Congratulations to everyone who made it all the way through the 30 for 30 Swordplay Challenge last month, whether you hit every day or missed a few! It's a pretty cool feat to up your training to any degree and set a new habit that reflects your goals. I hit every day and got a…
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(Photo from 24 Hours cover - Carmine Marinelli) The last few days have been a whirlwind for Academie Duello. Here are a few things you may have missed! Vancouver Courier Article We were in the Vancouver courier last week in an article about Knight Camp and other cool summer camps going on in Vancouver. Be…
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September 27th - 29th is Tourney Time! Yes, planning is in the works for our Annual Knightly Games Tournament! This year we're making a full weekend of it by adding another iteration of the popular Mounted Archery Workshop, and including a day of riding, mounted combat, and games practice beforehand. Friday 27 September Workshops, Lessons,…
Looking for a unique Summer Camp experience? Send your child on an adventure back in time, to train as a Knight from the Middle Ages! Youth aged 8 to 14 will enjoy activities such as martial instruction in weapons such as the longsword and quarterstaff, archery, medieval games and more! "My son went to Knight Camp…
(photo taken by Penny Higgins) I returned home this past Monday from the excellent Borealis Swordplay Symposium in Ottawa which was hosted by Jason Smith and crew of Ottawa's Les Maitres d'Armes. The event was two days long with day one focusing on 2-hour workshops and some room for free fencing, and day two focusing…
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Our friends at Maelstrom Core Martial Arts have written up a very nice article about Academie Duello on their blog. Maelstrom is a school that focuses on Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) and some related arts from surrounding regions and disciplines. I have been consistently impressed with their attitude, teaching approach, and the calibre of their…
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This Monday, Academie Duello was the proud recipient of one of 100 new reproductions of the I.33 Fechtbuch produced by Extraordinary Editions in cooperation with the Royal Armouries of the United Kingdom. I.33 is a very important manuscript as it is the earliest surviving European sword fighting manual, most likely dating to sometime in the…
On Sunday we welcomed Borsos Torzs Horse Archery Club to Red Colt for our first ever Mounted Archery clinic. The weather was gorgeous, and, judging from the smiles on everyone's faces a great time was had by all! Here's a summary of the day. Prior to the start of the workshop we tacked up nine…
So here’s the situation. Your intense match of ‘pokey chest’ with your salles’ alpha Red Cord did not go quite as planned; and your favourite side sword is now part of your estate being sorted by your executor. If you have any sort of social standing in your city or country, and your sword was…
One might think after watching Our peers file, buff, wax and polish their blades after an evening of training, that our swords were delicate and gossamer twigs capable of dissolving into mist if not cared for and fussed over daily. But history consistently proves that swords survive battle, weather, submersion, burial and the passage of…
Separated as we are by provincial (or state) and international borders, oceans and sometimes … continents; it’s heartening to know that wherever you travel, you should be able to find other WMA/HEMA enthusiasts. If you plan to visit someplace new, get onto the net and do a bit of research beforehand to see if there’s…
Tis spring, and a young man's fancy turns to … tournament! Yes, the Battle of the Nations approaches … and hordes of heavily armed fighters will move west to cross the eastern border of France to … wait … doesn’t this road look a bit familiar? Are We Here to Fight, or to Talk? THE…
The weather is turning, the sun is shining and the city is heating up! What better time to warm up those muscles and try something new? Take a look at our upcoming workshops for April: Intro to Bartitsu Saturday, April 6, 2013 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Learn the mixed martial art of the Victorian…
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OK, I fibbed, We’re going to catch-up now. During the last VISS, there was some discussion amongst attendees about the number and variety of medieval/renaissance WMA/HEMA ‘salles’ that were being established of late. It is a reality of a business that it exists to fill a niche … and that there is a market out…
Luddites, ala lantern! We’ll try posting this again after being beat-up by technology … a week late. And we'll catch-up later this week if one of my peer's leaves me a space. There’s nothing this (last) week on WMA/HEMA; but we do have a wealth of links highlighting swords as symbols: of history; of trust; or honour;…
Our next round of Beginner's Courses are starting soon! Shake off that lingering winter chill and greet Spring with a sword in hand! Both our Beginner's Courses, Taste of the Renaissance and Warrior Fundamentals, are 8-classes long and can be taken twice a week for one month or once a week on Saturdays for two…
Another episode of our stage combat feature: action movie trailers. What we're looking forward to and why. You may have noticed the text in there: From the Director of the Original The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. That's what we're going to talk about today: Niels Arden Oplev. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2009)…
Scotsmen and Scottish swords dominate todays' offering – if this had happened in the early 16th century, would have meant that something had gone terribly wrong along the Scottish Marches! But in modern context, the items do demonstrate that the modern Gael is still connected to his past and traditions – and swords (and sword…