Academie Duello is the home of Duello Armizare, the Italian swordplay system taught by schools and instructors around the world. Our founder and Maestro d’Armi, Devon Boorman, has just finished teaching the first Duello Armizare instructor intensive ever held in Asia.

Last week we shared Devon’s teaching tour through Beijing, Taipei, and the Philippines. The centrepiece of that trip is now complete: five days in Taipei with eleven martial artists from across Taiwan, learning the same curriculum taught every week here at 412 West Hastings, and learning how to teach it.

What Is an Instructor Intensive?

An instructor intensive is five full days of training for experienced martial artists who want to teach Duello Armizare. It goes much further than a weekend workshop can, into the technical, tactical, and teaching sides of swordplay. It’s how the art grows around the world without losing its depth.

The name is earned. Participants train ten hours a day, for 50 hours in total, in rapier, longsword, wrestling, and teaching method.

The intensity comes from the depth of the material as much as from the schedule. Participants don’t simply learn techniques. They explore why each technique works, how the body produces it, how to spot and correct problems, and how to pass the skill on to their own students.

We run the same program for future instructors here in Vancouver.

Devon Boorman, wearing a fencing mask, demonstrating a rapier bind with a participant during the Taipei instructor intensive — Devon demonstrates a rapier bind, when two blades meet and stay in contact.

A Full House in New Taipei City

The intensive was hosted by Sakura Sanguines in New Taipei City, the Duello Armizare school led by principal instructor Tai Lee. Tai is a Senior Student and Duello Armizare Instructor.

Eleven participants filled the training space. They came from across Taiwan, representing several different schools as well as the CHIMEI Museum in Tainan.

Teaching Through Translation

Some participants spoke English. Many relied on Tai, who translated throughout the five days and did a marvellous job.

Teaching such rich material across a language barrier pushed Devon to use every channel he could: the structure of the exercises, group problem-solving, demonstrations, physical experience, and chances for students to discover principles through their own movement. It was a reminder of how much a teacher can communicate through movement, experience, and well-designed exercises, with or without a shared language.

Devon Boorman leading a seated discussion circle with intensive participants on the training floor — A discussion circle during the intensive.

What the Participants Took Home

Devon was thrilled with the results. The participants made tremendous progress, especially in body mechanics (how the body produces each movement) and in understanding how teaching and learning actually work.

One piece of feedback stood out. Many participants felt the experience would transform not just how they teach Duello Armizare, but how they teach everything.

For Devon, that’s the heart of it. Good martial arts teaching is about much more than passing on techniques. It helps people become better observers, problem-solvers, learners, and teachers themselves.

Our thanks to Tai and to every participant for five wonderful days.

Next Stops in Taiwan

Next, Devon heads to Taichung. Ryan (方品鈞), one of the intensive’s participants, has recently moved his school, Cold Steel Lab, into its own dedicated training space.

Then it’s south to Tainan, to teach at the CHIMEI Museum and at a local school. That includes a combat clinic: a session built around the specific challenges students are running into when they spar.

In November, Devon returns to Taipei for two workshops on November 7 and 8, then travels to Cavite in the Philippines for another five-day instructor intensive, November 16–20. The full schedule is in last week’s post.

Train at the Source

The eleven swordfighters in Taipei spent their week on the same curriculum our instructors teach every week at 412 West Hastings. Many of the instructors teaching here trained through our instructor certification programs.

Every student begins with one of our beginner courses in rapier or longsword. Already training and thinking about teaching? The same five-day intensive runs here in Vancouver. (Learn about Instructor Training)

Follow Along

Devon tells the story of the week in his own words on his blog, Path of the Sword.

Want more between classes? The newly rebuilt DuelloTV has reorganized its Live area, making past classes easier to browse, and added new high-resolution videos covering more than 30 hours of instruction. Its Resources library of bonus lessons, workshops, and webinars has had a complete overhaul too.

Explore Bonus Lessons and Resources on DuelloTV