The Secret Moves for Fixing Your Knees
Whenever I teach dance, or martial arts, body mechanics are a big part of the foundation that I try to build with my students. There are many similari…
Category: Training Blog
Martial Challenges
Recently a group of Academie Duello members participated in a rapier tournament called Ursulmas, hosted by the SCA in Washington state. The tournament…
The Conclusion of the 30-for-30 Swordplay Challenge
Over the month of January, myself and Academie Duello hosted a training challenge that set a goal of 30 minutes of swordplay training per day f…
How Creating Videos Made the Art More Tangible for Me
One thing I enjoy about shooting swordplay videos is that it gives a tangible output to the martial arts work that I do. I enjoy teaching—in fact I…
Reflections of the 30-for-30 Challenge
We're one week into the 30-for-30 swordplay challenge and here are a few things I’ve been reflecting on:
The appeal of swordplay is broad…
The Third Annual 30-for-30 Swordplay Challenge
Hello everyone! I hope you’re all having a good holiday and looking forward to the new year as much as I am. This year I’m hosting the thi…
Instructor Training Intensive
Phew! It’s done! It was an intense and satisfying experience teaching a full week in Academie Duello’s first formal instructor training intensive…
Training Mindset
Our psychology has a tremendous impact on our performance whether in a competition, or even in practice sparring or drilling. Many people who are perf…
First Past the Provost
This weekend was a momentous event for Academie Duello: our first Silver Cord (aka Provost) examination. A provost is one step below Maestro/Master an…
Questions and Secrets: Understanding a Martial Art
Questions and Secrets: Understanding a Martial Art | No matter how many classes you come to you …
Consistency is Vital
Consistency is Vital | About 18 years ago I took over running a rapier practice and class for th…
Passing the Silver Cord Examination
Passing the Silver Cord Examination | Exciting news for Academie Duello. We have scheduled our f…
The Value of a Symmetrical Learning Environment
The Value of a Symmetrical Learning Environment | There are two primary types of martial learnin…
Take Agency in Learning
Take Agency in Learning | In the Western martial traditions the master of a school was an employ…
30-for-30 Challenge
30-for-30 Challenge | In the summer of 2013 I created a challenge, primarily for myself and a fe…
I Think I’m More of a Sitter
I Think I'm More of a Sitter | Today while teaching a class on falling I had a funny exchange with one of my students; we talked abou…
A Happy Return from the Dekoven Academy of Arms
A Happy Return from the Dekoven Academy of Arms | I have just returned home from the Dekoven Academy of Arms in Racine, WI where I wa…
The Audacious Lion – Developing Courage in Combat
The Audacious Lion: Developing Courage in Combat | “I am the lion: nobody carries a more courageous heart. I offer everyone battle.…
The Elephant and It’s Castle: Structural Strength in Training
The Elephant and It's Castle: Structural Strength in Training | “I’m the elephant, who carries a castle as freight. I never kne…
Speed is Distance
Speed is Distance | “I, the tiger, am so quick at running and turning that I can’t even be overtaken by a lightning bolt." To…
Prudence in Combat
Prudence in Combat | "No creature can see better than I, the lynx. And this virtue puts everything in its right place and its measure…
Post Symposium Analysis – What do you do with all this new info?
It's about time I make an official post-VISS post. Truth…
Applied Combatives in Chicago and Beyond!
This past weekend I taught a 2 day seminar in Chicago on Applied Combatives for the Chicago Swordplay Guild (CSG) at their home Forteza Fitness. I was…
New Year’s Resolutions – Some Words of Advice
Article in the Vancouver’s Westender Newspaper
If you pickup this week's Westender Newspaper you'll see a great article by Gen Handley about Academie Duello. &nbs…
Awesome Workshops at the Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium
VISS 2013 is approaching, and we’re excited to announce a first look at our workshop lineup!
We are p…
Workshop Review: Rapier and Sidesword Mechanics and Case of Rapier
Over the past few months I've been travelling to a lot of different places to teach workshops on a great diversity of topics from longsword, to sidesw…
I’m Teaching Workshops in Eugene and Chicago
If you live in Eugene, Oregon or Chicago, Illinois I'll be in your area in the next few weeks teaching worksho…