Swordplay Masterclass

This an excellent deep dive into a practice of the longsword. Whether you’re new to swordsmanship, an experienced martial artist looking to pick up a new proficiency or just want to pursue a physical historical topic that can be acquired academically and athletically this MasterClass will serve you well. There is truly something for every level of interest in this course. The pacing is challenging and engaging at the same time, and with a flexible timeframe that encourages the practitioner to advance at a reasonable, self-driven pace. The masterclass teaches not only how to use this particular historical weapon, but how to create a path toward excellence that can be applied to any endeavor. These weeks have been time and money well spent!

For me the videos were incredibly useful. In my area there are no longer any sort of fencing clubs other than the occasional SCA group. The videos provide an incredibly useful resource that I find far more engaging than studying the various manuscripts on my own.

This course covers a LOT of material, and makes you realise there’s so much farther to go on the path toward mastery; but the beauty is that you can see the structure of the system, and the instructional tools are things you can take away in order to teach yourself and others.

It’s a rare privilege to study under an instructor with not only an extensive knowledge of the subject matter but also how to effectively teach it. I am grateful to have had the opportunity for such a valuable and inspirational experience.

I signed up because I’m so novice in the art that I felt like I didn’t have the tools to train alone. Being a novice, it did seem intimidating to be joining a mastery-oriented community – but having completed the program, I can’t even imagine a past version of myself not taking that step into the unknown. I’m now immersed in swordplay, I have access to a community that I feel comfortable within, despite being an enormously reticent person, and I have a rich training plan that includes multiple options and directions – forms, partner work, historical source study, recapping the basics… I’ve acquired a solid grounding in the verbal, physical and mental vocabulary of swordplay, and I also know where to turn for continuing guidance.

Academie Duello’s instructor intensive gives a glimpse into a well-established, highly developed curriculum of swordplay as a martial art. I learned systematic learning and teaching techniques that will provide me and my study group with a path to continuous improvement as martial artists. The best part about it was spending a week at such an amazing, passionate and welcoming school.