Swordplay
Our Arts Need New Masters
The arts that fit under the umbrella of Historical European Martial Arts or Western Martial Arts are still young in their return to the world. It has really only been about 20 years that there has...
Swordplay
113 posts in this category
Page 7 of 12
Swordplay
How Much Should I Worry About Winning at the Beginning?
Not at all. Whether you approach your practice as a martial sport or a martial art, defeating your opponent can be a useful measure of your ability. However, it's the wrong place to be looking until...
Swordplay
Martial Challenges
Recently a group of Academie Duello members participated in a rapier tournament at Ursulmas, an event hosted by the Society for Creative Anachronism in the state of Washington. The tournament was...
SuccessSwordplay
Three Things You Should Be Saying to Your Martial Arts Students
When you're standing in front of your students you have an opportunity to not only convey martial arts technique but also to positively shape thinking. The psychology with which we approach learning...
Swordplay
How I fixed my posture and how you can fix yours
Several years ago I wrote a post about how I was working on fixing my posture. You see, I’m a tall guy, and as is the case with many tall guys, I had started to roll my shoulders forward to get a...
LearningSwordplay
Learn the Language of Swordplay — Not Just Its Tricks
Tricks and secret techniques have been a part of sword fighting since the beginning. From masters who advertised their “botte segrete” to teach for a special price, to those who ever only taught the...
LearningSwordplay
Accelerating Your Learning
Everyone has their own pace of learning. However, there are many strategies that can both help you to make the most of your capacity as well as enable you to learn faster and more effectively. Here...
CoachingLearning
Five Rules for Being a Great Martial Arts Instructor
With one instructor intensive behind me and another coming in February, I've been thinking a lot about what it takes to be a great instructor. There are many false roads along this path and I've...
Swordplay
Instructor Intensive Week in Review
Phew! It’s done! It was indeed an intense but satisfying experience teaching Academie Duello’s first formal, week-long instructor training intensive. From October 26th to 30th, thirteen aspiring...
Swordplay
Slow Speed Sparring and Curiosity
You already know that I’m an advocate of slow speed fencing. However I also know that slow fencing is often difficult for new adopters who frequently jump in speed and tension as their attention...