Guy Windsor

Consulting Swordsman. Writer.

Archives for October 2020

The Sword Guy Episode 18: Kendra Brown

By Leave a Comment

Kendra Brown is a swordswoman, researcher, and translator of the Latin version of Fiore’s Il Fior di Battaglia (known as the Florius manuscript). She has an awesome blog at https://darthkendraresearch.wordpress.com/
In this wide ranging conversation we discuss the perils and pitfalls of translation, women in combat in medieval times, and even what a very pregnant Caterina Sforza wore to occupy the Castel Santangelo.
You can find our conversation here: Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts from.

Please consider supporting the show on our Patreon account, here: https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy.

In this episode we cover a lot of ground, and make a lot of references. Here for your convenience and delight, is a list of links:

Follow Darth Kendra Research on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darthkendraresearch
Follow Kendra on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CasualReference
Swordsquatch presentation video: https://www.tota.world/article/2762/
More about the Virgin Mary and Sir Walter: https://darthkendraresearch.wordpress.com/2019/11/17/sir-walter/
Index of presentation and podcast appearances: https://darthkendraresearch.wordpress.com/lectures-and-recordings/
Pandemic masks with manuscript art from my research: https://society6.com/darthkendra/masks  (wasn't public yet when we recorded, so not mentioned in the episode, but just fun)

The Sword Guy episode 17: Tony Wolf

By Leave a Comment

Tony Wolf is an author, lecturer, antiquarian, and has trained in a very wide range of martial arts. In this conversation we discuss everything from Maori martial arts to Professional Wrestling, Victorian combatives to the Lord of the Rings (he designed the fighting styles for the different peoples of Middle Earth).
And yes, he answers the question: can an Uruk bench press a motorcycle?

You can find our conversation here: Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts from. If you'd like to support the show, please visit our Patreon account at Patreon.com/theswordguy.

In the show we discuss the Maori martial art Te Mau Taiaha, and he mentions the reality TV series called “Toa” (“Warrior”).  In addition, Tony recommends “The Dead Lands”, “which is basically “Apocalypto” set in prehistoric New Zealand.  Lots of stylistically accurate fighting.”
The weapon is a Taiaha:

Taiaha, from http://www.ahua-nzmaoriart.com/

You can find his many books at his Amazon author page here.
You can see his excellent documentary on the Suffragettes’ martial arts training, “No Man Shall Protect Us” here:

And you can find his equally interesting Bartitsu documentary “Bartitsu: The Lost Martial Art of Sherlock Holmes” on DVD here: http://www.freelanceacademypress.com/bartitsu.aspx

 

The Sword Guy episode 16: Dr Eleanor Janega

By Leave a Comment

Dr. Eleanor Janega (whom Dan Snow refers to as “The most awesome medieval historian in the world”) is a Guest Lecturer at the London School of Economics in their International History department, and she has published many articles, including: “Suspect Women: Prostitution, Reputation, and Gossip in Fourteenth-Century Prague” and “Lies, Damn Lies, and Bohemians” in History Today. She has a PhD in History from University College London, writes a fascinating blog called “Going Medieval”, and you can find her on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/GoingMedieval.
Her latest work is The Middle Ages: A Graphic History, which is available for pre-order here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-middle-ages/eleanor-janega/neil-max-emmanuel/9781785785917
You can find our conversation here: Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts from.
All patrons of the show get notified when an interview is coming up, and can suggest questions. Sound like fun? You can support the show on our Patreon account, here: https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy.

The Sword Guy episode 15: Robyn Alman

By Leave a Comment

Today's guest on the show is Robyn Alman, from the Athena School of Arms, in Boston. She is well known on the US tournament circuit, and believes that “anybody can do this and enjoy it and engage in it in the way that is the most meaningful to them.” In this episode we talk about how she got started (hint: there was a Sci Fi and Fantasy Con involved), the challenges of training during a pandemic, and the magic of putting swords in peoples' hands.

You can find our conversation here: Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts from.

Please consider supporting the show on our Patreon account, here: https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy.