Become an Expert Swordfighter

Step-by-step instruction in the art of the sword and European martial arts

Join more than 2,000 swordplay practitioners from around the world and build your skills from beginner to expert in the arts of the two-handed sword, duelling rapier, sword and shield, polearms, wrestling, and more.

Practice on your own, with a partner, or start your own study group. Progress through our ranks, grow your knowledge, develop finesse and power, and gain sparring and teaching skills.

Become a member for FREE now! You’ll receive:

Quick Start courses for the Longsword and Rapier
Daily At-Home Practice Drills
Expert Training Advice Emails
Exclusive Bonus Lessons
Exclusive Offers

Join now to start improving every day!

Online Swordplay Courses

Take online swordplay courses that feature video lessons, quizzes, practice notes and discussion. Pick up where you left off anytime and use the courses from any device. Go to the Courses page.

Visit each course’s main page to watch a sample topic.

84 Courses

443 Lessons

1,836 Topics

Course Progression from Fundamentals to Master

Our mastery program builds a foundation of knowledge and proficiency that moves you forward step-by-step, one level progressing to the next. You’ll be lead through a methodical and structured learning experience that will give you a complete understanding of the art of arms.

Weapons: Rapier or Longsword. Principles: foundational vocabulary and techniques. This material will pave the way for long-term study and set you on the path to Mastery.

Weapons: Rapier and Unarmed -OR- Longsword and Unarmed. Principles: Familiar with body mechanics, distance, and control. Achievement: the Apprentice level comes with the completion of the test at the end of one of our two primary beginner programs.

Weapons: Rapier, Rapier and Dagger, Sidesword, and Unarmed -OR- Longsword and Half-swording, Sidesword, and Unarmed. Principles: Angle, line, cutting mechanics, timing and proportion. Achievement: students progress from Apprentice to Scholar in 9-24 months of training.

Longsword Level 3
Quadrant Defenses vs Fendente
Quadrant Defenses vs Mezzano, Sottano and Thrust
Primary Guards
Secondary Guards
Gioco Stretto & Grapples
Rapier Level 3
Striking Tempos
Unorthodox Postures
Buckler and Cloak
Two Swords and Baton
Disarms and Dagger Strikes
Sidesword Level 2
Assalti
Provocations
Low Line Guards, Progression
High Line Guards
Polearms Level 1
Poleaxe Fundamentals
Quarterstaff Fundamentals
Unarmed Level 3
Wrestling in the Grips
Dagger Level 1
Dagger Masters 1-3
Dagger Masters 4-6
Dagger Masters 7-9

Weapons: Rapier and Secondaries, Sidesword and Secondaries, Longsword, Polearms, Dagger, and Unarmed. Principles: Timing, tempo, power generation, strategy, and tactics. Achievement: average, students progress from Scholar to Free Scholar in 1.5-3 years of training.

Martial Prowess Trial
Historical Research Trial
Community Contribution Trial

Weapons: Rapier, Rapier Secondaries, Sidesword, Longsword, Polearms, Dagger, and Unarmed. Principles: Centres and tempo. Provosts are expected to be highly proficient in the system of arms, able to diversely apply its principles, and be able to challenge its implementation to build and grow the art. Achievement: under the guidance of the Supervising Master, a Provost completes a series of trials in the areas of research, teaching, and martial prowess to achieve their Master level.

Continue Your Journey of Excellence

Masterful in the application of the system of arms. Able to proficiently apply their skills across all disciplines armed and unarmed. Able to pass the art on to others at a high level and to innovate and grow its practice at Academie Duello and for the Italian Martial Arts community as a whole.

For the Beginner

We offer progressive, structured, step-by-step instruction in the graceful rapier, powerful longsword, knife, grappling, poleweapons, and more.

Longsword: Cutting down from the right

Runtime: 1:50

Rapier: The mechanics of a lunge

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Sidesword: Making parries against cuts

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Learn more about the weapons and disciplines of HEMA

Becoming an Expert

We’ll help you become a practitioner who can put theory into practice and practice into theory.

From Beginner to Master

Wherever you are in your journey, we’ll help you develop an enviable level of expertise and ability through rigorous programs that help you develop your proficiency while giving you a rich and explicit understanding of the art.

Our Focus is Martial Art

Combative dominance comes through complete martial understanding. We’ll teach you how to move and fight effectively, create training plans, build physical ability, and tactically counter-strategize any opponent.

Advanced Longsword: Countering high guards

Runtime: 9:01

Advanced Sidesword: Feint provocations

Runtime: 8:21

Advanced Rapier: Using forte guards

Runtime: 13:15

You’ll learn not just how to master one discipline but how to master a complete martial art that includes two-handed and single handed swords, polearms, grappling, dagger, knife, and armoured combat.

Who We Are

Devon Boorman

Devon is a world renowned international instructor and competitor of Historical European Martial Arts. He has been practicing and teaching martial arts for more than 30 years. He is the author of one book and two DVDs on Italian Rapier and Longsword; and he is the Co-founder, Director and Master Instructor of Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Greg Reimer

Greg Reimer has been studying Italian martial arts since 2006, and has taught over 5,500 hours of unarmed, dagger, rapier (and secondaries), sidesword & buckler, longsword, pole weapons and mounted combat. As Director of Swordfight Canada he has travelled across Western Canada and into Washington State to meet, teach and enjoy sparring with others.

Swordplay and the Lost Art of Knighthood

Runtime: 9:00
Description: The art of swordplay is on the rise we can all be dancers, swordsmen and movers without being incredibly strong or typically athletic. Self-confessed former ‘gangly youth’ Devon Boorman tells us how sword fighting allowed him to bridge the gap between athlete and intellectual. Devon Boorman worked in a variety of jobs before finding his calling as the Master Instructor and Director of Academie Duello, the world’s largest centre for the practice of European swordplay and martial arts. For the past 12 years, he and his instructors have been working to revive the lost arts of the knight and nobles, including mastery of both hand to hand and mounted combat, as well as archery and wrestling. He’s currently exploring the nexus between physical and spiritual empowerment. He believes that through the exploration and mastery of movement, we can find mastery in the broader internal and external aspects of our lives. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Our Values

Love is the action of putting others ahead of oneself. As an individual, one seeks to better the people around them in every way. As a community, we constantly lift each other up to higher levels of humanity and the potential we possess to be our collective best.

Honesty is the search for truth and all things essential. It is the acceptance of facts. It is the awareness and avoidance of self-deception. As an individual one searches out the core elements of existance. As a community, we speak and act in ways that mirror our desire for humility and goodness to rule.

Learn more as Maestro Devon Boorman talks about Duello’s vision for the art, the values, and the journey of martial arts mastery.

Duello Mastery: Our Arts

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Duello Mastery: Our Values

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Duello Mastery: the Journey

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Duello Mastery: Requirements

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Duello Mastery: Stages

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Testimonials

Academie Duello’s instructor intensive gives a glimpse into a well-established, highly developed curriculum of swordplay as a martial art. I learned systematic learning and teaching techniques that will provide me and my study group with a path to continuous improvement as martial artists. The best part about it was spending a week at such an amazing, passionate and welcoming school.

Swordplay Masterclass has given me a new level of understanding of not only swordsmanship but the skills needed to enhance any type of training I undertake.

As a lifelong martial artist with 50 years of dedicated training, I recommend Devon Boorman and Academie Duello, and I do so strongly. Students are privileged to have access to such a great school. If you have the fire to learn, don’t wait to begin.

Grand Master Mark Mikita

Mikita School of Martial Art

Every journey starts with putting one’s feet on the path. This class helped me find the path, chart out what my journey would be. We had excellent guides for the swordplay journey as well as most excellent companions.

When I heard about HEMA, I really wanted to get into it but didn’t know where to start. There are no schools/clubs anywhere near me, and I don’t speak Italian or German, so unless there’s a manuscript in English or Spanish I couldn’t go to the original sources. And there are tons of resources online, but you can tell they’re written by (and for) people who already know what they’re talking about. But then I found Duello, and I’ve been loving it! I’m currently going through one of their “sidesword” courses (which btw includes sword & buckler) and it has been awesome! I still have a lot to learn, but now I have a great way to learning it well. I’m hooked!

DuelloTV has been essential for my development as a practitioner and has keep me on pace to reach my goals of mastery.

Academie Duello

Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay has served thousands of students in Vancouver, BC, Canada since 2004.

Academie Duello has one of the most complete and expertly constructed swordplay curriculums in the world providing a proven program that takes students from beginners to masters. Since 2004 more than 10,000 students have taken courses at Academie Duello, and many of those students have gone on to form satellite schools and study groups in cities all over the world. Visit Academie Duello.