This course will present the various flourishes we find in the German sources about the longsword.
About the course
In this course, we look at each source in turn. Keith Farrell has provided his translation of the source material, so that you can read the original instructions, and the lessons are delivered by way of videos with voiceovers (and with textual video transcripts, in case you would prefer to read while watching in silence).
The voiceover instructions for each flourish will help to draw your attention to important parts of each exercise. Each lesson attempts to accomplish more than merely showing an interpretation of each flourishes – simply going through the motions is easy enough, but real value can be gained by looking at the other skills that we can learn by practising these drills in a careful, structured, and thoughtful fashion.
Knowing a set of solo drills means that you will always have a way to train your longsword fencing according to the source material, even when you do not have access to a venue or to training partners. Not all training needs to be sparring or competitive, and in fact working through flourishes like these can be quite an enjoyable and relaxing way to spend some time with sword in hand.
About the instructor
Keith Farrell is a well-known professional HEMA instructor who has taught at events throughout the world. His main area of expertise is fencing with the longsword according to the German sources, although he has interest in several other HEMA disciplines as well. With a background in karate and modern fencing, and having been involved with HEMA since 2008, Keith’s understanding of historical fencing is extensive and improves further every year.
He has also authored and edited several books, and has won several medals in competitions over the years, demonstrating a high level of art, theory, and practice in a holistic fashion.
Access and price
The price is a one-time payment for perpetual access to the course.
Please note that this course was originally developed as a proof-of-concept, to give ourselves some practice at making online courses. Furthermore, it was largely filmed during the pandemic restrictions in 2020, when it was not permitted to visit sports halls or indoor locations, or to meet other people. The videography is therefore not ideal but was the best that we could do under the circumstances, and the low price reflects this.
The content of the lesson is still exactly what we would be teaching if the videos were better, so you can expect to receive high quality information from this course.