Where to Start with Sparring
After their first night at sparring, a new student of mine engaged me in a conversation. She had enjoyed herself, but felt like she was flailing and a…
Category: Training Blog
Pursuing the Ridiculously Difficult
“Alright, the next drill is even more difficult,” I said to a chorus of groans. It’s accuracy night in line drills and I have been progressively…
Learning to Observe: How to Deconstruct a Fight
You’ve just finished a sparring match. You were struck, but what happened? The ability to recall a fight in a useful manner is a different skill tha…
The Role of Metaphor in Training
It’s easy to imagine our progress in life as a trip—a road that has twists and turns, ups and downs. If you’re resolute enough, and travel long …
Exercise Your Mind When You Can’t Exercise Your Body
You’re injured, you’re sick, you’re exhausted, you're stuck on your own. Does this mean that practicing the art you are passionate about is out …
Keep Solo Practice Effective By Not Over-Focusing
One of the main errors I see people making in solitary practice is over-practicing a single action. Generally this comes in the form of practicing a c…
Queuing and Consequence
Being able to mechanically conduct a technique is important for establishing a combative base. However to be successful with a given technique require…
Looking Like a Fool
This is one of our biggest barriers to growth. Who doesn’t fear looking like a failure in front of judging eyes? Who doesn’t see all eyes as poten…
Make Practice Second Nature
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
A little bit of regular practice is more important than infrequently doi…
Help Your Partner Discover Failure
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
I’ve recently become more aware of a "helpful" person in my classes. T…
Practice Symmetrical Development
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
Robert Borsos, my horseback archery instructor, raced down the lane and …
The Crucible of Full Speed
I love slow fencing and I think it is an essential part of training. It will help you develop strategic and tactical awareness, develop flow, and over…
When Will I Get Good?
This is a pretty common question. Often when we start into something new, we’re eager to get past that first awkward and potentially embarrassing st…
Did I challenge myself? Celebrating effort over success
I watched a line of students finish a perfect series of parry drills in class one night. On one hand I might congratulate myself on having done so w…
Fight or Flight, Part 1: Training out Poor Responses
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
I have just delivered an easy thrust toward my student’s chest. It is …
Celebrating VISS 2020
Long ago in a pre-pandemic world we held the 6th Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium (VISS). If you can, remember back to the beginning of Mar…
Reveal Your Martial Weaknesses to Improve
It can be tempting in your school or practice group to hide your martial weaknesses and keep a book of the holes in your partners’ defenses. The mor…
If You’re Tired, Practice Tired
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
This doesn’t mean that you should let your shoulders slump and drag yo…
Optimal Training and Learning Effectiveness
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
I’m often asked how one should divide up their training and learning t…
Reasons to Practice Martial Art
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
Martial Arts have meant many things to me over time. Here are some of th…
Beware Becoming a Slave to Praise
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
"You are such a good fencer!"
"You have a natural talent!"
"You do tha…
My Thoughts on Sparring and Martial Arts
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
One of the first things that turned me on about rapier fencing was sparr…
Use goals to check up on yourself, not beat up on yourself
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
We talk a lot about goals at the school and its led to many interesting …
Compassionate Demand: Pushing your boundaries and enjoying it
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
One night in class I brought up this idea of being a combination of dema…
Setting goals, fencing and otherwise
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
It's been a while since I've written about goals. Goals are something th…
Enjoy yourself: Reasons one should savour the learning experience
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
What emotion do you experience when you're training or taking a class? A…
Getting it Right by Doing Things Wrong
This post has been updated and re-posted from an earlier version.
A sometimes-heard phrase around the Academie is "doing things wrong will…
Stretching for Swordplay
One day while teaching a private session one of my students brought in an old book of stretches and stretching routines and a…
Swordplay Symposium 2020: March 6-8
The Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium is taking place March 6–8, 2020 and this year's theme is our most exciting yet: East Meets W…