Lord
Percy Aldridge
ACADEMIE PROVOST & WS
SPEARS!
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
SCA Name Title: Lord
Preferred Fighting Form: Swords
Kingdom/Baronial Current Positions: Southern Regional Deputy to the Kingdom Rapier Marshal
Household(s): Gardiner's Company
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Post by Percy Aldridge on Sept 21, 2020 17:07:56 GMT -5
I want to start a discussion here, because I think it's a good thing, and clearly there's some desire for it. What are everyone's thoughts on a certification system for instructors of fence? There are several out there, but one authored by a Master of Defense in Atlantia, Dante: docs.google.com/document/d/16NUyyMmjWeGI1vf4urfkXL0fDp10WD5P8skmYmXBmVY/editwith an extensive reading list beyond it. Who's taken it (if you're comfortable stating that)? Why or why not? Any other thoughts around it?
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Lord
Percy Aldridge
ACADEMIE PROVOST & WS
SPEARS!
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
SCA Name Title: Lord
Preferred Fighting Form: Swords
Kingdom/Baronial Current Positions: Southern Regional Deputy to the Kingdom Rapier Marshal
Household(s): Gardiner's Company
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Post by Percy Aldridge on Sept 21, 2020 17:14:13 GMT -5
I'll start, since I posed it. Some background first: I've been fighting rapier in Atlantia since 1994 (yes, you're that old Giacomo - and I'm not even in your first round of students). I've been a WS since 2001 and Sea Stag since 2004, so clearly someone thought I produced at least halfway decent students.
I've looked at Dante's test a couple times, and quite honestly find it daunting so haven't taken it. I think a lot of it is that the test has a large grounding in historical methods, which has never been my forte. I believe it's wonderfully assembled, and the recommended reading list is a stellar resource for anyone.
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(M) Master
Tassin Navetier
MASTER OF DEFENSE
MODERATOR
SCA Name Title: (M) Master
Preferred Fighting Form: Sword and Dagger
Kingdom/Baronial Current Positions: Canton of Kappellenberg Knight Marshal
Barony of Windmasters' Hill Rapier Marshal
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Post by Tassin Navetier on Sept 22, 2020 9:21:07 GMT -5
I've looked through it with plans to start building a curriculum around my answers. I like the idea of testing that a person knows enough to get a student through, but I do think there's something to be said for experience actually teaching as well that won't be captured through something like this cert.
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Post by Dante di Pietro on Sept 22, 2020 15:11:16 GMT -5
I've looked through it with plans to start building a curriculum around my answers. I like the idea of testing that a person knows enough to get a student through, but I do think there's something to be said for experience actually teaching as well that won't be captured through something like this cert. The only way to really move beyond the novice level of teacher is to teach and get feedback from expert mentors (plus, you kinda know when the lesson doesn't go well!). It's important to realize that this certification, much like a teaching license, is not a guarantee that you're a good teacher-- only that you know how to make a lesson plan (or more) and that you know the content to convey in the first place. This is less a proof that you'll be a good teacher and more a proof that you have the knowledge base to teach at all (Italian rapier, in this version-- I specifically allow for the creation of comparable tests using other systems as a joint effort). In practical terms, if you can teach someone how to lunge you should also be able to write down the steps involved. There are some resources about "how to teach" included, and I will be expanding that over time.
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Post by Dante di Pietro on Sept 22, 2020 15:19:16 GMT -5
I've looked at Dante's test a couple times, and quite honestly find it daunting so haven't taken it. I think a lot of it is that the test has a large grounding in historical methods, which has never been my forte. I believe it's wonderfully assembled, and the recommended reading list is a stellar resource for anyone. Honestly? Don't sell yourself so short. The first part is 32 questions. If you tackled one per day, you'd be done in a month. Some only take a sentence or two! Moreover, I'm pretty sure you can answer most of those questions, or well enough that with some feedback (buwhaahahahahahahaa!) you'd be able to polish them up just fine. If you know line, measure, lunge, recovery, cavazione, and finding, plus "what is a rapier?," then you're through most of the novitiate test. The hardest part will be the 10-15% that is the picky, nuanced stuff I'm a stickler for, BUT: you can resubmit the test, I give detailed feedback on what's missing and where to look, and that 10-15% is how we build consistency across regions and practices. I dream of a kingdom where there is NO CONFLICTING FEEDBACK.
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