Those who have always wanted to learn to thrust, parry and cut with a long sword and rapier are in luck - a master swordsman has passed his skills on to Prince George.
Braun McAsh provided instruction to School District 57 drama teachers today so they can pass on the knowledge to their students interested in unarmed combat choreography for stage.
"The difference in the medium is quite significant in terms of how you throw a punch on stage as opposed to how you throw a punch on camera," said McAsh.
"Since we were already in Prince George we thought it would be nice to give the public the opportunity to do something that I'm not entirely sure is really all that available in Prince George and that's to take an eight-hour totally action-oriented seminar on a couple of historical bladed weapons - the German longsword and the Renaissance rapier."
McAsh has nearly 150 stage, small and large screen credits to his name, including the cult favourites Highlander: The Series and Highlander: End Game.
Everything taught during the workshops is documented as historically accurate, he added. That is very important to him.
McAsh is a graduate of the University of Windsor's drama program and veteran of the Stratford Shakespeare and Shaw Festivals.
He is a professional actor, sword master and fight choreographer, author and scholarly authority on the subject of Western or European martial arts.
He has instructed students in both historical and stage-combat techniques, and developed fight choreography for stage, film and television for 35 years.
"The general purpose of these courses is to give people a handle on what I call the physical dynamics of the weapon," said McAsh.
To participate in the seminars call McAsh's assistant at 250-563-8225 and ask for Joanne Bentley.
