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Maintaining a slow and relaxed pace is difficult for most people when they first approach it. If this is you, you’re not alone. It’s worth it to stick it out and develop your slow training skills. I have coached thousands of students through effective slow drilling and sparring and have had its benefits proven to…
Devon Boorman ·
Time compression, the time dilation effect, or being able to see the code. These are all metaphorical ways of expressing the phenomenon of those moments where time appears to slow down and your capacity to act (or at least to think) appears to expand. Time Doesn’t Really Compress Of course we’re not actually affecting time,…
Devon Boorman ·
For some, brutality is what makes martial art "real" or egalitarian. They feel that a real art or artist must routinely test their metal against those who care more about landing powerful blows than for the long-term health and safety of their sparring or training partners.
Devon Boorman ·
I’ve brought a new practice into my life this spring. Something that has been more about altering my mood and resetting my rhythm than just purely about martial arts. I started doing a cold ocean swim in the mornings. I had been looking for a way to reset my morning routine. My schedule had been…
Devon Boorman ·
Disarms, or "sword takings" (prese della spada) as they’re typically called in Italian martial arts, are not just the cool fodder of movie sword fights. They are an important part of martial traditions from around the world, including those from Europe, and to get good at them requires that you develop exceptional timing, dexterity, and…
Devon Boorman ·
The spear combines the intricacy and control of the rapier, the blows of the longsword, and the ambidexterity of the poleaxe. It’s a fast and engaging weapon worthy of your attention. Spears of All Sorts Spears come in many different forms from long and thrusting oriented to short and capable of both thrusts and cuts…
Devon Boorman ·
A solo form involving attacks, defenses, guard changes, facing changes, and footwork might be referred to as a kata or an assault (italian: assalto), and more recently (especially when it’s improvised) a flow. Longsword Flow - Multi-directional The idea in this kind of form is to challenge yourself to move continually and improvisationally with your…
Devon Boorman ·
When I post videos of sword and buckler techniques online, it's not unusual for a few comments to incredulously remark on the size of the buckler: "You call that a shield?" "What's that hubcap you're holding?" Instead of simply responding, "It's not the size, it's what you do with it," I thought it would be…
Devon Boorman ·
The new Longsword vs Sword & Buckler course is live on DuelloTV and as part of the festivities I’m taking some time in these posts to explore the unique powers (and weaknesses!) of each of these disciplines both in facing each other and in meet-ups with other weapons. Last week we looked at some of…
Devon Boorman ·
The new Longsword vs Sword & Buckler course is live on DuelloTV and as part of the festivities I’m taking some time in these posts to explore the unique powers (and weaknesses!) of each of these disciplines both in facing each other and in meet-ups with other weapons. Let’s dive in! The power of the…
Devon Boorman ·
