Today marked the last day of our bowmaking workshop taught by Jamie MacDonald of Ravenbeak Natureworks. The workshop was a tremendous success and I had the opportunity to handle eight beautiful and effective pieces of art. The final day of the workshop focused on final sanding, oiling, affixing arrow rests, striking plates, and wrapping the…
Read More... from [Photo Gallery] Handmade bows from Academie Duello's bowmaking workshop
This morning we had the distinct pleasure of hosting Marco Quarta an instructor from Nova Scrimia for an impromptu instructor workshop. Marco showed up spontaneously in our doorway last week while in town meeting with the Italian Consulate and we roped him into showing us some of how his organization approaches the Italian martial arts.…
Read More... from A surprise guest instructor at Academie Duello - Marco Quarta
The bows are being shaped from the yew staves with hatchets and files. It sounds like a workshop in here.
Rats – We’re apparently recycling titles as well as press items now!While Canada has a day of rest and recreation for the ‘(Queen) Victoria Day” federal holiday, WMA enthusiasts might be more au fey with respecting the 102nd anniversary of the passing of Captain Alfred Hutton – late of the King Dragoon Guards and possibly…
"A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone's feelings unintentionally." - Oscar Wilde Intro to Bartitsu Saturday, May 26, 2012 1pm-5pm Learn the mixed martial art of the Victorian English Gentleman. In this four-hour workshop, you'll acquire the essential Bartitsu skills of Boxing, Jujitsu, Savate and Cane fighting: - the basic punches of scientific boxing…
Why do we study self-defence? To be prepared for a situation that may never happen: a personal attack. Let’s take a look at other problems we normally prepare for, and situations we often ignore. Don’t Panic Take the advice of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. When reading over these negative scenarios and thinking about…
We have lots of WMA/HEMA press this week – but all the reported activity is apparently overseas!We are consistently amazed at the amount of publically popular and civic-supported WMA/HEMA/Re-Creation activity taking place throughout Slavic Europe – very little of which gets any coverage by our Western communities. Wes A little place to call your own…
This past Friday was an exciting day at Academie Duello. Sterling, who late last year received Academie Duello's Ultimate Knight package from the Grant a Wish Foundation, received the final and crowning component of the package: a full suit of custom sized plate armour. The Ultimate Knight package includes weapons, armour, practice equipment, private lessons,…
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This past Saturday I taught a workshop on the grittier, all-in, side of Sword and Buckler combat. We explored shield strikes, wrestling entries, arm binds, disarms, throws, and counter-wrestles. The workshop had 12 participants and went superbly. I've included a few photos taken by Greg Reimer during the workshop showing a few techniques in action. …
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We have an embarrassment of riches this week, albeit most are stale-dated by about a month. We get a look at some of the teams that participated in the recently concluded Battle of the Nations (BOTN), we find two new ‘old’ swords and we get a look at what it is like to approach WMA/HEMA…
"Violence and smut are of course everywhere on the airwaves. You cannot turn on your television without seeing them, although sometimes you have to hunt around." - Dave Barry Intro to Stage Combat Sunday, May 13, 2012 In this intensive 4-hour workshop, we’ll cover the basics of stage combat, including: ▪Slaps ▪Punches ▪Chokes ▪Push and…
Planning for the 2013 edition of the Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium has begun! We had our first board meeting just this last weekend and began setting out our vision for next year's conference to be held February 16 - 18, 2013. This will be the second time we have run this conference in Vancouver and…
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It’s been one year today since Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op took over the operation of the stables on No 2 Road in Richmond. Over the year we have taken in three new horses and welcomed back one other, held a dozen work parties to build on, repair, and improve the property, adopted a handful…
An eclectic mix this week, including a couple of hits from long-absent France.Wes Not Your Daddy’s Fencing Match EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE (Mesa, Arizona) 27 April 12 EV men test their mettle -- and their metal -- at 'Battle of Nations' (Mike Sakal) A last look by one newspaper at some of the American competitors going…
Sword & Shield: Grapples, Shield Strikes and Other Dirty Plays Saturday, May 5, 2012 3pm-7pm Close engagements, throws, disarms, pommel strikes, shield strikes, and many more rough and tumble plays are the heart of this workshop on sword and shield grappling. This workshop will offer practitioners of any experience level a set of useful tools…
Taste of the Renaissance Mondays & Wednesdays from 7:00pm-8:30pm for 8 classes beginning Monday, May 7, 2012 Tuesdays & Thursdays from 5:00pm-6:30pm OR from 7:00pm-8:30pm for 8 classes beginning Tuesday, May 8, 2012 The eight class introductory course for Academie Duello's Mastery Program.Students focus on the rapier, the dueling weapon of the Italian nobility, as…