Consulting Swordsman
What the world really needs right now is obviously a better beginners’ guide to training in Fiore’s Art of Arms, right? So I have created one. So what’s special about that? I always, always, try to instil self-direction into my students. My job is to make myself redundant. I do this in practice by giving … Read more
It is hugely satisfying for an author to see their work put to work. I received an email recently from Anthony Klon, who is using my Rapier Workbooks. He described how he’s using the area for notes to make cross-referencing the steps of the Rapier Footwork form with the translation he’s using. I’ve been working … Read more
I read a lot. Most writers do. You may think I spend most of my time reading sword books, but it isn’t so. Probably the most important books I’ve read in the last year or so are entirely sword-free! My home is filled with books- and about half of them are in boxes in the … Read more
I’ve been practising various forms of breathing exercises for about 30 years now. They are the foundation of all my training, to the point that literally every exercise of any kind is always first and foremost a breathing exercise for me. You can see that in this recording of last Friday’s trainalong class: the topic … Read more
In From Medieval Manuscript to Modern Practice I took the innovative step of using redirect links to video clips instead of photographs to illustrate my interpretation. This is much better in terms of representing movement, but it can be tedious to type out the links in a browser. Given that you need a web browsing device to … Read more
It’s always the way. You bring out a new book, and somebody comes up with something that makes you jump up and down going “I wanted that in my book!!! Why couldn’t that have come out a month ago!!!” It’s actually a good feeling. Because no book is the last word on any subject, and … Read more
If I had to identify a single moment where I became irreversibly a Star Wars fan, it was when Luke Skywalker use the plank he was supposed to walk off on Jabba’s barge as a springboard for a somersault, while R2D2 shoots his lightsaber into the air for him to catch. The closest thing we … Read more
Happy May Day! I know it’s not such a big deal in many countries, but in Finland it’s HUGE. So what better day to launch a new book? Especially when everyone is stuck at home. From Medieval Manuscript to Modern Practice: The Longsword Techniques of Fiore dei Liberi is officially published today! You can order … Read more
In a sword fight there is no time to think. You see, you act. The essence of training is to adjust your instinct so that the instinctive response is also the correct one. I’ve spent decades training my instinct, and I apply this to literally all parts of my life. I don’t decide what to … Read more
Producing a book is a marathon, not a sprint, but the finish line for From Medieval Manuscript to Modern Practice: The Longsword Techniques of Fiore dei Liberi is in sight! I’m in my study plodding through the first draft of the the laid-out print file. This is simultaneously very exciting (my NEW BOOK! HURRAH!), very … Read more