Start Something New!

"What then is chivalry? So strong a thing, and of such hardihood, and so costly in the learning, that a wicked man or low dare not undertake it... Whoso would enjoy high honor first must suitably display that he has been well-schooled in such arts..." - The Biography of Sir William Marshall Intro to the…

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Stage Combat Priorities 1: Safety... Boring!

This is really the first post in my series on the basics of stage combat and how it is applied in real productions. Last time, I talked about the illusion of violence, and how the effect to the audience must match the rest of the production (a fairy tale should be magical and melodramatic, while…

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Guest Instructor: Sean Hayes!

Hello folks,  Exciting news today! We have what a special guest instructor from the WMA community coming to town.  Sean Hayes is Maestro D'Armi of the Northwest Fencing Academy in Eugene, OR. Maestro Hayes' school focuses on Armizare, the martial art practiced by Italy's knightly class and draws his teaching from the Fiore de' Liberi…

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Test your knowledge

The UK Pony Club has just launched a new 'Pony Prep' website: http://www.ponyprep.org/training.php While it is quite obviously aimed at the younger set, it nonetheless has some good instructional videos and simple quizzes you can take to test your knowledge: especially useful for those assessing Horsemanship level 1 on the 27th.  You don't need to…

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A Fistful of International Sword Press

We offer an eclectic mixture for this round and though not all of them are useful in our ‘studies’ – hopefully, they will appeal to your ‘interests’. Respects all, Wes   In Memory   THE PROVINCE (Vancouver, British Columbia) 13 November 11 Surrey Sikhs offer sword to military Sikhs of the Surrey Dasmesh Darbar Gurudwara…

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Off-hand drills

No big news today.  Just thought I'd share another drill. It's from this past month's Green Cord curriculum.  The patiente stands in terza. The agente makes strikes to the patiente, who defends against them primarily with the off-hand, unless it makes super-good sense to defend them with the sword.  For added complexity: The agente can…

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Buying a Rapier

So, now you've got your green cord and you're getting tired of wrestling for the loaner rapiers: it's time to think about getting your own sword. The Academie Duello store has a variety of entry-level rapiers, falling into two categories.The CAS Hanwei practical rapier is available in two lengths, 37" blade or 43". This is…

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Bartitsu Workshop this Saturday (video)

Saturday 12-November will feature another Introduction to Bartitsu workshop from 1pm to 5pm. I hope this video gives you an idea about the content. Canes are provided for all. If you'd prefer to use an umbrella, you may bring your own. For other questions, please contact Bartitsu Instructor David McCormick. To sign up, contact Academie…

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