The Academie Duello museum is proud to announce that we have acquired a new swept hilt rapier from around 1600. This beautiful sword is quite long yet beautifully balanced. The blade is 48" from the quillons, which was typical of many rapiers pictured in historical manuals of the time. Ridolfo Capo Ferro (1610) recommended that…
It’s time to get 2023 started off right with the 10th-annual 30 for 30 Swordplay Challenge! Yes this is the 10th Swordplay Challenge, and whether you’ve been there for all 10 or this is your first, I hope you’ll join me by picking up your sword (or sword like object) and help usher in 2023 right—sword…
I was slow-sparring with a new student the other day and there was a moment a few minutes in where I struck them with a slow thrust to the face. Just before getting struck they leapt back and tried desperately, and very quickly, to try to beat my sword away. Afterward they exclaimed, “you sped…
We have made it over a third of the way toward our GoFundMe campaign goal! At the time that I’m writing this we have raised nearly $27,000! Thank you everyone for your support and generosity! We have a lot on the go as we seek to support our school and keep things growing. By Donation…
Hello to all our Academie Duello students, members and friends! It’s amazing how time flies even when you’re isolated at home. Through this time we have been hard at work delivering online classes and staying connected with our members while also exploring new ways to teach and create community online. Before we share about all…
Long ago in a pre-pandemic world we held the 6th Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium (VISS). If you can, remember back to the beginning of March, oh so many weeks ago, when we could stand close enough to one another to cross swords, or tap feet and elbows in greeting. All the way back on the…
This post originally appeared on our online learning portal: Duello.TV. One of the more challenging leaps to make in combat martial arts is the move from a largely symmetrical combat environment (where everyone is largely from the same school and trying to do the same techniques) to one that is broader and more chaotic. This…
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Chances are, if you’re a member of Academie Duello, you started your path to mastery the same way I did: choosing a fundamentals class, learning the basic concepts of your chosen discipline, earning your green cord, and receiving your Academie Duello black binder upon conclusion of the course. Then comes the next step: transitioning from…
Read More... from After Fundamentals - Approaching the Green Cord Curriculum
Language is what makes memorization possible. Memorization is what makes analysis and improvement possible. Technical jargon can seem like a burden when you're first learning a martial art. European martial arts in particular have dozens of guard names, positions, attack types, and terms for movements of the sword and body. It can be daunting when…
If you’re anything like me, then the reason you walked through the door at Duello was probably because you peered through a window one day with childlike wonder, fascinated at the scene before you. Rows of people, faces expressing the same glee I felt, all swinging swords at each other. I remember feeling, with absolute…
I had the pleasure of attending an event last week called Stickmata put on by Immersion Labs in San Jose, California. The goal of this event (and similar past and upcoming events put on by Immersion Labs) is to bring together martial artists from diverse cultures and traditions. In this case everything was unified by…
Read More... from Making Martial Distinctions: Stickmata Event Report
Looking for more than just a riding camp this Spring Break? Check out our Cavalier Camp for kids!
Fans of horses and swords rejoice! We are running another Mounted Combat Intensive from April 8th through 12th, 2019. This 50-hour program offers you the chance to immerse yourself in a full week of mounted combat arts both in and out of the saddle. Throughout the week you will learn the foundation of our approach to…
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Happy Holidays and Happy New Year Everyone! Thank you all for being a part of Academie Duello over this past year. It's fun at the end of the year to take stock of what we've accomplished over the past twelve months as we look forward to some new and exciting developments in 2019. This has…
Sleep health and sleep hygiene are very trendy topics these days and for good reason. We all lead busy lives, there are limited times to catch up with friends or spend time with family, and there are tons of distractions that can occupy you into the wee hours if you let them. Getting less than…
Read More... from The Importance of Sleep for Martial Artists
One of the most quoted lines from Bruce Lee is "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." It's a quote that emphasizes the importance of focused practice and a high level of proficiency. But it is often used to…
Read More... from Bruce Lee's 10,000 Kicks and the Real Meaning of Mastery