Month: August 2023

Interview with Round Table Historical Fencing Founder Jacob McDonald: Jeremy Pace’s Influence in the Northeast

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Jacob McDonald first began training in empty-hand martial arts like karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but then the “martial realities” of weapons-based arts took hold of him, finding an instructor with Jeremy Pace of Cymbrogi School of Western Martial Arts in Oklahoma. After returning to Maryland in 2017, McDonald established his Round Table Historical Fencing, then … Continue reading Interview with Round Table Historical Fencing Founder Jacob McDonald: Jeremy Pace’s Influence in the Northeast

Interview with Houston Heights Kendo Club Founder Masayuki Koyama: Accepting the Future Flow of Kendo

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Masayuki Koyama began training in kendo during high school while growing up in Japan. Afterwards, he found himself in the United States and began teaching kendo to his son in 1999. Because he was teaching at a community center, other people started coming in, looking for kendo lessons. From then on, he established his Houston … Continue reading Interview with Houston Heights Kendo Club Founder Masayuki Koyama: Accepting the Future Flow of Kendo

Interview with Round Table Historical Fencing Instructor Kevin Rezac: Loving to Fence and Everything In Between

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Kevin Rezac always wanted to be a knight, ever since he was a child. This aspiration drew him to the sword arts, first Olympic Sabre then to historical fencing in 2016. Upon joining the Historical European Martial Arts community, he began learning at Round Table Historical Fencing and soon also began to teach there with … Continue reading Interview with Round Table Historical Fencing Instructor Kevin Rezac: Loving to Fence and Everything In Between

Interview with Brooklyn Aikikai Founder Ryūgan Savoca: Kazuo Chiba, Aikido, and Inclusivity

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Ryūgan Robert D. Savoca began training judo at 12 years old and took up aikido after his judo instructor suggested it to him. After that he learned from many teachers in California until he met Juba Nour, who taught him the “essence of Chiba Sensei.” Shortly afterwards, Savoca became Chiba’s uchi deshi, learning the intensity … Continue reading Interview with Brooklyn Aikikai Founder Ryūgan Savoca: Kazuo Chiba, Aikido, and Inclusivity

Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part IV

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Josh Parise has always been into the martial arts, ranging from Mixed Martial Arts to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and taekwondo, from kendo to Western Martial Arts. After leaving the Marine Corps and learning Army Combatives, he found some videos and manuals on historical fencing and never looked back. In his pursuit of historical fencing, Josh established … Continue reading Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part IV

Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part III

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Josh Parise has always been into the martial arts, ranging from Mixed Martial Arts to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and taekwondo, from kendo to Western Martial Arts. After leaving the Marine Corps and learning Army Combatives, he found some videos and manuals on historical fencing and never looked back. In his pursuit of historical fencing, Josh established … Continue reading Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part III

Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part II

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Josh Parise has always been into the martial arts, ranging from Mixed Martial Arts to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and taekwondo, from kendo to Western Martial Arts. After leaving the Marine Corps and learning Army Combatives, he found some videos and manuals on historical fencing and never looked back. In his pursuit of historical fencing, Josh established … Continue reading Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part II

Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part I

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Josh Parise has always been into the martial arts, ranging from Mixed Martial Arts to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and taekwondo, from kendo to Western Martial Arts. After leaving the Marine Corps and learning Army Combatives, he found some videos and manuals on historical fencing and never looked back. In his pursuit of historical fencing, Josh established … Continue reading Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part I

Interview with Naginata Practitioner Ellery Engala: Sachiko Yamauchi Prough and Naginata in the United States

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Ellery Engala first started wielding the sword, both in kendo and in iaido, before finding and enrolling himself into his first naginata class. When he did in 2001, Engala began to learn from Sachiko Yamauchi Prough, who was instrumental in establishing both the Canadian Naginata Federation and the East Coast Naginata Federation. When she passed … Continue reading Interview with Naginata Practitioner Ellery Engala: Sachiko Yamauchi Prough and Naginata in the United States

Interview with Ars Gladii Founder Josh Little: Adventures of Historical Fencing in the Midwest, Part II

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Josh Little began sword fighting when his high school physics teacher introduced LARP to him, which led Little to try out the Society for Creative Anachronism and Olympic Fencing. Later, in the late 1990s, he found historical fight manuscripts and never looked back. Around the same time, Little established his Ars Gladii, teaching a myriad … Continue reading Interview with Ars Gladii Founder Josh Little: Adventures of Historical Fencing in the Midwest, Part II