Stephen Kilbane
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Stick Wrestling
Two people, one stick! This deceptively simple game has been a mainstay of Macdonald Academy and The Cat's Glove since their inception. This versatile drill is used to teach students many different principles, as this workshop demonstrates.
Starting with simple grounding and footwork, additional layers are added progressively, with posture, body mechanics, lines of force, etc. These come together in disarms, arm-locks and other aspects of self-defence. As useful for instructors as it is for students, the workshop covers ways the same drill can be used to help students understand fundamentals and themselves.
Equipment: One straight stick (walking cane, single stick, etc.) between two. Some sticks will be provided on a first come first served basis.
Biography
Stephen Kilbane started his journey into historical fencing when Macdonald Academy of Arms first opened its doors in 2002, serving for many years as chef de salle under Maestro Paul Macdonald. He is the only person to have taken and passed the Macdonald Academy instructor exam.
In 2016 he co-founded the Cat’s Glove School of Traditional Defence, a sister school to Macdonald Academy, where he is co-instructor to Mike Smith’s lead instructor. Stephen has taught historical fencing workshops and seminars at events in England, Scotland, Italy and the USA, and at the first MHFA event.
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