Category Archives: Event

Event, News

Armizare Academy and Forteza review

Ed – Reblogged from Devon Boorman’s Academie Duello blog. Devon was one of AA’s instructors and is also the founder and chief instructor of Academie Duello – the largest WMA school in the world. Stay tuned for photo and video updates from Armizare Academy over the next week.

Event and School Review: Armizare Academy and Forteza Fitness

I have just returned home from Armizare Academy in Racine, Wisconsin and must report that it was an excellent event all the way around with great classes, opportunities for collaboration, and sparring.

For those who are unfamiliar with the event, this is it’s second occurrence – the first time being in 2009 under the name The 600th Anniversary of Fiore dei Liberi or “The 600” for short – it is an event hosted by the Chicago Swordplay Guild (CSG) on alternating years to their other excellent event the Western Martial Arts Workshops (WMAW). Unlike WMAW, Armizare Academy focuses almost exclusively on the Italian martial arts tradition of Fiore dei Liberi, generally known as Armizare. Classes focused on wrestling, dagger, longsword, and sword in one hand.

This year’s instructor roster included me, Greg Mele (CSG), Sean Hayes (Northwest Academy of Arms), Bob Cherette (Forteza), and Christian Tobler who delivered classes on parallels to Fiore from the German tradition including an excellent comparative lecture with Greg Mele.

A particular highlight of the weekend was a keynote by Tom Leoni at dinner on Saturday night, done in the style of a renaissance university address. It was a discourse on the work of Fiore dei Liberi that both argued for the use of the art itself and advised students on its study. A video of this address and transcript should be available soon.

I was very impressed with the quality of all the workshops that I attended and came away with much food for thought. I particularly enjoyed Christian’s class on German counter-dagger techniques.

For my workshops, I felt that they went off excellently well with attentive and focused students. I delivered classes on applied combatives, exchanging the thrust with the longsword, modern knife, and combative strategy (co-delivered with Sean Hayes). I will be making videos and course notes available this week for those who attended (or didn’t) and want to have a reminder of what they learned (or missed).

The pinnacle of the event for me was most likely the Deed of Arms. This is an event I participated in the previous year at WMAW that features a medievally inspired fully armoured tournament with a certain amount of pomp and circumstance. I played a multi-faceted role as head marshal, herald, and as a combatant. I had two fights at spear and at poleaxe, both of which saw me victorious. The fight at spear with Greg Mele was particularly challenging and featured the longest continual series of actions in the tournament (nearly one minute long). I have to admit after the Deed completed I was only wanting more!

Forteza Fitness

Following the event I had the opportunity to visit Forteza Fitness, the new home of the Chicago Swordplay Guild. Forteza is a full fledged Western Martial Arts school in a funky suburb of Chicago (pretty close to downtown) that opened its doors about 6 months ago. Greg Mele and his team have done a tremendous job of getting things off to a great start. The space is about 5000 square feet, close to the dimensions of Duello but arranged a bit differently. Classic turn of the century physical fitness equipment surrounds the space, including an antique rowing machine, india clubs, and other apparatuses. The brick and beam construction along with the old world aesthetic give it a great feeling and though it certainly has taken some inspiration from Duello it has a cool vibe all its own.

Myself, and Duello senior students and instructors Clint and Roland, took the opportunity while we were there to partake in longsword and rapier focus classes. Both were very well run and content that was delivered was well thought out and presented. In the rapier class (which I attended) John O’Meira and Treyson Ptak delivered a very succinct lesson on pressing the attack. They are both particularly good at delivering just the right amount of content for students to retain and make meaningful improvement in their fencing.

Though I already had a very high opinion of Greg and his other instructors, I can certainly vouch for them even more heartily now having taken a lesson from them in their new home.

Following the classes we fenced for about 3 and a half hours with the instructors and students till we were all suitably exhausted. I had the opportunity to do passes at rapier, rapier and dagger, spear, sword and buckler, and longsword. It was a real pleasure and all the fighters presented great challenges.

Hospitality in Chicago

My visit wrapped up last night in the personal fencing salle of Nicole Allen (yes she has a fencing studio in her house — jealous!) where Greg, Sean, Bob, Nicole and myself shared technical ideas, and collaborated on some new Fiore interpretations (some exciting discoveries here — more on this later).

Overall a fantastic weekend with fantastic people.  If you ever have the chance to visit Chicago, I recommend you pop in on Forteza. If you are looking for a great conference, keep an eye out for the next instalment of Armizare Academy in 2014 and certainly for WMAW in 2012.

For those looking to take classes from many of these same instructors at a locale a little closer to Vancouver, most of them will be teaching at the Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium in February of 2013. Look for classes and tracks delivered by Tom Leoni, Greg Mele, Sean Hayes, Christian Tobler, and of course me.

You can learn more about Forteza Fitness in Chicago on their website atwww.fortezafitness.com

Event, News

Armizare Academy Updates!

The Chicago Swordplay Guild is pleased to host this invitational, three day event in honor of Maestro Fiore dei Liberi and his Art.

In 1410,  Fiore dei Liberi, an aging condottiero and master-at-arms to some of Italy’s most renowned warriors, presented a book to the bellicose Niccolò III d’Este, Marchese of Ferrara (1383-1441) containing the sum of four decades of knowledge won in the training hall, siege, battle and  five duels with rival masters. He named this work Il Fior di Battaglia, the Flower of Battle, composed so that the “art might not be forgotten”.

Six hundred years later, a small circle of martial artists gathered from around the world to prove him right! This event, affectionately called “The 600: Prepare for Fiore!”, was such a success with attendees, that we decided to make it a recurring workshop! Since “The 602” seemed to be missing some flair, the event has been renamed Armizare Academy. Each Academy session will have a central theme, but will also include a renowned instructor from a similar, outside tradition, to help put our art in context. This year’s outside focus will compare Arimzare to the German Kunst des Fechtens of the Liechtenauer tradition.

The schedule of events includes:

Classes taught by an international slate of instructors:

  • Devon Boorman, Academie Duello (Canada)
  • Bob Charrette, Forteza Historical Swordwork Guild(USA)
  • Sean Hayes, Northwest Academy of Arms (USA)
  • Gregory Mele, Chicago Swordplay Guild (USA)
  • Jason Smith, Les Maitres des Armes (Canada)
  • Scott Wilson, Southern Academy of Swordsmanship (USA)

Guest Instructor: Christian Henry Tobler, Selohaar Fechtschule (USA)

The schedule and class descriptions are included in this PDF:

AA – Class Descriptions

Armizare Academy Schedule

In addition to formal classes there will be two feats of arms:

  • A Friday “Vespers Tournament” – an unarmoured tournament of sword, dagger and lance, open to all attendees.
  • A Saturday, Armoured Pas d’Armes, sponsored by the Chivalric Fighting Arts Association (http://www.chivalricfighting.org/mission.htm – an invitational tournament, celebrating the knightly art, to be fought with sword, lance, axe and dagger.

(Full details of the tournaments will be forwarded to attendees.)

Located at the picturesque DeKoven Center, home to the Western Martial Arts Workshop, the conference is a retreat with attendance limited to the 60 students that DeKoven can host. Your registration fee  includes entry, lodging and all nine, hot meals.

This is a unique event and a unique opportunity to train in a private environment with some of the finest modern teachers of the art of Armizare. Act now, because spaces will go fast. We look forward to crossing swords with you!

Details:

Dates:

September 14 – 16, 2012

Location:

The DeKoven Center
600 21st Street
Racine, WI 53403

(Details for getting to Racine can be found on the WMAW website)

Accommodations:

On campus; all rooms have two single beds. You will be able to request the roommate of your choice when you register, and we will make every effort to accommodate you. Lodging is from Thurs to Sat.

Nine hot meals.

Costs:

$300.00 inclusive before May 31st; $360 thereafter.

To Register:

  1. Download the class schedule and the following registration form:
    AA Reg form
  2. Fill out and email the completed contact form to:
    csgregistrar@comcast.net
  3. The Registrar will confirm your registration and send you a PayPal bill.
  4. Come and have a good time!

Remember, submit all of your registrations and registration questions to csgregistrar@comcast.net


Space is still available for this exciting retreat, dedicated to the fighting art of Fiore dei Liberi.

We have revised the schedule, which now includes a coached fencing class, a keynote address by Tom Leoni, translator of the Getty and Morgan Ms and a great deal more!

Check it out:

https://www.chicagoswordplayguild.com/armizare-academy-a-celebration-of-the-knightly-arts

Event

New Workshop: The Swords of Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet

The Chicago Swordplay Guild is pleased to host this invitational,
three day event in honor of Maestro Fiore dei Liberi and his Art.

In 1410, Fiore dei Liberi, an aging condottiero and master-at-arms to some of Italy’s most renowned warriors, presented a book to the bellicose Niccolò III d’Este, Marchese of Ferrara (1383-1441) containing the sum of four decades of knowledge won in the training hall, siege, battle and  five duels with rival masters. He named this work Il Fior di Battaglia, the Flower of Battle, composed so that the “art might not be forgotten”.

Six hundred years later, a small circle of martial artists gathered from around the world to prove him right! This event, affectionately called “The 600: Prepare for Fiore!”, was such a success with attendees, that we decided to make it a recurring workshop! Since “The 602? seemed to be missing some flair, the event has been renamed Armizare Academy. Each Academy session will have a central theme, but will also include a renowned instructor from a similar, outside tradition, to help put our art in context. This year’s outside focus will compare Arimzare to the German Kunst des Fechtens of the Liechtenauer tradition.

You can find out more here:

https://www.chicagoswordplayguild.com/armizare-academy-a-celebration-of-the-knightly-arts
This is something new that two of the Guild’s instructors are developing in conjunction with our friends at R&D Choreography. A new look at Elizabethan swordplay and stagecraft, for the fighter, actor, and actor-combatant alike!

http://fortezafitness.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/swordplay-of-romeo-juliet-broadsword-and-rapier-in-elizabethan-england/

Event, Featured

A Video Look into a Scholar’s Prize

This past weekend (April 22)  the Chicago Swordplay Guild held its first Prize at Forteza Fitness, Physical Culture and Martial Arts. 

Although this was the first Prize to be fought at Forteza, Playing the Prize has been part of rank advancement in the Chicago Swordplay Guild since 2001, and we proudly embrace the traditions of our ancestors.  Family and friends of the candidates, Guild members past and present, and guests from other martial arts schools, are all invited to attend this public exhibition of arms. Much like the original Prize, ours are a combination of formality and raucous celebration. Refreshments and music entertain the audience before the Prize begins and during breaks between challenges. Rather like watching a tournament, spectators are encouraged to cheer good blows, and to boo wild, uncontrolled blows.

A Brisk Longsword Match Between Erin Fitzgerald and Shannon Winslow

This cheerfully irreverent atmosphere offsets the formality of the Prize itself. The list (cordoned off combat ring) is decorated with heraldic banners representing the Guild and the virtues ascribed to the medieval warrior (if you’ve been paying attention to our website, you already know that these are strength – speed – knowledge and courage!).  The Prize begins with a formal opening ceremony, taken from their Renaissance precursor, and then each candidate is called forward one at a time, their challengers are announced, and combat begins.

The fighting is serious, the fighters are not: Trey Ptak challenges Rob Rutherfoord’s right to not only call himself a Scholar, but to bear the title of Mr Fancy Pants. (Don’t worry, the pants have since been burned.)

Armizare students fight their Prize with the longsword, while Renaissance Swordsmanship students fight with the single rapier. Challenges at the Scholar level are fought under a set of rules somewhat more “permissive” than those of the 16th century, in large part because of access to additional safety gear:

  • Each match is 3 minutes in length;
  • The entire body is a target;
  • Strikes may be made with the point, edge or pommel of the sword;
  • Disarms, grapples, leg sweeps and throws are permitted, but combat will stop once both parties are unarmed, or one is thrown to the ground.
  • Combatants acknowledge their own blows, and the Judge intervenes only to part combatants with his baton for safety reasons or because a throw or disarm has occurred.

As this is not a tournament, but an examination, each Challenger is given a specific task for their match with the Prizor, based on the observations of the instructors. For example, if the candidate has trouble initiating attacks, one Challenger might be told to hang back, forcing the Prizor to pursue and open with attacks. Conversely, a Prizor who starts strong but tends to “stop and look” might find their opponent continuously presses in with an unrelenting barrage of blows.The purpose is to push the Prizor physically and mentally, under the added stress of the watching eyes of friends and family.

One place where we have decidedly improved upon the past is that Guild Prizes are distinctly co-ed. Weapons are a great equalizer in terms of strength and size, and female students face men and women Challengers equally. Guild membership has traditionally been about 1/3 female, but this past Saturday saw three ladies take the field as Prizors, out of six competitors in total!

Shannon Winslow gives Prizor Nate Wisniewski the “What For”, Before Getting Taken for a Ride

The candidates await their judgement by the instructors and challengers.

Once all the bouts were over, if the Prizor was judged victorious by the four Masters, he would be declared “a well-tryd and sufficient man with divers weapons”. He would then (after collecting the change littering the stage)  swear his oath of obligation, and be escorted by his new peers back to the school and from there off to do much drinking.  Our modern Guild’s Scholar’s oath is adapted directly from the Elizabethan one, requiring the student to treat those above and below him or her with respect, to train diligently and with pride, but not vanity, to be sure that their actions and deeds in the list or the classroom bring renown, not shame, to their fellows and teachers, and to be a good citizen. Students kneel and swear this oath on the hilt of a sword, receive their license and are gifted with a green garter tied under the left knee – a symbol of their rank. Finally, they sign their names in the Guildbook – a custom-made, leather-bound volume containing the history, rules and doings of the Chicago Swordplay Guild. (One such guildbook is in Ghent, home of the oldest surviving fencing school in the world. While the modern guild is a sport-fencing club, the records and entries in its book go back to its founding in 1614!)

And then, it was time for a celebratory Guinness….

Or course, it would be quite foolish to preserve all of these Renaissance customs without including the celebratory drinking at an inn! And so, with all due diligence, the tired, and bruised newly-minted Scholars were escorted by their colleagues to O’Shuaghnessy’s Public House for a pint or four. Slainte!

Our hearty congratulations go out to Christina, Erin, Heather, Jake, Robert and Nathan and our thanks to Shannon, Dan, Davis, Jacques, John, Phil and Trey for serving as Challengers!

You can find more videos of the Prize on YouTube.

 

Event, Featured, News

Scholar Prize Playing: April 22nd!


What is a “Prize Playing”?
The Chicago Swordplay Guild utilizes a ranking system based on the medieval academic system,formalized around the 14th century. This system, in several variations, was ultimately adopted by the historical fencing guilds of England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain and generally included three to four ranks, or grades, beginning with Scholar and ending in Master at Arms.

One of the most important steps in the progression through the grades was the concept of prize playing. This is the western equivalent to the promotion testing of Asian martial arts systems. The “plaingy for the prize” is comprised of two steps. The first step occurs as an internal event, comprised of written and physical tests to assess the student’s skills. The second step is for the student to submit a challenge for a public prize playing (free fencing exhibition), for the grade being tested for. Prize playings were public, boisterous events, often fought in inn yards on raised stages, and included music, food, and rowdy, cheering (or booing audiences). These were the precursors to the “prize fighting” that would become associated with boxing in the 1800s.

In this same tradition, the Chicago Swordplay Guild and Forteza Fitness & Martial Arts are pleased to present this public exhibition of arms. We hope to see you there!


 

Event, Featured, News

Armizare Academy: A Celebration of the Knightly Arts

The Chicago Swordplay Guild is pleased to host this invitational, three day event in honor of Maestro Fiore dei Liberi and his Art.

In 1410, Fiore dei Liberi, an aging condottiero and master-at-arms to some of Italy’s most renowned warriors, presented a book to the bellicose Niccolò III d’Este, Marchese of Ferrara (1383-1441) containing the sum of four decades of knowledge won in the training hall, siege, battle and  five duels with rival masters. He named this work Il Fior di Battaglia, the Flower of Battle, composed so that the “art might not be forgotten”.

Six hundred years later, a small circle of martial artists gathered from around the world to prove him right! This event, affectionately called “The 600: Prepare for Fiore!”, was such a success with attendees, that we decided to make it a recurring workshop! Since “The 602? seemed to be missing some flair, the event has been renamed Armizare Academy. Each Academy session will have a central theme, but will also include a renowned instructor from a similar, outside tradition, to help put our art in context. This year’s outside focus will compare Arimzare to the German Kunst des Fechtens of the Liechtenauer tradition.

You can find out more here:

https://www.chicagoswordplayguild.com/armizare-academy-a-celebration-of-the-knightly-arts

Event

CSG Demo at Chicago’s Italian Fall Festival Oct. 15-16!

The Chicago Swordplay Guild will be featured presenters at the annual Italian American Fall Festival on Saturday, October 15 (10:00am-6:00pm) and Sunday, October 16 (noon-6:00pm) at the Casa Italia-Italian Cultural Center at 37th and Soffel in Stone Park, IL.  There will be live combat demonstrations using the spear, longsword, arming sword and rapier throughout both days, as well as an armoured combat demo on Sunday afternoon. Also on Sunday – CSG co-founder Gregory Mele will also give a presentation on the life, times and fighting methods of medieval  Italian maestro Fiore Dei Liberi.

Along with the live action and clashing of steel, the Italian American Fall Festival is also a mecca for feasting on Italian cuisine! Enjoy live entertainment, wine-making, hot air balloon rides, music and dancing as well. For more information, go to http://www.casaitaliachicago.net/.

Event

CSG Demo at 2011 Scottish Highland Games


Davis and Keith battling longsword

Crowds at the Chicago’s annual Scottish Highland Games were educated and entertained once again by the intrepid CSG Demo Team. The Games is always a terrific event here in Chicago and this year they moved to a new venue in Itasca.

The set-up team of Christina, Nathan and Terry got there at 7:00am and lugged the display tent to the clan area. Given that directions to our spot included a map of the grounds with huge yellow circle around an area the size of Rhode Island, we were lucky to only have to spend 20 minutes hunting for a space with the word “SWORD” spray-painted vaguely on the grass.

We were also fortunate enough to find a perfect spot for our demos – an open field near the food concessions where the spectators could easily watch from 4 sides and most people could sit under a tree in the shade. That mattered as the sky was clear and temperatures stayed in the 80’s all day. As always, the visitors to this event were in high spirits and ready to see a great display of swordsmanship.

John (rapier) fights against  Trey (arming sword)

 

We were also fortunate enough to find a perfect spot for our demos – an open field near the food concessions where the spectators could easily watch from 4 sides and most people could sit under a tree in the shade. That mattered as the sky was clear and temperatures stayed in the 80’s all day. As always, the visitors to this event were in high spirits and ready to see a great display of swordsmanship.

The first of three demos featured medieval weapons wielded by Keith, Davis and Chester. Greg prepped the crowd with a brief talk about medieval combat as the guys demonstrated longsword drills. When Greg asked the crowd how much they thought a longsword weighed, audience members yelled out anywhere from 1 lb. to 45 lbs.

 

Longsword bout with Davis and Jacques

The fencing segment started with Keith vs. Davis using longsword, followed by a spear fight that had the audience cheering. Greg closed the demo with Chester taking on Davis in an exciting longsword vs. spear demonstration.

 

Chester and Davis longsword vs. spear

It was easy for the crowd to see how losing wide distance put the spearman in peril for his life. Of course, they also saw that for the swordsman, the trick was making that happen.

The second demo was at 2:30p and the sun beat down on us mercilessly.  Spectators happily munched on haggis, meat pies and fish and chips as Greg introduced the first fencing demo of this program: arming sword featuring Chester and Trey. Arming sword is always a hit because of its speed and the

Arming sword with Chester and Trey

layman’s familiarity of the sword in one hand in the movies. Chester and Trey also went at it like demons, and the happy food-munching sounds were drowned out by the clang of steel and the “thwap” of bodies being struck by blades.

Next, John and Trey ran through the guards of the rapier as Greg gave the spectators a brief overview of the weapon. This was followed by a hearty duel that showed just how deadly this weapon is.

In the spirit of mixed weapons and the final duel of “Rob Roy”, the next fight was arming sword vs. rapier. Greg explained that while the rapier was considered a weapon on the duel, it was not uncommon for soldiers to wear a rapier into battle as a kind of sidesword.John and Trey again took the field, with Trey wielding the sword and John giving the rapier its honors.

Trey blocks Jacques’ dagger attack (Hey- is that the ShamWow guy?)

To end the demo’s veritable smorgasbord of weapons, Chester and Trey ended the program with a dagger fight where Trey demonstrated various throws and takedowns that always resulted in Chester’s untimely demise.

 

John and Trey fence with rapier and dagger

Demo #3 was late in the day and Greg started off with medieval weapons. The first fencing bout featured Davis and Jacques in a rousing longsword bout. Next, John and Trey again displayed rapier fencing and then showed the crowd what it was like when you add the dagger to a rapier duel. It obviously takes enormous concentration to do rapier and dagger effectively. You are using 2 weapons, one in each hand. And so is the other guy!

The closing bout was between Davis and Trey in spear vs. rapier. Now you have the long reach of the spear against a long, thin sword designed mainly for thrusting. The rapier doesn’t have the longsword’s heft or two sharp edges to land big blows.

Trey (rapier) prepares to skewer Davis (spear)

Nonetheless, an experienced rapierista only has to close measure safely or deflect the spear with his hand to land a good thrust.

Games visitors enjoyed stopping by our display booth to ask questions, try on a pair of gauntlets or handle a sword. Volunteers Christina, Nathan, Tammy, Bill C. and Heather did a great job taking care of the show-and-tell. New member Alex was a (pleasantly) unexpected visitor and lent his brawn to help us all schlep our gear back to the cars.

And, for the second year in a row, the Chicago Swordplay Guild’s booth won the Highland Games award for “Best Tent Display by a Cultural Organization”.  We had colorful medieval banners draping the corners of the tent and it doesn’t hurt to have a couple tables showcasing armor and sharp, pointy objects.

Bill & Alex do show & tell

Big thanks to our Demo Team and our enthusiastic volunteer crew (with a nod to Rachel and Dawn as the supportive sword widows)! It was a terrific venue for showcasing the CSG and we look forward to being weapons-wielding exhibitors at the Scottish Highland Games again next year!

 

 

Event

WMAW 2011 Registration Now Open!

Register now! Running Thursday, September 15 through Sunday,  September 18, 2011, at the scenic DeKoven Center in Wisconsin USA,  the  Western Martial Arts Workshop (WMAW) is the premier North American event for hands-on study of Historical European and American Martial Arts. Limited openings – register now.

CSG is proud to once again offer 4 days of both in-depth and focused classes with fresh material, taught to a professional standard by an instructor base spanning three continents, comprised of martial artists and researchers who have help set the Gold Standard for the entire western arts community. Check out our 2011 roster.

WMAW 2011 is for anyone interested in Western fighting styles — from the Medieval to Early Modern American. Whether you are a long-time historical fencer looking to enhance your training through an in-depth class with some of today’s top instructors, a newcomer just getting your feet wet, an Asian martial artist curious about the methods of your western counterparts, or a fight choreographer who’d like to add a layer of historical accuracy to your staged violence,  this event has something for you.