Swordplay Masterclass

From my few days as an online student I have to admit DuelloTV is a truly impressive database of knowledge and instruction. The revision quiz and practice pages are an additional study aid and prompt to action in forming well structured lesson plans and clear outcomes . I intend to stay a student here till I have achieved my goals in Swordsmanship.

The intensive is an incredible experience. That is in my opinion an invaluable course for all martial artists interested in perfecting their craft and sharing it with others.

When I heard about HEMA, I really wanted to get into it but didn’t know where to start. There are no schools/clubs anywhere near me, and I don’t speak Italian or German, so unless there’s a manuscript in English or Spanish I couldn’t go to the original sources. And there are tons of resources online, but you can tell they’re written by (and for) people who already know what they’re talking about. But then I found Duello, and I’ve been loving it! I’m currently going through one of their “sidesword” courses (which btw includes sword & buckler) and it has been awesome! I still have a lot to learn, but now I have a great way to learning it well. I’m hooked!

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.

I have been involved in martial arts for 36 years and this is the best class I have ever been immersed in. Bar none! The volume of information, outstanding presentation skills, engagement with the practitioners, and ease of access to the library of coaching films, as well as the evaluation/ progress process and group forums, make it an all encompassing experience. I highly recommend it.

Sometimes finding understanding in the martial arts is like trying to drink by catching raindrops. This is like drinking from a fire hose; the sheer depth of insight into every aspect of the martial art is staggering to experience. If I retain one tenth of the “Eureka!” moments I had in this intensive, I’ll count myself ten times more understanding of the art than before.

In the Swordplay Masterclass I learned to learn martial arts in a way that is more meaningful to me. I learned how to be an apprentice of something ancient through modern days’ tools, while absolutely respecting the rooted values and contexts of the art. I learned things to do, to look at, to feel and to think about to be a seeker of mastery. For me, what I learned is worth many times more than what I paid to enroll in these classes.