As Adrian Paul’s ‘Sword Experience‘ heads to the UK, fan-film maker Derek May reports back from a similar event in Texas and says it was a memorable up-close-and-personal opportunity…
Here’s a report on the Sword Experience… I think this one went a bit bumpier in some respects because it was the first to take place at a convention rather than as a separate event. That caused some initial confusion as to where, when and how we attendees were supposed to pick up all our various swag (tickets, photos, books, etc.). After emailing back and forth with the support people, I finally got the answers, and after that everything went smoothly…
We (myself, my girlfriend Anne, and my friend Daniel) had tickets for Friday and Saturday of the con. We met Adrian on Friday when the lines weren’t too crazy. It’s funny, because I almost never get starstruck or tongue-tied, but I was a bit of a fanboy goober once I got up there. Luckily, Adrian was so nice and welcoming. (After we chatted for a few minutes, I told him I had a gift for him. I handed him a dvd copy of our film – which was JUST finalised that Wednesday!) and did my best to explain a bit of what it was. He accepted it graciously, and his assistant seemed genuinely impressed after reading the cover. I have no idea if he’ll actually watch it or not. I hope he gives it a shot, but either way it was fun to give it to him…!)
We were all set for the Sword Experience Saturday evening. In short, it was an absolute blast!! They cleared a large room in the convention center, which I was worried would be far too small for the nearly hundred participants. But it ended up working out well…
Adrian gave a quick introduction, warmed us up, and divided us all into groups – those with sword experience (which was me), those with martial arts experience, and those with no experience. The latter made up about 75%. He then personally paired everyone up, usually an experienced person with someone with less experience. We then each grabbed a bokken (wooden sword), with each partner having a different color (black or red). Each side would learn half of a short sword routine (this particular one was from the Highlander episode ‘Legacy‘). I went with Adrian to learn his side, while my partner went with the head instructor of a local sword group called Sword to Sword, whose member were all acting as Adrian’s assistants throughout the event, to learn his side. I strategically placed myself at the front, which paid off since I got to work with Adrian personally a few times as he offered pointers to the group. I like to think that he saw I that had some experience, and trusted that I wouldn’t accidentally ‘bean’ him! After an hour or so of practice, we paired up and practiced as a pair.
The choreography was interesting. It was 12 moves on each side, with a lot of movement and a nice mix of cuts, blocks, and even a throw. For experienced people I think it was challenging but easily do-able in the time-frame. For those without, it might have been a little much. Some people struggled quite a bit, but everyone had fun and that was the most important part.
Adrian controlled the class well. As a teacher myself, I could tell that he knew how to control a room. He was friendly and patient, but turned politely stern when needed. He was adamant about safety and everyone paying attention, but never became angry or frustrated at some of the unruly students. I was very impressed. He would also take time to explain the differences between stage fighting and real fighting and I can tell you he knows his stuff. He was spot on with his assessments.
We took a break at one point to relax and/or practice more. They closed off half the room, which was strange at first. When they opened it, we were shocked to see that his people had set up a backdrop set for us to fight in! There was a castle background against the wall and some boxes and armor to fight around. He directed us and the film crew on the blocking of the routine, having three or four groups going simultaneously. It was fun, even comedic at times. We’re supposed to get copies of the footage at some point soon, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
When it was over, everyone got a signed certificate and those that paid a bit more got to keep their bokken, which he also signed.
So, that’s about it… I gotta say I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to meet one of my heroes and role models. Usually we only get a few minutes at the signing booth and maybe a listen at a panel. But to have spent hours with Adrian over the weekend, to have interacted with him, and to have literally crossed swords with him was just a dream come true. If he ever comes back to Texas I think I’d do the event again. In fact, I’d love for my sword school to be the assistants if he comes to town. High hopes!
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Derek May is a lifelong Highlander fan from San Antonio, Texas. With over fifteen years of writing and film-making experience, his latest project takes on a new genre with stop-motion animation, culminating in the soon-to-be-released fan webseries Highlander: Veritas. In addition, he has been teaching and practicing a variety of martial arts for the past 30 years, including kenjutsu/iaijutsu, tai chi, taekwondo, and arnis.
