanics & Measures, Rapier & Dagger, Disarms, Longsword Collection using Finestra
Happy Canada Day and Fourth of July to our friends in Canada and the US, respectively. We just finished marching our way through the streets of Vancouver with 65 of us showing off our swordplay skills for a very enthusiastic crowd. Let me tell you, this gives me no small respect for our historical brethren…
A Great Canada Day Weekend of Swordplay and Fun
(Photo from 24 Hours cover - Carmine Marinelli) The last few days have been a whirlwind for Academie Duello. Here are a few things you may have missed! Vancouver Courier Article We were in the Vancouver courier last week in an article about Knight Camp and other cool summer camps going on in Vancouver. Be…
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Hear Ye, Hear Ye!
September 27th - 29th is Tourney Time! Yes, planning is in the works for our Annual Knightly Games Tournament! This year we're making a full weekend of it by adding another iteration of the popular Mounted Archery Workshop, and including a day of riding, mounted combat, and games practice beforehand. Friday 27 September Workshops, Lessons,…
Canada Day Sword Press
While the rest of Our peers are fighting their way through the streets of Vancouver … with the full support of its citizens (who are probably throwing money, and maybe elements of intimate apparel at the sword players) … some of us have a paper route to finish. And on a national holiday at that!…
Stage Combat Questions
I was recently asked a series of questions by a reporter who had some misconceptions about stage combat. A few of them were variants on: How do you and your students rank internationally? Rank? Well, obviously we think we're the best in the world! I first challenged the idea that stage combat schools and stunt…
Rules of the Road
Horsemanship Level 2: Riding in Groups Much of the last item on the Horsemanship 2 checklist 9. Rules for riding in a group is covered in the Riding 1 post, Safety in Numbers. At the second level however, you will also be asked about group etiquette and safety when riding outside of the ring and…
Mediterranean Sword Press
When one thinks of gladiators; the medieval chivalric inspirations of hope, faith and charity; and renaissance Italian swordplay; one just knows that you’re contemplating combat of some style as practiced in … Malta! Discuss, Demonstrate, Drill. GOZO NEWS (Malta) 12 June 13 Public Lecture on the use of swords from 14th-19th century Last week, Prevosto…