Consulting Swordsman
Guy Windsor Are you thinking about starting a crowdfunding campaign? Then this post is for you. Crowdfunding is both an extremely useful and effective way to raise funds for a project, and a deadly trap in which your reputation can be permanently destroyed. It is also a rather new development, and therefore many people are trying it for the … Read more
I am not a novelist. I have no ambitions to become one. But I do write and publish books, and have many friends who write fiction for a living. Most of the self-publishing advisory books I have read have been strong on marketing, strong on how-to-publish, but skip the actual how-to-write-a-book side of things. My … Read more
“The beginning of wisdom is calling things by their right name” – Confucius. In this post I will demonstrate beyond all reasonable doubt that every wonder of the modern age is attributable to the systematizing of knowledge, pioneered by Fiore dei Liberi. Yes, really. I have recently returned from a very rewarding trip to Australia, teaching … Read more
Greetings! You may be thinking about pre-ordering my new longsword book through the Indiegogo campaign. In case you’re wondering what the book contains, you can see the table of contents on the campaign page. Here is an example of one of the dozens of drills, with its accompanying photos. The Exchange of Thrusts: Fiore’s instruction … Read more
I am often asked for equipment recommendations, and people seem to be interested in the sort of equipment professionals use. So this is the first of a series of blog posts about the tools I use at work. As I spend most of my time teaching Fiore’s Art of Arms, let’s start there. In the … Read more
For years now the question I’ve been asked the most is “when is your next longsword book coming out?” And now the answer to that is in your hands. I have launched a campaign on Indiegogo to raise funds for layout and printing; and the moment we hit the target, layout work will begin. I … Read more
This book is a modern edition of the 1595 work of Honour and Honourable Quarrels, a guide to the ethics of duelling, by the famous Elizabethan fencing master, Vincentio Saviolo. Let’s cut to the chase. If you are interested in the history of violence, duelling, or moral philosophy, buy this book. Jared Kirby, the editor, has … Read more
Class on Monday (in March 2014) was all about how the seniors should approach the new sword handling drill, the Farfalle di Ferro, the Butterfly of Iron. As this is a pretty important topic, especially for the chaps in the branches, we videoed the class. The footage here was preceded by the usual 10 minutes … Read more
Beginner you are not, hmmm? Beginners are the future of any martial art. And lucky too: the best learning environment is when you are the least knowledgeable person in the room. Anyone you train with can teach you something. It is more difficult to keep learning when you are surrounded by relative beginners, and this … Read more
The standard for selection for this list is simple: how much time have I spent thinking about, talking about, and recommending a particular book? These are my top three on that list for 2013, and so I share them with you. I am not including any sword-related books, none of the titles are in directly … Read more