The Chicago Swordplay Guild (CSG) hosted this cross-training workshop for students of the Western Martial Arts. The weekend was packed with a variety of disciplines that covered areas including, but not limited to:

• Basic Combat Principles, such as movement, balance, and training methods
• Medieval Long Sword and Two-Handed Sword Combat
• An Introduction to Fighting with the Spear, one of man's first "complex" weapons
• Elizabethan Rapier and Dagger Methods
• Unarmed vs. Dagger Combat, based on Marozzo's Opera Nova of 1536
• Irish Cudgel Play
• An Overview of Bowie Knife Training: America's own unique weapon, descended from a long tradition of Western fighting knives information on current research, fight-notation

The workshop began on Friday night which was followed by two intensive days covering the variety of disciplines.  The turnout was approximately 40 people from various states including Canada.  In general, the workshop was deemed as being entirely successful and the expectation is to hold an annual workshop/seminar hosted by different organizations in their home city.  The following "thumbnails" provides some representative photographs of the workshop.  The images are numbered from 1 to 8, beginning on the left in the first row, ending with the last image on the second row.  A short description of each follows.

1. Tim Ruzicki & Jared Kirby of the New Dawn Duellists Society, MN provided a short demonstration of Talhoffer's infamous spiked shields.  Similarities to the sword was evident with the parries, thrusts and strikes.
2. Greg Mele & Aaron Popowitch demonstrate basic guard stances with steel swords.
3. John Kovac with Peter Kautz assisting, demonstrate the sophisticated moves that form part of the unarmed combat, as illustrated and written in "Flos Duellatorum".
4. A tournament depicting rapier, rapier & dagger, etc. at the end of the first day of workshops.
5. Rich Bunk instructing on the principles involved with pole-weapon handling, specifically, the spear.
6. Kevin Menard demonstrates savate danse de rue with Peter Kautz (a.k.a. "Pell") assisting.
7. Greg Mele providing further instruction on longsword handling.
8. Dwight McLemore instructing on the fine art of bowie knife handling.