Older swords dominate this week, some of which qualify as gifts to be carefully wrapped and lovingly placed under your modest editors’ Christmas tree! As a historian, We find it ‘scary’ and depressing when We consider just how much history we loose each year as old items decay due to a lack of care; are…
"Yeah, but when will I use fencing in real life?"
Brilliant stuff today, great for the novice and experienced fencer alike.Occasionally, when I talk to someone about fencing the conversation turns to applicability outside the salle. "It's just good for killing people with a sword. What are you going to do when you don't have your sword?"There's so much wrong with that (besides the grammar).We…
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Out Cold: The Real Danger of Concussions
Here's an infographic related to my previous post: Concussions R Bad. Created by MastersInHealthcare.com, it is sourced from the following: www.cdc.gov/concussion www.silive.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/10/scary_statistics_about-concuss.html www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-concussion-syndrome/DS01020 usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/story/2012-01-23/costly-concussions/52762290/1 Safety in Training and Reality In class, we avoid striking the head, even when wearing protective gear. To be a good partner, we either move slowly, change the target (do a…
Martial Movement
Swordplay from the Ground: Movement Last week I covered the essentials of a balance and martial stance. Now we need to add mobility, without losing the effectiveness of that grounded posture, for the second item in the mounted combat checklist: Demonstrate methods of movement The movements we are looking for are: 1. Advance: take a…
Video Lessons: Stringere via the Cut, Sidesword Shield Positions; Longsword Quadrant Defenses and Counter Cutting
We're into the second week of our month on cutting at Academie Duello. This week we're exploring the use of the cut to control the sword of the opponent (Green - level 1), the use of the buckler with the heavier sidesword (Blue - level 2) and the core defences of the longsword against various…
All-Slavic Sword Press
Eastern Europe is a ‘happening place’ for large scale WMA/HEMA/SCA-themed events – and they’re usually conducted with the support of local civic and provincial officials. We’ve selected the most prominent for the last thirty-days and offer them up as ‘snippets’ for your further exploration, amusement … and maybe, just a little envy. ИА REGNUM (St…
The Gift of Stage Combat
The month of December is like a gift of stage combat. It ends with the Paddy Crean, and everyone is preparing for it for the weeks leading up to it. The Paddy Crean Workshop I've written about Paddy Crean and the workshop in his honour before. It's one jam-packed week of stunts, stage combat, and…
Use goals to check up on yourself, not beat up on yourself
We've been talking a lot about goals at the school and on the blog over the past few weeks and its led to many interesting discussions on the impacts, both positive and negative, that goals can have in your life. One of the core reasons to set goals and work to achieve them, is to…
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Taking a Stance
Last week I gave an overview of the Mounted Combat portion of the Green Spur program, which includes Swordplay from the Ground, Swordplay Knowledge and Mounted Swordplay Knowledge. For the next little while we'll look at each of those checklist items in a bit more detail, starting with Swordplay from the Ground: Stance and Posture…
Lesson Videos: Cutting Mechanics for the Rapier, Sidesword and Longsword; Longsword Mezzani Attacks and Tactics
This month we are taking the techniques out to three separate weapons: the rapier, sidesword, and longsword, with each we will be exploring the fundamentals of how to cut effectively, efficiently, and safely. If you have the opportunity, follow the exercises at each level so you can deepen your understanding of this essential form of…
In Service Sword Press
We’re lucky that sword blades endure the unforgiving ravages of time better than paper or wood; or some Green Cords too come to think of it. Whether from the near or far past; swords and sword lore continue to influence our view of some of the world around us. Swords in Service HOLLY…
Practicing forms 'correctly'
An important insight into practicing forms: how should they be practiced? Assuming we're doing a form that involves cutting (eg. Marozzo's first assalto of sword and buckler) I recommend the following progression of study: 1) learn the cuts and how to do them smoothly 2) memorize the sequence 3) practice the transitions Points…
Eastern Cane
Although the walking stick techniques of Bartitsu are an integral part of the art and contribute to its popularity, there are other martial arts that explore the cane. Tai chi and forms of Chinese kung fu sometimes incorporate weapons, including the straight sword, the saber, the staff, and the cane. I’m no expert on those…