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Under the enthusiastic stewardship of Devon Boorman, Duello has managed to set the standard–worldwide–for how a historical martial arts school should be run. It has managed to make historical martial arts accessible today without a shred of compromise in their devotion to the words of the ancient masters.

It was wonderful be able to steal knowledge from someone with many years of experience. It made clear many things that didn’t make sense just from text.

Duello is more than a place that people come to study martial arts—it is a place where folks from all walks of life and all ages come to make themselves healthier in body and mind.

The intensive is an incredible experience. That is in my opinion an invaluable course for all martial artists interested in perfecting their craft and sharing it with others.

Academie Duello is an extremely welcoming and positive environment… the sense of community is wonderful. The instructors are patient, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic; everyone in the school is friendly and helpful; it’s a great workout… and who doesn’t want to learn how to sword fight?!

As I have been participating and teaching both sport and classical fencing for some 50 years I was immediately impressed by Devon Boorman’s command and facilitation of these arts. His current library of instructional videos, “Duello TV”, is second to none!

Devon and Greg have delivered a program second to none! I highly recommend the Masterclass for any martial artist looking to expand their knowledge of all weapons, along with the development of proper mindset to be able to achieve one goals on their personal journey toward Mastery.

DuelloTV has proven to be the perfect companion to working from home, giving me varied bite-sized workouts & drills to run through any time I find 10 minutes in my day.

Training in such a deliberately and explicitly safe and respectful environment had a profound impact on me. Devon’s superb care, respect and professionalism in all our interactions helped me grow as a person and an instructor. The intensive format made for a unique and profound life-learning experience that I would absolutely recommend to any practitioner. Thank you.

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.

I signed up because I’m so novice in the art that I felt like I didn’t have the tools to train alone. Being a novice, it did seem intimidating to be joining a mastery-oriented community – but having completed the program, I can’t even imagine a past version of myself not taking that step into the unknown. I’m now immersed in swordplay, I have access to a community that I feel comfortable within, despite being an enormously reticent person, and I have a rich training plan that includes multiple options and directions – forms, partner work, historical source study, recapping the basics… I’ve acquired a solid grounding in the verbal, physical and mental vocabulary of swordplay, and I also know where to turn for continuing guidance.

This course covers a LOT of material, and makes you realise there’s so much farther to go on the path toward mastery; but the beauty is that you can see the structure of the system, and the instructional tools are things you can take away in order to teach yourself and others.

I learn and improve not only in swordplay but with some introspection, about myself too – how I respond to certain situations, how I cope, how I interact, improving self-esteem, improving tolerance and patience, respect, discipline and so much more.

Even if you have never picked up a sword before, the Acadamie is a great starting point to begin you lie long love affair with the Martial Art of Swordplay

This is exactly the class a practitioner or future instructor needs. It lays out a training plan, but more importantly enables you to generate them for yourself and assist others in doing so. As always, the Academie Duello instructional team and curriculum are excellent.

At 54 I thought I might have trouble completing and was pleasantly surprised to find my edge. The experienced instructor was able to help me keep going and complete this incredible course. This is by far the best experience I have had with many years of Rapier and plan to continue training so I may inspire more women to partake in their dream to fight with a sword.

Devon Boorman has designed a fantastic curriculum that will satisfy the most curious and technical fencers. The course focuses on important mechanics in great detail and covers strategies in fighting. Perhaps the most important, you’ll be taught how to become a better learner and accelerate your own training and studies as well as your friends’ and students’ if you are or wish to become a teacher.

For me the videos were incredibly useful. In my area there are no longer any sort of fencing clubs other than the occasional SCA group. The videos provide an incredibly useful resource that I find far more engaging than studying the various manuscripts on my own.

I came to the masterclass after spending a couple years with a local club. I felt like I had no true understanding of the art of swordplay. My forms were limited, my free play abysmal, and I felt lost and unorganized. Swordplay masterclass was so well organized. It started from the basics and logically built a platform of knowledge and continued to build onto that. The instructor was very patient, and was able to describe and demonstrate each skill effectively to any learning speed. I feel much more organized and now have a platform to build on from now into the future. The community was very accepting and non-judgmental in their assistance.

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.

Duello has had such a positive impact on my life, from the people I’ve met, to what I’ve learned about movement, to what it has taught me about weapons and fighting for my writing [career]. This school has been one of the highlights of my life.

I only have the highest praise for Devon Boorman and his staff, past and present, and cannot truly describe in words what my association with this club has done for me on all planes: physical, mental, emotional and indeed spiritual.

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!

I have been involved in martial arts for 36 years and this is the best class I have ever been immersed in. Bar none! The volume of information, outstanding presentation skills, engagement with the practitioners, and ease of access to the library of coaching films, as well as the evaluation/ progress process and group forums, make it an all encompassing experience. I highly recommend it.

Devon Boorman does not simply teach you a martial art but also HOW he teaches a martial art. It is in this way he stands above the rest and brings an immeasurable value to the Intensive course that will enrich and renew one’s appreciation for this noble martial practice for a life time. In the simplest form, He is teaching people HOW to fish.

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

Swordplay Masterclass is a success on many levels for those struggling to get taught at a professional level. I truly feel that I have received full valve and then some for my investment. The Swordplay Masterclass was taught with holistic approach to help students improve their training and training environment. The course doesn’t just provide instruction in sword techniques, but guidance in ways that support learning and staying motivated.

I highly recommend this Instructor Intensive to anyone who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of the technical side of our art, and to anyone who wishes to learn how to learn (or how to teach) martial arts more effectively. It is a lot of good information and practice delivered in a welcoming environment full of integrity and martial authenticity. “Intensive” is an apt word in the course’s title.

Sometimes finding understanding in the martial arts is like trying to drink by catching raindrops. This is like drinking from a fire hose; the sheer depth of insight into every aspect of the martial art is staggering to experience. If I retain one tenth of the “Eureka!” moments I had in this intensive, I’ll count myself ten times more understanding of the art than before.

Living in a relatively isolated community, DuelloTV has been essential to my learning the Art. It has also made me feel less isolated and able to expand my horizons despite the lack of availability of fencing clubs and training partners.

This intensive helps me see the connective tissue between so many of the individual techniques I had observed and learned. There is no better on-the-spot place to get this knowledge, and it is invaluable to my sword training going forward. This is without even mentioning the lessons in training methodology, which are cutting edge in terms of adult learning – applicable across a wide field indeed.

From my few days as an online student I have to admit DuelloTV is a truly impressive database of knowledge and instruction. The revision quiz and practice pages are an additional study aid and prompt to action in forming well structured lesson plans and clear outcomes . I intend to stay a student here till I have achieved my goals in Swordsmanship.

It’s a rare privilege to study under an instructor with not only an extensive knowledge of the subject matter but also how to effectively teach it. I am grateful to have had the opportunity for such a valuable and inspirational experience.

You will be exhausted. Your feet will hurt; your knees will ache; your mind will feel heavy; and you will love every minute of it. I cannot imagine a better way to really begin to understand the art of sword-play.

I’m absolutely surprised by the amount of material that was covered, by how much I improved in 5 days, and by the amount of the information my brain retained. The intensive was very well thought out, professional, and quickly gave you a feeling of belonging. I would definitely recommend it to anyone at any skill level. Why? A full week of nothing but focus on swordplay.

The Swordplay Masterclass was one of the most inspiring and deep training opportunities I have experienced. Getting to study longsword with Devon, one of the world’s best longsword instructors and most insightful and inspiring coaches, was an absolute delight. Most impressive of all, the whole program was organized so I could do it from the comfort of my own home, and at the pace that suited my my day to day life. What a delight to finally take an online training that leverages all the potentials of the medium and really gives you the tools to create a sustainable long term sword training practice.

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.

Devon and the Academie Duello are producing top caliber martial artists.

The Academie Duello Instructor Intensive is a fantastic and enriching experience for the body, the mind, and the heart. The environment is supportive in a way that makes it possible for the student to challenge themselves without fear, and the curriculum and teaching practices are some of the best I’ve encountered in any educational institution.

A+ would do 50 hours of swords again

As a professional instructor myself, I not only respect Boorman’s approach, I highly endorse his school as a major center for anyone interested in Historical Swordsmanship.

I would recommend this course to anyone with a real interest in sword play that is up for the challenge. It is definitely intense but highly worth it. I learned a lot about myself, how to care for myself and be both a good learner and partner. I met so many cool people and feel that there was genuine support despite the fact that I came in with zero experience. I fully intend to take the course again next year, and in truth I’m already hooked.

The Instructor Intensive was an amazing experience. It gave me the opportunity to hone my skills and learn a new weapon, all the while teaching me both the ideas behind how we learn martial skills and how I can further my own training. I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to not only learn the art, but learn how to make themselves better at the art.

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.

Devon Boorman is also gifted with the talent to impart his knowledge in a calm and highly instructive manner to the benefit of both novices and advanced students of historical fighting arts, as myself and thousands of practitioners who had the pleasure to take one of his classes can attest to.

I enjoy the fact I always seem to be improving on what I just learnt; I find it is the challenge of perfecting the curriculum that keeps me coming back, plus I find that I am learning something new every class.

Duello is… a family, a place to geek out with swords and relax, a challenge to our minds and bodies.

Within a month I noticed an increase in the strength in my legs and arms and a healthy increase in my stamina. Definitely a lot more enjoyable than going to the gym, plus you get to learn a martial art, PLUS you get to use swords.

I am very pleased with your online lessons, they are very good and structured, at least from my view point ! I train from Nicoletto Giganti manual the focus is on basics and I like that ! Thank you very much for your effort!

It will become quite clear in just the first hour of how knowledgeable, professional and methodical Devon and the Academie Duello Team is. The sheer amount of knowledge and information is impressive but what is even more impressive is the quality, fluidity and inter-connectivity of their teaching system is and how it is delivered.

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!

My experience changed the way I approach the art. Putting aside all of the physical and sword skills that I learned in this intensive, I feel that I learned how to learn, and I feel much more confident moving forward in my training now.

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.

I really enjoyed being able to spend a solid amount of time just dedicated to learning swordplay and how to teach it to others. I found the experience to be very enriching and grew a lot from it.

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.

Devon Boorman is a highly experienced and very sound martial artist. His intelligence coupled with an uncommon open mindedness allows for intellectually honest and very practical discussions of martial concepts as well as their teaching.