Consulting Swordsman
I love books, and swords, and books about swords. Especially old books about swords. Through a series of happy chances, I own an original copy of Salvator Fabris’ Scienza e Pratica d’Arme from 1606, a third edition of Achille Marozzo’s Arte dell’Armi from 1568, and a second edition of P.J.F. Girard’s Traité des Armes from 1740. “Bugger off you lucky sod”, you … Read more
Hello. Do you find yourself explaining the same thing over and over to various friends and colleagues? Wouldn’t it be easier to just explain it once, and then send the explanation to anyone who needs it? In my case, I tend to explain all sorts of things regarding swords, as teaching swordsmanship has been my … Read more
I have been meditating in one form or another for about 18 years. Of all the things I do to be a better human, and a better martial artist, writer and teacher, I think meditation is perhaps the most important, and the most effective in terms of time spent to results obtained. This is because … Read more
I am 42 years old today. As everybody knows, the Meaning of Life is forty two, so a post on the Meaning of Life seems apt. What then have I learned in 42 solar sojourns? (Other than to insert Monty Python, Douglas Adams and Blackadder references wherever possible?) Pay close attention, because this is … Read more
The crowdfunding campaign for my next book, Advanced Longsword, Form and Function is now live! Would you like to win free copies of the book, or commission an instalment of The Swordsman’s Quick Guide? For this campaign, which will only run for 30 days, I am running a competition for referrals. There are two categories: … Read more
I’m writing this in SeaTac airport, on my way home after teaching classes for my chaps at Lonin. One of the many benefits of my travel schedule is I get to actually spend time with some of my favourite people, even though we live continents apart. Another benefit is that I can see and do … Read more
I understand perfectionism. In some areas of my life, I can see every flaw in what I am doing, and so it feels like everything I do is not nearly good enough. Good enough for me, that is. But usually, it’s plenty good enough for accomplishing its goal. Let’s take a basic sword strike for … Read more
I travel a lot, and by the end of this year (2015) alone I’ll have been to Finland, Germany, Canada, the USA, New Zealand, Singapore and Australia. That’s a lot of time zones. Fortunately this is not new for me, and I’ve been working on solutions to jet lag for many years. Here are my … Read more
In the week I spent in New Zealand I met more geologists than in the rest of my life put together. That’s because in Finland, the interesting geology happened thousands or millions of years ago. There, it’s happening right now. After the Sword Symposium, and before heading off to Sydney to teach a seminar, I … Read more
This is the furthest I have ever travelled to go to a swordsmanship event. 12 hours to Singapore; 9 to Sydney; then another 4 to Wellington. Plus about 6 hours of layovers. Needless to say, I was a tad weary when I arrived, to be met by Heather, the most crucial person at the event: … Read more