Swordplay Knowledge: mounted weaponry Aside from knowing your way around a sword, we also ask in the Green Spur that you have a basic knowledge of the types of weapons typically used from horseback: Describe two different types of cavalry sword Describe three alternate types of mounted weapons Broadly speaking, any type of weapon you…
Welcome to week 2! Now we're starting to get into the meat of our topics. In Green (level 1) we are looking at controlling the physical advantages that will allow us to defeat our opponent's attack. In Blue (level 2) we are using the offhand to cover and to control directly, and in Red (level…
The official announcements are out. Our stage combat instructor David McCormick is slated to teach Basic level Sword at this year's Fight Directors Canada National Workshop. It will be held in Montreal, at Concordia University. Here's the official news: Fight Directors Canada in association with the Concordia University Department of Theatre Presents The 2013 National…
It's a new month on Duello.TV. We have some exciting topics ahead for you including control with the rapier, use of the rapier and dagger, as well as the buckler and cloak. On the longsword front expect to see videos on use of the Finestra guards starting next week. We are also continuing our series…
Read More... from Video Lessons: Rapier Mechanics, Rapier & Offhand/Dagger/Buckler, Scaling Speeds
Swordplay Knowledge In the Horsemanship portion of the Green Spur curriculum you needed to know the common vocabulary of the rider. Similarly, for the Mounted Combat checklist, you will need to demonstrate a basic level of swordplay knowledge: Describe the anatomy of the cut and thrust sword Describe two different types of cavalry sword Describe…
Two of the items offered today illustrate personal perceptions of HEMA/WMA studies and their practitioners. Though they are but the opinions of but two people, they do demonstrate the need for salles and related-events to have their act together, their facts straight and word-bites prepared well before the press arrive at the door. “Come…
Who do you train to fight? What are the stakes and the best/worst outcomes? Today we're looking at motivation to commit violent acts. 1. Justice/Revenge The attacker believes that the victim has committed a murder or other atrocity that can only be rectified with their death or "an eye for an eye". Even a slap…
We interrupt our schedule of educational posts once more to let you know there are only three days left to take advantage of the Cavaliere Program's Shedding Season Special! Sign up for any number of the following classes, workshops or packages before March 1st and receive a 10% discount: Intro to Mounted CombatMounted Combat WorkshopMounted…
How do you get around that pesky offhand? What do you do when your sword is in a high posture? When your point is on the centreline, how do you exploit the advantages and mitigate the weaknesses? This week on Duello.TV we explore these questions with the rapier, sidesword, and longsword as well as looking…
This week We see more sword-history being debated, more examples of the juxtaposition of honour and modern sword-culture, and are (again) reminded that HEMA-WMA has no weaker sex. Oh yes, ‘and if you read this item right now, We’ll link you to what could be the next Starfrit™ Handy-Dandy Bottle opener’! Good for the…
Here begins a new series on the PlayFighting blog: I'm going to take a trailer for an upcoming action movie, and pair it with footage and commentary from its predecessors. The trajectory may bounce around a bit, but in the collateral damage you'll have a better idea about the potential of the upcoming action film.…
The Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium has come to a close. The weekend featured tremendous classes in Italian Rapier, German Sword and Buckler, Italian Stick Fighting, German Wrestling and Messer, Iberian Rapier, Sidesword, and Montante, as well as Burgundian Pole Axe. With no amount of sadness we bid adieu to our friends from far and wide…
As wonderful as all our venues for the Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium last weekend were, none of them were quite large -- or rustic -- enough to host a mounted combat workshop. Though we were sad not to be able to offer swordplay from horseback to the conference attendees, we did manage to bring a…