Page 31 of 33
Consistency is Vital | About 18 years ago I took over running a rapier practice and class for the Society for Creative Anachronism. I was new to being in a leadership role and I sought out the advice of one of the senior members in the area about how to run a successful group. He…
Devon Boorman ·
Exciting news for Academie Duello. We have scheduled our first Silver Cord examination for August 21, 2015. This is excellent news for us as a school and for me as the Master Instructor. The Silver Cord is the fourth rank in our system and is the equivalent of a Provost level in swordplay schools from…
Devon Boorman ·
The Value of a Symmetrical Learning Environment | There are two primary types of martial learning environment you must spend time in over your life of acquiring an art. A symmetrical environment, where your training and sparring partners are doing (or trying to do) the same thing as you. And an asymmetrical environment, where your…
Devon Boorman ·
30-for-30 Challenge | In the summer of 2013 I created a challenge, primarily for myself and a few senior students, to practice 30 minutes of swordplay each day for 30 days. The challenge went from my small initial group of invitees to a group of over 300 participants from all over the world, a good…
Devon Boorman ·
I Think I'm More of a Sitter | Today while teaching a class on falling I had a funny exchange with one of my students; we talked about how much toddlers fall down in the process of learning to walk and be stable. Each time they fall, they get right back up again. Generally there’s…
Devon Boorman ·
A Happy Return from the Dekoven Academy of Arms | I have just returned home from the Dekoven Academy of Arms in Racine, WI where I was teaching classes on Italian Rapier and Bolognese Sidesword with Buckler and Rotella. It was a great event from the perspective of both teacher and student. Greg Mele, Nicole…
Devon Boorman ·
The Audacious Lion: Developing Courage in Combat | “I am the lion: nobody carries a more courageous heart. I offer everyone battle.” Tom Leoni translation - Fior di Battaglia, Getty Museum To stand across from a man with a sharp sword in his hand requires a certain element of courage. Even in our modern practice…
Devon Boorman ·
“I’m the elephant, who carries a castle as freight. I never kneel or lose my stride.” Tom Leoni translation - Fior di Battaglia, Getty Museum To harness the ideals of the elephant in your martial form you must consider: Structural Alignment Placing your body in optimal positions to apply and resist force. Finding the ground…
Devon Boorman ·
Speed is Distance | “I, the tiger, am so quick at running and turning that I can’t even be overtaken by a lightning bolt." Tom Leoni translation - Fior di Battaglia, Getty Museum Though I have said that it is not your top speed that is important but how many speeds you have; being fast…
Devon Boorman ·
Prudence in Combat | "No creature can see better than I, the lynx. And this virtue puts everything in its right place and its measure." Tom Leoni translation - Fior di Battaglia, Getty Museum A technique could be mechanically correct in its execution but if it is not done at the right time or at…
Devon Boorman ·
