Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay

Spécialités

Welcome! Academie Duello is a school of Swordplay and Western Martial Arts devoted to teaching the traditional martial practices of Europe.

Our system includes diverse weapon arts, including use of:

Rapier

Longsword

Sword and Shield

Mounted Combat

Archery

Walking Stick and Umbrella

Wrestling

We offer youth and adult programs focused on fitness, martial arts mastery, theatrical presentation, self-​defence, and more. Take a look at our Programs Browser on our website to find the best fit for you.

The martial art we teach is based on the content of authentic combat manuals produced during the Middle Ages, Renaissance and beyond, and covers the array of weapons and techniques used by the diverse fighting men and women of those periods, from duellists to knights. We even have a few original fighting manuals available to see in our Museum.

Historique

Fondé en 2004.

Academie Duello was founded by long-​time Western martial-​arts practioner and master of arms Devon Boorman and his student Randy Packer in 2004. At its humble origin was a class of six individuals from the Western martial-​arts and re-​enactment communities who gathered on Monday evenings to practise the historical swordplay that fascinated them. Over the next several years, Academie Duello brought increased diversity to its programs and workshops, with new instructors and staff. Additionally, the arms-​and-​armour store and a steadily expanding museum were opened to the public.

In the fall of 2009, Academie Duello moved to its present, street-​level location at 412 West Hastings, to accommodate increasingly large membership as a centre for swordplay. Now, with more than 1,000 members and more than 200 active in programs at any one time, Academie Duello is the largest centre of Western martial arts in the world. It was Vancouver’s first centre for swordplay.

Rencontrer le Gérant de commerce

Devon B.

Gérant de commerce

Devon Boorman has been practicing martial arts for more than 20 years. Starting first with Asian martial arts, including Kung Fu and Arnis, Devon discovered western swordplay through the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) which connected him with a burgeoning community of martial artists and scholars studying Historical European Marital Arts throughout the world.

Devon has travelled extensively, first as a student, then as a competitor, teacher, and researcher. He has won more than 40 European martial arts competitions, and worked on both stage and screen as a stunt person and choreographer. Devon is actively involved in the translation, interpretation, and revival of Western Martial Arts from surviving historical manuals, some of which are on display at his school.

The Academie is currently the largest WMA centre in the world; a model that Devon hopes to help others achieve as the Western arts grow in popularity.