This an excellent deep dive into a practice of the longsword. Whether you’re new to swordsmanship, an experienced martial artist looking to pick up a new proficiency or just want to pursue a physical historical topic that can be acquired academically and athletically this MasterClass will serve you well. There is truly something for every level of interest in this course. The pacing is challenging and engaging at the same time, and with a flexible timeframe that encourages the practitioner to advance at a reasonable, self-driven pace. The masterclass teaches not only how to use this particular historical weapon, but how to create a path toward excellence that can be applied to any endeavor. These weeks have been time and money well spent!

Devon Boorman is a leading practitioner and teacher of medieval and Renaissance martial arts. We’ve fought at various weapons and have had many in-depth discussions of our arts and the sources we study. Every interaction has been productive and educational, and each time I’ve come away knowing more than I knew before, and gained insights into the practice of our arts.

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.

In the Swordplay Masterclass I learned to learn martial arts in a way that is more meaningful to me. I learned how to be an apprentice of something ancient through modern days’ tools, while absolutely respecting the rooted values and contexts of the art. I learned things to do, to look at, to feel and to think about to be a seeker of mastery. For me, what I learned is worth many times more than what I paid to enroll in these classes.

A+ would do 50 hours of swords again