The Art of The Swashbuckler

​Origins of Swashbuckling

Since the Renaissance (earlier by some accounts), tales of daring adventurers defying authority to help the less fortunate have been a favorite among storytellers. These stories are very much the progenitors of the superhero genre so popular in today’s culture.

In the early days of film, the lack of sound meant that any dialogue needed to be minimal and concise as it ultimately would be presented on title cards. Swashbuckling adventure stories were a perfect fit for the limitations of silent film and the strengths of the former stage actors that performed in them. This boom of adventure filmmaking helped reestablish the importance of theatrical swordplay and defined the art of film scoring as we know it today.

A Word About Safety

Safety is a #1 priority for this class. The techniques and safeties that you will learn are the same ones I was taught by legends of this genre and have since put to use over the past 20 years in my work as a professional fight coordinator. In all those years, there has not been a single significant injury under my watch. I will work tirelessly to make sure I can make the same statement again, 20 years from now.