Swordplay
My Longsword DVD is Finally Here!
More than two years ago, I got together with Greg Reimer, a group of other Duello students and a filmmaker to lay down the footage for a new DVD: Introduction to Italian Longsword. After two years of...
Blog
Thoughts on swordplay, mastery, coaching, teaching, and living with intention.
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CoachingSwordplay
Excellence, Machismo, and Hardcore Training
Let me say first that I am all for the pursuit of excellence. Challenging yourself to be better is daunting, daring, and rewarding. On this road, you must find the edges of your comfort, push beyond...
Swordplay
Keeping the "Martial" in Martial Arts
These days, there is very little impetus to end up in a duel with sharp swords or even a true in-earnest fist fight on the street. In fact, I'm quite happy to live in a time and place where I do not...
Teaching
The Solitary Path of Mastery
"At their heart, martial arts are a solitary path. No one can walk that path for you." I'm paraphrasing one of many great bits of wisdom shared by Mark Mikita, a 50-year martial arts practitioner and...
LearningSuccess
What Have You Failed At Today?
"What have you failed at today?" This question is one that a friend's father used to ask her and her brother every day at dinner. I found the story inspiring. This question, as well as her father's...
RhythmSwordplay
Swordplay On Your Break, or a Break from Swordplay?
We just finished our last curriculum week for the year at Academie Duello. It will be two weeks before we're back on to our regular program and, depending on where you practice, you might be stepping...
Success
Humble Beginnings: How to Start a Sword Fighting School
Academie Duello started in August 2004 at a defunct outdoor skating rink in the heart of downtown Vancouver, Canada. The space cost us nothing, other than the time and effort it took to get...
Relationships
Your Support Matters
When someone is vulnerable, it is venerable to stand with them. When someone takes a leap. Puts themselves out there. Truly and meaningfully expresses something that matters. Let them know they're...
Life
"Discomfort" a poem
How do I help you? In this mire you rest But it is more that you wrest and struggle with stuck. I want for solutions To work you like a problem Solve you like a riddle Unscramble your Rubic's Cube...
LearningSwordplay
Giving Yourself an Idiot Mark
We’ve all got one. That self-inflicted bump on your head, scrape on your arm, or a knick on your cheek. We’ve all had that moment. The moment when you made a bad parry and deflected your sword into...