On this day: One of the Last Judicial Duels
byOn this day, December 29th in 1386, two knights fought to the death in a judicial duel behind a monastery in Paris. They were…
Historical Fencing culture
Lopes — The new Viking
byHe’s well-known in historical fencing circles for his skill with the sword, personality and braided beard. Now Mishaël Lopes Cardozo is about to be…
The boy we lost
byI only met him a few times. The last time was this summer, when he came out to help his mother with something. It…
Jewish duellists – Acceptance and honour. Or death
byDuring the 19thcentury, a series of duels were fought by Jews on grounds of anti-Semitism. For some parts of society, it wasn’t clear if…
The Fencing Girl – Trend Setter
byThe costume worn by Marguerita Sylvia in the painting “L’Escrimeuse (The Fencing Girl)”, by Jean Beraud in Paris, set a trend for the fashionably dressed…
Caravaggio—With sword or brush
byOne of the world’s foremost artists throughout history, was also a man who lived by the sword and who constantly got into trouble. He…
The real men behind The Duellists
byIt’s a classic among fencers and has some of the most realistic fencing scenes ever portrayed on the silver screen. The Duellists, based on…
Creativity, stress and a stiff upper lip
byWhy is creativity important in fencing, and how come it shuts down when we are under stress? And what has that got to do…
Choreographing historical fencing for film
byA director who was filming a documentary about a historical battle on a ship recently approached me. So, this is an attempt to share…
That time when a countess duelled a princess
byIn 1892, honour demanded that two women settled their dispute sword in hand. The Countess Anastasia Kielmannsegg and Princess Pauline von Metternich fought each…