This post was originally published on the Terminal City Duellist blog. A few years ago, Luis Preto was living in Vancouver, getting his Masters in Coaching Sciences at the University of British Columbia, and stopping by Academie Duello every week or so to get some practice time in with either myself or the school's director, Devon Boorman,…
Defending against a punch is a priority for many people when learning self-defence. We are aware both instinctually and through the media that an unarmed person can lash out with a fist and knock out teeth or render a victim unconscious with a blow to the head. Our second beginner's lesson in the Bartitsu program…
It’s that time of year again. Autumn is in the air and today is Hallowe'en! For the past few weeks, shops have been filling their windows with jack-o-lanterns, mannequins have been dressed in spooky costumes, and cheap candy seems to be on the shelves at every grocery store. We also saw the season 5…
Read More... from The Walking Dead: What Weapons Would Western Martial Artists Use Against Walkers?
You want to get action hero roles, so you're going to audition. There are two types of audition in today's industry for a casting director to get a first look at you: a live audition or a taped one. This week, we'll discuss the difference between a taped audition and a reel, and some tips…
Horsemanship Level 3 - Grooming For Horsemanship Levels 1 and 2 you needed to show how to use the basic grooming kit, which included the hoof pick, curry comb, dandy brush and body brush. For Level 3 you need to demonstrate: 7. Use and knowledge of full grooming kit First of all, to review your…
Today while teaching a class on falling I had a funny exchange with one of my students; we talked about how much toddlers fall down in the process of learning to walk and be stable. Each time they fall, they get right back up again. Generally there’s no crying or interruption, except if they’re tired…
Read More... from Be As Resilient as a Child When Dealing with Failure
Horsemanship Level 3: Feeding Horses are creatures of habit and do best on a regular feed schedule. As a Level 3 Horseman you are expected to: 6. Know the feed schedule and amounts for your own horse. If you don't own or lease a horse, you should be prepared to answer questions about the schedule…
In 1898, E.W. Barton-Wright combined his own name with the term "jujitsu" to describe his new hybrid self-defense system: Bartitsu, the first martial art to combine Asian and European fighting styles. Over a century since its creation, many people recognize immediately that Bartitsu is known for cane fighting and that Sherlock Holmes stories feature his…
This is a special guest blog post from the internationally acclaimed, award-winning martial artist and author Luis Preto, who will be talking about his upcoming week-long intensive workshop on Jogo do Pau. http://vimeo.com/107810727 Greetings everyone! Regarding the upcoming course at Academie Duello, I’d like to start by stating that I am very excited about this project. Not…
Read More... from Guest Blog Post on Jogo do Pau from Luis Preto
I have just delivered an easy thrust toward my student’s chest. It is the action that she has been setting herself up to take advantage of, but, for the third time, instead of deflecting my sword aside and striking with a counter attack, she has thrown her weapons sharply to the side. This panicked movement has left…
Read More... from Training Out the Fight-or-Flight Response in Sparring
Because winter is coming, our next round of Beginner's Courses are just around the corner! Prepare for winter by swinging swords and pulling punches. We offer three different courses which cover different aspects 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…
Read More... from Intro Courses beginning late October/ early November
Horsemanship Level 3: Bits As well as knowing your own horse's tack, at level 3 you will need to: 5. Identify common bits and their uses You only need to know common English bits including snaffles, curbs and pelhams. However, it's good to recognize some Western bits as well, simply for familiarity. Snaffles Our school…
Mark your calendars for the biggest upcoming stage combat events in Canada! Paddy Crean Program dates: December 29, 2014 - January 3, 2015 Registration deadline: November 19, 2014 The Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, Alberta This workshop is an opportunity for master teachers, researchers, and movement artists to get together and share in the…
It's that time of year again. The leaves on the trees are changing colours then falling to the ground; pumpkin-flavoured everything is in stores; the smell of mulch and woodsmoke are in the evening air; and retail stores are flooding the aisles with Hallowe'en costumes galore! People aren't the only creatures gearing up for a…
Horsemanship Level 3: Saddlery As a Level 2 Horseman you were asked to be able to tack up independently with properly adjusted tack. For the most part this entails doing up the girth and throatlatch to the holes that show the most wear on your horse's saddle. If everything else is straight and in the…
A rational person may become violent for many reasons, but the general explanation is that they realize they cannot get what they want through verbal negotiation. Emotions play a big role in this evaluation of circumstances, so I'm not claiming that a calm and rational mind will clinically decide to attack after a cost-benefit analysis…
Fight scenes are undeniably complex and require a lot of rehearsal. Sword fights involve moving long metal objects at high speed toward another actor and demand sufficient time to ensure both partners are safe and accurate. How much time should a producer or stage manager set aside for these rehearsals? The FDC Standard A Fight…
It's been a busy summer, but at last we have time to offer Open Barn again. Come out to Red Colt this Sunday, 28 September and take advantage of the horsey version of Open Floor. Groom a horse, do some sworplay, bring a bow and shoot the haystack, or get a practice ride in between…