Ascalon Academy has started swordsmanship classes in Kelowna and Penticton for 2023. (Brittany Webster/Capital News)

VIDEO: En garde! Fight like medieval men with Ascalon Academy in the Okanagan

Black Press reporter Brittany Webster attended a class learning the Italian rapier sword

We have all watched knights or pirates battle it out with swords, a thrilling combat to the death in movies.

What if you could learn how to sword fight just like them?

Turns out you can with Ascalon Academy of Historical Swordsmanship.

Head instructor Murdoch (Tyler Therrien) hosts classes in Kelowna on Mondays and in Penticton on Tuesdays teaching German longsword and Italian Rapier.

“It brings out the little kid in us, because we grew up watching this stuff.”

Murdoch says the classes are open to anyone who can pick up a sword.

He started learning the art after an old boss had a slip of the tongue saying he used to teach sword fighting and instantly fell in love.

“This is never a place I expected to be, and being here is both exhilarating and frightening. You talk to people and their eyes get huge and they’re like ‘I can learn how to do this?’ Yeah! Come over here and I’ll put one in your hand.”

Classes in Kelowna start at 7 p.m. at the Rotary Centre for the Arts and in Penticton at 6:30 p.m. at the Trade and Convention Centre.

READ MORE: Kelowna, Salmon Arm among top 20 destinations in Canada for ‘do-it-yourself movers’


@thebrittwebster
brittany.webster@blackpress.ca

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