On my recent trip to Los Angeles, my friend Mark Mikita took me to a hidden gem of a shop near his place in Marina…

The rondel dagger is quite different from a modern tactical knife in that its primary function is as an armour-piercing spike. This changes how you…

“I, the tiger, am so quick at running and turning that I can’t even be overtaken by a lightning bolt.” Fior di Battaglia, Getty Museum,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…