If you have been hungering for more longsword work, this week will definitely satisfy you. We've caught up on our videos for our longsword month on Giocco Stretto with lesson 3 focusing on the pressure between the swords and lesson 4 on dynamically responding to the bind. Red Cords (level 3) in our mastery classes…
Wherever We turn this week, We found German steel … and Germans training with it. HEMA/WMA and respect for sword history is alive and well in the land of Ringeck. While back home here, common sense continues its own fight to be considered in day-to-day life. German swords by German artisans for … Brits…
These are the workshops I'll be leading at VISS, the Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium. The conference runs 15-17 February. You can get a pass to participate in all workshops and events, or you can get a auditor rate to quietly watch. Information on tickets, schedules and everything else is at the Vancouver Swordplay Website. Bringing…
Read More... from VISS: PlayFighting Films and Giant Felling
Swordplay from the Ground: Crossing the Sword in Front and Behind For the Green Spur there are only two ways you need to worry about encountering your opponent's sword: from in front, and from behind. Crossing in Front This is most direct and natural way of preventing your opponent from striking you. As she delivers…
Historical swordplay, historical martial arts, theatre swordplay, fitness and character building. This weeks’ offering of press prove that WMA/HEMA interests originate within a wide of people, and can be used to achieve totally different personal and professional goals. It can also be used to demonstrate that ‘common sense’ amongst some travellers and air travel authorities…
This past weekend I taught a 2 day seminar in Chicago on Applied Combatives for the Chicago Swordplay Guild (CSG) at their home Forteza Fitness. I was pleased as always with an excellent group of students with a passion for the art, insightful questions, and a superbly welcoming nature. The seminar was an extended version…
Swordplay from the Ground: Cutting Mechanics & Timing In previous posts I discussed the eight lines and the three points of origin (shoulder, elbow and wrist) of cuts. To make your cuts effective, however, you need proper body mechanics and timing of hand and foot. Timing of Hand and Foot A cut is most powerful…
The Hero Sword A work of art. Any closeup of a sword in Lord of the Rings was a Hero Sword. Hero weapons are frequently made of stainless steel for its shine. Like your cookware, stainless steel will keep an edge well, but it's brittle. That means that hitting them can cause them to shatter…
Nikolaj Malnač receiving an award from the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence. Now that we’ve all acquired the blades, books and besegew’s that we wanted for Christmas, it’s time to learn new WMA/HEMA techniques – or polish up those we already know. Given the near-universal access to excellent reference material here-to-fore-seldom seen – its stands to…
I'm going to VISS and I'm really excited for it.With all due respect to the other instructors I'll probably spend the majority of my time in Tom Leoni's 3-day workshop on Italian Rapier. This is a topic that I've spent the past 8 years or so studying but I'm still looking forward to spending somewhere close…
Hello everyone, better late than never I suppose. We had some technical challenges this week with our longsword video lesson because I was out of control and couldn't stop teaching for 15 minutes, so it's a bit of a monster and delayed our posting this week. And sadly we won't have it in till next…
I'm on my way to Chicago at the moment, chilling out in Toronto. This is actually one of my favourite parts of travel, I'm away from all my usual activities and distractions and it gives me the opportunity to work on special heads down projects. It's not quite as beautiful as being on the top…
Read More... from On my way to Chicago to teach an Applied Combatives seminar
The evening world., August 17, 1921, Wall Street Final Edition, Page 3. New York, N.Y. Using Jiu Jitsu on Time and Mashers, Mrs. De Hart Tells How to Master Pests In Three-Minute Hot Weather Interview Woman Who Has Laid Low 40 or 50 So-Called "Men" Proves She Is as Clever and Forceful in Speech as…