Summer term has started at UBC and I cannot believe how quickly I am once again sick of being back in the same routine. The content for my classes are kind of dry, but I guess I should give them a bit more time to get interesting…hopefully.

So I had morning classes today and I had to head home and change before going of to Academie Duello! I was actually hesitant about going to my rapier class today because I was feeling down from sitting through school. This was my second week in their “Taste of the Renaissance” program, and I had thoroughly enjoyed it every time. So I picked my butt of the floor and headed downtown.

If you looked inside Academie Duello, you will notice they have some nifty things on display…

Right after our class, I felt refreshed!  It was great to do something not school related and there are some pretty cool people there. It turned my frown upside down. It actualy made my whole day!

Our free hand is supposed to shield our eye/face like this since we’re not working with shields yet. But basically, make yourself as small a target as possible.

So I first came across Academie Duello while I was with one of my friends walking around downtown. I stopped when I saw a group of people in there practicing swordplay and carrying shields. I stared in amazement as they continued to lunge at one another. What was this and how do I join!?

Now that I am a part of the academy, I can say that I really like it. I hated working out and jogging, but this is something else entirely. You get one and half hours of learning how to use a weapon, the history behind it, how to respect the sword and your opponent, and you also end up gaining a small pool of Italian words in your vocabulary.

The misura larga. You can cover a lot of distance with this while staying safely out of range of your opponent’s rapier.

I hope I get to stay with the program, but I am worried that because I will be gone for the summer, there was be a gap in my learning. But if you are looking for something fun to do, and can commit some time, I would recommend looking up what there is to do at Academie Duello! They also offer a free class for you to try out! Asides from swordplay, they also do archery, horseback riding, and I even saw a class where you sit in their studio for 8 hours and make your own bow!

Hopefully, school beginning again does not mean another haitus for my blog. I guess we will see how that goes.

Until next time!

-Karen