So as I commented on in my last blog post, after we finished up at the Armizare Academy last weekend we visited Forteza Fitness, the home of the Chicago Swordplay Guild. They had a great space that was working its way toward becoming even cooler. Well, after we left they launched an Indiegogo campaign to…
Year: 2012
Knightly Games Tournament this week!
Come one, come all! The Knightly Games Tournament has something for everyone this Sunday September 30th, at Red Colt Farm! As promised last week, here is a list of games and their descriptions. Groom Competition Grooms will have 45 minutes to turn out a well-groomed and correctly tacked up horse. Entrants may participate with their…
Swordplay Videos this week: Counter-attacking, Second Assalto, Longsword Wrestling
Welcome to this week in training at Academie Duello. In our training at the studio we are looking at counter-attacking as a method of defence (Green Cord), the second assault of sidesword (Blue Cord), and how to enter into grapples with the longsword when you've lost the crossing (Red Cord). On Duello.TV we have…
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Sword Press of Prudence and Poland
The privilege to practice our arts within city limits is a large part due to how we conduct ourselves as a mature, trust-worthy community of ‘real scholars’. That said, sometimes, for a whole variety of reasons, one of us – or worse, a member of the viewing public, gets hurt during a sword-themed event. Notwithstanding…
What's Happening in the Wrestling Workshop Tomorrow
So I've polished up the last parts of my outline for the Abrazare workshop tomorrow and it's going to be a great one. In the first part students will be learning the fundamentals of striking in the Italian system including hammer fists and open hand strikes. We'll be using strikes and counters to strikes to…
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Backwards
There's few worse positions in a fight than to have an opponent behind you. Visibility The biggest concern is that you can only see what's ahead of you, so an opponent behind you is effectively invisible. You cannot react to their motion unless they grab you and you can feel their position and their close…
Event and School Review: Armizare Academy and Forteza Fitness
I have just returned home from Armizare Academy in Racine, Wisconsin and must report that it was an excellent event all the way around with great classes, opportunities for collaboration, and sparring. For those who are unfamiliar with the event, this is it's second occurrence - the first time being in 2009 under the name…
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Tournament details & shedrow progress!
Entry forms are now available for our Knightly Games Tournament, to be held Sunday 30 September 2012 at Red Colt. The day will begin at 9am sharp for the Grooms competition. Teams of grooms will have 45 minutes to groom and tack up their horses to sparkling perfection before meeting the critical eye of our…
Nominal Nordic Sword Press
Aide from a brief stop-over in the nation’s capital, We’re in Europe for this weeks round-up. We do find it modestly frustrating that there are some truly excellent WMA/HEMA-related events being conducted on both continents, but there’s no ‘central, one-stop-shop’ of these sort of things that would assist the WMA traveller in making or amending…
Video Lessons: Rapier disengages, First Assault of Sidesword, & Longsword Wrestling
This past weekend saw a contingent of Academie Duello instructors and students at the fine Armizare Academy event in Racine, Wisconsin. Workshops focused on the Italian combative system of Fiore dei Liberi (a fencing master from 14th century Italy) which is part of the heart of the Academie Duello syllabus. There were fine instructors from…
[photo] Armizare Academy Deed of Arms
The combatants at the Saturday afternoon deed of arms, after 90 minutes of fighting in harness. Fighting at axe, spear, sword, and dagger.
Bartitsu Fight Night
Tonight is the second Friday of the month, and that means it's Bartitsu Focus Night. You can spar with any weapon you like on the main floor, and we'll be using the museum space for sparring using cane, boxing, savate and jujitsu. See you at 8pmComment on this post on our Posterous Blog.
Stick 'em up ... or down
I had to be careful with the title of this week's post. Didn't want it turning up in the wrong sort of searches,* as the next item on the Riding 1 checklist is: 9. Show correct way to hold a whip/crop This is one of the skills we ask for in our level…
Rapier Receiving, Sidesword Guards, and Longsword Thrusts
Welcome everyone to another week of Duello.TV. This week we have videos on the rapier receiving, sidesword guards, and longsword pressure sensitivity and we'll be continuing with all three weapons throughout the month. This week at Academie Duello several of our instructors are preparing to go to Armizare Academy in Racine, Wisconsin. Devon Boorman will…
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‘Modern’ Cutlass Sword Press
From time-to-time, a simple WMA-HEMA-related press item leads (this) one into the most pleasurable rabbit holes of never-ending research. The’ fine art’ of cutlass fencing is alive and well, and classes can be attended just south of the Academie Duello. And if you’re of the opinion that cutlass-work is a dead or boring art-form, try…
[Photo] Great Mounted Combat Workshop Turnout
Thanks everyone who came to our mounted combat workshop today! We had a great turnout and everyone did a fantastic job of learning a very diverse set of content.
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Who's gotta practice?
We had rank examinations in the Mastery program just this past Friday. Congratulations to all who tested, whether you succeeded or not. Congratulations to you because you have each put in a lot of effort to achieve level that you're at. For those readers not aware of how the Mastery program works: students must meet…
Abrazare: Wrestling That's Fun to Say
"Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength." - Henry Ward Beecher Abrazare Workshop Saturday, September 22, 2012 3pm-7pm Learn the art of Abrazare, the fundamental system of Italian wrestling that underlies the martial system of historical fencing master Fiore dei Liberi. This workshop begins with grappling and wrestling fundamentals,…