Last week I talked about the importance of swordsmen learning dagger techniques, and I promised I'd explain how to integrate training the dagger material with the longsword material. This needs to be … [Read more...]
Unexpected Help, and dragging HEMA into the 21st Century by its hair.
I'm a Luddite, it’s true. I resist the march of technological progress because I think that most new technologies aren't labour saving life enhancing devices at all. I was saying this back in the ‘80s … [Read more...]
Interviews, book reports, and a kick to the nuts
I've been a tad busy of late (not that that is anything unusual). But the last couple of weeks have been especially interesting. First up, PC Gamer magazine have published an article based on an … [Read more...]
Using the Seven Principles case study: an advanced dagger class.
Happy Mothers' day, from sunny Finland! And what could be more motherly than a spot of medieval combat? It is very hard to defend yourself against a fully-committed attack with a dagger. To be … [Read more...]
Remember this for Christmas!
Memory is the key component of mastery. Being able to effortlessly recall and recombine elements held in long term memory is the essence of creativity and expertise. This is why I have deliberately … [Read more...]
How to spot the bullshit in any martial arts drill, and what to do about it.
The real thing is the only bullshit-free scenario in martial arts. If you’re an MMA fighter, that’s the ring on fight night. If you’re a soldier, that’s being in the presence of the enemy. And if you … [Read more...]