The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa and How to Apply Them As Martial Artists

Today is the first day of Kwanzaa.  Many of us know of  Kwanzaa, but not many of us know its origins and how it is celebrated. Today, I would like to talk about what the holiday truly means, and how we can apply its core principles to our lives as martial artists and practitioners of…

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Is Fencing Fundamental to Stage Combat?

As discussed in my previous post on Stage Combat Trends, swordplay for the stage (and the mainly French terminology actors and stunt performers use) came initially from sport fencing. The first fight choreographers in film were fencing champions, and fencing was a part of most private schools and professional actor's training. The lineage looks like…

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Mind in Bartitsu

Our four-session introduction to Bartitsu includes the four component disciplines of the art: Jujitsu, pugilism, savate and walking stick self defence. However, there is a critical fifth component: the mind. Your brain directs your body in voluntary actions, and control of your focus, awareness and choices is critically important in dangerous situations. Your assailant likewise…

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The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies--Martial Mistakes Movies Make

Everyone is buzzing about the release of the third installment of the Hobbit movie trilogy, set to premiere here in Canada on December 17th.  The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies is bound to be filled with all of the amazing special effects, big battles, and action that Peter Jackson is famous for. Even though Jackson's Hobbit…

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Beginners Courses for Next Year/ January

A new year is coming so get into our next round of Beginner's Courses! Prepare for swinging swords and pulling punches. We offer three different courses which cover different avenues of Western Martial Arts: Fight Like Sherlock Holmes Bartitsu is a complex martial art with many interlocking skills. Our four-week Fight Like Sherlock Holmes course gives students…

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Practice Symmetrical Development

Robert Borsos, my horseback archery instructor, raced down the lane and planted 12 arrows in the target. An impressive feat from horseback. As he rode past me back to the starting gate to do a second run, I noticed that he had passed his bow into the other hand and was going through a series…

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Keep Calm and Stop the Bleeding First

Horsemanship Level 3: Wound Treatment Last week we looked at when to call the vet and what to do until she arrives.  In the case of wounds, some warrant a vet call and some don't; some need treatment and others don't.  How do you tell, and how do you treat the wound before and after…

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Stage Combat Trends

Throughout the history of cinematic fights, a variety of stunt coordinators have come to prominence, and with them their iconic styles. When a movie becomes popular and has fight scenes that are appreciated, the market is flooded with imitators. Sometimes their style is overgeneralized to apply to every weapon. These days, if you wield two…

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Help Your Training Partner Discover Failure

I’ve recently become more aware of a helpful person in my classes at Academie Duello. This person is so helpful that they want to make sure that their partner never fails, never feels bad, and is successful in all that they do. One place I see this person in action is in target drills. In…

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Practical Umbrella Self-Defence for Every Vancouverite

Learn to fend off ruffians and rapscallions with Vancouver's most common weather-based accoutrement: the umbrella! With the rainy winter season returning to Vancouver we are pleased to announce the return of this very popular workshop. Loaner umbrellas and canes will be available, but we encourage to bring your own sturdy device, especially if there is…

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