Instructor Greg Michaels stands confident that just about anyone can learn swashbuckling – the audacious art of sword-fighting and flair.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why the professional actor and former film sword master invites anyone interested in sword fighting to sign up for his class. The course starts Saturday as part of the city of Kent\u2019s recreation program at Kent Commons, 525 Fourth Ave. Participants must be at least 16 years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I can pretty much teach 90 percent of the population to use a sword well,\u201d said Michaels, a sword-fighting instructor for more than 20 years. \u201cAnd we always emphasize safety first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Participants only need to bring a thin pair of gardening-type gloves to the class. Michaels provides the swords and lessons.<\/p>\n
He\u2019ll teach hand-to-hand theatrical combat, including slaps, kicks and punches, as well as sword play with a broadsword and rapier. After eight sessions of 90-minute lessons, beginning swashbucklers will be ready to perform.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ll be in total control of their weapons and actions, but look out of control, like they are in a life-or-death fight,\u201d Michaels said.<\/p>\n
Students in his previous classes at Kent Commons have included 17-year-old girls, men in their 20s and 30s and a married couple in their 50s.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt runs the gamut,\u201d Michaels said. \u201cIt\u2019s a pleasure to get the mix.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michaels, a professional actor who has lived for 12 years in Kent, decided to learn about sword fighting after auditioning for a part in a New York production of \u201cThe Three Musketeers.\u201d<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t take him long to realize he was no Errol Flynn.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce there, I didn\u2019t even know how to pick up a sword correctly,\u201d Michaels said.<\/p>\n
Throwing down the proverbial glove, the actor studied swordplay for years under several instructors in New York and Los Angeles. His efforts paid off – Michaels has performed, taught and choreographed for amateur and professional theaters, television and feature films. He went as far as to function as the sword master for the 1999 film \u201cThe Thirteenth Warrior,\u201d starring Antonio Banderas.<\/p>\n
During that gig, he spent two months on the set teaching a dozen actors, including Banderas, and nearly 20 stuntmen, how to use swords. He also choreographed the main duel in the film. Banderas had just finished \u201cThe Mask of Zorro\u201d film, so Michaels found the actor to be a quick learner.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a tremendous athlete,\u201d Michaels said.<\/p>\n
But those who sign up for Michael\u2019s current class do not need to be athletes or actors to learn to be swashbucklers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI teach magic with sleight of hand and the illusion of violence that you see on screen and stage,\u201d Michaels said. \u201cYou can\u2019t imagine it\u2019s something you can learn, but it is. And when you learn sword play, it\u2019s a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once students learn the fundamentals, swashbuckling provides exercise for the mind and body.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great way to integrate the mind and body,\u201d Michaels said. \u201cYou build your stamina and endurance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michaels still enjoys sword fighting as a sport and wants others to learn about it as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did performing on stage and in film,\u201d Michaels said. \u201cBut now it\u2019s time to give back to the community and one of my passions is sword play.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
What: Swashbuckling classes<\/p>\n
When: April 4 to May 30<\/p>\n
Where: Kent Commons, 525 Fourth Ave.<\/p>\n
Cost: $80 for eight Saturday sessions<\/p>\n
Register: Call 253-856-5000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Instructor Greg Michaels stands confident that just about anyone can learn swashbuckling – the audacious art of sword-fighting and flair. That\u2019s why the professional actor and former film sword master invites anyone interested in sword fighting to sign up for his class. The course starts Saturday as part of the city of Kent\u2019s recreation program […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":212,"featured_media":5195,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-5194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5194"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/212"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5194"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5194\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5194"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=5194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}