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…
It's the week of the Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium at Academie Duello. We're all eagerly anticipating an awesome weekend of workshops, lectures, sparring, and socializing. This week we're on our regular schedule of classes at Duello and on Duello.TV. At level 1 (Green) we're looking at defending with the offhand, level 2 (Blue) and level…
Swordplay from the Ground: the three turns of the sword The last of the swordplay skills you'll need to demonstrate for your Green Spur is an understanding of the three turns of the sword. These turns have the same names as the turns of the body, which makes them easy to remember. It may be…
A bit of everything today; mounted and foot-fought WMA/HEMA and reminders as to where our history comes from (and where sometimes it can unexpectedly be found). Knocked-Down, Down Under SOUTH COAST REGISTER (Shoalhaven, Australia) 08 February 13 Modern renaissance sport comes to show (Robert Crawford) Australia hosted Rod Walker and the team from Full Tilt…
When there are so many mixed martial arts (MMA) schools that focus on Barzilian Jiu-jistu (BJJ), what sets apart the jujitsu in Bartitsu? We focus on staying on our feet while sending the assailant to the ground. Today we'll talk about maintaining balance, vertical alignment, calmness, and avoiding surprise. Why Stay on Your Feet? Here…
There's an article today about Academie Duello and the Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium in the Vancouver Courier Newspaper. Check it out here. Also check out the video that the Courier's Jason Lang produced about Duello and the event on the Courier's YouTube. Comment on this post on our Posterous Blog.
One of the first things that turned me on about rapier fencing was sparring. When I first got into rapier I was practicing Arnis/Eskrima. The Arnis/Eskrima class I attended did not allow any type of contact sparring and though I enjoyed the flow of the art tremendously I never had a visceral environment in which…
I wish I had a photo to share from last Sunday’s Mounted Combat workshop. The stars aligned so that all participants in the workshop were strong riders, and we had enough horses for everyone, including instructors. That meant nearly three awesome hours of trading blows from horseback! Having eight very different horses and riders on…
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