In Ferro Veritas — Know Your Place

I would like you to read the following passage, consider if it is something that could be said of you, and if not then whether you need to broaden your horizons by paying more attention: Some of the greatest Teachers I’ve ever had lived under rotting logs, swarmed me out of a half buried and […]

In Ferro Veritas — And Don’t You Forget It

For those of you who don’t recognize the Latin phrase in today’s title, I will point you to my explanatory article A Bit About In Ferro Veritas which was published here more than a decade ago as part of a series that you can peruse by clicking here. Let that stand as an introduction to […]

In Ferro Veritas – Swordsmanship Meets Revisionist History

To many a modern fencer, the “weapon” in hand is no weapon at all, but an instrument of athleticism no different and more deserving of noble regard  than a tennis racquet. In discussion with one who openly brings concepts of martial artistry into fencing practice, even accomplished fencers routinely ridicule any such idea as archaic […]

In Ferro Veritas – A Bit About In Ferro Veritas

“‘In ferro veritas” means “in the sword is truth,’ or, more loosely translated, ‘studying the sword will smack you face-first into a lot of truths you’re not going to like.’” ~ Adam Adrian Crown, The Swordmaster’s Grimoire Every now and then, I experience the sheer delight of learning that someone whose work I respect and […]

In Ferro Veritas – Chapter the Fourth

Welcome back dear reader, and may I introduce you to this fourth chapter of In Ferro Veritas! This summer in Nova Scotia has seen an extreme escalation in highway accidents and fatalities therefrom. Along with this has come a constantly fizzling, crackling background noise of daily close calls, and it is a rarity these days for […]

In Ferro Veritas – Chapter the Third

Greetings gentle reader! If you’ve made it here to these latest musings without reading Chapter the First and Chapter the Second of this series, I respectfully suggest that you do that before proceeding. To the left is a photograph that I personally took last week, in the bedroom of an 82 year old woman who […]

In Ferro Veritas – Chapter the Second

There is a component of the population that, due to professional obligations, may be called upon to step in harm’s way at any moment, but most of us go about our lives with no intention or desire to ever do so. Yet the risk exists now, as it always has, of finding yourself in a […]

In Ferro Veritas – Chapter the First

“The more I’ve studied the application of fighting arts and delivering lethality, the more I came to eschew the posturings of “toughness” and implied violence. I always laugh at the old saying that you should never fight with an old man because if he’s too old to fight, he’ll just kill you. It carries a […]

Dark Sentiments Season 15 — Day 3: Saddle Up

“Understanding and being able to recognize and avoid logical fallacies is helpful in everything you do, whether it’s an argument, not being fooled by advertisements or politicians, choosing a good teacher who teaches from a solid foundation, or recognizing whether what you are being taught is what you need to learn.” ~ Maestro Adam Crown, […]

Dark Sentiments Season 15 — Day 1: No Apologies

Welcome back to our fireside, goode and weary Pilgrim, and this 15th Season of Dark Sentiments. Here, by the grim and unflinching Watchstone, we can take our ease, speak freely, and match observations with the utterances of those who would proclaim laws to have it otherwise. We don’t cater to weakness here, nor do we […]