Medieval battle arts are experiencing a revival in Edmonton
Channel your inner warrior with daggers and swords
The clanging of steel fills the air as the sparring begins. A man, sword in hand, plunges his blade towards his enemy's chest.
A few metres away, a woman twists her dagger as she latches onto her opponent's arm, bringing him to the ground.
This isn't a battle field — just a regular weeknight for members of the Academy of European Swordsmanship in Edmonton.
The group practices weekly at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church in Westmount, training in hand-to-hand combat, dagger fighting and long swordsmanship.
The ancient forms of combat, passed down from the medieval times, are enjoying a bit of a revival here in the city, says Edmonton AM fitness columnist Chris Tse.
''Ever since we started seeing this conversation around shows like Game of Thrones and other kinds of medieval battles, we're seeing uan prising of people that want to take on this art form."
Tse says instructor Johanus Haidner founded the academy in 1994, using ancient texts to develop his technique and lesson plan.
"They took a couple of old tomes and revived them, and started working on what a sword would have actually looked like in combat."
Tse channeled his inner warrior and took a trip down to the academy for a lesson in battle strategy, and — without the benefit of armor — his body took a bit of a beating.
The academy used to duel with swords made out of wooden dowels, but have since stepped up their game with three-and-half-pound steel blades.
"They're blunt on both sides, but they can definitely hurt," reported Tse, adding that the workshops is an epic way to get in shape without ever having to step foot in the gym.
"It was an experience. It was a totally new realm for me," said Tse. "I got schooled in sword-fighting, but it was great."