Thoughts on swordplay, mastery, coaching, teaching, and living with intention.
Page 12 of 34
Anyone can get caught in a dark place regarding how they view themselves and their progress in a skill. Making demands of ourselves to be our best can be a powerful motivating force; it can also be...
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...
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...
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...
Define Your Own Criteria for Swordplay Success A true swordplay bout might be as binary as survivor and vanquished. However, in our modern times no bout is final and all provide an opportunity for...
I have noted a phenomenon in sparring, especially when fencing someone who feels themselves to be less experienced or less skilled than me, of someone giving up before the hit is made. Perhaps my...
Our psychology has a tremendous impact on our performance whether in a competition, or even in practice sparring or drilling. Many people who are perfectly capable performers on one day or in one...
Last night (Wednesday at the time of writing this) I conducted two Green Cord examinations. These are concluding exams at the end of our introductory course. The students were suitably nervous at the...
No matter how many classes you come to you will never fully discover my art this way. The art is not contained in a syllabus or a curriculum. I’m not saying there isn’t value in classes and teachers....
Criticality is the process of analyzing how you could do something better. Judgment is the process of applying a subjective, emotional, value to that something. In critical analysis you view the...