Despite my reasonable and gently-worded objections, the USFCA have gone ahead with their plans to create a pedagogical certification system for historical swordsmanship. I am clearly not alone in my … [Read more...]
5 reasons why Audatia matters
I have been working for the last nine months on creating a teaching tool for students of Fiore's art: a card game called Audatia. The game has been designed from the ground up as a way to make the … [Read more...]
5 barriers to success, and my solutions to them.
(Edited to expand on point 5 and add hyperlinks) There are many reasons why people are afraid to begin training swordsmanship, or indeed choose to follow any path, and many reasons why those who … [Read more...]
Performing Art
Finding myself at odds with a colleague regarding what it is fair to call “Fiore’s Art” (or indeed any other historical master’s), I have decided to get down on virtual paper my views on the … [Read more...]
Real Swordfighting
What do you consider “real swordfighting”? For some, only tournament bouts really count. For others, there has to be a corpse by the end. My answer to this vexing question is below. When I was a … [Read more...]
Certification
There has been a lot of hoo-ha on the electronical interweb regarding the USFCA (the American sport fencing coaching body) introducing instructor training and certification for “Historical Fencing”. … [Read more...]