BladeFit: The Sword Burpee

Bill Grandy BladeFit: Fitness for Martial Artists

by Bill Grandy

BladeFit is a reoccurring article showing quick fitness exercises for Historical European Martial Artists. These exercises can be worked into a fitness routine, used for your pre-class warm-ups, or just inspire you to start moving. Some will be modern-made exercises, while others will be more historically inspired.

The Sword Burpee is a simple variation on the standard burpee. A burpee is performed first by squatting down, placing your hands flat on the ground and kicking the feet back so that you end in a plank position. It is optional whether or not to do a push-up from there. Then you quickly push your feet towards your hands and jump upward with your hands held high. This is an excellent exercise for explosive movement and cardiovascular development. Continue reading →

Henry Angelo’s Ten Lessons of Highland Broadsword (Part 1)

Jonathan M Gordon Scottish Swordsmanship

by Jonathan Gordon

If there is one nationality that conjures up the image of swordsmanship, I’m willing to bet it would be the Scots. The gap between popular culture (Highlander, Rob Roy, Braveheart) to reality, though, is one that is often overlooked. Recently a few of us within the Virginia Academy of Fencing have begun a group to study the weapons and fighting techniques of the 18th Century Scottish Fencing Masters. We began with the use of the Scottish broadsword of the late 18th century.

Baskethilts
Two reproductions of baskethilt broadswords.

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