Page 30 of 34
Earlier I challenged people to step onto the path of mastery. I think the idea of a master, as described here, is inspiring. But if your desire is only for what you feel the title might give you, it will be difficult to keep the energy and love of the art alive long enough to realize such a shallow goal.
Devon Boorman ·
The arts that fit under the umbrella of Historical European Martial Arts or Western Martial Arts are still young in their return to the world. It has really only been about 20 years that there has been earnest pursuit, and only in the last decade has there been a serious increase in practitioners. There is a growing energy behind them now.
Devon Boorman ·
Last week I wrote a post about the secrets to looking after you knees and back. The essence of which was "move correctly!" Now to give a bit more guidance in this area I've put together a new video that gives instruction on creating proper alignment. In this video I cover the following: The bracing…
Devon Boorman ·
Whenever I teach dance, or martial arts, body mechanics are a big part of the foundation that I try to build with my students. There are many similarities to the mechanics required in partner dancing to those required in swordplay. When you get into lifting and dipping your partner, the crossover starts to even more…
Devon Boorman ·
Recently a group of Academie Duello members participated in a rapier tournament called Ursulmas, hosted by the SCA in Washington state. The tournament was based around the concept of martial challenges, that the organizer called “labours”. These challenges pitted individuals up against an opponent who outmatched them in some way, whether with a challenging combination…
Devon Boorman ·
A couple weeks ago I wrote a piece called “Three Things You Should be Saying to Your Martial Arts Students” where I encouraged teachers to reinforce for their students that practice matters more than talent. I received a lot of great feedback and got into some great discussions. The piece was even translated into French…
Devon Boorman ·
Over the month of January, myself and Academie Duello hosted a training challenge that set a goal of 30 minutes of swordplay training per day for 30 days. Whether this was over and above your usual training, or simply an extension of it, was up to each participant. Specific additional training goals could also be…
Devon Boorman ·
One thing I enjoy about shooting swordplay videos is that it gives a tangible output to the martial arts work that I do. I enjoy teaching—in fact I love teaching—and I realize the payoff of my work will always be the many excellent practitioners that have come out of the school. However, before publishing, the…
Devon Boorman ·
We're one week into the 30-for-30 swordplay challenge and here are a few things I’ve been reflecting on: The appeal of swordplay is broad. Participants who have been reporting to our group have been from all over the world including Russia, Serbia, Germany, France, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, N. Ireland, Brazil, and all over…
Devon Boorman ·
Hello everyone! I hope you’re all having a good holiday and looking forward to the new year as much as I am. This year I’m hosting the third annual 30 for 30 Swordplay Challenge and I wanted to invite you to be a part of it. You’ve heard of 30-day yoga challenges. Well, this is much cooler. I’m a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions to help me kickstart my new year with a boost of energy. The challenge: Practice swordplay for 30 minutes per day for 30 days in January from the 2nd to the 31st. This requires no experience and is open to newbies and experts alike!
Devon Boorman ·
