This week on Duello.TV it's time to do some longsword catch-up! We missed a couple weeks of longsword, so now we're going to give you a couple weeks worth of focus class content all on the topic of the window guard. We're also moving into the topics of constraint with the sword (green), constraining with…
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Video Lessons: Finding & Gaining, Offhand Stringere, Defeating the Buckler, Posta Finestra
Welcome to week 2! Now we're starting to get into the meat of our topics. In Green (level 1) we are looking at controlling the physical advantages that will allow us to defeat our opponent's attack. In Blue (level 2) we are using the offhand to cover and to control directly, and in Red (level…
Video Lessons: Rapier Mechanics, Rapier & Offhand/Dagger/Buckler, Scaling Speeds
It's a new month on Duello.TV. We have some exciting topics ahead for you including control with the rapier, use of the rapier and dagger, as well as the buckler and cloak. On the longsword front expect to see videos on use of the Finestra guards starting next week. We are also continuing our series…
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Video Lessons: Defeating the Offhand, Sidesword High Guards, Longsword Centre Guards, Giving and Taking Hits
How do you get around that pesky offhand? What do you do when your sword is in a high posture? When your point is on the centreline, how do you exploit the advantages and mitigate the weaknesses? This week on Duello.TV we explore these questions with the rapier, sidesword, and longsword as well as looking…
Video Lessons: Playing from Sword to Offhand, Guardia di Testa/Faccia, Longsword Mezzana Guards
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…
Video Lessons: Offhand Invitations, Sidesword Stretta & Alta Guards, Longsword Low Guards and Fading Exercise
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…
Video Lessons: Rapier Offhand Use, Sidesword Guards & Progression, Longsword Guards, Binds & Pressure
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…
Video Lessons: Judging Measure, Rapier Voids, Unorthodox Postures, Single Grip Longsword Cutting
Welcome to a new year of training and sword fighting! I hope that everyone has enjoyed their holiday and is ready to get back to their physical training regimes with a newly renewed passion. We are starting off this month we three rapier topics: receiving the opponent (for level 1), voids (for level 2), and…
Happy 2013!
Good Morning and Happy New Year! (sorry, was that too loud?) Since it is far too soon after last night's indulgences to be practising cutting in a safe and responsible manner, I'll eschew wrist, shoulder and elbow cuts for another week. Instead, sit back in a comfy chair with the hangover remedy of your…
Video Lessons: Defenses Against the Cut; Longsword Thrusts; Cutting Hands
Because of the holiday our last week of curriculum for the year has come a week early. This week we conclude our work on rapier cuts, sidesword cutting, and the core defences of the longsword. In Longsword Focus we look at cutting to the opponent's hands and next week we'll look more thoroughly at how…
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Video Lessons: Recovering Cuts, Sidesword Lines; Longsword Defenses and Counter-Cutting
This week we're going to be using the cut to get ourselves out of some challenging situations. With the rapier at level 1 (Green Cord), we're going to be using a cut to regain control of the opponent's sword. At level 2 (Blue Cord) we'll be building our precision and fluidity in sidesword cutting. At…
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…
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…
Video Lessons: The True Fight, Rapier Feints, Dui Tempi, Longsword Rising Cuts, Sidesword Double Cuts
Welcome to the last week of one of the most intricate and fundamentally satisfying months of curriculum at Academie Duello. In Longsword focus we continue to work on the fundamental blows, seeking to make them as precise and powerful as possible. In the Mastery program, Greens (level 1) take the techniques of the first three…
Event Report from the Known World Academy of the Rapier (KWAR) 2012
So this past weekend I was again teaching in Chicago, the home of my good friends at Forteza Fitness, but this time I was teaching at the Known World Academy of the Rapier or K-WAR. This event is put on by the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) an international historical reenactment society through whom I…
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Video Lessons: Rapier constraint, deception, and contra-tempo, Longsword precision and drills
This week on DuelloTV: Green cords (level 1) are moving into the strategic side of the rapier with classes on Stringere and responding to the opponent, Blues (level 2) focus on the foundation of the Deceptive Fight, and Reds (level 3) on contra-tempo and how to defeat it. For our longsword focus we are moving…
Video Lessons: Longsword Fendente Precision; Rapier Finding & Gaining, Offline Movement, Mezzo Tempo
Welcome to the first full week of November. This week we are including the first of our new longsword series that follows our technical focus classes. In these classes we run on a 6 month cycle of themes: 1. Precision, 2. Crossing, 3. Giocco Stretto, 4. Tempo and Provocation, 5. Guards, 6. Defeating Guards. Last…