Consulting Swordsman
Hello. I’m having trouble making sure I hit all the pain points in my own training. I have a simply enormous variety of exercises and practices that I should be keeping up with. Such as: Meditation: Awareness of Breathing, Body Scan, Mantra, Movement. Breathing exercises: Wim Hof method, standing qigong, the Crane, 9 breaths, the … Read more
Well, anything within reason… I’ll be going live on Reddit this evening at 10pm UK time, which is currently UTC +1, on the “swords” subreddit, here: https://www.reddit.com/r/SWORDS/ (note, not the WMA subreddit that I mentioned in my last email, sorry). I’ll be on for an hour, and typing as fast as I can! The first … Read more
There is a lot going on in the House of Windsor. The Sword Guy podcast is live, episode one with Jess Finley is up here. It will trickle through to the normal platforms (such as Apple’s itunes etc.) in due course. The second episode will go live on Friday. I’ve got another 7 episodes in … Read more
With the right preparation and diet, people can function just fine without eating for a week. But absolutely nobody functions just fine without sleep for even a couple of days. Rest is part of training. Poor or insufficient sleep will wreck your whole life, not just your sword practice. It’s worth spending some time and effort … Read more
I’ve been on local radio in the UK a few times in the past week. Friday 19th June: BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester, with Malcolm Boyden: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08fx649 Interview starts about 8 minutes in. BBC Leicester, with Martin Ballard: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08fx8h7 Interview starts about 3 hours 22 minutes in. Monday June 22nd: BBC Somerset with Simon Parkin: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08gng7b Interview … Read more
Lockdown has been tough for a lot of people, and I wrote something a while ago about not feeling bad if you’re not buzzing with creative energy right now. But something happened in me after about 10 weeks of lockdown- perhaps I adjusted to the new reality, or just got bored enough, and for the … Read more
Pulling down statues is a form of protest with a long and varied history. When I hear of a statue or other public monument being destroyed I either cheer or am appalled. I was horrified by the wanton crass destruction of the Buddhas of Banyan by the Taliban in 2001. I was uplifted by the … Read more
One of the reasons I teach is that I need my students to train for. I literally can’t be bothered to learn anything I’m unlikely to pass on, and I’m not actually particularly interested in my own level of fitness, sword skill, etc. I train to remain able to do my job, which is teaching, … 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
“Stick to swords, Guy.” I hear that a lot- pretty much every time I express an opinion that is in any way political, or even somewhat outside my core competence. My response is always the same. If you don’t like what I have to say, then either challenge it with reason and evidence, or go … Read more