This week at Academie Duello we're deepening our study of the rapier with further use of the offhand, dagger, and disarms. We're also checking in regularly on our work with the sidesword, this week with a series of excellent cutting exercises. Meanwhile we've started shooting new longsword content from our Longsword Focus classes. So look forward to even more in-depth content for the sword in two hands.

Green Cord (Level 1)

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This week we'll setup the parries of the offhand that you learned last week by first inviting our opponent to strike through our sword and into the waiting defence of the offhand. The focus is now even more greatly on maneuvering the sword and offhand together to make a joint cover.

Blue Cord (Level 2)

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This week with Blue Cord we'll be stringering our opponent from the open and closed positions and exploring the variety of plays that we can create where control is transferred from the sword to the dagger.

Red Cord (Level 3)

http://duello.tv/featured-videos/this-week-in-class/

This week we'll be taking some of the same disarms we worked on last week but now from a position where the opponent has gained our sword. Yielding to their force and passing under the blade we'll find disarms at the distance of the opponent's guard, forte, and blade.

Solo Exercise of the Week

http://duello.tv/featured-videos/fundamental-exercises-sidesword

Our fundamentals video this week will bring you through two different sidesword cutting exercises that employ the ribbon cut. This rising and descending blow is excellent for deflecting and parrying attacks while then following on immediately into the created opening with an attack of your own.

Devon Boorman is the Co-Founder and Director of Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay, which has been active in Vancouver, Canada since 2004. Devon’s expertise centres on the Italian swordplay tradition including the arts of the Renaissance Italian rapier, sidesword, and longsword, as well as knife and unarmed techniques.
Read more from Devon Boorman.