When the Going Gets Rough …

“Never wrestle a wrestler!” That’s what Emil said to me after he sent me flying through the air during a practice fight at Ribe VikingeCenter this autumn—or should I say fall? Of course, he was right. Grappling should be part of any swordfighter’s repertoire. Alas, despite Cornelius’ best efforts at Dimicator Schola to improve my poor wrestling skills, I am definitely more adept at keeping my opponent at bay with sword and shield.

If you want to test your mettle against Emil—or see if you can throw me too—you are warmly invited to join the 2025 Hedeby Bouts, scheduled for 12th–13th April 2025. Mark your calendars or sign up straight away by replying to this email.

Fortunately, you don’t have to wait until next spring to level up your martial skills. You can start improving your fencing at home by deepening your understanding of timing:

Cornelius has recently created a free series of 24 brief video episodes, each only a minute long. These daily releases started on 1st December and will continue until Christmas Eve. You can find the videos on the Dimicator Schola Facebook page or YouTube channel. So if you want to learn what it means to be frozen in motion, for instance, go watch these videos!

On YouTube, Cornelius also provides a free extensive, in-depth exploration of timing—the ideal playlist for the upcoming holidays. This series of video essays explains why timing is a crucial concept, outlines the theory behind it, and shows which aspects of fencing practice it influences. It’s easy to say that timing is important, but far more challenging to understand its full implications.

And if that’s not enough, you can unlock the tools to outmanoeuvre your opponent through an advanced understanding of timing by enrolling in our latest online course:

The course offers a practical framework applicable across the sword arts. To enhance your learning experience, the course now includes English subtitles upon request. See how you can turn on subs in your course in the screenshot below.

Happy learning and time travelling!

So, that's it for today. Take care, and keep your blade well-honed.

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Improve your skills with our sword-and-buckler online course.

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Yours,

Roland

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