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Phew! It’s done! It was an intense and satisfying experience teaching a full week in Academie Duello’s first formal instructor training intensive. Thirteen aspiring instructors came to Vancouver for a five day, 50-hour intensive to kick off their ongoing instructor training. Attendees came from the local area and across North America with varying levels of…
Devon Boorman ·
Our psychology has a tremendous impact on our performance whether in a competition, or even in practice sparring or drilling. Many people who are perfectly capable performers on one day or in one environment can find themselves falling apart in different circumstances. A large contributor to this is one’s internal dialogue. Mindset can feel chemical…
Devon Boorman ·
This weekend was a momentous event for Academie Duello: our first Silver Cord (aka Provost) examination. A provost is one step below Maestro/Master and it represents an enormous achievement. Provosts are expected to demonstrate a high level of effectiveness within the school’s system, a demonstrable and defensible understanding of the school's pedagogy and theoretical approach,…
Devon Boorman ·
Questions and Secrets: Understanding a Martial Art | No matter how many classes you come to you will never fully discover my art this way. The art is not contained in a syllabus or a curriculum. I’m not saying there isn’t value in classes and teachers – there is tremendous value. Without them there would…
Devon Boorman ·
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 ·
