Swordplay
Are You Failing Enough In Your Practice?
It's easy to see the perfect practice as the one where you don't make any mistakes; To fence with your friends and celebrate a flawless night; To have the teacher pass by without giving any...
Swordplay
113 posts in this category
Page 9 of 12
Swordplay
The Mechanical/Contextual Spiral
It’s easy in a technical art to develop a mechanic that functions as a solo action but fails when it meets the application environment. Yet attempting to develop a technique in a purely tactical...
Swordplay
Don't Take Shortcuts – Think Longterm when Learning Martial Arts
Don’t fall for the seductive allure of early combative success when pursuing this martial art. Everything from guts to a healthy dose of chaos can lead you to success against the mediocre but you...
Swordplay
If You're Failing Perform Differently Not Better
If you’re failing in a performance, perform differently, don’t try to perform better. Doing the same thing again and again while expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Don’t allow...
Swordplay
Why I Won't Fight With You
“So and so never fights; it’s because they suck.” “I totally beat that teacher, he has nothing to offer me.” “I can kick their butt so I think I have as much to offer as they do.” “Don’t listen to...
Swordplay
Employing Different Training Methods
I recently engaged in a Facebook discussion regarding Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) specifically about whether training with sharp swords is responsible or not. This has been a discussion...
Swordplay
My Experience at the HEMAC-Dijon Swordplay Conference
A weekend ago I attended the HEMA gathering in Dijon, France. This is one of the oldest events in Europe and has grown from a small gathering of friends to a very large gathering of friends. This was...
Swordplay
European Tour – Updated!
Greetings everyone, My itinerary for my trip to Europe (and Ottawa) has become a bit more defined in the past couple weeks. I thought I'd share it before departing. If you're interested to take a...
Swordplay
Crispness and Smoothness – A 3 Stage Process for Learning Mechanics
When you’re learning a new technique you need to give yourself the time and space to build a solid mechanical grounding. I recommend a three stage process to building this first level of proficiency:...
Swordplay
Finding Your Centre – The Day Before the Tournament
This afternoon we finished up our final day of training for the Duelling Arts Rapier Tournament at the Vancouver Club. This is part tournament and part spectacle; a hand picked roster of 8 senior...