I just picked up a copy of the new book on Armizare. For those of you that aren't in the know, armizare is the word used by 14/15th Century swordmaster Fiore dei Liberi to describe the system of combat that he taught. Armizare is a whole system, featuring unarmed combat, daggers, swords, spears, axes, and…
Year: 2011
Canes! Fisticuffs!
“He ended a string of abuse by a vicious backhander, which I failed to entirely avoid. The next few minutes were delicious. It was a straight left against a slogging ruffian. I emerged as you see me. Mr. Woodley went home in a cart.” - Sherlock Holmes utilizing Bartitsu, The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist…
Stage Combat Priorities: Illusion II
The practice of stage combat has three priorities which define it: safety, storytelling and style. In this series of posts, we'll talk about each in turn, but today we're going to explore why. The very existence of stage combat is the answer to the question: how do we show the fight on stage without hurting…
Stage Combat Priorities: Illusion
The practice of stage combat has three priorities which define it: safety, storytelling and style. In this series of posts, we'll talk about each in turn, but today we're going to explore why. The very existence of stage combat is the answer to the question: how do we show the fight on stage without hurting…
Bring sword fighting into your workplace for 20% off!
Greetings members and friends of Academie Duello! For a limited time we are offering 20% off our corporate programs to companies referred to us by Academie Duello members and friends -- so if you've read this blog post consider yourself invited to take advantage. We have a great diversity of corporate programs including…
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Are you game?
Excellence takes many forms in the equestrian world. There is the elegance of dressage, the precision of jumping, the savvy of a good cow-horse and the bravery of an eventer. But for breathtaking 'wow' factor it's hard to beat the excitement of Mounted Games and the amazing athleticism of the riders and ponies who play…
Academie Duello featured on Cheapass Romance and @CheapD8Van
Rolando Fuentes Ruiz of Vancouver's Cheapass Romance blog came by Academie Duello the other day to explore our free intro class as a potential destination to recommend for an economic tryst. It looks like he and his date, the self-styled Hopelessly Romantic Girl, had a great time. Go check out the post on their blog…
Read More... from Academie Duello featured on Cheapass Romance and @CheapD8Van
Gentlemen Prefer Canes
"That is why, no matter how desperate the perdicament is, I am always very much in earnest about clutching my cane, straightening my derby hat and fixing my tie, even though I have just landed on my head." - Charlie Chaplin Intro to Bartitsu Workshop Saturday, July 23, 2011 1pm-5pm Learn the mixed martial art…
Game 7 Sword Safety
For those of you that haven't noticed, tonight is game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and downtown is going crazy. All of our evening classes are still on as normal, however, but if you are coming downtown please keep in mind the following: DO NOT bring your own weapons to class tonight! BORROW the…
Cavaliere Tournament, part the second
Here are but a few of the 300-plus pictures Blake & Chris took on Sunday: The rest will be made available in some easy-viewing format soon. And for those of you who like to keep track of these sorts of things, here are the full results from the tournament. Results.pdf Download this file Note: if…
Cavaliere Tournament
Exactly one year less a day after our first ever Cavaliere workshop, Academie Duello hosted its first ever Mounted Tournament. The weather was beautiful, the crowds enthusiastic, the volunteers awesome, and the competition both fierce and friendly. We started our day with the Team Groom Competition, in which teams of two had 45 minutes to…
A Fighting ‘faux pas’ or a Fencing Fashion? News from the world of Western Martial Arts
Things were quiet of late, but there should be at least one following that can provide water cooler talk between bouts. A Press Gang in Polite Action BBC (London, UK) 09 June 11 Shoppers cross swords with Olympic hopefuls A short news-time video on the efforts of two of Britain’s fencing team to increase…
Fight-night Mini-focus!
Exciting news for those who've ever wondered "I wonder if I should bring my X to Open Floor"; we'll be introducing a mini-focus to Open Floors! It's something I've been thinking about for a while: a regular day for everyone who wants to practice with, say, longswords, to come out. We're going to reserve off…
Bartitsu 11-June-2011
This week in bartitsu: Review of savate: closing distance with the chasse and how short-range kicks work in combinations. Boxing: It seems like a while since we had a pugilism class, so we'll go over fundamentals and get some sparring done at the end. Integration: Strike straight, strike quickly. Hand and foot combinations to overwhelm…
Targeting Families
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." - Groucho Marx Family Archery Workshop Sunday, June 19, 2011 10am-2pm Archery has been a family business since ancient times. From Cyrus the Great of Persia teaching his son and heir Cambyses to 'draw a mighty bow' to Henry the VII teaching a young Henry…
DNTO's Sook Yin Lee at Duello
Sook-Yin Lee, host of CBC Radio's Definitely Not the Opera, popped into Duello yesterday evening and learned a few sword wielding skills for her program this Saturday that asks "what do we create when we recreate the past?"Sook-Yin was a lot of fun to talk with and we had a good time with the little…
Rapier Clinic this Friday!
At tomorrow's Open Floor I will be running some timed rapier sparring from 8-9pm. Two or three fighters will hold the field against all comers for five minutes (in a rank-exam style format), which will be followed by five minutes of feedback and review. Then another set of fighters holds the field for another five…
Intro to Bartitsu next Saturday
Mark your calendar: next Saturday, 18 June, is our Introduction to Bartitsu workshop. From 1pm to 5pm you'll learn the core techniques of Victorian martial arts, and fight like Sherlock Holmes. We'll explore: the basic punches of scientific boxing and the first defensive moves of pugilism, the first throw from jujitsu and how to land…