A couple weeks ago at the closing ceremonies of the L'Arte delle Armi conference in Chicago I was asked, along with Duello Provost Matheus Olmedo, and Jacopo Penso and Moreno del Ricci of Sala Opera Nova in Italy, to put on a display of traditional Bolognese Assaults. Assalto: Provost Matheus OlmedoWatch this video on YouTube…
One of the most challenging things to deal with in sparring is the mental or emotional intensity of a very forward motivated opponent, someone who throws powerful blows, or someone who comes very ferociously. Commonly people respond in one of two ways: Freeze or pull away, failing to make a cover. Making a single simple…
This holiday Monday, October 8th, is you last chance to catch Horseback Archery in 2018! We are lucky enough to have Robert Borsos of Borsos Torz Horse Archery for one more clinic before he heads back overseas on his busy international competition schedule. Don't miss out on this fabulous opportunity to get instruction in a small…
"Although military discipline and art may be noted plainly and clearly in many courageous knights and greathearted fighters, it can also be seen that they are unclear to many talented people, owing to their inexperience. Thus, sometimes in discussing or using arms, they fall short due to ignorance, rather than to malicious intent." Achille Marozzo,…
Riding, Horsemanship, and Mounted Combat Fundamentals: Which Course is Right for You? Students in our mounted combat courses come to us with a wide variety of pre-existing skills. Some are expert riders, some have been practising swordplay for years, and some are complete beginners at both. Whatever your skill-set, we have courses for you! Here's…
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Tennis, one of the few internationally followed duelling sports, has four major tournaments throughout the year that are held in esteem above all of the others. These events, "the majors", are hosted in four different countries and played on four different surfaces: Wimbledon (grass), French Open (clay), US Open (Decoturf), and Australian Open (Plexicushion). Each…
Our Mounted Combat Program has made a huge leap forward! The horses, the program, and the Program Head, have moved to Cornwall Ridge Farm in Langley BC. The farm, which covers 12 acres on 16 Avenue near Campbell Valley Park, is ideally equipped to suit the needs of the program, and provide greater comfort for…
I'm not a fan of brutality in modern martial arts practice. Aggression brings unnecessary risks and injury, overvalues intensity over grace, and makes martial art less accessible to the unarmoured (both physically and psychologically). Wasn't Real Historical Fighting Brutal? I won't argue that there is no historical precedent for brutal, cruel, and ruthless martial art…
Why? This is a not too uncommon question that comes up from both outsiders and insiders of martial art. What is the purpose that your art is serving? What are the ends that you're driving toward? What will it look like when you're done? Who will you be? I pondered this question today as I…
Read More... from The Pursuit of Craft: Why Do Martial Arts at All?
Practicing martial arts on my own can be one of the great pleasures of my week. It is a time that is just purely for me. Within the time spent in solitary practice, I don't have to worry about providing for a partner or guiding a student, I can simply focus on my own body,…
There are many types of partners you could end up sparring with. For example, if you had a sparring partner who always, consistently, threw cuts right as you stepped into their measure and stopped when you stepped out, then you could know that you could always go to them to practice your parries. Or, if…
This post originally appeared on Duello.TV, Academie Duello's online learning and training blog portal. At our recent Instructor Intensive, the topic of "training so hard that you lose the joy of it" came up. The people who come out to intensives are hard workers. It takes a lot of drive to come out to do…
While I was doing some research for another article I came across this video, on the Funker Tactical youtube channel, that includes some advice from a Vegas police officer about close quarters covering and entry. WHY BLOCKING IS USELESS! A Las Vegas Cop Issues a Challenge and Teaches Some LessonsWatch this video on YouTube There…
Read More... from The Three Defensive Principles, A Cross Martial Approach